Some Unedited Ramblings...

I am discovering that time spent in solitude is indeed, by definition, lonely. But this was only my initial reaction, and it has quickly passed. Although I haven't resorted to talking to a volleyball, a la Tom Hanks in Castaway, I have spent many nights cozy in my sleeping bag, staring at the stars, and thinking. Sometimes about the past... sometimes about the future. But what I've found are the most peaceful are the times when I think about nothing but the present moment.

"Wow, those stars are beautiful and mysterious."

"Listen to that wind whistling through the pines. It sounds as though Mother Earth is trying to talk to me. If I listen closely, I'll bet that I can figure out what she is saying."

"Was that a coyote, or just the wind?" (speaking of coyotes, I can't wait until I can upload some pictures, 'cause I got a few great ones of a coyote that seemed to be following me as I drove through Yellowstone the other day)

"I've never noticed how beautiful some pine needles and a pinecone can be when they are scattered in the snow."

"My goodness, this coffee is good!"

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that thought, in and of itself, becomes a powerful companion. Sometimes I feel as though I've done more thinking in the last 34 days than I've done in my entire 34 years on this planet. Good grief! When I put it like that... "34 years" I can't help but wonder what the hell I've been doing for all of it! Ah-ha! Another topic for another day! But I digress...

This was the "conversation" that I had with my mind the other night as I slept in my truck, tucked amongst boulders, trees, and snow:

Now, I find myself feeling more and more "at home" here in the West. I know, deep down, that I'm supposed to be out here, whatever it is that I end up "doing". What I've come to realize, and look forward to exploring further, is that what I "do" does NOT define who I am. A good friend of mine told me that repeatedly, but the truth is, sometimes one has to discover these truisms themselves.

Hearing it leads to believing it, but living it leads to KNOWING it. What does that mean? Well, simply this: We can be told many things in our lives, and we chose to believe what we like. But experiencing life itself leads to knowledge. For instance, you can tell me all you want that your cherry pie tastes great, and I'll surely believe you. But do I KNOW what it tastes like? Not until I eat it. In other words, once I actually experience something, only then can my belief morph into knowledge.

This, invariably, leads to a discussion on faith and trust. Sure, I can take it on faith that your piece of pie is scrumptous. It looks good... It smells good, and I can see the reaction on your face as you eat it. But do I yet KNOW what it tastes like? For that matter, what might be "scrumptuous" to you is only mediocre to me. My perception of the same knowledge might end up being different than yours. Is mine right and yours wrong? Or the other way around? Or is there such a thing as right and wrong?

So again I ask, how can I know what it tastes like until I experience it for myself? The truth is, I can't.

Can one believe in things that they can't see, hear, smell, taste, or feel? Absolutely! That is what faith and belief are all about. But is it knowledge? I'm not trying to imply that knowledge is superior to faith. But simply that it is a different animal entirely, and they each have their place and their limitations. As discussed before, I can't know something without experiencing it, but on the flip side, I can't experience everything, so some things must be taken on faith. But herein lies the rub... what do I chose to experience, and what do I chose to take on faith?

Uh-oh...I feel a major theological rambling coming on... I better settle down for now.

All these thoughts! Well, without TV or a Playstation, what did you expect? Its kind of fun letting your mind be your entertainment!

Through the Lower Passes

Greetings from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho! I made it throught the passes on the Montana/Idaho border today (Friday, Febuary 1st) and arrived at this paradise this evening. It was an unbelievable trip up and over these snow-covered passes today on I-90. For those of you who aren't familiar with Idaho geography, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is about 60 miles east of Spokane, Washington in the northern tip of the state.

We all lined up single-file and went over the passes at about 10 miles an hour. I've never seen snow come down as heavy as it was this afternoon! Interestingly, the snow itself has changed since leaving the Yellowstone area. Once I got west of Missoula, Montana, the snow became wet and heavy instead of the dry powder that I had gotten used to.

The topography changed again too. The canyons seemed more narrow, and the mountains were steep and covered with spruce, fir, and pine instead of the cedar and sagebrush of southwestern Montana. With the heavy, wet snow piling up on them, it looked like something out of a child's fairy tale. I wish I could show you some pictures tonight, but the website is giving me difficulty with uploading images. Next time I'll give you an all-picture update of more from Yellowstone and some of the shots I got today in the passes. They're beautiful. Perhaps I'll be able to get them up in the next day or two.

