"Kanarra's Ladder" by Bodhi Smith

Aug 05, 2022

"kanarra’s ladder" is another re-release of mine (originally from ten years ago on my birthday in july 2012) with a brand new updated blog...
 
"does not matter which ladder you use, or stairway you chose, just hold faith and keep climbing higher…ascending steadily to something above, something higher, something unknown but knowingly beautiful, something of indescribable paradise that can be seen without seeing…to the place you know you need to go, the place where everything is love and love is everything. the place that can only be described as heaven" ― bodhi, kanarra’s ladder
 
"i said: show me the ladder, that i may climb up to heaven...my beloved replied: your head is the ladder, bring your head down under your feet" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul  
 
"don’t chase these mystical experiences or feelings of light. they are meant to be rungs on a ladder. and like most things, they will change. they will disappear. they aren’t meant to stay...they are meant to be teachers. they show us what is possible, and give us hope that we can find our way home" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"all i want from tomorrow is to get it better than today. step by step, one by one. higher and higher. step by step, rung by rung. climbing jacob's ladder" ― huey lewis and the news, jacob's ladder
 
"surely the lord is in this place, and i did not know it. how awesome is this place! this is none other than the house of god, and this is the gate of heaven" ― the holy bible, book of genesis 28:16-17
 
"jacob had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of god were ascending and descending on it" ― the holy bible, book of genesis 28:12
 
"we are climbing jacob's ladder. we're brothers, and sisters, all. every rung goes higher and higher...we are brothers, and sisters, all. every new rung just makes us stronger...we are brothers, and sisters, all. yeah, we are climbing jacob's ladder" ― bruce springsteen, jacob’s ladder
 
"there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on...the piper's calling you to join him. can you hear the wind blow, and did you know your stairway lies on the whispering wind?" ― led zeppelin, stairway to heaven
 
here is a great tune from the 1980's that fits in wonderfully with the deeper meaning of my impression and blog today... "jacob’s ladder" by huey lewis and the news ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"i met a fan dancer down in southside birmingham. she was running from a fat man selling salvation in his hand. now he's trying to save me when i'm doing all right, the best that i can. just another fallen angel trying to get through the night...step by step, one by one, higher and higher. step by step, rung by rung climbing jacob's ladder...coming over the airwaves, the man says i'm overdue. sing along, send some money, join the chosen few. hey mister, i'm not in a hurry and i don't want to be like you. all i want from tomorrow is to get it better than today. step by step, one by one. higher and higher. step by step, rung by rung. climbing jacob's ladder...all i want from tomorrow is to get it better than today. step by step, one by one. higher and higher. step by step, rung by rung. climbing and climbing. step by step, one by one. step by step, rung by rung. step by step. and step by step, step by step..." ― huey lewis and the news, jacob's ladder
 
"be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. help someone's soul heal. walk out of your house like a shepherd" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
 
"if you came up to a ladder on a walk and had no idea up to where it would take you, wouldn't you climb it? or would you play it safe and just pass the experience and continue to walk on by?" ― bodhi, kanarra’s ladder
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MEANING
"one rung at a time, up and up, step by step, hand by hand, climb your ladder, climb to your own higher place" ― bodhi, kanarra’s ladder
 
"ladder" is defined by merriam-webster as:
1. a structure consisting of a series of bars or steps between two upright lengths of wood, metal, or rope, used for climbing up or down something.
2. a series of ascending stages by which someone or something may advance or progress
 
in this impression of mine, one of a weathered old wooden ladder next to this waterfall in the picturesque kanarraville slot canyon, illustrates both of the above definitions...for one, it does show a ladder used to climb up...then secondly, in doing so one can ascend and then advance to the upper level of the canyon and see two more waterfalls equally as beautiful...
 
but for me this old weathered ladder next to this waterfall symbolizes something deeper, something richer...
 
for me, ladders have always carried the symbolic idea of climbing up to reach a higher goal or spiritual place in life...along with playing the board game, "chutes and ladders" when i was a child, there have been so many idioms in the english language that collectively have created this meaning for me:
 
1. "being at the bottom of the ladder"
2. "being at the top of the ladder"
3. "climbing the ladder of success"
4. "climb the social ladder"
5. "jacob's ladder"
 
a ladder, be it "kanarra's ladder" or "jacob's ladder" or any ladder for that matter, can be interpreted quite spiritually as a connection between earth and heaven, which is how i see it...if you came upon a ladder on a walk and had no idea up to where it would take you, wouldn't you climb it? or would you instead play it safe and just pass on it and continue to walk on by? if you know me, you know what i would do...and kanarra's ladder is symbolic of experiencing the unknown for me...
 
