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Building A Clackamas Labyrinth

On July 18th 1999, at least 29 people and 4 kids came to Hekate's Gardens on the Clackamas River to haul stones from the ample supply from the River to create a classical processional labyrinth 30 feet across. The following pictures show the process, the participants, and the results!

Bryon and Lorain wish to thank everyone who helped birth this valuable community resource.

The location is in Oregon City, just south of Portland Oregon. Those interested in more information can contact us

Before everyone arrived, we finalized the layout and marked the walls of the labyrinth with stakes and red spraypaint. The loose sandy soil on this first bench above river level was sparsely vegetated except for the grassy south and especially north edges.

Getting Started

Participants began to show up just at the appointed 11 AM hour. Although we had intended to form a human chain bucket-brigade style to move the river rock up, everyone was eager to get moving and we did not wait for enough folks to gather to start.

About the only instructions given were on approximate size and to select ones long rather than round in shape.

Soon one collection point formed in a sandy area below and a second next to the labyrinth site itself. And soon it was time to begin lining the labyrinth walls with the stones.

We were all surprised at the speed at which the work progressed. Everyone threw themselves into the hauling, expecting a long and maybe arduous process. However, within half an hour it was obvious that we were indeed making a labyrinth.

Enthused by the obvious progress, work continued rapidly as more and more folks came down to the river.

Progress!

The temperature was in the 70's, and the sun was out, and only some of the space was shaded by the large ash at the southwest corner of the labyrinth. The larger cottonwoods helped provide more shade, but soon rehydration and rest breaks were the order of the day. Simply gazing at our handiwork became popular too.

Soon the labyrinth was most of the way done.

Rock collecting had to be stopped to avoid having too many to use!

The stones were sometimes simply laid on the ground, and sometimes wiggled into the soft, loose sandy soil. In this way some stones were placed on edge. Along the south side, all the rocks were set on edge against the small cut created by leveling the labyrinth space. A large red stone with interesting patterns was laid above the main ring at the south point.

More large stones were set into the north edge at the dropoff on the river side of the labyrinth. The entire outer ring contains larger rocks than the inner rings, where space is more of a priority.

After a little more than an hour, only small gaps remained to fill in before the labyrinth would be done!

And a few minutes more and the project was done!

The Finished Project

Everyone stopped to look at and discuss the labyrinth. Some began to walk thru the finished labyrinth. And after a bit all went up to the house for our potluck lunch.

Animals seem to be attracted to labyrinths, and this one quickly attracted Sparky, as soon as he could have it to himself!

And Thor, voted the biggest dog at the party, was quite content to follow his master thru the labyrinth.

Click Here to view more images of the finished labyrinth and some information on labyrinths.
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