There is no clear record of when the Northern Ute people acquired horses. In 1640 some Eastern Utes escaped from Santa Fe where they were kept prisoner by Spanish invaders. They took horses north with them. Imagine the surprise of their band as they rode into their former life as impossibly tall spirits.
The Southern Utes continued to capture Spanish horses when possible, but these would remain extremely rare in the Northern areas of what is Colorado today. Fortunately the horse thrived well on the native grasses of the valleys and plains and naturally increased in number. It must have felt miraculous when the first foals were born to a band.
As warring bands of Comanches, Apaches and Southern Utes displayed their power on horses, it became clear that all indigenous people needed these speedy, sturdy and adaptable beasts.
By 1700, it was likely that Northern Utes had traded for or stolen their own horses. For the first time Ute people could carry larger loads of hides, meat, baskets and hunting tools. With horses, Utes could hunt buffalo, defend themselves against attackers, scout for game and transport shelters.
Today, as I ride a bicycle through rural Colorado, I also marvel at newborn horses. Possibilities arise as this shaky creature quickly gains strength.

  Although the canyons of the Uncompahgre Plateau began with an uplift four million years ago, they continue to be shaped by wind and water today. Every time you walk the unique trails of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in Fruita, Colorado you will discover new fanciful structures, rock windows and caves, ancient rock art from the Fremont culture and secluded slots. There’s no mystery as to why the Ute Indians chose to camp, hunt, and gather food among the protective arms of the Colorado River canyons.

          In the novel, Sun on Snow, a pioneer girl and Northern Ute boy play house in a cave inhabited only by small animals. They come to appreciate the differences in their writing and communicating techniques as well as the joy of pretending they are carefree and self-sufficient.

          I’m sure your steps will also feel lighter and your heart sturdier as you experience a hike back in time.

            Women and men made history in the simplest, yet most demanding ways. Two brothers from Ohio used their bicycle engineering skills, dredged up what they knew about wind and kite flying and applied every ounce of their resources to master the first successful airplane. Wilbur and Orville Wright used a single steel rail and a twenty-seven mile per hour headwind to fly their invention on December 17, 1903.

     I was impressed by these men and the Wright Brothers National Memorial on a recent trip to Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. It wasn’t until they were able to control the rudder, warping mechanism, and elevator simultaneously that they stayed aloft for 59 seconds. They were satisfied with the 852 foot world record, despite the plane crashing into the sand, flipping over in the wind and being damaged beyond repair.

     Surely these men were aware of the extreme cost and manpower which brought railroad trains to Colorado in 1870. Yet, they were not bound by the popular opinion of trains being the ultimate way to travel. With the meager support of a few people, they broke through barriers most still believed to be crazy. By 1904 their next airplane was able to make one hundred five successful flights. In 1905, an improved design stayed aloft for thirty eight minutes.

     I shall remember these determined and ingenious men the next time I allow myself to become discouraged.

A perfectly serene plateau rests in Colorado, luring those who might traverse it on skis or snowshoes. If you are one of those fortunate few, choose a winter week day and ascend the Buford New Castle road, 245, which initially tags along West Elk Creek and ultimately ends where the snowplow turns around. Other than the Ute Trailhead, few man made signs will mar your trip. Upon reaching a snow covered parking lot at 9,600 feet above sea level, prepare to ponder the crystalline strength of snow, the inspiration of healthy trees, the sparkle of sunshine easily piercing the pure air, and silence. Where are the animals? How did the Northern Utes survive in temporary shelters? How can we preserve the White River National Forest? Can you continue on these mysterious trails while appreciating each moment?

Goddess of Fire

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Stumbling amidst razors of obsidian suspended by crimson veins,

I stare at Pele’s power to transform.

As shadows deepen, blindness threatens,

live scarlet flows glow, reshaping cliffs, forming a maze.

We dare to hike nine shaky miles on silica spikes

in search of earthly understanding.

While Pu’u OO is shaping Hawaii

blisters form on soles, fears arise in puffs,

rotten egg odors invade nostrils.

“Pele, I struggle to find my true purpose.

Your force and persistence impress me.”

Must I walk on fire, endure pain,

accept sadness, survive a century?”

“Naturally, I create so your spirit can soar,

I deliver newborn earth, just as woman delivers young.

Walking mindfully quiets the chatter sister,

Insight will bubble up like lava.”

What draws us upward into the snowclouds? What do humans find at 12,400 feet above sea level in the middle of winter? Wind-whipped tundra, pure thin air, the sight of the Mosquito Range glittering like a Christmas card, and the dream of gliding for miles over crystals of frozen droplets.
These beginning skiers will always know that they earned the thrill of swishing over snowfields like half-man and half-bird. The thrill resides in the fibers of their being.

New England.