The SAIP Residential – May, 2026

TEMPLE OF THE HOLY EARTH

We will be camped in northcentral Washington on private land at an altitude of 1700 feet beside a wild river in a deep canyon in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. With the help of dedicated human beings, salmon are returning to this river. In June, it’s likely themock orange will be blossoming and wafting their seductive scent. Perhaps osprey will startle us as they dive for fish in the surging river. Or maybe we’ll hear the spellbinding song of the olive-backed thrush. We’ll wander through the riparian zone of aspens, cottonwoods, fir, and ponderosas, and up through whimsical rock formations to seasonal ponds on the dry shrub-steppe south-facing slopes of the canyon. We’ll be in the company of bald and golden eagles, black bears, salmon, and deer, and many others not often seen but known to be in the neighborhood, including mountain lions, wolves, and moose.