GNRT DAY 13 TWO MEDICINE LAKE

 

Today we took a beautiful hike…a journey we wanted to make

through some woods, across a meadow ending up at Two Medicine Lake.

 

This lake is sacred to the Blackfeet Nation because, as they explain,

it’s one of the few locations in Glacier with its original Blackfeet name.

It is sacred because its name’s never changed…but even more

It’s sacred for the legend attached to her water and her shores.

Misfortune had descended on the Blackfeet:

The buffalo no longer wandered the prairie.

The Earth lay scorched from the sun. 

The streams no longer ran full and deep.

The Blackfeet were worried and they were stunned.

With the absence of the buffalo, their water running out and their crops beginning to wilt…

on the banks of this sacred lake…two medicine lodges were built.

Ceremonies were held, chants were sung…and to Napi (the old man) prayers were made…

with the hopes that he and his spirit helpers…would come to the Blackfeet’s aid.

It worked! 

Because, eventually, Napi’s and his spirit helper’s respect was earned…

and the wind spirit brought forth the rain

and the buffalo returned.

and more water filled the streams than the Blackfeet had ever seen

and the grasses grew upon the Earth tall and thick and green.

The legend does not tell us exactly where or when…

but happiness and prosperity dwelt in the land of the Blackfeet again.

As we hiked to the shore of Two Medicine Lake with a mix of joy and admiration

and gazed out on her mirror-like surface…we had this revelation:.

When we looked around in every direction…and by her beauty we were teased…

It became clear to us…standing there at Two Medicine Lake 

that Napi…the old man…is still pleased.

BLACKFEET BLESSING

 

For today’s blessing  I thought it would be neat

to yield my pen to one of the Niitsitapi tribe

We gave them the name Blackfeet:

What is life?

It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.

GNRT DAY 12 GOING TO THE SUN

 

For our first full day in Glacier these two old children of the sun thought it would be fun

to get up early before the crowds …and head out to the sun….

It’s actually called Going to the Sun Road

named for Going to the Sun mountain…because the sun, from what I hear,

is an important God to the Blackfeet tribe…the one they hold most dear.

My apologies to the Blackfeet…but I’ll explain it as best I can…

They call the sun, Napi  which in their language means ‘old man’

The Blackfeet maintain there is no God greater…

for they believe, when it comes to the Earth…he is the creator 

The story goes there was water everywhere…

and that nothing else could be seen…

until Napi with all the animals on his raft…showed up on the scene.

It’s a 100 mile round trip…

and we found ourselves stopping a million times that day

because everywhere we looked…literally…took our breath away.

In fact from the beginning to the end of the Sun Road

and all points in between

the road contained some of the most magnificent scenery we have ever seen.

As we stood among these mountain giants …rising so majestically and tall.

we could reach out and touch the snow, the peaks the sky, the clouds…

and feel the waterfalls….

As the road wound through the mountains….

we’d stop to gaze…to hike…to climb up and down some stairs…

along the way we were greeted by three big horn sheep

a mountain goat…and a  family of grizzly bears.

The fog played hide and seek with the mountains

In the morning as our drive had just begun

but I’m proud to say by the time we finished

we made it to the sun.

We’ll be going to the sun again while we’re here

first…because we are infatuated

and second because this old man would like to find that old man

and thank him…for this world he has created. 

THE SCENIC ROUTE

 Wherever you choose to go in life

Wherever you travel about

Whenever you get the chance…

take the scenic route

GNRT DAY 11 ROAD TRIP PHILOSOPHY

 

We awoke in Idaho at our little cabin in the woods to a chorus of birds…

one in particular thought it would be fine

to tap upon our window…as if to say ‘rise and shine’

So we rose and shone and said goodbye to Idaho.

In the short time we were there she left her mark…

then headed out on today’s adventure to Montana.  

and Glacier National Park.

But first a note on what makes each of our trips a wonder for us to see

It has to do with what we like to call…our road trip philosophy. 

It began when our children were children…and whenever we traveled far

we told them how are adventure begins…the moment we enter the car.

If someone saw something that looked like fun and wanted to stop

Say for ice cream, candy, a river or a babbling brook

Then we’d stop…we’d eat some ice cream, some candy…

or pause by the river to take a look.

We always felt for ourselves and for our children

it’s in everyones best interest knowing

the fun we have along the way Is as important as getting to where we’re going.

With that in mind today we saw a sign once we crossed into Montana from Idaho

Inviting us to Kootenai Falls……even though we still had over 150 miles to go.

So we stopped at the falls and took a hike down a rocky path along a ridge…

A path that ended to our delight…at one end of a swinging bridge.

And in the middle of that bridge we pausedto take in the amazing scenery…

why…we even kissed…

amazed at all this beauty that…if we’d kept going…we would have missed.

We rolled into Glacier a little later than expected…

but along the way…oh the wonders we did see…

All thanks to a few unplanned stops we made along the way

and to our trip philosophy

THE DIVERSITY OF ART

 

May we be blessed to understand and enjoy the diversity of art

whether in a museum 

or on a nature walk….

from the artists who work on the canvases of today

to the artists whose canvases were rocks.

GNRT DAY 10 PAINTED ROCKS

 

Before we left this morning on the next leg of our journey 

there was one more place in Spokane I felt we had to see.

It’s called the Indian Painted Rocks Trail…so before we left for Idaho

we drove to see these rocks…painted over 250 years ago.

Since Deborah is a rock painter…

(she loves to paint messages on those little spheres)

we wanted to see how the art of rock painting has changed in all these years.

It was amazing to see the reds and yellows painted over 2 centuries ago.

What they depict have been lost with time…as no one seems to know.

 

The artists are no longer with us…having long ago expired…

but sometimes art doesn’t need to be explained…only to be admired

Because there remains an inherent beauty 

in how these colors still bright and strong

absorbed into rocks so many years ago…have survived so long.

Next to these ancient paintings we noticed a trail…

It’s path shining in the sun

so before we left for Idaho…we thought a short hike would be fun.

 

To our amazement this little path…before we even had time to think

guided us through a rainbow of flowers, 

purples, yellows, greens, blues, whites and pinks.

Walking through these colors brought us joy and pure elation 

and it made me wonder if these same colors…

didn’t give those Spokane artists inspiration.

And if this wasn’t enough to leave the two of us without words

as we walked we were serenaded by a multitude of birds.

Which also made me wonder the more we walked along

if this was where the Spokane people got the inspiration for their songs.

We made it into beautiful Sandpoint Idaho…still talking about our walk…

where…at this wonderful little cabin we spent the night…

Deborah left a painted rock.