The White Mountains

September 01, 2020

Lonesome Lake

Elevation: 2,730ft

Location: Franconia Notch Range/White Mountains/New Hampshire/USA

Note: Tucked deep into the heart of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, facing the stellar Franconia Notch Range, sits an elevated Lake that is forever embraced by thick Forests, and glowing Mountains. This is Lonesome Lake, a secret shining pendant-piece hanging high upon the neck of the Franconia Notch Forests, 2,730 feet above the valley. This hike is the best overall trek in the White Mountains., and that’s saying a lot!

The view of Franconia Notch from the valley is straight-forward enough. The Mountains are so broad, that it is a real challenge to get a full view of the Range, before finding the Trailhead for Lonesome Lake.

Lonesome Lake Trailhead is easy to find. Located just 10 minutes, by car, from the Franconia Notch State Park’s main facility. Continue along 93-North for ten minutes, extending from Franconia’s Main Entrance Park. You will actually pass the Trailhead, on the other side of the highway. You will need to take a left at Exit 34 B, and drive 93 South, back in the other direction, for about 4 minutes. You will see signs for the Lonesome Lake Trailhead on the Right, with provided parking. Your Iphone will have no problem identifying the Trailhead, as Route 93 is the major highway running directly through these Mountains ( just like the A82 in Scotland, which splits The incredible Three-Sisters-Mountain Range at Glen Coe. (Image/Below)

The White Mountains have a very similar feel to Scotland’s gateway Range at Glen Coe. Similar in scale, these are both incredibly massive Mountain Ranges, that somehow depict a rare ‘cozy closeness’ between cleaved peaks, protecting the valleys below, in both locations. The White Mountains in Fall, however, have something that Scotland does not, glowing gold and booming orange-brown colors for just a month out of the year. (Image/Below)

Lonesome Lake Trail: At the opening of the Trailhead you will find a path of collected boulders that climbs straight up, like a winding discheveled stair. As it is with almost every trail in the New England Region, it seems that these boulders were collected, cut, and placed in this specific way (As hard as that might be to believe).

If, for example, people believe that the National Park Service placed these boulders, they are seriously mistaken. It would take millions of dollars, Bobcat-machines, and perhaps 50 to 100 men to align these boulders, straight up a mountain. (Image/Below/Lonesome Lake Trail)Native Americans did not move these boulders either. The reality is that these trails were created by megalithic builders, just like New Grange in Ireland, Macchu Picchu in Peru, and Stonehenge in England. These trails are monuments. I realize this changes the modern Western conceptualization of what a sacred space, or temple, truly is. These megalithic statements are sprawled and connected all over the landscape. The constructs make the landscape itself a monument. It is not confined to a singular space, like the Parthenon in Greece, or, Notre Dame in France. This has been incredibly difficult to explain. The conceptualization of megalithic building for todays “Anthropologists”, who simply cannot fathom megalithic constructs embedded into a landscape, is not confined to the basic idea of a “building”, but rather, a connective grid, capable of synergizing an entire landscape. The megalithic designer responsible for this Trail, may have left us some clues about the constructs here at Lonesome Lake; Let’s take a look…(Image/Below/Lonesome Lake Trail) At the base of this Trail sits an extremely unique boulder (Images/Below), with parallel indented markings, and curvy cut sections, like a rounded ‘rubix-cube’. It is clear that this was intended work upon this boulder. There is a dimensional framework to these sections, perhaps indicating some kind of understanding about “perspective”, and vantage. If you look closely at the image (Image/Left/Below) it is crafted into sections: The first frontal section is completely separate, with a symmetrical and penetrating cyndrilical line, seemingly drilled, and at an intense speed, running straight through the rock. The second and third sections, standing behind this first boulder, are cut similarly, and are perhaps aligned in a specific way. There are clearly separate sections to be seen, as if the boulder was once singular, heated, penetrated and then sliced into sections; Like a knife through butter. The side view shows the clear sections; The frontal view show the connectivity. This is a multi-meaningful statement, which deserve mathematical analysis. It is enticing, and adds excitement to this Trail.

As you progress up the significant climb, there are beautiful settings in the stones, awesome trees, and groves that compliment the experience. One particular tree, near the 2000 ft elevation range, grows right through the middle of the trail, on its own.

