Walk to the Mountain: A Three-Day Inaugural Pilgrimage to the Clear Mountain’s New Home
Join Clear Mountain’s monks as they inaugurate their move to the new monastery land through a three-day walking pilgrimage, Saturday, Aug. 29 – Monday, Aug. 31, from Saint Mark’s Cathedral to Clear Mountain Monastery in North Bend. The full schedule, with stops, may be found below, or on Google Maps (Sat. Aug. 29, Sun. Aug. 30, Mon. Aug. 31). A video describing the new land & vision may be found here. Welcome!
To inaugurate Clear Mountain Monastery’s new home in North Bend, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho plan to walk from Saint Mark’s Cathedral to the new land over the course of three days, from Sat. Aug. 29 – Mon. Aug. 31. Anyone who wishes may join for meal offerings or any daytime section of the walk (the monks will sleep alone). Though participants are encouraged to note relevant Park & Rides, and organize “shuttle buddies” (a link to Clear Mountain’s WhatsApp community & carpool subgroup may be found here), some volunteers will be available to shuttle walkers back to their parked cars after periods of walking. The walk, an act of dedication and celebration, will be carried out in noble silence (though brief greetings and conversation during rest breaks and meal offerings are welcome), as a chance to develop walking mindfulness and metta meditation, dedicating the merit of practice to the creation of a refuge of Dhamma for all. Especially convenient waypoints to join the walk include morning departures and midday meal offerings (see below for schedule). We hope all who wish can walk with us for at least the first 30 minutes after the Sat. Aug. 29th gathering (11:30 am-noon, through Volunteer Park). Please bring a water bottle and ample nutrition for any section of the walk you join for. If you have questions, you may contact Bonnie Kosmyna at bmkosmyna@gmail.com. Please note that times and distances are approximate. Your may find updates on the walks’ current location and photos on Clear Mountain’s WhatsApp Community Seattle Events subgroup. May all beings be well!
Route
- Sat. Aug. 29 (Saint Mark’s Cathedral to Bellevue – Google Maps Link): After Saturday Gathering finishes, leave Saint Mark’s Cathedral (1501 10th Ave E, Seattle) at 11:30 am, and walk about 3 hours (7 miles) to Bellevue Downtown Park (10201 NE 4th St, Bellevue) arriving around 2:30 pm. The monks plan to walk a bit farther to a local Christian monastery where they’ll stay the night.
- Sun. Aug. 30 (Bellevue to Preston – Google Maps Link): Leave South Bellevue Park and Ride, (2700 Bellevue Way SE, Bellevue) at 8 am & walk about 3 hours (8 miles) to Kokanee Shelter (2300 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah) at Lake Sammamish State Park, arriving at about 11 am for the meal offering (feel free to bring and share! Note that without a Discovery Pass, parking is $10). Leave Lake Sammamish State Park at about 1 pm and walk along the Issaquah-Preston trail about 4 hours (9 miles) to Preston Athletic Fields and Park (30634 SE 87th Pl, Issaquah), near the Preston Park and Ride, arriving at about 5 pm. The monks plan to camp nearby for the night.
- Mon. Aug. 31 (Snoqualmie Ridge to Clear Mountain Monastery – Google Maps Link): Leave Azalea Park (6604 Azalea Way SE, Snoqualmie) at 8 am & walk about 3 hours (7 miles) to Si View Park (400 SE Orchard Dr, North Bend) in North Bend, stopping briefly at the Chamber of Commerce before arriving at about 11 am for the meal offering (feel free to bring and share!). Leave Si View Park at about 12:45 pm and walk about 15 minutes (.5 miles) to North Bend City Hall (920 SE Cedar Falls Way, North Bend), arriving at about 1 pm After a brief rest, we’ll depart around 1:30 pm, walking another hour (3 miles) to Clear Mountain Monastery’s new home (15901 Cedar Falls Road SE, North Bend), arriving at about 2:30 pm via a safe access road parallel to Cedar Falls.
Google Maps Routes
Sat. Aug. 29 Sun. Aug. 30 Mon. Aug. 31
Note that walking along roads comes with a measure of risk, and Clear Mountain is not responsible for injury or other accidents which may occur.