Oh yeah... I almost forgot! We've had a sweet tea sighting in Butte, Montana. A little place called "Red's Country Club". I couldn't believe my ears when the waitress responded that "sure, we've got sweet tea!" Have my ears deceived me? Here? In western Montana? Excellent! Bring me goblets of the magical elixir! The food was good... some country fried steak and mashed potatoes, but to wash all that down with some honest-to-goodness sweet tea was beyond description. Now, compared to the tea that I'm used to back home, this brew left a bit to be desired. It was sweet, but they obviously were rationing the sugar as they could have "taken it up a few more notches" to be sure. But since I haven't had any in quite awhile, the perception was better than the reality. Overall, it was a 3-ah glass of tea at the most. But considering the lack of availability out here, Red deserves at least a 4-ah rating simply for going against the flow!

Yellowstone

I was finally able to get into Yellowstone! On Monday, the weather was cooperative, and I was able to head down Hwy 89 from Livingston, MT to the north entrance of the park at Gardiner, MT. I was able to see the hot springs at Mammoth Springs and then able to go east through the park. Several times I had to stop for buffalo in the road, including a few times when they walked right past the car! I got some pretty cool pictures. They really are magnificent animals. And quite large! I was sitting quite still in the car, trying not to spook them as they walked past. I could just see one of these guys or gals deciding to throw a powerful head-butt into the truck! The truth was they really didn't act like we where even there. They just took their time and headed where they were going to go.

I found a nice little campground near Mammoth Springs, so I spent the night there. The weather was fine, hovering between 30 and 36 degrees and some light snow and light rain falling. However, at about 10 0'clock in the morning, the skies darkened and the wind really began to pick up. Heavy snow began to fall, and within 1 1/2 hours, 8 inches of snow fell and the temperature dropped 40 full degrees from 34 to 6 BELOW. Quite a change! After 'digging' out, I made the decision that another night at the campground was possible, but just not practical, since I wasn't sure how much more snow was on the way. The rangers said the weather report called for between 12 and 18 inches before it was all said and done, so I figured I should head out. I dropped the truck into 4WD and headed back towards Livingston last night. I'm still in Livingston, and will be here until at least tomorrow, waiting on road conditions to improve, then head out, and maybe back up to Yellowstone for a few days and nights.

I'm sorry that the majority of my posts seem to be weather reports! But the truth is, that here in the Northern Plains and the Northern Rockies, weather kind of dominates this time of year, and your plans have to work around Mother Nature's! Plus, I love the weather. Always have. And it changes so fast out here that it's kind of neat. But, I'm taking the time in the hotel today to do some real writing, so maybe I'll have something more entertaining or enlightening by tomorrow morning.

Lefty

The Way is Shut

Argh! Done in today by the weather, but not from snow or from cold... this time its the wind! The temperature has been in the upper 40's throughout the day, but the wind has been increasing throughout. I tried to head toward Yellowstone via Hwy 16, but alas, closed due to high winds and drifting. So I headed back to town and then up the interstate further. I tried Hwy 14, which runs back west to Yellowstone as well, this time from Sheridan, WY. This too was closed due to high winds.

Frustrated, I headed further up I-90 and into Montana. Wow! Awesome country up here! Again, I tried to head to Yellowstone, this time from the North via 212, but again, I was shut off. Heading further west, the winds really started to blow, to the point that driving was becomming too hazardous. I have pulled off for the night in Livingston, MT, which has the nickname of the "windy city", like Chicago. Well, "city", I'm not so sure about. "town" would be more accurate, but "windy", why yes, I can vouch for that. The reason that the winds really accelerate here is that the town is located at the end of two "funnels" that channel the cold, dense air falling from Yellowstone. The falling air accelerates down the mountains and it all gets channeled here! Right now, the temperature is a balmy 48 degrees, but the wind is blowing 40 mph, and they are forecasting gusts upwards of 70.

Check it out: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=byz&smap=1&textField1=45.6625&textField2=-110.56028

Well, I may be held up here for a awhile, but I'll try to head south down US 89 towards the northern part of Yellowstone. If this is unsuccessful, I'll head further west and then try again via Bozeman, MT. If all else fails, I'll head further up 90 towards Idaho and Washington. Then swing around down to Utah and Nevada, then loop back to Yellowstone and the Tetons from there. It just might not happen while I'm out here this time. C'est la vie.

Oh, I attached the pictures of the climbers at Devil's Tower from yesterday. Pretty cool. I tried to enhance and magnify the climbers using Photshop, and it came out ok. I'll post another all picture update soon, once I get some new stuff.

