True, Kind, and Necessary?

Is it True, Is it Kind, and Is it Necessary?

"The Mountains are Calling, and I Must Go"

Shortly after our return from Australia, the Director of Music Ministry at our church, Saint Andrew United Methodist, Mark Zwilling asked me to go on the church choir tour of Italy this June.  Of course Mitch was invited, as well.  We thought about it for about a day and decided that we better stay stateside for a while since we were gone for a year.  It does appear, however, that the choir is having an amazing adventure!  We are seeing postings of photos and videos.  They will soon be singing at the Vatican!

For our summer 2017 road trip, we decided that a purely American journey through the "West" was in store for us, and we were thrilled that our friends, Becky and Dana Cossey were "keen" to be our companions.  Our pathway followed a portion of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806 as the explorers discovered and charted the American West on their quest to find that ever elusive "Northwest Passage."  Just to remind you, here is a bit of information from Wikipedia about the "Corps of Discovery:"

The Lewis and Clark Expedition from May 1804 to September 1806, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the first American expedition to cross what is now the western portion of the United States. It began near St. Louis, made its way westward, and passed through the continental divide to reach the Pacific coast. The Corps of Discovery comprised a selected group of U.S. Army volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend, Second Lieutenant William Clark.

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to explore and to map the newly acquired territory, to find a practical route across the western half of the continent, and to establish an American presence in this territory before Britain and other European powers tried to claim it.

The campaign's secondary objectives were scientific and economic: to study the area's plants, animal life, and geography, and to establish trade with local Native American tribes. With maps, sketches, and journals in hand, the expedition returned to St. Louis to report its findings to Jefferson.

Here is a map of the Lewis and Clark expedition:

Due to time constraints,our trip took us only to sections of the trail in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, but there were several times on the trip that we commented about how amazing it must have been for Lewis and Clark when they encountered such gorgeous, albeit it challenging, topography and harsh conditions.

Our trip started early on Saturday, June 17th with a drive from Denver to Jackson, Wyoming.  While at lunch in Rawlins, WY at Buck's Sport's Grill, we had a discussion about how in the world we would get along for 8-days on the road together!  At school we call this establishing "Norms of Collaboration."  In other words, what will we all commit to for the course of the trip in order to allow everyone the ability to enjoy our time to the greatest extent possible?  Dana suggested that we follow the norms that he establishes in the classes that he teaches at the Benedictine Spiritual Formation Program through the Benet Hill Monastery in Colorado Springs.  Here is just a little bit about the spiritual formation program for which Dana serves as a facilitator:

The Benedictine Spiritual Formation Program has been a vital ministry of Benet Hill Monastery since 1983. Initially located in Colorado Springs as a one year program, BSFP has now evolved into a two year program with extended supervision. Sites now include Colorado Springs, Denver, Grand Junction and a new Global Online program. Classes meet weekly for three hours September through April.

The Benedictine Spiritual Formation Program is open to persons of all faith traditions, is rooted in Benedictine values and tradition, and focuses on personal transformation and spiritual growth. BSFP was created to deepen each participant’s inner journey and to open new pathways of spiritual service including the ministry of Spiritual Direction.  

The norms that Dana and his participants establish and agree to are simply to reflect on what you are doing or saying within the group, and then ask yourself these questions:

Is it true?  Is it kind? and Is it necessary?

Could the four of us commit to these norms for 8 days?  Could you?  We all agreed to the norms, but I have to admit, that the "necessary" one gave me a few problems.  I think I am usually truthful and kind in my interactions with others, but the term "necessary" seems to be a bit subjective to me. What I may think is necessary for me to say might not seem necessary to you. 

At any rate, we agreed to do everything within our powers to make the trip enjoyable, enlightening, and memorable.  I think we accomplished that and then some!

What we saw as we entered the restaurant...

The other side of the wall...

Buck's Sports Grill in Rawlins, WY

Of course we had to get a photo under the famous antler archways in Jackson!

Becky and Dana in Jackson, WY

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Saturday we stayed the night in the small town of Driggs, Idaho and started out early the next morning, Sunday, June 18th for a drive through the Birch Creek and Lemhi Valleys connecting with Highway 93 at Salmon, ID.  After a break for lunch we enjoyed the passage through the "Bitterroots" on our way to Missoula, MT.  

We learned that the Bitterroot Mountains presented an unexpected obstacle to Lewis and Clark during their expedition westward, and ended their expectation of finding a "Northwest Passage" that would provide an easy connection from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

We arrived in Missoula in late afternoon and decided to explore a bit before meeting my brother and his wife, Wendy for dinner at the Montana Club.