There is a possibility that the stones were left behind in a very specific way, in order that the Forest would grow up in a specific order. This too is very hard for anthropologists and archaeologists to comprehend. But a great deal of megalithic works seem to have multi-layers of meaning. For example, many of the stone-linings (“walls”) that are found winding infinitely through the Forests, directly up mountains, and across streams in the valleys, clearly have nothing to do with the classical usage of “walls”, which is to restrict the movement of cattle and trespassing humans. These ‘Linings’ do not limit movement, at roughly 3 feet high, and three feet thick. If they do not restrict movement, why are they there? And why the monumental effort to create them, if they are not restrictive? It is because there is a megalithic context to these ‘Linings’. These stones are intended to connect the landscape, the way quartz cables connect energy centers on a digital grid within a phone, or computer. It synergizes the landscape; The stones absorb the energy from the Sun, plus subtle electric current from the rolling streams below, sending energy throughout the landscape. The stone-lining pictured below, is found near the peak at Watatic Mountain in Massachusettsm, at around 2400 feet of prominence. It is a good example of the basic width, and depth, of the construct of these ‘Linings’, found at tough elevations. The point of all of this is realizing that these megalithic works are engineered spaces, harnessing the landscape energy, constructing irrigation zones, cairns, standing stones, and much more.

This is megalithic historic view is actually the more logical explanation for these megalithic ‘Linings’ inundating the landscape of New England, and Europe. The megalithic context depicts works of intense utility and scale. To credit the Native American Tribes with these works, would require a massive amount of advanced tools, evidence, and oral-traditional depictions of Native Tribes spending lifetimes building “walls”, with megalithic size stones, directly up mountains. It makes zero sense. There is no such evidence. These works were here before the Native tribes arrived, and at the earliest possible point in Cultural History. The pathway here at Lonesome Lake is an awesome example of megalithic trails. (Image/Below/Left)

To be clear: to say that this path is merely the work of A State Park Service, Native tribes of seasonal and minimal possessions, or “glaciers” . is absolutely absurd. It is a blatant collection of massive boulders, intended as a walkway to the sacred areas above.The work is meant to be seen, just like any work is.

One thing that the builders of these beautiful pathways knew, was that these stones would be here forever. And they were right. What has faded though, is human beings ability to interpret the over-obvious, in plain sight! The evidence embedded in the stonework itself, from all corners of the Western Hemisphere, say something cultural happened, on a megalithic scale.

As you make your way to the top of the Trail there is an interesting boulder that marks the point where the ground finally becomes level again. The shape of this boulder (First Image/Below) coincides with the shape of hundreds of boulders that remain unacknowledged by Post-modern ‘anthropologists’ and authors, with agendas, married to their desks, at colleges across New England. Take a look at the examples of these Triangular Megaliths below:

The triangular shape of singular megaliths, as readers of this site well know, is found throughout Forests, from Maine, to Massachusetts, as well as Ireland, Austria, Arizona, and California:

The reason for these triangular megaliths is probably multi-dimensional. It might be a cultural marker for the megalithic culture itself. A ‘calling card’. In mathematics, the first shape to arrive from a linear set of points, is the Triangle. Perhaps this Megalithic Culture is messaging us, via this symbol: Just as the Triangle is the first symbol from any set of given points; The Megalithic Culture is the first Culture, from any set of Cultures. It makes sense. Look at the construct of any set of points reaching a logical triangle shown below:

Ex:

A
A to B
A to B to C
A to B to C to D…….etc….
A
B C

As you can see, the first shape from any set of given linear points possible, is the Triangle. Forever. Its a Law.

Continuing into the level ground of the upper end of the Trail, a beautiful grove emerges, and you actually step down for a few moments, before the second part of this amazing trail unfolds.

As you step forward towards Lonesome Lake, mountains emerge in the distance beyond, and the Trail reveals an option to go right or left. Take the left side path, clockwise, around the Lake. On the other side is the area which is the main focus of this trek, where everything comes together. This is a scene with multiple mountain vantages, perhaps relating to the mulit-layered rubix-cube-boulder at the beginning of the Trail, indicating something about the vantages and perspectives to be found here.

The breezy jaunt around the circular Trail begins to reveal mountains, in every direction. The first view, to the West, is of Kinsman Mountain. (Image/Above) Making your way to the other side of the Lake, Mount Kinsman looms like a Sun-dial; As the Sun makes it way towards its 4,265 ft peak, a shadow slowly cools the hidden Lake below. Reaching the other side, you will turn to look back to the East, and Franconia Notch Range is laid beautifully bare, above the Forest, like a Tigress looms over her cubs. It’s spectacular. This is the place to rest, and eat, and take some pictures.

After some time taking in this scene, begin your trek again, continuing clockwise around the Lake. A glowing green Cannon-Ball Mountain radiates brightly to the North. The bright contrast compared to the darker hues of Franconia Notch Range and Mount Kinsman is a super-pleasant shock. A three sided, mountain-sized, protection for this Lonesome Lake.

There are platform-pathways that run through the Forest, beside Cannon Ball Mountain, as you make your way. Some of the enclosures give a few different vantages on Franconia Notch Range…

You will come full circle, and head back down the way you came. You took in a brilliant scene.

I hope readers will understand that relating these cultural points is not easy, or prideful. There was a time that I myself absolutely did not believe that any of these megalithic indicators were possible. It was a fairy tale, at best. But what I discovered, first hand, in person, as I engaged these trails, is the miasma of academic level evidence pointing towards this earliest anthropological Culture on Earth; This is The Megalithic Culture. You can see it too. The ironic thing, is that this earliest Culture was capable of creating almost anything they decided to build. They were engineers of entire landscapes! We find solid evidence for this Culture in Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, France, New England, Virginia, Arizona, California, Mexico, Peru, Russia, and many more places. I still remember the first standing-stone I came across randomly, hiking in the dead of Winter in New England, some years ago. I was totally freaked out. It changed my perspective about so many things. (Image/Below)

If there was an advanced Culture at the beginning of Time, how could we say that Cultural development is Evolution based? Why is none of this mentioned in our K-12 text books? In other words, why don’t the people funding Public Education not want you to even think about this Megalithic Culture? Are they afraid that it might change your perspective on some things? Your damn right they are! Get free. Open your mind. Look logically. It’s not what “Public Education” told you it is. Lonesome Lake is yet another wonderland, full of natural beauty and cultural mystery. It’s a place I hope you won’t miss. Covid-whatever, or no Covid-whatever. Go strong!

Franconia Notch Range

Hiking The White Mountains

Lonesome Lake New Hampshire

Megalithic America

Megaliths In New England

The White Mountains

White Mountain Trails

jpvstonestrider

America

New England

November 12, 2019

Location: New Hampshire/USA

Elevation: 2000-5000 feet

Note: I have wandered into countless forests, to find mysteries that date back to the beginning of time. I never expected to find anything of the sort, just trees and hedge, mingling with the moonrise. At certain times in my life, that would’ve been reason enough to dissipate into the hills with my cameras. I have been that individual, in the far away distance, in one moment, an acknowledging speck in the distant glances of happy travelers from the valley down below, and in the next moment, vanished.

Once I began to see the legitimacy of what is clearly an oppressed anthropological Culture in the woodsy places of the world, I simply couldn’t tell people fast enough. But as I began to inform people, friends and family, I realized that I was actually performing a new type of vanishing. This vanishing was related to the idea of who I used to be, what I used to say and think. I have one friend, in particular, who, when I would point out some fixture in the stones, would say to me: “It can’t just be beautiful can it? It has to be something… more?” Well, I‘m here today, to say to the entire world, in my least vanished state, that yes, sometimes, if you are truly lucky, it can just be beautiful.

Just look at The White Mountains.

I have travelled many times to the White Mountains intent on the discovery of The Megalithic Culture. In truth, Mount Chocorua, Mount Washington, and more than a half-dozen more of the mingling granite peaks here, in the heart of New Hampshire, hold world-class evidence. But on this excursion, in the Autumn of 2019, although I knew they were certainly there, I would not allow myself to see a single rolling stone. This is the time for trees.

Autumn in New England is a rolling tapestry of trees, an impressionism in real-time, an ocean of foliage. The Mountains roll like stilled tsunamis, continual colors into continual colors, until the sky contrasts the distance. The backdrop of blue, when the Sun is in the sky, fills the scene with brightened colors, deeper shadows, and depth. When a grey mist rolls over the peaks, the shadows seem to vanish, and the colors become slightly more miraculous, against the grey. Ingesting scenes like this somehow creates a mechanism in the heart for turning natural miasmas into rather simple suggestions; like the idea that there is an infinity of everything, spanning in all directions, over the one majestic scene. A true understanding of Nature, that humans are created with a literal connectivity to the lessons of the landscape, becomes clearer in scenes like this. The beauty of the moment is enhanced by the knowledge that it is soon to pass. It underscores the very nature of our lives. To spend time in a space like this is in fact to come many steps closer to what it would be like to wander freely among the stars, blazing against the backdrop of an infinite blackness by the starry billions, and long after you are gone.

Note 2: Mount Pemigewasset Trail/Franconia Notch State Park/NH

The White Mountains sit at the central heart of the State of New Hampshire. It would be a good guess that the State itself established its original boarders in order to encapsulate this Mountain Range gem. To the West is Vermont, and the beauty of the Green Mountain Range, running throughout. To the Northeast is the massive State of Maine, where Mount Katahdin looms in awe inspiring autonomy, like a section of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. (Image/Below)

The main highway that runs straight into the White Mountains is Route 93. One of the most popular and beautiful stretches of road in all of New England in Autumn. Make the choice to drive route 93 through the southern portion of the White Mountain Range, and connect to Route 302, which makes an incredibly visceral swing to the East, through the gorgeous White Mountain passes. Just like any of the Celtic Ranges abroad, this region offers excursions into National Parks, Waterfalls, Lakes, and photogenic stretches of valley, all along the main highways. Due to the amount of incredible choices for hiking, as well as its proximity as a gateway to the central Range along Route 93, Franconia Notch State Park was chosen for this Review. Trail choices here include Flume Gorge (easy), Mount Pemigewasset (medium), Little Haystack Falls (hard), and many more. A Ranger on site recommended the stellar view of Mount Pemigewasset Trail (Image/Below), which is achieved by a moderate hiking experience through absolutely classic New England forestry, with very few rocky formations along the way, for a change.

The trail begins on the north side of the Franconia Notch Parking lot. This is an active scene in Autumn, with cars piled along the side of the highway due to the amount of hikers intent on capturing the views of the region. There is a central lodge with a cafeteria, and information center for guided tours into the Mountains. A sign marks the trail for Mount Pemigewasset, along with a distance description of 1.5 miles to the peak. This measure is significantly off. Understand that it is about 2.1miles to the gorgeous peak at Mount Pemigewasset, obviously making the total hiking experience about 4.2 miles. This hike begins beneath a small picturesque bridge which passes beneath a bustling Route 93. If anything, this bustling is an indicator of exactly what it is you are hoping to get some distance from. Drifting into these Woods is a sonorous escape, where the sound of sifting leaves slowly overcomes the constant murmur of automotive assertion taking place down below. As you slowly climb, the woods whisper over a wide clear path, with roots, rocks, and golden-red leaves. This is a gorgeous forest, on par with the Black Forest of Germany, and beauty of the Scottish Pines in Glen Coe.

There are no variations on Pemigewasset Trail. You follow the clear rocky path, inundated with gold and rouge. The stones do seem deliberate, but this is not that type of Trail. This is a place to admire the raw and massive force that a New England forest can be, a venerable wonderland of the greatest depth, and degree of beauty. As the incline of the Trail continues the glades begin to change. Families of Birches emerge to greet you at about 2000 feet. Even while hiking in the elevated forests of Wyoming, for example, you might unexpectedly wander into a vast family of Birch trees. They simply pop-up wherever they wish, offering a gorgeous glimpse at the often whimsical mentality of trees; something that many of us just don’t consider in our constant ‘problem-solving state’ of ‘corporate function’, and bullshit. The beauty of where glades decide to grow is a marvel made specifically for hikers to ponder, and has a magic all its own, especially when walking through the miniature white pillars of a plentiful Birch boardwalk, closer to the clouds than the clamoring cars below. If you reach these Birches you know you are close to one the prettiest small-Mountain views in all of New Hampshire. As you pass through a narrow corridor of small trees, the vista emerges before you. Take your time breaking through, and prepare to receive your reward. This is a once in a lifetime scene. For those just visiting New England, it may be the only time they see such a vision. This is vista that offers a glimpse of the southerly course leading across New Hampshire back into Massachusetts. The multiplicity of the colors can be disorienting, so do not stand too close to the edge at first, and don’t take selfies near the ledge as well. At the Grand Canyon last year, many people died due to this tendency to ignore the significance of the ledge while leaning-back for their photos. Sit down with your friends, and loved ones, then take the pictures. There is a little bit of forever in the foliage here, sitting down is a small price to ask.To the West is a view along the edge of the Forest, revealing the edge of the immediate Valley. Somehow, it feels as if you could leap down into the softness of the tree-tops, and bounce out of view in just a few bounds. The scene is that surreal. The stony top-platform feels like a fortress beneath your feet, as the contrast of the soft foliage drifts off over the Valley, and through the woods.The way back down is doubly easy, as it always is. When you finally arrive back to your car, having seen the foliage, continue onward to the North, up Route 93 to Rt 302, and follow. This is one of the most wonderful drives in all of North America, winding through the Passes of the White Mountains, where hundreds of Waterfalls lay hidden, while some roll down completely open to the road. Silver Cascade Falls is just such an open view along Route 302. (Image/Below)The White Mountains have a blessed status among Ranges; They blush before sleeping, as the Winter sets in and the trees let go. Let it be a lesson to all of us, that all of our growth, and gain, and loss, will one day hang loose, and simply let go. For those who become sad at the notion of this, just remember that the universe of colors for the following year to come, has already been coded. This code, of course, is unable to be seen, but you better believe is more permanent, than even the White Mountain stone. Get into it, and good luck as you go.

The White Mountains of New Hampshire

jpvstonestrider

America

New England

Stonestrider.com

Location: County Donegal/Ireland Note 1: There are only so many places in the wide world that offer an approachable scene of mountains along with gorgeous coastline in the same incredible hikes. Some examples include exotic places like Santa Barbara/California, Monaco/France, or Whakatane/New Zealand. These epic places all carry that rare majesty of mountain-range combined with coastal experience. These areas, at minimum, are straight-up wonderlands. It pulls on our imaginations and taps our curiosity to even glimpse images of these places. There is yet another place though, no less profound, further up the northern hemisphere, that is so worthy of your attention. For the lucky trailblazers who have stood at the peak of Mount Errigal in County Donegal, Ireland, and turned their gaze North (Image/Below), it becomes scintillatingly clear that this is one of the most incredible mountainous/coastal regions on Earth. This is Donegal, Ireland. If you haven't found your way there yet, then this is your chance to get a glimpse of this ancient place. Sometimes just a glimpse is all it takes to get you there, like falling in love at a glance. This is the overall goal of Stonestrider.com; not just to show you how beautiful a given place might be, but to give you enough visual substance to put you over the top, and get you to make the decision to get there... in real-time.

Donegal is a collection of every possible aspect of ancient Irish culture; from the Celtic tradition espousing tales of Giants and great kings, to the related Medieval Period and its dynamic history. In approaching Donegal, the boarder regions to the South and East will be looked at as well. Ireland is an interwoven tapestry of related Counties, and it becomes necessary to describe the beautiful sites that exist en-route to this beautiful northwest corner of the Emerald Isle, as well as Donegal proper. The history here is pretty much on-par with Game of Thrones. There are epic accounts of Viking-raids all over northern Ireland, mingled with Medieval relations between the great Houses that occupied the ancient castles of the region. Donegal Castle has many engaging stories throughout its haunting and epic history. (below/left). There are hundreds of other gorgeous castles dotting the landscape, contrasting the skyline atop cliffs; along crystalline lakes, and dark Atlantic coast.