Greeting the Sun in a Way I Never Have Before

The other night, I camped out in the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. After checking in at the ranger station, and getting the "OK " from the Ranger (who insisted on checking out my gear prior to letting me go) I headed to the campground. Surprise! I was the only one there. The Ranger informed me that since I was planning just one night, if I didn't check in by noon the next day, she'd head up that way to check on me. Once I got to the campground, I was reassured by her comment!

The campground was primitive, with a few picnic tables, and one outhouse. There was no running water. (This wasn't a surprise, since the Ranger told me what to expect and made sure I had enough water with me.) It was beautiful... set down in a bowl surrounded by ridges and hills covered in snow, prairie grass, and a few cedar trees dotting the landscape. There was a small creek nearby, but it was frozen solid. It was clear, still, and very, very quiet. The temperature was a cold, but tolerable 19 degrees.

As I got myself set up and began to make dinner, I spotted a lone coyote up on the ridge about 300 yards away. He seemed to be somewhat interested in me... this lonely, furry creature on two legs. He watched me for awhile, and honestly, I wasn't really scared... but mesmerized. I knew if worse came to worse and he came charging down the hill, I could just jump in the truck and let him have my beef stew! But after a few minutes, he decided that I wasn't worth the trouble, and trotted off over the hill. I kept one eye on my stew, and the other on the ridge!

That stew might have been the best tasting stew I've ever eaten... for obvious reasons. They say that atmosphere makes the restaurant... well, I certainly had some ATMOSPHERE!

It was starting to get dark, so I got myself ready for the night and got into a great new book that I bought at the Ranger Station/Visitor Center. It's all about Native American spirituality, specifically, the Ogalala Sioux. I'll have some of my thoughts on this subject in a later post, but it really speaks to me as making the most "sense" of any religious material that I've studied lately.

I was preparing for a very cold night since it was clear, calm, and already down to about 7 degrees within just an hour and a half of sunset. I had just gotten cozy when I sensed some movement near the truck. In the moonlight, I saw that Brother Coyote had decided that the beef stew earlier just smelled to good to pass up, and had come down to the camp to see if I had left any scraps laying around. He sniffed around for awhile, then, not finding any morsels, went off to hunt for one of the local rabbits. I didn't see him again that night or in the morning, but it was still an exhilarating experience.

I tucked myself into my bag and enjoyed looking out at the moon and the stars, and listening. Listening to the sound of absolute silence. No ambient noise, no jets, no cars, no ANYTHING. Just pure, 100% silence. I became aware of this strange clicking noise...rhythmic... What the heck is that??? I was about to get a bit spooked, then realized with a great sense of relief, and a bit of foolishness, that it was just the ticking of my watch. I couldn't believe that it was that LOUD! It's amazing what happens when things quiet down.

I drifted off to sleep, and awoke what felt like six or seven hours later. It was actually only 10 o'clock! HA! I realized that it was going to be a long night! But not in a bad way. I fell back asleep, and slept soundly until about 2 a.m. I woke up and the outside nylon of my sleeping bag, near my face, was covered in ice from where I had been exhaling! Oh my! It must be cold out there! I reached over for my bottle of water that I had heated before going to bed, specifically so it wouldn't freeze overnight. WRONG. Frozen solid! OK, just how cold is it? My bag is rated for minus 20 degrees, and I'm cozy enough inside of it, but I can tell that it's just NASTY cold out there. I tried to go back to sleep, but was able to only manage another hour and a half.

I woke up for good at 3:30. Nature was calling, which meant crawling out my toasty sleeping bag, slipping on my (now frozen) boots, and trudging over to the outhouse. I knew that I wasn't going to be going back to sleep, so I went ahead and got the stove going to make some coffee. After returning from the outhouse and getting the coffee started, I was curious about just how cold it was, so I fumbled about for my little pocket thermometer which bottoms out at minus 10. It was bottomed out. Good grief! I wondered if it might be even colder than that. I climbed back in the truck and turned the key to look at the digital thermometer. It glowed in it's eerie blue-green color, and I wasn't sure I was reading it right. MINUS 16. SIXTEEN DEGREES BELOW ZERO??? Do they actually MAKE a temperature that cold? COME ON STOVE... COME ON COFFEE!!!

