The Totem Cafe Midnight Caper

I'm going to skip around a little while writing about my recent trip to Montana. On Saturday, which was my last day there, we drove to West Yellowstone to get a feel for how Forrest spent his summers.

The drive there was looonnng, but AMAZING. There was not much, if any, snow on the ground, but as we drew closer to Yellowstone, the landscape grew whiter.

There was so much to look at. We wanted to stop for pictures at a myriad of places along the way, but we'd been stuck in the snow for about four hours or so earlier, and the day was coming to an end. And we still hadn't been to our prime search spot. However, Jamie would be there for two more days, and she assured me she would search our special spot very thoroughly. And I REALLY wanted to see West Yellowstone.

So, although we knew we wouldn't get much sleep that night, we headed out. Here's just a few teasers of all that we saw...

These Pronghorn Antelopes seemed curious of us.

By the time we arrived in West Yellowstone, it was dark, and getting late. We drove slowly through the well-lit streets. I was assaulted by a complex mix of emotions. I was excited and happy to see the place where Forrest spent so many summers, but also sad at the same time. West Yellowstone is now somewhat touristy and modern, with a McDonalds, a KFC, and even an IMAX theater, It didn't seem right to me. And when wen found The Dude, a motel that Forrest co-owned, my heart sort of...collapsed, is the best way I can put it. It was located on a dark street corner, out of the way...forgotten. Here are a couple pictures from the Internet of how I wanted the Dude to look:

But sadly, this is how we found it:

Jamie had a couple theories she wanted to rule out, so we headed to Dunbar Park to check out the Union Pacific pylon. It was covered with a tarp, but that didn't stop us. We got inside the heavy tarp, and just checked to see if there were any loose wooden parts or loose stones. A Mr. Underwood had contributed to the design of the pylon. Sadly, we were too busy trying to remain undiscovered to take any pictures. They would've been hilarious, though. Afterward, we refastened the tarp and made sure we left it like we found it.

This is how the pylon looks in the summer. Jamie thought maybe the blue shields hid a secret:

Then, we wanted to see if we could find the tree Forrest hid behind to eat the cherry pie "Grandma" had given him when he worked at The Totem Cafe. So, we parked, and at midnight, with out flashlights ready, we crossed the street and went into the woods, where Google Earth had shown us a clearing. It was easy to find, but hard to get through, as the snow was thigh deep. With every step, we sunk deeper, and got wetter. I thought I took pictures of it, but I can't find them. Jamie may have some pictures, too, so if I find them, I'll add them.

We looked for the oldest tree, and shined our flashlights on it, and there WERE two blazes on it--one high, one low. I dug around a bit, and we also dug in another spot as the distant sound of wolves howling in the distance heightened our sense of adventure. I could imagine Forrest sprinting back here with that cherry pie. plopping down behind this tree, and gulping it down before Frosty trudged back with a scowl and an accusatory pointing finger.

I like to imagine a blond haired Forrest giving Frosty a look like this:

When we were thoroughly wet, cold, and frostbit, we reluctantly left that special place. But before we did, I looked straight up into the sky, and was immediately shocked into an awed silence. The stars were immensely bright, and filled the sky tighter than the crowds at Disney World. The constellations were diamond-bright and immediately recognizable. The Big Dipper took up a giant portion of the sky. I turned in a slow circle, recalling the names of the constellations borne from a fascination with the stars...Orion, Aldebaran (the fiery eye of the bull), Scorpio, The Little Dipper... I was transfixed, and realized how small I was in the Grand Scheme of the Universe. But I also knew that God's thoughts toward me were more numerous than all the stars combined. I felt...warm. Happy. Content. I didn't take a picture here, but it looked very much like this:

People may mock us for going to West Yellowstone in the winter, Somehow, those that mock make me think they are only in this for treasure. They bide their time and wait for Spring. Then, when someone has the opportunity to make a short trip, they are quick to point fingers and say, You're dumb." How in the world was what I just experienced dumb? If I can make a trip in the winter to possibly pick up the treasure before the hordes return in the Spring, why wouldn't I? Especially if I can go in the Spring, too? And I'll go in the Spring with a wealth of information I didn't have before this trip. And trust me when I say that Forrest NEVER told anyone to wait until Spring. 

And really, who wouldn't rather visit Yellowstone before this happens:

There was also a comment on Dal's blog about the line between brave and stupid was very thin. To that I say, if men and women didn't continuously test that line, we would still be living in caves in the dark. Was Ben Franklin dumb to fly a kite with a key on the line in a lightning storm? Maybe, but we got electricity. Was Mr. Roentgen dumb for x-raying his hand so much he developed cancer and died of it? Maybe, but we have medical technology that saves lives because of it. (By the way, the person who made the comment is someone I admire and respect, and I don't think he meant to say that we were stupid; I'm just using that as a chance to encourage others to search, to explore, to conquer.)

If we don't continue to adventure, continue to push the line, continue to test our limits, how can we continue to grow? How can we enjoy life if there's an invisible line that if we cross, we're labeled as stupid forever?

In a way, isn't Michael Scott a little bit right?

So, if anyone thinks I'm dumb for searching a certain state at a certain time of the year, go right on ahead. I don't see you holding the chest, either. Nothing is 100% until you have that chest in your hands. I'm convinced our solve is right, and if Jamie has a little luck on her side, she may pluck that chest from its hidey spot tonight. However, am I 100%? No, because I don't have the chest in my hands. There is a slim line between 99 and 100. However, it takes just one click off on your compass to end up completely lost.

I'm home now. Back to work. Here's a selfie I took on the way home from the airport--exhausted, without a shower or hairbrush, but smiling.

As far as clues solved, this trip helped to cement some of them. I believe we absolutely (99.9%) know where warm waters halt, the home of Brown, no place for the meek, no paddle up your creek, heavy loads and water high, the blaze, and brave and in the wood. I believe there is something more we need to know in "Look quickly down, your quest to cease." I believe we are within a 30 x 30 area, but for reasons I can't say, finding the chest in the seemingly small area might take a day or two. I believe if we can figure out the exact meaning of that one line, we could narrow it down much further. So, looks like another trip in the Spring!

I'm not sure what part of the trip I'll post about next. I'm still editing the videos to make them a little less boring. So please stay tuned...