There are Dolmens in the heights and forests; Dolmens which are aged 4000 to 6000 years. Stone Circles exist mystically in the fields of each county as well, and are no less significant. Donegal is a veritable soup of historical substance. There is a historical richness and mystical sustenance that locations like Santa Barbara and Whakatane' just can't provide. An adventure in Donegal is rich with tangible in-depth substance, true wonder, and every type of magical potential. O.k. Lets begin, to wander in... The Region: Before entering the dimension that is Donegal, the logistic mystery that surrounds the area should definitely be addressed. Even describing the cartagraphical affiliations of the area creates a bit of a tongue-twister; colors can be used to describe the political designation of Donegal. Donegal is in the physical region of northern Ireland, and more specifically northwestern Ireland, and remains part of the nation of Ireland, which generally continues geographically South from Donegal. Donegal, however, is not in "the nation" of Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K. The north-eastern part of the island is the U.K. Be aware of this national distinction if you travel anywhere due-north of Dublin, the proud people of this specified region most certainly are. Note 2: The history of the northerly destinations of Ireland should definitely be looked at for a moment before thinking of traveling through. Deadly conflict has taken place around the area of Belfast due to the occupation of British forces. This controversial occupation extends far back in Time, even before Colonial times, into the Medieval period. Interaction between the British, Scottish, and Norse cultures, are interwoven into the overall ancient history of the region, with the British prevailing into this Modern period. Towns like Newcastle in the Mourne Mountain Range have a proud tradition of being part of the U.K, with hundreds of British flags often displayed in the old-town center, nestled into its beautiful coastal/mountain scene. (Image/Left)

Travelers should know that there is no toll, or wall, separating the northeastern region from the rest of Ireland. The beautiful Irish landscape rolls through the entire Island unhindered, and you can pass from county to county freely, regardless of these modern distinctions. Note 3: A seekers approach to Donegal can definitely start with the Megaliths, among many other beautiful things from era's past. The ancient monuments of Ireland, its Dolmens, Cairns, Standing Stones, Stone Temples, and Castles, are extremely important for trail-finders. Their initial quality of lending the deepest spiritual significance to the landscape is only the beginning of their impact; they also give hikers something significant to strive for, a goal beyond the typical tourist attractions i.e: places where the locals stare distantly from beyond the parking-lots. Often times, if you set your sights on a sacred site, those beautiful and impossible stones in the illusive distance, wonderful and unpredictable things will appear and happen along the way. An example of this is found on the wonderful trail high above Glenveagh Castle, in Glenveagh National Park. There is a totally unmarked Wedge Tomb in the most dramatic of places, right next to the elevated trail. Finding these relics is not only a natural rush, but it also supports the idea that someone lived in this specific area as far back as the Neolithic Period, and if you explore further, it is likely that you will find more magical anthropological statements, adding to the wonder and mystery of the scene. This Wedge Tomb had that special symmetry that so many Megaliths do (Image/Below)...

it is placed in the absolute center of the gully, and above an incredibly beautiful Glenveagh Lake. The view just 20 yards away from the Wedge Tomb, is truly spectacular with the Castle in the Frame. It is no wonder that an ancient group/culture found this spot to be a place worth living in, and claimed it with territorial stone statements. Incredible.

Other times, you can often be hiking and just around the next bend an incredible historic site will just appear practically out of nowhere, as Monea Castle did for me while hiking a roadside in Enniskillen on my way to Donegal.

Walking towards a countryside castle like Monea is like wandering into a dream; often without another person for miles, with only the quiet stillness to picture the beautiful life-style that had taken place here hundreds of years ago. (Image/Above) Not far from this very same scene, continuing north on the A35 to enter Donegal from the South, you will discover the approach for Drumskinny Stone Circle. There is countryside for 15 miles in every direction when you arrive. The stillness is shocking. This is the epitome of Stones Circles in Ireland. Drumskinny is in a classic radial form, along with a linear extension of smaller stones, which are certainly worthy of a study beyond the scope of this article. Perhaps there is a celestial connection? Each stone is beautifully unique, like people, and yet the unify into one shape. These places of ancient ceremony have a vibe similar to that of visiting a relative over the landmark age of 100, that is: without words there is an amazing depth to the moment, however still and nearly silent the scene may be.

These are the places where the Celts had dwelt for centuries; generations of everyday farmers, householders, and small-business-owners are their descendants. They have survived countless struggles to remain connected to their homesteads. After visiting this beautiful place at the southern edge of Donegal, you will be ready to move North to a region where two Dolmens have stood since the beginning of History. Both the Gortnavern Dolmen, and the Kilclooney Dolmen, are located in County Donegal, and are fantastic options for a multifaceted adventures with a climactic focus. The Gortnavern Dolmen Excursion: The overall approach to reaching the Gortnavern Dolmen is just as significant as actually finding it. Major roads in Donegal are solitary and singular, while contrastingly, smaller roads often have no names, and lead to the farthest corners of enclosed hedges and fields that seem to go on forever. 'Moneymore Road' is a good example of the lessor road experience, located at the southern base of Mount Errigal. This little street gives a reclusive valley perspective of the entire enchanting area. An abandoned stone church sits in the shadow of the Mount Errigal beyond, a truly epic vision.

