Happy Bithday Meriwether

Thursday August 18, 2005

Today, if he hadn't committed suicide, Meriwether Lewis would be 231 years old.

Happy Birthday Capt. Lewis!!! In a moment your puzzling journal entry from  your 31st birthday but first...In honor of your birthday I finally successfully completed the Grand Circle Trail at Red Rock Canyon.

It was at least my 3rd attempt to navigate the 12-mile trail around the scenic park. Other attempts had failed due to lack of stamina, water and knowledge of where the treacherous trail stops and starts up again. But today I did it! It took me almost 3 hours. There are so many places where the footing is terrible but the scenery is beautiful. I only fell once and that was while I was walking if you can believe it. It was such a slow-motion spill I can hardly believe it happened. Much like Lewis & Clark the first leg of the trail was familiar and common knowledge. It was the middle third that was (to me) rumor and conjecture. But I finally made it and it was awesome. The last leg was also familiar as I headed home along the canyon floor.

It was sad to see the burned out acres from the lightning strike three weeks ago. I'd say about 35% of the vegitation is black toast. Mostly the area near the Welcome Center and between the 1st and 2nd Calico Hills Overlooks. Hopefully in my lifetime I'll see it grow back to it's former glory. But still most of the park was unscathed and as beautiful as ever. No camera today. It just slows me down. One liter of water was all I needed. Some day I'll go without water like the Sherpas go without bottled oxygen up Mt. Everest. But now that this goal has been accomplished I must say my desire to run this difficult trail has been greatly satisfied.

And now here's Lewis' puzzling journal entry from 200 years ago today. Perhaps an indication of what was to come for this manic depressive:

This day I completed my thirty-first year, and conceived that I had, in all human probability, now existed about half the period which I am to remain in this sublunary world. I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little, indeed, to further the happiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence, and now sorely feel the want of that information which those hours would have given me had they been judiciously expended. But, since they are past and cannot be recalled, I dash from me the gloomy thought, and resolve in future to redouble my exertions and at least endeavor to promote those two primary objects of human existence, by giving them the aid of that portion of talents which Nature and fortune have bestowed on me; or, in future, to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself.