Sometimes a story starts better by sharing the ending at the beginning. This is one of those stories.
At the beginning of the hike, I ran into a young woman named Annika from Sweden who was finishing her hike on the Pawnes Butts Trail. She was carrying a young child in a backpack. We exchanged pleasantries and went on our way.
Imagine my surprise when I returned to the trailhead at the end of my hike to discover Annika and her son, Hugo, setting up in the shelter and beginning to cook dinner. we chatted again for a few moments, and she invited me to join them for dinner.
We had an absolutely wonderful evening, filled with conversation about travel, life, cultures, raising kids, and an assortment of other topics.
Annika is studying to be a doctor in Sweden and is currently on maternity leave. She previously studied at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington as an undergraduate and had traveled to the United States many times.
A friend of hers was moving from North Carolina to California and offered Annika the use of her car if she would drive it across the country. Of course, Annika jumped at such a unique opportunity.
As a lover of the outdoors, she has visited many of the national parks to the east and has plans to visit many more on her way to California.
As Annika was cooking dinner, I offered to hold Hugo. She was a bit nervous that Hugo might be fussy with me, but the little guy and I got along fabulously. So fabulously that I ended up holding him for a good chunk of the evening. We wandered around, checking out all the signs and other things to see around the trailhead facilities. I held his hands as he worked on walking. It was fun to play Grandpa for an evening.
During dinner, Hugo sat in the coolest little chair that Annika had attached to the top of the table. The little guy had a totally infectious laughter, and a smile that melted hearts.
Annika asked me a question as we were chatting that completely stumped me. She asked, “What part of American culture do you wish was more common in the rest of the world?”
When I couldn’t come up with an answer. I reversed the question and asked her what she had experienced here in the States that she wished was more common elsewhere.
Friendliness was her answer. She had just been in Chicago and was amazed by the conversations that strangers had with one another in settings, such as a bus stop or on the train. She shared that this would never happen in Sweden, and if you began a conversation with someone at a bus stop in Sweden, they would think there was something wrong with you.
It made me wonder how often I’ve been considered odd because I’m more than comfortable, striking up a conversation with anyone anywhere.
We also talked quite a bit about child-rearing. she is extremely focused on being the absolutely best mother that she can to her son. Since I had raised two boys, she had a number of questions, but the answers seemed to come back to something I’ve always believed – that kids need love. It’s the number one thing they need. We create dogmas and parenting methodologies that are based on a million other things, but in my opinion, simply loving your children and constantly reinforcing that you love them makes all the difference in the world.
She was quite happy that I shared how much I admired the Scandinavian approach to raising children. It allows for significant freedom and treats children as competent individuals. punishment is rarely needed, and conversation, explanation, and love are always required.
I can’t image starting this leg of my adventure with a more wonderful experience. I woke up the next morning a bit sore from holding and playing with Hugo, but it was totally worth it!
Hiking the Pawnee Buttes
Once you leave the trailhead and begin to descend from the plains, you begin to understand the mystery and importance that this area holds for the Pawnee tribe and other Native Americans.
Near the buttes, the landscape quickly varies from the vast prairies surrounding them.
As you hike around what is known as Lips Bluff, the first of the buttes comes into view. in the distance. While the total round trip for this hike is only four miles, the loneliness of the landscape seeps into your consciousness, pushing you to look for meaning in the openness of the grasslands.
The first of the buttes rises higher and higher as you slowly move toward it.
Before you reach the first butte, the second comes into view in the distance.
Photos fail to reveal the size of the buttes. They rise over 300 feet from the flat prairie and seem to be completely foreign to the rest of the surrounding landscape.
Once past the first butte, the trail to the second seems to stretch on forever into the distance. While you can hike to the second butte, it technically is on private land. The trail ended when the next picture was taken, and I decided to head back to the trailhead, completely unaware of the serendipitously wonderful dinner that was about to occur.
The Pawnee Tale of the Pawnee Buttes Is Relevant Today
Sometimes, we dismiss tales, parables, and stories from previous cultures as irrelevant to modern times. However, the tale of the Pawnee Buttes speaks to the need for humans to remember that we are part of nature and to respect Mother Earth.
The tale begins with a time of great chaos and turmoil in the land. The spirits of nature were restless, causing storms, droughts, and other natural disasters. The Pawnee people, desperate for relief, sought the guidance of a wise shaman. The shaman, through deep meditation and communion with the spirits, learned that the disturbances were caused by a mighty serpent spirit, angered by the disrespect shown to the Earth.
To appease the serpent spirit and restore balance, the shaman embarked on a sacred journey to the heart of the serpent’s lair, believed to be within the Earth. After days of travel and rituals, the shaman encountered the serpent spirit. In a fierce struggle, the shaman called upon the power of the Earth and the sky. The battle was intense, shaking the ground and the heavens.
In the end, the shaman triumphed, binding the serpent spirit and transforming it into two massive stone pillars, now known as the Pawnee Buttes. These buttes stood as a reminder of the shaman’s bravery and the need to respect the Earth and its spirits. The formation of the buttes marked the end of the natural disturbances, bringing peace and prosperity back to the land.
Today, we are in desperate need of respect for the Earth. Without it, we cease to exist. We may not believe in giant serpents or spirits of the earth, but our lack of respect has brought us to a period of unprecedented climate change. Perhaps we should have learned the lessons of the Pawnee Buttes long ago, and perhaps we’d be in better stead today.
Pawnee Buttes Trailhead Signage
