Being situated in Proctor, Montana, we could drive a couple hours in any direction and see the most jaw-dropping views that you could ever hope for.  I was full of excitement as the weekend drew near, because I always had plans to drag David out on an adventure every chance I got.

I had seen videos on YouTube about Kootenai Falls, and it was only about 2 hours away, so the decision was easy – we were going!  On an early summer morning, on our day off from work, I grabbed our atlas and planned the route.  The trail was dog-friendly, so Tildy’s travels continued. 

As we headed west on Highway 2 out of Kalispell, it didn’t take long before we were past the outskirts of town and into beautiful mountain views that were only interrupted by the shimmering emerald green waters of small lakes that we passed by.  Soon we came to marshy areas and hay fields that met the base of the mountains abruptly.  We were sure there should have been moose roaming through there, but none were seen that morning.

We barely passed any other vehicles on the drive, and were greatly enjoying the solitude.  It felt like we had that corner of the state all to ourselves for a while.  But finally, we did pass through a couple very small towns, and appreciated their simplicity.  Continuing on, the road traveled closely along a river, and ultimately led us to our destination for the day – Kootenai Falls.

There were surprisingly few cars in the parking lot, and the trail was only lightly scattered with other adventurers, some with their dog too.  The path down to the falls was slow-going for me because it was full of roots and rocks to navigate carefully.  But as we made our way further we began to see a hint of the gorgeous green water flowing swiftly along the canyon walls.  Approaching the water’s edge, we marveled at the rapids in front of us.  The water parted around a small island of rocks, displaying a rainbow in the sunlight just as an extra bonus view.  Yet, we hadn’t arrived at the falls themselves so we returned to the trail and made our way a bit further.  At every turn the colors of the green water against the rust colored canyon walls and the pine trees’ contrast keep us intrigued.  But ultimately, the broad waterfalls showed themselves, and we were mesmerized by the sights and sounds of them. 

The falls themselves are a broad section in the river where the fast moving waters drop over a series of ledges at differing depths.  At the section nearest us, the waters dropped about 30 feet, creating a turbulent swirl at the base.  As we sat on a rock “bench” enjoying the scenery, to our surprise a group of kayakers approached the ledge nearest us and began to assess the possibility of kayaking over the falls.  We listened as they discussed their approach plan, and watched as they donned their life jackets and helmets.  “Are you really going to kayak over the waterfall?” I asked? “Are you crazy?”  Smiling, they answered “Yes, I guess so!”  Two of them climbed up past us to the upper level of the river where they could access the shore.  The others in their team remained in close proximity to where we sat (in amazement), and they prepared to video their friend’s descent over the waterfall, as did we!  The orange kayak began to appear at the top of the waterfall and quickly dropped over to the swirling waters below.  Rebounding to the surface, the kayaker quickly made his way to the quieter backwaters that pooled near the shore closest to us.  Cheers erupted among their team, and among all of the bystanders observing their feat.  Then, as if his success emboldened the next kayaker, another kayak came shooting over the top of the falls and landed successfully away from the gigantic rocks that guarded the bottom of the falls.  It was definitely a sight we’d never witnessed before.  “Ah, youth!” we said, smiling, as we headed back toward the beginning of the trail.

Having learned that there was another amazing sight to see there, we turned our attention to the path that led to the Swinging Bridge.  We’d seen videos of the “Swinging Bridge”, a suspension bridge that crosses the Kootenai River, about 100 feet above the water, and is 210 feet across.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to cross the bridge or not, but it was a sight we just had to see anyway.  On the way there, we began to hear what sounded like a loud boat engine. But we couldn’t imagine what a boat would be doing on that stretch of the river because of the intensity of the rapids, the danger of all the big rocks, and the turbulence of the crashing waters of the waterfalls.  But, yes, it was indeed a boat!  A high powered jet boat was bravely making its’ way nearly to the base of the falls before turning sharply and heading back down river.  Again, this was a sight we’d never expected to see that day. 

Continuing on the trail, we reached the Swinging Bridge.  After watching other folks cross the bridge, and some others change their minds and step away from the landing, we decided to give it a go.  Keep in mind, our Boston Terrier, Tildy, had been making the trip too, and had enjoyed greeting the fellow travelers along the pathway.  She suddenly, however, dug her paws in and resisted crossing the bridge!  David picked her up and carried her, as she squirmed nervously – I was so nervous that she was going to jump out of his arms and over the side railing of the bridge!  But we made it over and back, a real accomplishment for me, due to my frequent bouts of unsteadiness and dizziness. 

Arriving back at the parking lot, we treated ourselves to a well-deserved ice cream cone before jumping in the truck for one more quick adventure.  We had heard about Yaak Falls, and they were only about 40 miles away, so off we went!  The drive was beautiful, and we found the Yaak Falls rather easily.  They were not as impressive as Kootenai Falls, of course, but worth the drive since we were fairly nearby.

The drive back to Proctor was peaceful and quiet.  David napped most of the way, I drove this time, watching for wildlife along the way.  Mule deer were spotted, but no moose or bears.

Pulling onto Lake Mary Ronan Road always brought us a smile in our hearts, and tonight was no different.  Even after all the beauty we’d seen that day, the rolling hills with the Mission Mountains in view and the peaceful lake waters with colors of sunset shining on them never disappointed.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Although we had seen videos of Kootenai Falls, we still couldn’t have known the full beauty of the scenery without seeing it with our own eyes.  Nor could we have anticipated the events we would witness.  Our overall experience that day was influenced by the unexpected actions of the kayakers and the boater.

In Luke 7:11-23, we find a group of people following Jesus who had their overall lives influenced in a way they didn’t anticipate.  The unexpected actions of Jesus forever changed their lives.  Jesus came upon a “multitude” of mourners in a funeral procession, on their way to bury a young man, the only son of a widow.  Jesus knew what it meant for her to be a widow in that culture, especially now that her only son had died.  She was likely to fall into very hard times, with no means to support herself.  Verse 13 tells us that Jesus’ heart broke for her, that He spoke to her with tenderness, telling her “don’t cry’, then spoke directly to the corpse saying “Young man, arise and live!”

What a shock that must have been for the grieving family as the young man sat up and began to talk to them!  We are told that amazement and a sense of “holy mystery” swept the crowd. 

And He wasn’t done – in verses 21-23 we are told that Jesus then turned and healed many in the crowd who were suffering incurable diseases.  He freed many of the crowd from suffering, returned sight to the blind and drove out demonic spirits from those who were tormented.

What an unexpected outcome for a crowd who thought they were going to bury a dead son of a widow, only to see him returned to life and the loving relationships around him.  What an unexpected outcome for those who were healed that day.  It was unexpected because no had ever encountered someone like Jesus before.  Religion hadn’t healed them, tradition hadn’t healed them, knowledge hadn’t healed them.  But personally experiencing the power and presence of Jesus, the Messiah, changed everything.  No wonder they shouted praises to God, and that the news of Jesus and this miracle raced throughout Judea and the entire surrounding region.

And today, like that day, Jesus still isn’t done.  The way to find the true hope of salvation, healing, deliverance and freedom is still found in experiencing the power and presence of Jesus Christ for yourself. 

It’s an adventure like no other.