"does not matter which 
ladder you use, or 
stairway you chose, just 
hold faith and 
keep climbing higher…
ascending steadily to 
something above, 
something higher, 
something unknown but 
knowingly beautiful, 
something of 
indescribable paradise 
that can be 
seen without seeing…to 
the place 
you know 
you need to go, 
the place where 
everything is love and 
love is everything. 
the place 
that can only be 
described as heaven" 
 
and although i am a buddhist, and i don't always believe scripture in the bible to be holy as written, the many stories and lessons to be learned can be applied to any faith, or any philosophy...and although interpretations of "jacob's ladder" from the holy bible vary as much as there are different translations of the bible in existence, they all have in common an idea amongst each and every one: the ladder is a symbol and metaphor of the connection between humankind and divinity (god)...
 
and i enjoy the belief in connections between myself and the heavens...one big reason why so many of my impressions have stars and so much symbolism in them...and "kanarra's ladder" is no different, as i feel the connection between my image and the imagery created within the book of genesis in the old testament of the bible...
 
(the following words about jacob's ladder and the bible and its connection with spirituality and the new testament come from the christian writer, joel ryan)...
 
"in the bible, it was stated that jacob had a dream about a ladder...so, what was the ladder in jacob’s dream and what does it mean?
 
on night while he was alone and on the run, jacob decided to camp out under the stars, with nothing but a rock for a pillow (genesis 28:11). talk about a bad night’s sleep, but then the story takes a momentous turn...scripture says, "he (jacob) had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of god were ascending and descending on it” (genesis 28:12).
 
this is the visual jacob sees in the dream. but what does it mean? the ladder represents the connection between god and people. it demonstrates that the god who created the universe desires an intimate relationship with his creation, especially humankind, and most importantly, that he is the one who initiates that connection, conversation, and relationship.
 
unlike the story of the tower of babel, in which man tried to build a tower to connect with the divine (genesis 11:1-9), here god proves that this connection can only be made by his power and grace. any connection to god must begin with him.
 
god then speaks to jacob in the dream saying, "i am the lord, the god of your father abraham and the god of isaac; the land on which you lie, i will give it to you and to your descendants. your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. behold, i am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for i will not leave you until i have done what i have promised you" (genesis 28:13-15).
 
here, god reaffirms the covenant of abraham with jacob, abraham’s grandson, promising that the same blessings and promises he gave to abraham would be fulfilled and carried on through jacob, who god would later rename "israel" (genesis 32:28). jacob, later renamed israel, would go on to marry and father 12 sons who would become the 12 tribes of israel. from this lineage, the nation of israel, god’s chosen people, would be born, and out of the line of jacob would come the promised messiah, jesus christ, god’s own son (matthew 1:1-17).
 
what is jacob’s response? having received this vision and promise from god, jacob immediately recognizes the power and providence of god, who had made himself known once again.
 
"surely the lord is in this place, and i did not know it,” jacob says (genesis 28:16). "how awesome is this place! this is none other than the house of god, and this is the gate of heaven" (genesis 28:17).
 
while this story clearly signifies the covenant made between god and israel (jacob), many biblical scholars point to the deeper foreshadowing of the new covenant that would be forged in by the death and resurrection of jesus christ.
 
as jacob’s ladder represented the connection between god and people, so jesus christ would become the spiritual connection, mediator, and ladder to bridge the gap between god and people...for this reason, christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant (hebrews 9:15).
 
