Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Visiting Pando (Premium)

Episode Date: September 15, 2021

This is a preview episode. Get the full episode, and many more, ad free, on our supporter's feed: https://getsleepy.com/support. Visiting Pando Tonight, we’ll be traveling to the majestic Colorado Plateau to visit one of the oldest and largest organisms on earth: the aspen forest of Pando. 😴  Sound design: driving car 🚙 Narrator: Eric Hollaway About Get Sleepy Premium: Help support the podcast, and get: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads) The exclusive Thursday night bonus episode Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free) Premium sleep meditations, extra-long episodes and more! We'll love you forever. ❤️ Get a 7 day free trial, and join the Get Sleepy community here https://getsleepy.com/support. And thank you so, so much.  Tom, and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more. And thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. The sun is warm and bright on this autumn morning as you drive your car down the empty highway. A soft breeze whispers along the skin of your arm which rests on the window frame. The cool air carries the slightest hint of a chill, a premonition of the winter that will soon sweep across this unusual land.

You're driving through southern Utah. The road here is flat thanks to the geology of the region. Out the driver's side window you can see for miles all the way to where the ground and sky meet at the horizon. But when you look out the front window, you notice that the road is beginning to curve upwards. The highway starts to wind back and forth as it climbs toward your destination, you swallow and feel your ears pop pleasantly as they adjust to the altitude. The rush of sound that accompanies the pump is satisfying. This road leads to the Colorado Plateau, an amazing feature of the North American landscape. This large geological formation is situated in the southwestern part of the country and spreads across multiple states.

It's known for its unique rock formations, the most famous of which is the Grand Canyon. You turn the final bend in the road and are greeted by the sight of a beautiful lake nestled among the trees. It's bounded on one end by mountains and on the other by a tall plateau. It's almost as if the lake is being held by these ranges, like water cupped by two gigantic hands. This is Fish Lake, the namesake of the National Forest in which it stands. You park near the shoreline and get out of your car. Watching the wind make slight ripples on the surface of the water.

The lake and the surrounding park are enveloped by a comfortable silence. You breathe deeply, feeling the fresh mountain air, inter your lungs clearing your mind. A little splash calls your attention to the lake where you just manage to catch sight of the flick of a trout's tail as it dives below the surface. Fish Lake is about 3,000 meters above sea level, but it's still filled with rainbow trout, salmon and yellow perch. You walk to the shoreline and realize that the water is clear enough for you to see tiny minnows lazily drifting in the shadows. Taking your thermos out of your backpack, you sit a comforting sip of hot tea which warms you to your core. The morning sun has yet to fully reach this part of the high country, so the air is still

quite brisk here. A minute later, you rise and begin to walk towards the forest that stretches out before you. As tranquil as it is, you aren't here to visit Fish Lake. You've come to experience something else incredible and totally unique. Pando, the great Aspen Forest. you