Every Metamorphosis client has the chance to go on the quest for the Cathedral of Stone. This is an immense ‘devil’s punchbowl’ formation that my brother and I once discovered, some 15 or 20 years ago, in one of our favorite wilderness areas. Since then, many attempts have been made to reach it, but all have failed.

This quest tests people on all levels. Balance and agility are needed to navigate the extreme terrain. Endurance is needed to reach it (it’s a day-long trek), and quiet-of-mind is essential in order to deal with the frustrations and exhaustion encountered along the way. This quest throws a lot in your path — cliffs, nettles, ravines, endless hills, and river crossings are standard fare. In addition, there seems to be a ‘curse’ on the quest, so that everyone who attempts it encounters a significant obstacle. The last time we tried it, the obstacle was thigh-deep snow that soon wore down one’s body and spirit. This time, as ‘A’ and I attempted the quest, we met with flooding, which eventually barred any further progress. The quest remains unattained.

‘A’ and I did, however, find some marvelous rock formations, skulls, and adventures along the way.

Wisconsin or Middle Earth?

Stopping for a drink from Living Water that flows from a tiny cleft in the rock.

An undead creature tried to crawl from its stinking den and attack us. It was apparently blind, however, and could only snap at the air.

Deep in the forests, stone is shaped by water, wind and snow.

These adventure-quests are an important part of Metamorphosis — they take all the skills that we’ve developed and honed back at the Training Hall and the Hundred Acre Woods and give us a chance to put them to real use, where our skills and new strengths give us the ability to visit natural wonders that might have been inaccessible to us before. The secret treasures that lie along the path to the Cathedral of Stone are a perfect example. And perhaps one day, someone will once again reach the Cathedral itself . . .

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