New horizons
“Whilst I viewed those mountains, I felt a secret pleasure in finding myself so near the head of the–heretofore conceived–boundless Missouri. But when I reflected on the difficulties which this snowy barrier would most probably throw in my way to the Pacific Ocean, and the sufferings and hardships of myself and the party in them, it in some measure counterbalanced the joy I had felt in the first moments in which I gazed on them. But, as I have always held it little short of criminality to anticipate evils, I will allow it to be a good, comfortable road until I am compelled to believe otherwise.”
-William Clark
One thing that we have loved the most about our little adventure is the history we are swimming in.
The girls have become fascinated with Lewis and Clark, York, Sacagawea, and, of course, their Newfie, Seaman. (Seaman gives me hope for our sweet Charlie boy. :) )
We’ve hiked the paths they hiked. We’ve climbed Tillamook Head, the mountain that Lewis and Clark climbed to find the beached blue whale on the sands of Cannon Beach.
We’ve discovered ancient forests, bursting with life, death, and quiet, peaceful ghosts of times past.
We’ve looked down from the mountain onto the ocean, much as they did. Even though it was very foggy that day, it was an amazing experience.
We’ve visited the replication of their winter fort and walked through the rooms.
In all of this, the girls have found even deeper reserves of courage and adventure, wonder and awe.
The girls’ sense of adventure fills me and pushes me onward.
(Taking the oath as Junior Rangers at Lewis and Clark National Park.)
I’ve found that what inspires me most in this story is the fact that Lewis and Clark knew it would be hard, but they wouldn’t allow themselves to focus on it. They kept their hearts on their hopes, and so should we.
“We were now about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on which the foot of civilized man had never trod. The good or evil it had in store for us was for experiment yet to determine, and these little vessels contained every article by which we were to expect to subsist or defend ourselves. However, as the state of mind in which we are, generally gives the coloring to events, when the imagination is suffered to wander into futurity, the picture which now presented itself to me was a most pleasing one. Entertaining as I do the most confident hope of succeeding in a voyage which had formed a darling project of mine for the last ten years, I could but esteem this moment of my departure as among the most happy of my life.”
-Meriwether Lewis
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