the symbolism of jacob’s ladder may have represented the earthly, physical covenant between god and the children of israel. jesus christ, however, as the new ladder and mediator, would initiate a new, spiritual covenant made available to everyone. he would exchange our sin for his righteousness so that we could know god and experience the intimate relationship he intended from the beginning (2 corinthians 5:21).,." (*1) 
 
i could not think of a better song to accompany my blog today than this song...soulful, spiritual, and beautiful, it helps connect meaning and bridge understanding with the deeper ideas behind my impression and blog today..."jacob’s ladder" by bruce springsteen ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"we are climbing jacob's ladder. we are climbing jacob's ladder. we are climbing jacob's ladder. we're brothers, and sisters, all. every rung goes higher and higher. every rung goes higher and higher. every rung goes higher and higher. we are brothers, and sisters, all. every new rung just makes us stronger. every new rung just makes us stronger. every new rung just makes us stronger. we are brothers, and sisters, all. yeah, we are climbing jacob's ladder. yeah, we are climbing jacob's ladder. we are climbing jaccob's ladder. we are brothers, and sisters, all. yeah we are climbing higher and higher. we are climbing higher and higher. yeah we are climbing higher and higher. we are brothers, and sisters, all. we are climbing jacob's ladder. yeah, we are climbing jacob's ladder. we are climbing jacob's ladder. we are brothers, and sisters, all" ― bruce springsteen, jacob’s ladder
 
(*1) joel ryan is a children’s book author, writing professor, and contributing writer for crosswalk, christianity.com, stand firm men's magazine, and others. he is passionate about telling great stories, defending biblical truth, and helping writers of all ages develop their craft. joel discusses, analyzes, and appreciates the great writings of the past and present on his website, perspectives off the page.
 
"for me, ladders have always carried the symbolic idea of climbing up to reach a higher goal or spiritual place in life" ― bodhi, kanarra’s ladder
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STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION
"something in nature that's beautiful will always be naturally beautiful, until human beings alter it, forever changing a beautiful thing for their own unnatural benefits" ― bodhi, kanarra’s ladder
 
this impression was taken over ten years ago (on my birthday too!) back on july 27, 2012…unfortunately, allot of this beautiful scene has changed due to father time, mother nature, and the unsustainable impacts of mankind…it’s these changes that inspired me to re-release this timeless favorite of mine, plus write this fresh new blog on my thoughts about this photograph…
 
some background…
 
this is kanarraville falls located just outside the small town limits of kanarraville, a tiny community of only 350 people located in iron county in southwestern utah…it’s just south of cedar city and about half-an-hour north of st. george, ut…
 
the slot canyon and falls are named after the town of kanarraville, which was settled in the 1860s by mormons and named after a local native american paiute chief named chanarra (pronounced as kanarra)…
 
this area is constantly changing, being ravaged by harsh winters and frequent summer flash floods (as you would expect from a narrow slot canyon in utah)
 
ten years ago, this spot was a local secret and relatively unknown to the rest of the world, and looked exactly then like what it does here in my photograph…now ten years later, boy has all of that now dramatically changed with all the social media coverage (especially instagram) which this location has received for its unique beauty…
 
and as more and more people saw these unique falls, perfectly positioned in a picturesque red rock slot canyon, more and more images surfaced on social media, and then of course more and more foot traffic kept coming into the slot canyon to see something so beautiful. and consequently, with more people climbing up the old and weathered deadfall ladder to reach the other two sets of beautiful falls upstream, it was placing extra pressures on the makeshift ladder to get up and over the lower falls. naturally, all this extra foot traffic kept loosening the wooden rungs on the deadfall, to the point their movement under weight was becoming a safety risk, making the climb quite a bit more daring and sketchy...so, climbing ropes were installed on the side wall next to the deadfall ladder to help people get to the top a little less dangerously...
 
then in 2014, a massive flash flood came roaring through the slot canyon, altering the placement of many boulders, eliminating the middle falls by blocking its flow, and damaging the deadfall ladder by the lower falls, stripping it clean of nearly all of its wooden rungs...
 
and because the falls were beginning to get more and more traffic with people coming from all over the world to see this gorgeous slot canyon, the decision was made to bolt a sturdy set of metal rungs onto the face of the deadfall. this was to help address the old safety issues with the climb, and create a more hardy and a permanent fixture for all of the new visitors in the slot canyon...at the time, i thought is was unsightly since it was shiny metallic and out of place here, kind of an oxymoron of old weathered wood and shiny new metal, it was just so much less rustic when compared to the old wooden rungs...
 
but over time, the shininess became more pewter colored, and i got used to it...it was still a beautiful sight to behold, and i escorted many friends and clients on tours and workshops to kanarraville so they could experience and photograph each of the falls and the narrow colorful slot canyon with towering reddish-orange walls...
 
