The language of mountains is written in granite and soil, rivers, and waterfall.
The language of mountains is written in trees and grasses.
The language of mountains is in meadows, flowers and stone.
The language of mountains is written in alpine lakes and snow fields.
The language of mountains is written in glaciers creeping thru time.
The language of mountain is in the people.
The language of mountains is in the wind.
So….I am freewheeling this morning. Got to get some miles in this morning. I am going to try an approach my writing as if I am riding. Not really sure exactly what that means, but it sounds good, mostly because I love to ride, maybe that’s obvious when you ride almost 10000 miles across the country. So, as I tell these stories and sidetrack, yes sidetrack. This is a story that has many sidetracked, I am going to take you here there and everywhere. What does oak knowledge have to do with riding cross country this summer, well everything has to do with every other thing so why not! Exclamation instead of question mark because I am not asking I am telling. I am thinking to ride that bike across the country maybe you have to have a little oak in your veins.When you are on an adventure, every day is an adventure. Seems obvious, eh. Doesnt seem, to me, that obvious even exist anymore. It’s amazing how much has changed in the last ten years, due to smart phones and the speed of communication, the norms have changed so rapidly, well beyond what our mind bodies can really compresend, I am sure. But an adventure is a great way to step out of the modern world and return to the rhythms of the earth. To other times pasterns and rhythms that still exist. So, that is why Eastern Oregon is a revelation. Riding south out of Lewiston down the Rattlesnake grade and then up in to Wallowa Whitman NF. This is Hells Canyon Country open, raw, wild and free! Then all of a sudden the Blue Mountains.Wow, I had no idea, just like that the most mysterious and beautiful mountain range appeared on the southern horizon. The thing is this. I havery travelled many time through eastern Oregon. Probably the first time was when I took a greyhound from Portland to Madison in jan 1989. Then hitchhiking through later that summer from Eugene to twin fall Idaho. Later in 1991/1992 I lived in Portland and travelled from portland to Missoula numerous times. I have aslo travelled east and west from bend through burns and Ontario a few times over the last 5 years. But despite all that I had never traversed N to S in this area. So, when the Blue Mountains appeared on the southern horizons it was, as if they had just pushed up out of the ground!
And other thoughts, ideas and stories from the road.
First some pictures of the bike and background on my trip.
This is my ride, 1976 BMW R 60/6. This is the last picture I took on the road. 51 days, or 7 weeks and 2 days. I travelled 9643 miles, from home base in De Forest. For those keeping track De Forest is in Wisconsin. I departed WI on July 5 2019, the day I was released from state supervision. This was the first time I could leave the state of wisconsin without permission or with an ankle bracelet since June 2015. Side note I did cut the bracelet off twice, I am not a fucking dog! The ppictures above were taken at dead indian pass, Chief Joseph highway. Do we really still call a place dead Indian pass? The absurdity is, they aren’t indians. Never have been never will be!
One further thing about speaking trees. Speaking Trees are not an isolated self as humans see things, more of a conglomerate of symbiotic relationship similarly connected to source in space and time. Therefore the narrative I am about to share, might seem as if told from many voices and be inconsistent here and there, this is to be expected as Speaking Trees share much of the human genome through incorporation.
So, one thing you need to know about the Chief is, he comes from a rare species of Speaking Tree. Now, most people, do not really know, what a speaking tree is. The reasons for this are many, poor listening skills, lack of imagination, absorption in the psychological nonsense of the mind, and other such maladies of the human condition. Speaking Trees generally communicate, in other dimensions. The reason why this is important for you to know, is that my summer adventures, of which I am about to begin sharing, with you, have within them tales and activities important to the work and purpose of the Speaking trees. The purpose of which, will become apparent, when one is able to still the mind and listen deeply.
In some circles I am known as Bad Axe, Chief Bad Axe. There is a story behind that, but that is for another Day.
I am turning my creative attention towards writing. On this blog I will be practicing. Mostly, unvarnished and spontaneous. For the most part I’d like to start by telling stories from my summer adventures.