Missoula MT

By the Clark Fork River in Missoula, MT

Monday, June 19, 2017

The next morning we took a short walk up to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation headquarters.  This non-profit organization has a mission as follows:

The mission of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.  In support of our mission, the RMEF is committed to: conserving, restoring and enhancing natural habitats; promoting the sound management of wild elk, which may be hunted or otherwise enjoyed; restoring elk to their native ranges; and educating members and the public about habitat conservation and our hunting heritage.

This organization is doing so much to restore elk populations in areas where they were plentiful and became long-absent:

Areas where RMEF has restored long-absent elk populations:

Kentucky – Eastern coalfields

Missouri – Peck Ranch Conservation Area

North Carolina – Great Smoky Mountains National Park 

Ontario – Various locations 

Tennessee – Cumberland Plateau 

Virginia – Buchanan County

West Virginia – Tomblin Wildlife Management Area

Wisconsin – Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

After learning quite a bit about elk, we headed west on I-90 to my brother and sister-in-law, Glen and Wendy's place.  We were in for more learning about his business - the "ExHale Bag."

My brother, Glen educating us about his ExHale Home Grown CO2 Bag

Here is a bit of information for you on the ExHale Home Grown CO2 bag which is primarily used for indoor gardening purposes:

Elevated CO2 levels improve plant maturity rates, enhance root growth, increase water use efficiency, and dramatically increase final crop yield.

After a tour of Glen's farm, we took a short drive up to another piece of his property which is on top of a beautiful hill with a great view!

Big Sis and Little Bro

Onto Kalispell!

Continuing our journey on Highway 93, we headed north to Kalispell stopping for lunch in Ronan at the Ronan Cafe and Bakery and at the Three Dog Down Outlet store in Polson on the south border of Flathead Lake.

Lunch on Monday, June 19th

Three Dog Down Outlet in Polson, MT

Flathead Lake - Polson, MT

We enjoyed Kalispell and were all involved in Becky's quest for the elusive Huckleberry Chocolate Bon Bon Bar!  After several dead ends, she finally found her prize at:

Becky with her Huckleberry Chocolate Bar found at Norm's News

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Today's the day we enter Glacier Park!  We headed up Highway 2 to Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse, Martin City, and then to West Glacier.  Upon entering the park we went straight to Apgar Village and found out that we could not check in for several hours, so we went out exploring!  The Road to the Sun was only open for about 16 miles, so we made our way as far as we could go.  We saw one black bear running quickly across the road!  He was so fast that no one was able to receive his picture!  

Since we still had time before check-in we decided to take the road less traveled up to a very small community named Polebridge. You can see it on some maps in the northwest portion of the park.  We were not sure what we were getting ourselves into with a winding, dirt road and no promise of any place for lunch.  We were rewarded, however, for our patience and bravery.  We found Texas Barbeque in the middle of nowhere.  And it was good!  As a matter of fact the Home Ranch Bottoms has been voted 7th out of 50 of the best restaurants in the Middle of Nowhere!

Finally - upon our arrival back at Apgar Village, we were able to check in to our TINY little motel room.  Even though it was tiny, it had a large picture window that looked out on the beautiful Middle Fork of the Flathead River!

Just outside our tiny motel rooms!

Our lodge sits on the southwestern edge of Lake McDonald with gorgeous views of the mountains to the east.  Even though it was drizzling a bit and the mountains had some clouds covering their tops, it was still gorgeous!

The evening brought a ranger talk at the Apgar Campground Amphitheater.  We learned all about the early history of the park and about many of the historic buildings and structures that still stand today.

Our Ranger giving us a park history talk at the amphitheater.

This gentleman serenaded us on his Alpine Horn with a rendition of TAPS just before we went to bed

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Today we are going to Canada!  We are excited to have breakfast at the iconic Lake McDonald Lodge at the other end of Lake McDonald.  The breakfast was lovely even though they did not have ANY black tea bags for Becky.  It was a rather minor emergency, however, since she was prepared with tea bags of her own in the car - just a little jaunt out to the car, and she was good to go!

The Glacier Park Red Tour Bus - Glen is a former bus jammer for Glacier!

We then headed out of the park and down and around to the east on Highway 2.  It was interesting to see the mountains from the other side of the park!

The only problem on our drive up to Waterton, Canada was road construction.  We had to stop and wait several times for a pilot car because the roads just had one functioning lane for traffic.  I know Dana was glad when we finally made it to Saint  Mary and the Park Cafe for lunch!

