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Tiger One ©2020 Stephen A Schuster

 

Tiger One I lift my eyes
To the mountains, to the skies
To the skies


Where the treeline touches heaven' s elevation
I return to consummate my consecration
Sheltered by the canopy beneath this forest sanctuary
I offer up my silent supplication


Tiger One I lift my eyes
To the mountains, to the skies
And my steady path will never be forsaken
Tiger One
Watch over me
Never slumber, never sleep
Help me always choose the road that’s left untaken


Where every trail transcends from sacramental
I am sanctified inside this emerald temple
Baptized by this misty rain, anointed but not overstaying
God knows into the night, I might go gentle


Tiger One I lift my eyes
To the mountains, to the skies
And my steady path will never be forsaken
Tiger One Watch over me
Never slumber, never sleep
Help me always choose the road that’s left untaken


In this cathedral, I can trip the light fantastic
I’m no preacher but this mountain makes my soul ecclesiastic
With my pack upon my back
With my pack upon my back


Tiger One I lift my eyes
To the mountains, to the skies
On this pilgrimage to higher destinations
Tiger one my final climb
Hallows every glorious sign
Guiding words that beckon me to my salvation

This song is in memory of my Dad Joe Schuster who climbed 2,948 feet to the summit of Tiger Mountain in Washington State numerous times every week after he retired from his medical practice.

 

Tiger Mountain has three summits, known as Tiger #1, Tiger #2 and Tiger #3, with number one being the main summit.

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I was so fortunate to join my Dad on many of these hikes. He was a true outdoorsman, skier and mountain climber, and I always remember him telling me that the outdoors were his "Temple," the place he would receive true spiritual nourishment.

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After he died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2008, my Mom had Psalm 121, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains," engraved on his gravestone.

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I miss my Dad, and "Tiger One" is my attempt to capture that spiritual presence that he described and which I too felt in those mossy woods.

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