Mount McKay
Rented Hyundai Sonata
A few months ago, I have a recurring dream about a magnificent mountain. It was so high; I could almost reach the heavens if I stretched my arm. In the dream, I was an only child, of a well-respected Indian Chief. He was the leader of the tribe, leading a war against white people.
Our village sat on top, secluded and unbeknown to anyone. Some missionaries spreading the words of God, and healers sometimes come for a visit to mend men's wounds from battle. There were other tribes nearby, but they live in isolation, hidden from outsiders.
One night I was talking to a man who was only wearing a piece of fabric covering this lower body. It seems like we hang out most nights in the plateau, looking over the city. While chatting, the sky beamed of green and yellow light, an outstanding display of the northern lights. The tiny moon looked lackluster against the sky's display of color. Watching the spectacle made me feel like God was just within reach.
I gazed at the structures beneath us. Tiny white dots against the dark silhouette of the city made me curious. The uniformity below projected a sense of order and peacefulness. I pointed to my friend the interesting sight. He warned, "it's a risk going down.". Father forbade us from leaving the mountain until white people have made peace with us. I begged him to take me there and promised to be careful. He gave in and we made our way to the city.
When we reached the ground, my eyes got busy looking around at everyone. Curious and excited, I wondered what it's like to be white. I thought about how stupid the war is when everyone can live in peace if father agrees to share the land. I didn't realize I expressed my thoughts out loud. My friend answered, "Why do you want to live here when are so close to heaven up there?", he pointed. "We can reach god, at arm's length.", he exclaimed.
One night I was talking to a man who was only wearing a piece of fabric covering this lower body. It seems like we hang out most nights in the plateau, looking over the city. While chatting, the sky beamed of green and yellow light, an outstanding display of the northern lights. The tiny moon looked lackluster against the sky's display of color. Watching the spectacle made me feel like God was just within reach.
I gazed at the structures beneath us. Tiny white dots against the dark silhouette of the city made me curious. The uniformity below projected a sense of order and peacefulness. I pointed to my friend the interesting sight. He warned, "it's a risk going down.". Father forbade us from leaving the mountain until white people have made peace with us. I begged him to take me there and promised to be careful. He gave in and we made our way to the city.
When we reached the ground, my eyes got busy looking around at everyone. Curious and excited, I wondered what it's like to be white. I thought about how stupid the war is when everyone can live in peace if father agrees to share the land. I didn't realize I expressed my thoughts out loud. My friend answered, "Why do you want to live here when are so close to heaven up there?", he pointed. "We can reach god, at arm's length.", he exclaimed.
Bridge on one of the rapids
I looked up once more at the sky, the dancing lights seem to cover me with calmness. Realizing what we have in the mountain is not different from what the people have on the ground, I woke up enlightened.
A few months after I had that dream, hubby and I decided to go for a road trip to Thunder Bay. It was our very first road trip outside of Manitoba. Armed with a map (gps and online maps from smart phones wasn't available yet that time), we rented a car, brought some clothes, and snacks. The highway has only one lane to and from, we'd often meet big rigs in the opposite direction driving at 100kph.
Sometimes we were the only car or people in road, but the sights along the highway are images you can only picture in your dreams. We stopped to admire Canada's many freshwater lakes surrounded by untouched forest, beautiful granite rocks, birch trees, various types of pines trees, and many trees I cannot name. All I can think of was how long they've been around?
We also met a nasty late Winter storm during our drive in the evening. There were no visible shelters where we could stop. Some of the vehicles that were ahead of us stopped on the side of the road but nonetheless, in zero visibility. We decided to follow a pick-up truck with a Thunder Bay license plate instead of stopping on the shoulders. After a few kilometers the storm has passed.
It was an eight-hour drive, not counting pit stops. Our first stop was the stunning Kakabeka Falls. She is the second largest waterfalls in Canada, first being Niagara. Kakabeka has its own beauty and charm. It's mystifying, and melancholy. You can only access the boardwalk built along the falls and it's a less than an hour walk.
Kakabeka Falls
Next, we drove to the city centre. There was not much to see downtown so we headed to Mount McKay not knowing what it looks like. We made our way through a rough road, where only the sight of dried birch trees or bushes guided us up. Finally, we reached the top after less than fifteen minutes, walked to edge of the plateau overlooking the city and forest beneath us. That's when I remembered the dream I had of our first adventure.
Mount McKay in my dream, drawn
months before I saw it person.
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