The coffee thankfully started to boil, and I drank it after it cooled to one degree under boiling. AHHHH! I felt warmth spread throughout my body. In the past, I had kind of scoffed at those survival shows where the guy goes semi-orgasmic over a hot cup of water with a few pine needles in it. Now, I have a better sense of it. OK, it's not the same, I know that. After all, I had real coffee and I hadn't been in the wild for a week with nothing but a single match and a multi-tool. But still, I think that the minus 16 degree reading was justifiable cause for my reaction.

I did more than drink that cup of coffee. I made love to it. I held that steaming mug in my hands and caressed it. I let the steam wash over my face and into my sinuses. That cup of coffee touched my SOUL. The second cup was just as good. So was the third.

I did some more reading to pass the time until sunrise, and slowly, the sky began to lighten in the east. I had just been reading about Mother Earth, Father Sky, and Brother Tatanka (Buffalo). And there, silhouetted on the hill above me by the now yellow horizon, was a small herd of buffalo! I sat on a stone and let the rising sun wash over me as I gazed at the magnificent animals. Each second brought more light, and the rays were like a promise to me. A promise that all was OK and would be OK. Although I knew it wasn't any warmer yet in reality, I felt warmer. But one thing I knew... I was ALIVE. More alive than I think I've EVER been. And it felt GOOD.

I don't know how long I sat there, and it really doesn't matter. I could have been two hours... it could have been 10 minutes. With a spring in my step, partially brought on by the temperature, and also in part due to the dawn, I went about cleaning up, and getting ready to move out.

I gave the truck a pep talk, and thankfully, after just one little "you've got to be kidding me", she turned over. It was minus 15 degrees now, but I felt like it was 80! OK, maybe not 80, but still...

As I drove out of the camp and up to the ridge road, the temperature soared to zero degrees. I guess that frigidly cold air had just settled down in that bowl. I headed back to the ranger station to say good morning, and Darlene seemed genuinely happy to see me. Not that she was worried, but I guess that her job can be pretty slow this time of year. We sat and talked for about an hour, then I headed out to do some more hiking and sight-seeing, all the while with a feeling of renewed spirit that I had wondered if I could ever find again. Memo to self: You found it.

___________

I'm in a little town called Buffalo, Wyoming tonight. It's at the start of the road across the state into Yellowstone. It's near where I-25 and I-90 come together. I spent about half the day driving, and the other half visting Devil's Tower here in Wyoming. I got some great pictures of some folks climbing it! I'll post those and some others next time.

Picture Update; Badlands & Mount Rushmore

Hi all! Something different today. "They" say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I thought I'd just post some pictures from the last couple of days. Included are two days from the Badlands and an afternoon at Mount Rushmore.

More on my camping experience in the Badlands National Park in my next update... Here's a preview: Bison, Cold, Coyote, Cold, Sunrise, Cold, and the sheer joy of fresh boiled coffee from a camp stove at 5 a.m.

Hope you enjoy the pics. I sure enjoyed taking them! You should be able to click on the pics to open full size.

Lefty

Still in SD; Exploring the "Badlands"

Hi again all. I told you I'd be better about posting, and lo and behold... TWO days in a row!!! haha. I'm still in South Dakota, but now I'm on the western side of the state just outside the Badlands National Park. The drive today was awesome, as the terrain really started to change, especially when I got to the Missouri River in central South Dakota. I spent a couple of hours hiking around the area, taking some pictures and reading about Lewis & Clark's trail that followed the Missouri River. Very cool stuff. Found some jack-rabbit tracks and enjoyed the scenery of the frozen river, looking across to the cedar covered bluffs. It's an absolutely beautiful area.

Once I crossed the river, the landscape changed significantly, from rolling farmland to open, snow-covered prairie. The driving was great today, with clear skies and light winds, and I made some good distance. But the snow started again in the late afternoon, just as I reached the Badlands. I got a few pictures from the entrance to the park, but the snow was coming in, so I headed up the road to find a hotel for the night. I'm planning on heading into the park tomorrow, weather permitting, but the forecast for tomorrow is 20 degrees with snow, blowing snow, and 20-30 mph winds. Thursday is supposed to be very nice... calmer winds and almost 30 degrees, so I may have to wait 'till then. We'll see. While I'm here, I plan to check out Mount Rushmore, as well as the Black Mountains.

I'm really surprised at how much the land here speaks to me. I've always been a "mountains" kind of guy, but these rolling prairies, with sharp bluffs, and such a sense of wide-open space, really strikes a chord somewhere inside of me. I'm looking forward to exploring it further in the next couple of days.

'til then...

Lefty