The best and most beautiful approach to the Gortnavern Dolmen, is to pass by Mount Errigal, near Moneymore, and continue through Glenveagh National Park (Image/Below) along the incredible R251.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime-drive. From the Hamlet of Mullaghduff the entire R251 scene can be viewed. (Image/Below)

In hamlet of Mullaghduff there are beautiful free-standing boulders in gorgeous places (Image/Below), and incredible lowland waterfalls that are totally untouched, all in their original state.

This waterfall (Image/Below), just off the road, doesn't even have a path or an approach; you simply have to wade through the hedges to get close. I believe that this is a megalithic altar from antiquity, and fully engineered. Look at the fixtures of the interlocked stones; they are clearly "cut-to-fit" and rounded to create a beautiful and massively harnessed release point for the flowing water. Incredible. The entire landscape is enchanted; it truly is.

So bring your hiking gear/tall-boots, and be ready to trudge away in order to get close to something beautiful in Donegal. Continuing on, the Gortnavern Dolmen (Image/Below) is only 4 miles from the center of Kerrykeel.

Along the road to Kerrykeel there are local vegetable stands ( 2nd Image/Below/Left) and craft shops. Stop by and converse with these local people! The Irish of Donegal are a people who have lived on the distant northwestern edge of Europe's continental crossroads for what is now thousands upon thousands of years; take a moment for these unique and amazing souls. Even the small things the Irish country-folk have to do and say, may strike you as rare subtle wisdom, especially when compared to the placative and manic normalities of American and European Post-Modern life. The Gortnavern Dolmen is tucked beautifully into an elevated set of hills, south of the darkly soiled 'Mount Ranny.' (You must follow a country road with a small sign for the Dolmen, and then a left onto another country road, above a farm/ i.e: exact instructions to get to the Dolmen are in the "Gortnavern" article of Stonestrider.com, in the 'Ireland' section) This is a 4000 to 6000 year old Portal-Tomb with a massive Capstone which faces the gorgeous Gortnatraw Mountain.(Image/Above) It is a rugged hilltop tapestry; a tangible infinity of farms and hedges amazingly complimented by the intentional angles of these ancient stones; stones that I believe were built to tantalize our perspective.

Perhaps 700 generations have passed since the construction of this monument. Dolmens, at this modern point in history, are more rare than any section of amazon forest; at greater risk of extinction than the Orca; and are as rare as a blue diamond. If you see a Dolmen you are truly touching something priceless.

( Again, for the more detailed instructions on how to get to the Gorntavern Dolmen please see the "Gortnavern" section in the 'Ireland' category of Stonestrider.com, or: https://stonestrider.com/2016/11/07/gortnavern/ Now let's wander in an entirely different direction. The Kilclooney Dolmen Excursion: Mount Errigal could be considered the epicenter of County Donegal. It helps to describe the many features of Donegal in reference to its beautiful white peak. The countryside to the East, which heads toward the Gortnavern Dolmen, is an inland scene of enchanted mountains and rolling valleys. The countryside to the South, which leads toward the Kilclooney Dolmen, is a different experience entirely, a coastal scene of cliffs, crescent beaches, rocky caverns, and an amazingly iconographic waterfall. From Errigal head South along the N56 to the R261. The R261 will take you to the Kilclooney Dolmen Centre, where you can take the short hike to the Dolmen. Not far from the Centre, at the farm house just up the road on R261, is an almost hidden, practically forgotten set of stones that was once a beautiful Wedge Tomb. It is unmarked by the side of the road, and clearly, once upon a time, a capstone was balanced above the supporting stones. Amazing. It is just an indicator that there are sacred things, seen, and unseen, all around you here. The entire landscape is a type of natural "temple", a once synergized region accentuated by stone fixtures that we are still trying to understand in these late Modern times.