Now - I need to tell you that the Park Cafe was special because even though we had been talking about pies and especially the "Pie a la Road" trail that Montana is known for, we had not had a piece of pie yet.  What were we waiting for?  Becky and Dana had the Grizz-Bear-Y, and Mitch and had the Razzle-Berry!

Within an hour after lunch we found our way to the Canadian border station.  I must admit that I was a bit concerned about the two ExHale bags that we had in the back of the car, but luckily the only questions that the guard asked Mitch and Dana were about what guns they were carrying.  Thankfully, they answered all questions without any alarm bells going off within the guard, so he did not ask for a search of our vehicle.  WHEW!

Then - WOW - we entered Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada!  Gorgeous just does not do justice to the beauty of the area.  It is a little piece of paradise just across our border to Canada!  Here are some photos of our Lake Excursion that took us back across the US border while on the water.  

The international border between the US and Canada on the east side of Waterton Lake

International border on the west side of the lake.

Our ranger at the Goat Haunt stop on our excursion - We think he looks like Ron Howard!

A deer in town who would only show me his white tail!

Our accommodation in Waterton - perfect except the bathtub/jacuzzi was right in the middle of the living room!

We had a beautiful dinner at the Lakeside Chophouse:

Thursday, June 22, 2017

First - a scrumptious breakfast (can you tell that we had some really good food on our trip?) at the world famous Prince of Wales Hotel on Lake Waterton.

A gorgeous view from the restaurant!

After breakfast and a few purchases in the gift shop, we were off for a short drive to Red Rock Canyon.

  

Then, back across the border, and Belt, Montana - here we come - with a short stop in Great Falls!

In Great Falls we had a nice lunch at the Family Affair Restaurant that just happens to be on the "Pie a la Road" trail!  Of course, we had pie again - Apple and Salted Caramel Apple.

After lunch we were pleased to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.  Here is the mission of the center that we found to be fascinating:

"The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center imparts to the public a personal sense of President Thomas Jefferson's vision of expanding America to the west; it inspires awe and awakens curiosity toward the challenges faced by the expedition as they portaged the great falls of the Missouri River and explored the 'unknown'; brings to life the daily experiences of the expedition and the environment and native peoples of the 'uncharted West'; and celebrates the indomitable spirit of human discovery we all share."

Becky and I met a delightful volunteer in the center who shared some very interesting facts with us about Meriwether Lewis.  Here is a short bio on Lewis from Wikipedia:

Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark.  Their mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase, establish trade with, and sovereignty over the natives near the Missouri River, and claim the Pacific Northwest and Oregon Country for the United States before European nations. They also collected scientific data, and information on indigenous nations. President Thomas Jefferson appointed him Governor of Upper Louisiana in 1806. He died of gunshot wounds in what was either a murder or suicide, in 1809.

The retired gentleman who volunteers his time at the Center shared with us that there is much controversy over whether Lewis died by taking his own life or by murder at someone else's hand.  He personally believes that Lewis died at his own hand, but the Center occasionally holds mock trials where the audience members hear testimony from both sides of the issue.  The audience then gets to vote on the verdict.  He told us that around 7 out of 8 times the audience will vote for murder since Meriwether was at the prime of his life and was in route to Washington, DC for a meeting with the President.  Here is an article on the issue from the History Channel "What Happened on this Date?"  

October 11, 1809

On this day in 1809, the famous explorer Meriwether Lewis dies under mysterious circumstances in the early hours of the morning after stopping for the night at Grinder’s Tavern along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee.

Three years earlier, Lewis and his co-commander, William Clark, had completed their brilliant exploration of the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and the Pacific Northwest. Justly famous and celebrated throughout the nation as a result, Lewis nonetheless found his return to civilized eastern life difficult. President Thomas Jefferson appointed him as governor of Louisiana Territory, but Lewis soon discovered that the complex politics and power struggles of the territory were earning him more enemies than friends. At the same time, bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., were questioning the legitimacy of some of the purchases Lewis had made for the expedition in 1803, raising the threat of bankruptcy if he were forced to cover these costs personally. Finally, some three years after the end of his journey, Lewis still had failed to complete the work necessary to publish the critically important scientific and geographical information he and Clark had gathered in their journals-much to the disappointment of his close friend and mentor, Thomas Jefferson.

