Nick Gray and Trent Koch - We were off first thing Sundaymorning as the fog settled over the state of Indiana. Upon arriving at Indianapolis International a couple of us were burdened with carrying ham sandwiches and as the day went on the sandwiches mysteriously found new owners.
We sat in the airplane and joked ceaselessly among ourselves until the plane took off and the beauty of the skies silenced us. We cruised over clouds that took the shape and color of massive snow-capped mountains that were illuminated by pink sunrise sunlight. One would think that we had ascended into heaven.
Soon our class passed over REAL snow-capped mountains. These mountains surround Bozeman, Montana like stone walls would surround a castle. After our smooth landing we drove on the flats of Montana and admired its towering walls. One of us spotted a giant, white “M” on a mountainside apparently painted on. We gave our own speculations as to how it came to be there (maybe an “M” made of ice cream?) only to have Professor Hadley tell us that we would get to see for ourselves. As we began our long trek up the mountain trail to discover the secret of the “M” the earth got steeper, the rocks beneath our feet gave away, and the air thinned steadily. My breathing became labored and my classmates passed me one by one. I stopped underneath a pine tree to catch my breath and became aware of the unmistakable nothingness around me. I have never been in such total silence in my life. I could even hear the insects moving in the brush. It was, for me, a moment of clarity. The “M” turned out to be thousands of white rocks shaped into the iconic “M”.
We all gathered afterwards to eat at a very homely restaurant called MacKenzie River Pizza Co. The food was far beyond our expectations and there was plenty to go around. After getting our fill we wandered the streets of Bozeman, Montana. The city is lively and very welcoming. Only at Wabash College could we, a group of strangers, come to be close and experience such a trip.