Before you start hiking here, wear 'tall boots'! Having the right boots is the difference between a challenging experience, or something challengingly wonderful. As is the case with so many indigenous ancient sites, there is not a 'standard path' to the Megalith, you simply have to see the Dolmen about 150 yards behind the farmhouse and make your way towards it. For those who understand how wonderful this experience is, the non-commercial experience, the chance to laugh increases and releases with each and every Irish-as-hell step. These are truly special moments in a literally sacred Irish countryside. The terrain here is mossy, with brackish water mixed into tall-brush, and sandy dunes. Your 'tall boots' will make an easy walk through the terrain, right up to the ancient stone-lining which runs directly to the Dolmen and Wedge Tomb; they sit atop a small knoll covered with wildflowers and tough moss. Here is a prime example of how stones that look like a "wall" leading up to the Dolmen and Wedge Tomb, are certainly not a wall. These stones are a "Lining"; a veritable cable made of stones, which connects sacred site to sacred site, just like in New England. These stones were never, by definition, a "wall". The stones of the Lining' couldn't stop a single thing passing through this country side, and it was never meant to. The Lining' is part of an over all scene, all of the same Period, and most likely created by the same individual(s) as an "energy center" for the over-all scene.

With the Atlantic Ocean only a mile or so beyond, the air here is medicinally salty. This "beach-day breeze" inundates everything, from the moss and grass, to the Dolmen's very stones. This is an above average size Dolmen, with a massive "satellite-dish-like" 20 ton Capstone. This Capstone is balanced, and set roughly 5 feet above the ground. There is a slightly dilapidated Wedge Tomb with a 5 ton Cap-stone just ten yards away. This Wedge Tomb is no less priceless or significant in an archaeological sense, and certainly beautiful in its own right.

Again, like Gortnavern, Poulnabrone, and the dozen or so remaining in-situ Dolmens in Ireland, Kilclooney is roughly 4000 to 6000 years old, and a unique version of the classic Portal Tomb. This is a place to sit and contemplate the scope of Time, the magical possibilities implied by the Stones, and the luck of being alive to see them. Assaranca Waterfall: Like so many highways in other countries, certain roads simply become other roads, or have two names. After taking in the experience of the Kilclooney Dolmen site, you should continue driving to see the beautiful Assaranca Waterfall on the R261 South, which simply becomes the N56. Not far passed "Northwest Sea Kayaking" business, along the N56, just passed a beautiful white house with a red door, is a road with no name. It is a right-turn road with signs that point and say: "Tra Strand"/Uaimh Caves/Eas' Waterfall 6 km/: standing clearly for all to see. Take the Right onto this classic Irish road and enjoy the short drive to the beautiful Assaranca Waterfall.

The roads here are the hiking trails. This gorgeous region is known as Lackaduff. You can park your car at the waterfall and begin a beautiful hike towards the massive caves within the beautifully looming cliffs, all about 2 miles further up the lane. Small mountains encompass this rugged bay-route pathway, with adorable homes and fields of wildflowers, along with flocks of sheep.

These are working farmers and fisherman in the area; they are not on vacation, so please be kind to those you meet, whoever that may be. Soon you will arrive to the beach...

When you arrive take the path into the sand-dunes just at the end of the lane, and head out to the beach toward the caves (on the left.) As other places have been described in Stonestrider.com, this place looks like the perfect Jedi hideaway, perhaps to be found only by the most devout of disciples.

The colors here; the glassy Atlantic Ocean against the super-fine sand; the cliffs and caves under a cloud-sized blanket of green; they create a living canvas that just pours out an absolutely radiating beauty.

Last Note: Donegal is both rugged and radiant in one. There are striking scenes of mountains that just cut the sky with white stone peaks; there are rolling green ranges of mountain after mountain, after mountain.

Eventually these mountains slam into a crystalline Atlantic Ocean. The Dolmens in Donegal indicate that the culture of the region is as old as Time itself. Wandering into this County is equivalent to wading into a Celtic Tsunami. The beauty is overwhelming. In every direction there is a pastoral dimension which is vividly painted in every possible variation of green.

Donegal is so connected to the land, that the entire region is a 'trail'. You don't look for "the trail" at 'Ranny', the little dark mountain (Image/Below) which sits a valley away from the Gortnavern Dolmen; you simply climb the mountain. The mountain IS THE TRAIL.

Donegal feels like the landscape that never told a lie. It is the last European coastline upon the vast Atlantic Ocean which cuts jagged jade cliffs into what was for centuries the edge of the known world. Come out and stand on the edge. Seek and Find.