The Big Hole, just east of Divide

It seemed to cut through the rock-laden valley with a purpose. The river boasted long bends which were cut by rock, earth, and sage. The water slowed at one bend, as if to take a break from its nonstop journey. At another bend, the speed of the crystal liquid would increase so it could slowly cut away more earth with its enormous force.

There was one point in the river where a sky blue ice bridge covered with fresh white powder lay over the water. It almost was as if the ice and snow were trying to stop the mighty flow, but the current continued through. It was unstoppable, but yet seemed to have a respect for the attempt.

There were two tunnel type caves along the river. They are definitely man-made, as evidenced by holes drilled for dynamite throughout the cave, and the old scratchings of names inside on the walls. I'm unsure if they were cut to be tunnels for trains, or possibly even wagons? The mouths of the tunnels seemed to be wide open and inviting, as if they were lonely and desperate for a visitor to enter and explore them. They made me think of an old man- friendly, weathered, and full of stories which he is dying to tell. But the tunnels have no tongue, so one can only speculate what they have to say.

I find myself wondering- What have they seen? Why are they here? How many stories have been told about them? In them?

Later I was walking on a hillside surrounded by sage, trees, and snow. I began thinking about change. I thought about how things always change, regardless of one's attempts to keep things from changing.

I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. It was then that the deafening sound of pure silence enveloped me like a warm winter cloak. Comforting yet heavy, it reminds me of how everything has a price, and everything has a catch.

I realized at that point that i was in the middle of my own personal contradiction. Throughout the years, the very terrain on which i was standing had been through many changes. This silence however, this overwhelming aura of unchanged beauty due to the lack of man's encroachment with "civilization" and "modern progression" (aka vandalism) has remained the same- pure and fresh.

The snow was all around, like a blanket of pure white sugar. Each crystal reflected light in its own way, as each flake had its own shape, unlike any other. I almost felt guilty just taking another step, as i did not want to alter this beautiful natural wonder with human disruption.

"When you love something, you have a duty to protect it. In order to love something, you have to try to understand it.

At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear. It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us. You can love completely without complete understanding.