For all these reasons, most recent historians have concluded that Lewis’ death was a suicide brought on by deep depression and the heavy weight of worries he bore. According to the account given by Mrs. Grinder, the mistress of the tavern along the Natchez Trace where Lewis died, during his final hours Lewis began to pace in his room and talk aloud to himself “like a lawyer.” She then heard a pistol shot and Lewis exclaiming, “O Lord!” After a second pistol shot, Lewis staggered from his room and called for help, reportedly saying, “O Madam! Give me some water, and heal my wounds.” Strangely, Mrs. Grinder did nothing to help him; she later said that she was too afraid. The next morning servants went to his room where they reportedly found him “busily engaged in cutting himself from head to foot” with a razor. Fatally wounded in the abdomen, Lewis died shortly after sunrise.

Based largely on Mrs. Grinder’s story, most historians have argued that Lewis tried to kill himself with two pistol shots, and when death did not come quickly enough, tried to finish the job with his razor. However, in a 1962 book, Suicide or Murder? The Strange Death of Governor Meriwether Lewis, the author Vardes Fisher raised questions about the reliability of Mrs. Grinder’s story and suggested that Lewis might have actually been murdered, either by Mrs. Grinder’s husband or bandits. Since then a minority of historians has continued to raise challenges to the suicide thesis. But ultimately, nearly two centuries after the event, we may never be able to discover exactly what happened that night along the Natchez Trace when one of the nation’s greatest heroes died at the tragically young age of 35.

What do you think?

Then - why in the world did we go to Belt, Montana?  Well, first of all it is a cute little town that is literally hidden from the main road down in a secret valley!  And second, it is very close to our accommodation in an AirBnB in Sluice Boxes State Park just south off of Highway 89.

What is the world then is a sluice box.  Well, Dana knew the answer!

"A sluice box, used in mining, is a long, sloping trough or the like, with grooves on the bottom, into which water is directed to separate gold from gravel or sand."

Here is a photo of a Sluice Box:

So, of course, we deduced that sluice boxes were used extensively in this area, hence the name!

Here is a description of Sluice Boxes State Park just south of Belt, MT:

Soaring cliffs and precipitous ledges mark the Belt Creek Canyon as it slices out of the Little Belt Mountains and winds toward the town of Belt. Remains of mines, a railroad, and historic cabins line Belt Creek as it makes its way through the beautiful canyon carved in limestone. This rugged area has seen its share of prospectors searching for precious metals, miners, muleskinners, smeltermen, and railroaders building bridges. The Barker mines and the Montana Central Railroad are just a part of the rich history of Sluice Boxes State Park.

Here are some photos of the view from the porch of our accommodation for the night:

Dogs - Rosie and Belle

Friday, June 23, 2017

We woke up to a chilly morning (about 48) on Friday morning.  We headed out early on our way to Bozeman and Gallatin Gateway.  Breakfast at White Sulpher Springs at the Branding Iron Cafe:

I like the sign that says how far the McDonald's is!

More pies - but we resisted at breakfast!

On the curtain over the window at our table - I made sure Dana was aware of it!

We had the time, so we turned west on Highway 86 off of 89 into the Gallatin National Forest with the Elkhorn Ridge and Sheep Mountain.  I can't express adequately how beautiful this drive was!  It was incredible that some of the areas were surrounded on all sides by mountains!

Near Sedan, Montana from Highway 86

We arrived in Bozeman just after 12:30, and it was a bit too early to check in to our night's lodging in Gallatin Gateway in a Bunkhouse!  So, we spent a few hours exploring downtown Bozeman and visiting the Bozeman Museum of the Rockies.

The museum exhibits and programs included very thought provoking displays featuring information and items from early Montana and Indigenous American history.  In addition there were a few featured exhibits that we enjoyed:

CROCS: ANCIENT PREDATORS IN A MODERN WORLD

When was the last time you stared down a hungry crocodile? If you can’t remember or the answer is never, that’s about to change. Experience the world of crocodilians in tropical, naturalistic habitats! This family-friendly exhibit presents cutting-edge science where you will be immersed in the sights and sounds of this stealthy aquatic predator. Come eye-to-eye with living reptiles such as a Siamese crocodile and an African dwarf crocodile, three Central African slender-snouted crocodiles, and six American alligator hatchlings!

Crocs have flourished for more than 200 million years, and the group once included a rich diversity of specialized forms from galloping land predators and jumping insect eaters to pug-nosed herbivores and dolphin-like pelagic hunters. All modern crocodilians are built for life at the water’s edge. These stealthy aquatic predators have rugged bodies, keen senses, and incredible strength. But crocs are more than just brutes; they lead intricate social lives. They communicate with a range of pips, grunts, hisses, bellows, and subtle changes in body posture. They battle over territories, engage in lengthy courtship rituals, and provide their young with tender parental care. Living crocodilians range from tiny forest dwellers to behemoths that eat wildebeests, buffaloes, and occasionally people. In a human-dominated world, the future of crocodilians depends upon our willingness to share space with large predators.

