THE LOOKOUT
You’re looking at Lightning Lake in beautiful EC Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia. We’re standing at “The Lookout”, about a quarter of the way up Frosty Mountain. Frosty Mountain is about 1,500 meters high. To hike Frosty Mountain all the way to its treeless, dramatic peak and back, you’ll spend most of the day for what is a most rewarding adventure. The Lookout on the other hand can be perhaps 3 hours return from camp. And, to those of us as a group of friends and family who’ve camped in Manning Park for over 30 years, The Lookout is a very special place. So many times at camp the call will come out “Who’s wants to go to the Lookout?”. And there are always an eager bunch of hikers packed and ready.
But The Lookout is special to all of us for another reason. Dal O’Bee was the senior of the family. Father, grandfather and friend of all, he absolutely loved hiking to The Lookout. His last hike up to his favourite place in Manning Park was probably when he was in his early 80’s. No longer able to make it to Frosty’s summit, The Lookout served as his mountain to climb. He’d always have an eager hiking party of 3 or 4, but many times a whole lot more wanted to take the trek with Dal. And usually there’d be at least one dog along to complete the expedition. He had his log to sit on up there and he found absolute joy in just being at this vantage point one more time.
Dal passed on September 14th, 2017. Soon thereafter, very appropriately, Dal’s daughters, Joy and Kim, and a few others, hiked up to Dal’s favourite place and left some of his ashes there. Now he’s enjoying that wonderous view for as long as there are mountains.
On a beautiful September day five years after Dal’s passing, the air muted somewhat by hints of smoke from summer forest fires, Joy and Kim hiked again to The Lookout. They just wanted to spend some time with Dad at this very special place. And when they arrived, they were warmed by the beautiful, wildly colourful carpet that had been prepared in their honour. The fall colours had arranged their vantage point in very appropriate splendour. The circle of heartrocks they had gathered and prepared all those years ago in memory of their father was still respectfully left in place. Dal’s log was there for them to share with him as they sat with their memories and emotions. And the constant view that he’d enjoyed so much was theirs to savour. In a sense, they could feel his presence.
Happily, Joy took a photograph of the moment. And when she came back home and showed me, I knew it had to be a painting. I’d taken that hike with Dal many times. I’d sat on his log with him and listened while he described his thoughts on where we were at that particular moment in time. So, I found it easy to paint the splendour, in a sense, through his eyes. I know the recognition of this image, for family and friends, will be immediate. It’s so warmly familiar to all of us. We’ve all been there many times. I really didn’t need to title the painting for them. We all know it as “The Lookout”.
