Anniversary--Day

Yesterday, Ernie asked me what I would like to do for the day and offered to take me for a nice lunch at a trendy spot in Portland. He did not look very surprised when I suggested that I take him to one of my favorite spots in Woodland. He then added that we could drive up to the mountain (later sharing that he had read my morning's blog).

Lunch was okay, but the drive was spectacular! We must have stopped at every observatory from exit 49 to Johnson's Ridge! In memory of her 29th eruption anniversary, they were all free and packed with like minded travelers.

In one of the observatories, I found the full legend that I had been looking for. It was from the Klickitat Tribe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klickitat_Tribe and explained the story behind the Bridge of the Gods and mountains. The great chief had two sons who sometimes fought (in one case creating the Bridge of the Gods). He separated his boys by giving them distant territories with the river dividing them. He wanted both sons to have fire, so he went to Loowit and asked her what she wanted in return. Loowit was an old woman who was the a guardian of fire. She said that she wanted youthful beauty again. Unfortunately, in the end, both of the great chiefs sons fell in love with Loowit and continued to fight--this time involving many braves. The Great Spirit was angered at this bickering and turned one son into Mt. Hood and the other into Mt. Adams. Of course, he turned Loowit into St. Helens.

After seeing the destruction the mountain left behind in nature, I could see why she had been thought of as the fire lady as a mortal and later named Smoking Mountain. I thought of an old saying about a woman's scorn.