Sage is another smell imprinted within the memories of my 2020 summer adventure. But this smell didn’t come from the herb. It came from the sagebrush, a plant almost synonymous with the western landscape. Unlike the olfactory experience associated with sulfur, the smell of sage from the sagebrush is sweet, yet peppery or spicy. The camphor stored within its tiny leaves imparts a coolness to the scent, making it also calming and familiar.

Sagebrush is symbolic of resiliency, defined by its ability to survive harsh dry climates and grow in loose sandy soil. Its efflourescence paints much of the landscape a pale greenish-yellow. Many of the sagebrush variants have been used in ancient Native American healing ceremonies and consumed as medicine for thousands of years. Natives and non-natives alike use sagebrush for smudging, a practice of purifying the air by burning sage and sagebrush bundles and allowing the smokey scent to permeate one’s surroundings.

When I smell sage or sagebrush, my mind is immediately taken to open skies and crystal-clear waters loaded with wild trout. It’s a gateway smell. A smell that calms my mind and brings my thoughts to physical places where I am the most content and at peace.