Tabatha Deans

Back on the mountain

I started a second tour of duty as a dam guide last weekend, it was wonderful to get back on the mountain. The world seems so fresh and crisp in the wilderness, as if the cold breeze that blows through the trees and across the dam can carry away all of life’s troubles and worries. Time stands still when I’m there, three days flew by in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. There were not a lot of tourists who came through, the weather’s still a little cool, so I had plenty of time for observation and reflection.

I’ve seen many strange phenomena occur on the mountain, but going up earlier this year I was pleasantly surprised by a few new ones. The most intriguing was what can only be described as Fireworks in the Water. The water at the base of the dam is lined with red rock mountains on one side, the visitor center atop similar mountains on the other, and the dam holding back 420 feet of water on the right. The cold wind blows through, creating eerie whisles and creeks as it winds through the building, clanking the cord that carries the flag up the flag pole against the metal, it’s banging piercing the silence and solitude of the nearly abandoned visitor center.

The force of the wind hits the deep dark pool of water from above, as if a downdraft were forcing it to meet a dreaded foe. It doesn’t blow the water straight across, instead where the wind hits the water it ripples out forcefully, creating solitary bursts of ripples. Some are dark and ominous, others are white-capped and frivolous. As the bursts, which seem to be small explosions rising from the depths below, reach the surface, the force mingles the fireworks together, before blowing them across the dark lake. It’s similar to watching the grand finale of a fireworks display, with tentacles of ripples overlapping, before disappearing into each other.

March 24, 2009 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized