Spending a summer up at Headwaters is something that cannot be completely expressed through words, but rather through a similar experience. One of the most memorable adventures happened with three other friends when I was thirteen years old.

At the end of an evening class when the sunlight was fading and about to disappear entirely, storm clouds that had been gathering all evening were about to burst. The first few drops of rain hit the ground splattering in the dirt, and a few seconds later the first crack of lighting shot across the sky miles away. While everyone quickly went into a shelter, myself and three others ran off to climb a Douglas Fir tree.

We ascended the branches quickly and sat close to the top. From our perch, we could see the bolts of lightning streaking across the sky illuminating Mount Shasta. The lightning storm started behind the north side of Shasta, moving closer too slowly to recognize. After watching this brilliant show another started south west of us over Mount Eddy. Ten minutes later, a third storm broke out north of us sending streaks of lighting in every direction. Thunder roared almost endlessly, one boom blending into the next.

Sitting in the tree was incredible, almost surreal, and the four of us felt that. Sixty feet about the ground rain came pouring down all around us and the wind made the tree sway back and forth. We were in awe as we watched this 360° view of lightning for the better part of an hour. Finally, the storms around us began to subside and we clambered out of the tree, soaking wet and full of energy. A kind of energy that occurs when you have been humbled by nature’s splendor, and filled up with its fiery energy.

-- Isabelle Senteno