CROCS: Ancient Predators in a Modern World will immerse you in the realm of crocodilians with an engaging and entertaining experience, complete with interactive displays, artifacts, and Live Crocs!

SIEBEL DINOSAUR COMPLEX

View highlights of the country’s largest collection of North American dinosaur fossils consisting entirely of discoveries made in and around Montana. MOR has become world-renowned as a dinosaur research facility because of the work of our paleontologists and graduate students. Museum of the Rockies houses the most T. rex specimens anywhere in the world - currently 13. Notable displays in this Complex include the growth and behavior series of Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex, Montana's T. rex skeleton, the Catherine B. rex specimen, and many, many other one-of-a-kind dinosaur finds.

Landforms/Lifeforms Exhibit

All life is interconnected. Travel through the time and view creatures that roamed the Earth long before the first dinosaur.

Bowman Dinosaur Viewing Laboratory

See MOR volunteers remove fossil specimens from the rock and prepare them for study.

Dinosaurs Under the Big Sky Exhibit

Travel through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of the Age of Dinosaurs and see some of the most important dinosaur discoveries made in and around Montana.

Einstein’s Gravity Playlist - New Original Show!

Come and see the world premiere of the first original production in the digital Taylor Planetarium. This show, produced at Montana State University, will explore Einstein’s famous theory that predicted the existence of gravitational waves through their discovery in February 2016. Join Lucia, a Ph.D. student in physics, on an exploration of how gravitational waves are formed, how they move through the universe, and how scientists like her work to hear them.

I must tell you, however, that after Mitch watched the Einstein video he promptly stated, "Well that is 30 minutes of my life that I will never get back."  He said that he understands less about gravitational forces after seeing the film than he thought he understood before he went in.

OK - onto downtown Bozeman!  We love Bozeman.  We had never really spent very much time there.  It has a great vibe - lots of young people!  The downtown streets are active and filled with delightful stores and restaurants.  Here are some photos of our time on Main Street!

An interesting device on display at Museum of the Rockies

Main Street - Bozeman, MT

YUMMY!

Mitch and Dana enjoying downtown Bozeman on 6/23/17

Just off Main Street

Toro Restaurant - We ate here on Friday evening.  Becky said that she had the best barbacoa enchiladas that she has ever had!

Here is a photo of our Upstairs Bunkhouse for the night - we must admit that it was a little too cozy, but we did get a good night's sleep!

Saturday, June 24, 2017

We awoke on Saturday with a mission of traveling to Yellowstone NP and then to Cody WY!  After breakfast at the Main Street Overeasy:

Since all four of us have already been to Yellowstone, we took the road less traveled - past Tower Junction and through Cooke City for lunch.  We then took the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (Highway 296) into Cody.  It was amazing!

Lunch at the Bistro in Cooke City, MT

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (Photo from Wikipedia)

Finally into Cody for dinner at Bubba's Barbeque and then to the Cody Nite Rodeo.  As Mitch said, "If you are wondering ... the BULLS won!"  One of the bulls actually jumped over the fence when running out of the ring!

The small town rodeo was great!  We were, however, pretty tired after a long day of driving and rodeo, so we headed back to our little AirBnb house for the night.  Tomorrow will be a long day of travel back to Denver!

Our little house in Cody, WY

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Deer in our side yard just as we're leaving to drive home on Sunday!

Throughout the trip I tried to take in everything so that it would stick in my memory.  It was meaningful to me to take this trip just before July 4th this year.  We missed the 4th last year in Australia even though we did host a party for our Aussie friends.  The 4th this year will be special and a time to think about my gratefulness to be able call myself an American even though we are experiencing some controversies and discord within our country at the current time.

Traveling through the "west" solidified within me what an amazing place we have to live!  I do wonder, however, if we (as Americans) truly appreciate what we have.  I hope that you will join me in taking a few moments to ponder your thoughts of gratitude for the opportunities that we enjoy.  Happy July 4th to all!

Finally, did I uphold my commitment to our "Norms of Collaboration" on our trip?  I really have to think about this.  I think that the things that I said throughout the eight days were truthful and mostly kind.  However, I fear that I have been rated as only "partially proficient" on my abilities to keep my conversation topics "necessary."   

Dana - I will have to keep working on this one!  Until next time, Elementary Friends!