another image of mine from 2014 entitled "20/20 hindsight"
 
then in 2015 to address all of the new problems created from the impact of all the extra daily visitors, the town of kanarraville created a parking lot with port-o-potties at the trailhead for the falls. there was new parking fee of $10 per vehicle...very reasonable to access something so beautiful...and people did not mind the fee, because more and more people continued to come, as many as 1000 per day on the weekends...resulting in the need to build another overflow parking lot down the street...
 
as for me, i stopped visiting the canyon after the summer of 2017...because for me it was no longer an unspoiled place to visit...just too many thoughtless people going there, impacting it negatively by urinating and pooping out in the open (parts of the canyon were starting to smell like a latrine), not cleaning up after their dogs, littering and not packing out their trash and water bottles they took back in there...and the numbers of people were continuing to increase exponentially...
 
on may 1, 2019, the town issued its first permits to hike the 4.5 miles roundtrip into the canyon, requiring each person to pay $8 plus the $10 fee per car to park...
 
on march 1, 2021, the town imposed a new day permit (purchased online in advance) and limited access into the canyon. they imposed a new fee of $12 per person (which includes the parking in the lot). they also imposed a no pets allowed policy, and set a limit to the number of permits issued per day to only 150 people...
 
permits are non-refundable and non-transferable (cannot be resold online or at the trailhead to others) and are only good for the date for which they were purchased. there is a permanent ranger/attendant always present now at the trailhead kiosk, and others hiking the trail to enforce the permit and no pets policy...
 
then on sunday august 1st 2021, the entire deadfall ladder at the first waterfall (as pictured in both my photos above) was washed downstream by a massive flash flood. the deadfall was just too big and heavy to restore, so solutions were sought...should nothing be put back in place at the lower falls and another trail be created to access the upper falls? ( i liked this idea, but it was not chosen)...or, how would they re-create some sort of new ladder so hikers could continue on past the lower falls?
 
for a little over two and a half months there was no access to the upper falls in kanarraville canyon as the town was deciding how to address access to the upper falls...wish i would have travelled to the lower falls and got pictures of it in its natural state without any ladder beside it to scale over top and proceed up the rest of the canyon...but alas, i did not...
 
then there came the final solution: on october 21, 2021 the town installed a new "ladder." it's really a custom shiny aluminum alloy staircase with handrails and foot treads created to perfectly fit, permanently bolted into the rocks next to the right side of the lower falls...yuck! but it is what it is now, changed not-at-all for the better imho...
 
 
there is some new good news...in early april of 2022, volunteers finally removed the big boulder from the flash flood in 2013 that was blocking the "middle falls" that used to exist a little way upstream from the lower falls...in removing the boulder, it now allow for the water to divert to its natural flow down the left side of the canyon and into the wading pool...thus after almost 9 years without them, the middle falls have returned!
 
f.y.i., kanarraville established www.kanarrafalls.com so prospective visitors can buy permits in advance. once you book, you'll receive two emails. one is your receipt. the other contains the permits, which must be scanned at the trailhead kiosk. permits typically sell out at least a week in advance, so it's best to book ahead of time (you can up to one year in advance). on the rare occasion that not all 150 permits have been issued, you can buy one at the trailhead kiosk with a credit or debit card (no cash sales). and now the cost of the permit includes parking at the trailhead...(10% percent of the proceeds go to area utah schools. the rest covers parking and restroom maintenance, the wages for an attendant at the trailhead kiosk, as well as street maintenance, garbage collection and maintaining the permit website)...
 
and another lovely song, a rock-n-roll metal classic from the 1970's about ascending upwards, albeit not a ladder, but a stairway which connect nicely with my impression and blog today..."stairway to heaven" by led zeppelin ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"there's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold and she's buying a stairway to heaven. when she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed, with a word she can get what she came for, ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven...there's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure because you know sometimes words have two meanings, in a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings, sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven. you know there's a feeling i get when i look to the west, and my spirit is crying for leaving. in my thoughts i have seen rings of smoke through the trees and the voices of those who stand looking. that's you and it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune then the piper will lead us to reason. and a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo with laughter. remember laughter? oh yeah, yeah, yeah...and it makes me wonder if there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now. it's just a spring clean for the may queen.yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on. your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know. the piper's calling you to join him. dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know your stairway lies on the whispering wind?...and as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our soul. there walks a lady we all know who shines white light and wants to show how everything still turns to gold. and if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last. when all is one and one is all, that's what it is to be a rock and not to roll, oh yeah...and she's buying a stairway to heaven" ― led zeppelin, stairway to heaven
 
