Ice Moving on the Blackfoot River

"Contemplating the lace-like fabric of streams outspread over the mountains, we are reminded that everything is flowing - going somewhere, animals and so-called lifeless rocks as well as water. Thus the snow flows fast or slow in grand beauty - making glaciers and avalanches; the air in majestic floods carrying minerals, plant leaves, seeds, spores, with streams of music and fragrance; water streams carrying rocks both in solution and in the form of mud particles, sand, pebbles, and boulders. Rocks flow from volcanoes like water from springs, and animals flock together and flow in currents modified by stepping, leaping, gliding, flying, swimming, etc. While stars go streaming through space pulsed on and on forever like blood globules in Nature's warm heart. . . Nature is a flood and we all are in it." John Muir

The Pursuit of God

"The Lord of all being is far more than the Lord of all beings. He is the Lord of all actual existence. He is the Lord of all kinds of beings - spiritual being, natural being, physical being. Therefore, when we rightly worship Him we we compass all being." A. W. Tozer

"When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself." A. W. Tozer

"The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our "following hard after" Him." A. W. Tozer

"All the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand, "Thy right hand upholdeth me." A. W. Tozer

Mountain Biking the Slickrock Trail near Moab, Utah

Rivers of Life

"Live like a river flows, surprised by its own unfolding." ~ John O'Donohue

"Rivers of living water." John 7:38

"A river touches places of which its source knows nothing, and Jesus says if we have received of His fullness, however small the visible measure of our lives, out of us will flow the rivers that will bless to the uttermost parts of the earth. We have nothing to do with the outflow - "This is the work of God that ye believe. . . ." God rarely allows a soul to see how great a blessing he is.

A river is victoriously persistent, it overcomes all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, then it comes to an obstacle and for a while it is balked, but it soon makes a pathway round the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, and presently emerge again broader and grander than ever. You can see God using some lives, but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you round the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficulty. The obstacle is a matter of indifference to the river which will flow steadily through you if you remember to keep right at the Source. Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.

Think of the healing and far-flung rivers nursing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up marvelous truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is an indication of the wider power of the river He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has nourished in you mighty torrents of blessing for others." Oswald Chambers

Flow re-posted

"The trail is a stream of lessened entropy pouring through the landscape, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes smooth, sometimes rough. To follow it is not hard, but is reactive and slow. To lead it is impossible- it defines what can be done, not you. To flow with it is the trick, going fast where it allows, slow where it does not, anticipating the turns and bumps along the way and planning for them, instead of recovering from them.

The flow never really pauses. Always, there is possibility ahead of your tires, always, it is your job to anticipate and execute. If you take time to think, you've lost- information takes too long to process consciously, and the trail keeps winding while your head goes straight. An 8" wide trail doesn't take long to cross when your paths diverge, and to either side lies chaos. We all venture here from time to time, sometimes we escape unharmed, sometimes with disastrous effect. We learn to fear chaos, and we learn that thinking about it takes us there. By forcing us to remain in the flow, acting without thinking, the trail physically enforces a mental discipline, a near zen state of presence yet detachment. Achieving this state makes it compelling, staying in it is almost religious" Neduro (an inmate on the ADVrider.com forum)

Once you’ve felt “the flow” you never forget it. I was teaching my 5 year old grandson about turning corners on a motocross track one day and was able to see him feel “the flow”. He was so excited – “Watch, grandpa, I can just lean it over and look at the end of the corner and the bike just goes there by itself.” Watching him feel “it” was more thrilling that being “there” myself. I knew what he felt and he knew I knew. That’s an unbreakable connection.

I think that is what God wants us to feel about life. He wants us to “flow” – He wants us to know Him in a way that makes us want to always feel His will and execute. Not having to agonize over “finding God’s will” but understanding God in a way that makes us go there without conscious thought or effort. I have a friend who taught me some motocross secrets who once told me that I can go ahead and hold the throttle open longer than my brain wants me to, because the subconscious brain will take over and be able to handle more than the conscious brain wants to experience. It’s true, sometimes I can be actually crashing and relax, will myself not to go down, and let instinct take over and the crash will be avoided. The mental discipline takes a long time to learn but I think that’s how God wants us to approach many things in life. We need to be open to His leading in a way that makes it automatic and effortless to execute. Never letting the anticipation of negative results stop us from achieving positive and triumphant joy. Focusing on our dreams and not allowing ourselves to even look at the pitfalls on the side of the trail will take us where we want to go. If you focus on and fear the pitfalls you will fall because you won’t even see the trail. The fear will blind you. We have to focus not only on the trail but also must be able to envision the joy and harmony of having done the will of the Father. God wants us to approach life just as a motocross racer memorizes all the lines on a track but does not stop there but visualizes picking up the trophy at the end of the race. God is just waiting to say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Life won’t get any better than that

Poison Spider Mesa Trail

Bits of Hell's Revenge Trail near Moab, Utah

Every Moment Counts

I went for a long fall motorcycle ride this past weekend. The original plan was to ride a route that would take me to see some of the places my great, great grandfather John Kinna had an influence on. I visited Virginia City where he had a hardware store with a partner named John Nye. The vigilantes used to meet in the back of that store to discuss how to bring law and order to this wild frontier. Then I went on to Elkhorn where John Kinna had invested heavily in the mine there and increased his fortune.