"a ladder, be it "kanarra's ladder" or "jacob's ladder" or any ladder for that matter, can be interpreted quite spiritually as a connection between earth and heaven, which is how i see it..." ― bodhi, kanarra’s ladder
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
"don’t chase these mystical experiences or feelings of light. they are meant to be rungs on a ladder. and like most things, they will change. they will disappear. they aren’t meant to stay...they are meant to be teachers. they show us what is possible, and give us hope that we can find our way home" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"we destroyed the world we had been given
for inspiration, for life—
each stone of jealousy, each stone
of fear, greed, envy, and hatred, put out the light.
no one was without a stone in his or her hand.
there we were,
right back where we had started.
we were bumping into each other
in the dark.
and now we had no place to live, since we didn't know
how to live with each other.
then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another
and shared a blanket.
a spark of kindness made a light.
the light made an opening in the darkness.
everyone worked together to make a ladder.
a wind clan person climbed out first into the next world,
and then the other clans, the children of those clans, their children,
and their children, all the way through time—
to now, into this morning light to you" 
 
"​settle ​your perfect hips here and the bow of wet arrows
loosens into the night the petals that form your form
let your clay limbs climb the silence and its pale ladder
rung by rung taking off with me in my dream" 
 
"try the impossible. don’t start low down because that’s where you are now. climb those rungs quickly before they take the ladder away. if you’re afraid, say a prayer, but carry on" ― paulo coelho, eleven minutes  
 
"​t​he rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher​"​ ― thomas henry huxley​
 
​"f​or a woman, love is the highest dream, and if a man promises to build a ladder tall enough to reach it, she believes him, hikes up her skirt, and follows him to the stars​" ​― ​adriana trigiani, the shoemaker's wife​
 
"​​life isn't a straightforward climb up the ladder. ​i​t can take a few slips to really gain perspective" ― kate jacobs​
 
"if the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster" ― stephen r. covey
 
"better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb than in the middle of some ladder you don’t, right?" ― dave eggers, the circle
 
"destiny is a ladder, a series of steps that takes you where you’re supposed to go" ― mariana zapata, kulti
 
"we move with eyes shut and ears stopped; we smash walls where doors are waiting to open to the touch; we grope for ladders, forgetting that we have wings; we pray as if god were deaf and blind, as if he were in deep space. no wonder the angels in our midst are unrecognizable. one day it will be pleasant to remember these things" ― henry miller 
 
​"t​he ladder had always held us before, we thought it would always hold us again, which is a philosophy that gets men and nations in trouble time after time​" ​― stephen king, night shift​
 
"may god bless and keep you always,
may your wishes all come true,
may you always do for others
and let others do for you.
may you build a ladder to the stars
and climb on every rung,
may you stay forever young" 
 
"i said: show me the ladder, that i may climb up to heaven...my beloved replied: your head is the ladder, bring your head down under your feet" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
 
"all life's pleasures and pursuits are like a ladder. the rungs of a ladder are not a place to make one’s home; they are for passing by. fortunate are those who learn this. the long road becomes short for them, and they do not waste their lives upon the steps" ― jalaluddin rumi, the soul of rumi
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ABOUT THIS IMPRESSION
"a ladder, be it 'kanarra's ladder' or 'jacob's ladder' or any ladder for that matter, can be interpreted quite spiritually as a connection between earth and heaven, which is how i see it..." ― bodhi, kanarra’s ladder
 
this impression was captured over ten years ago on my birthday in the summer of 2012 at the lower falls in kanarraville slot canyon located in southwestern utah just north of st. george (f/11@24mm for 11 secs, iso-100)...
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...to get the effects and balance i was looking for in this composition (f/11@24mm for 11 secs, iso-100), i used two progreyusa filters (3.0 nd progrey aurora filter and a 0.9 gnd progrey aurora filter} along with the progrey g-120x holder to secure these filters to my nikon d800 with a nikon nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens ... 
 
wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my induro phq3 series 5-way panhead with an induro (now benro) stealth carbon fiber tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhi, blessed
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhi, if 
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhi, into my photo
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary " ― bodhi, my diary
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhi, my world
 
leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters...    
 
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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