I enjoyed seeing some of the past of my ancestor but what stuck me as I visited these towns was found in the cemeteries. Life was not easy in those days, there was no law and the thrill of the gold rush brought a wide spectrum of humanity from hardy adventurers to family men desperate for a way to support their families to the opportunistic outlaws looking for easy pickings. As I looked at the gravestones and read what was engraved it was easy to see that life was very precious to these people – every day counted and every day was included on the gravestone. The faith of these people and the sorrow at their loss is carved in the stones. Some of these lives were very short but still every day counted – there were accidents and diseases and just plain hardship that caused some of these lives to be cut short and there was violence and even the struggle for law and order brought more deaths.

In this day we live in we tend to avoid talking about God’s place in our lives – we live at such a fast pace that we rarely take the time to slow down and even consider that God does have an interest in our lives and even a plan for our lives if we will only give Him a chance to reveal Himself to us.

I’d like to encourage you to take some time to just be still – watch a sunset, look at the moon reflecting on the water, or watch the stars march across the sky – and think about how precious every moment we have can be. God is just waiting to reveal His love to us if we will just slow down and listen.

Isaiah 45:3 - " I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name."

Jeremiah 1:5 - " Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you as My chosen instrument, and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you;" (Amplified Version)

Psalms 139:13-14;16-18 - "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. . . . Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were written the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God; How vast the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand, When I am awake, I am still with You."

ANNIE OPIE
DIED
Jan. 21, 1898
AE. 1 Yr 3 M's 16 D's
Thy hands are clasped upon thy breast. We have kissed thy lovely brow. And in our aching hearts we know. We have no Darling now.

IN
LOVING MEMORY
OF
ANNE BOWDEN,
2nd DAUGHTER
OF
THOMAS H.
AND
ANNE BARKER,
BORN MAY 1, 1893
DIED JUNE 30, 1898
AGED 5 YEARS AND 2 MONTHS

Like the dove to the arc thou hast flown to thy rest, from the wild sea of strife, to the home of the blest, sleep on in thy beauty thou sweet angel child, by sorrow unblighted by sin undefiled

HERE RESTS THE SWEETEST BUDS OF HOPE.

BEATRICE M.
DIED
JULY 13, 1889.
AGED
3 Y's. 6 M's. 4 D's.

CLARA H.
DIED
JUNE 15, 1889.
AGED 5 Y'rs. 7 D's.

CHILDREN OF
W. J. & S. J. ROBERTS

Lake McDonald Evening

"One of the gladdest moments of human life is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home, man feels once more happy." Sir Richard Burton

Stonewall Lookout Ride July 6, 2009

High Country Mining Camp Tour

The first goal of the day was to ride across the Garnet Range - those mountains in the distance.

Daisys along Hwy 200 near Ovando

Beargrass as we start up Elk Creek Road in the Garnet Range

Coloma Cemetary

Coloma Miner's Cabin with an amazing view toward the Swan Range

Coloma Beargrass

Looking toward Pyramid Peak in the Swans

Coloma Miners Cabin

Mining Carts in Garnet

Garnet Ghostown

We left Garnet and rode past Reynolds City then on out Mulkey Gulch after some meandering on unmarked roads. No we weren't lost - we had plenty of gas! And the GPS knew exactly where we were - there just weren't any roads or trails on the display!

We didn't get to meet Charlie!

Here's something you won't find on the Interstate! And besides probably half the people you see up here are lost, too! Courtesy is a good idea!

Ophir Creek Road from near Avon looking south.

Looking back at the Garnet Range from Ophir Creek Road near Avon.

Looking toward Stemple Pass from near the top of the divide on Ophir Creek Road.

My KLR on Ophir Creek Road.

Manuel's KLR on Ophir Creek Road.

The junction of Ophir Creek Road and Lost Horse Road.The GPS batteries died so we have to do it the old fashion way!

Miner's cabin on Lost Horse Road

Ore Bucket near Stamping Mill on Lost Horse Road

Stamping Mill on Lost Horse Road

Donkey Engine pieces at Stamping Mill

Water Break near Granite Butte

View west from near Continental Divide Trail close to Granite Butte

Granite Butte Lookout

Continental Divide Flowers

Looking toward Lincoln from near Granite Butte. We had a great ride - about 215 miles - mostly gravel and back country roads. Perfect weather and you never meet unfriendly people in places like this! Good maps, a GPS, and a SPOT satellite tracker are a good idea on a ride like this.

June Flowers

Fuzzytongue Penstemon on Marsh Creek Road
Mountain top flowers near Stemple pass
Pasqueflower or Wild Crocus on Marsh Creek Road
Sugarbowl or Hairy Clematis on Beaver Creek Road
Many Flowered Stickweed on Meadow Creek Road
Fairy Slipper on Beaver Creek Road
Daisy along Highway 200
Butter-and-Eggs along Highway 200
Butter-and-Eggs
Wild Rose near Seeley Lake
Yellow Salsify near Monture Creek
Wild Blue Flax on Markham Mountain
Henbane near Blackfoot River
Drummond Milkvetch in the Blackfoot Canyon on Highway 200
Bunchberry Dogwood near Seeley Lake
Alberta Penstemon on Markham Mountain