a change in perspective
Sometimes a slight shift in position opens the space needed for clarity to fall into your viewfinder.
Sprite attempting to capture the glory of the canyon. 11.22.2025
Every once in a while, Wolverine Whisperer and I opt to explore a spot further out beyond the edges of our area. Simply for a different view, a different vibe, somewhere new to one of us, somewhere awe-inspiring enough to feel fresh/refreshed. Ok, you’re right. Everywhere out in the wilds can be awe-inspiring. What I mean though, is a brain freshener that might not be as pine scented as our usual trails. A slightly altered experience from the usual adventure. Still a trail, still mountains involved, still nearby-ish; yet, a change of pace or a change of viewpoint.
One particular bright, windy day in the middle of November, Whisperer took me out to amble along a wide gravel forest service road along the shelf above the river through Clark’s Fork Canyon. We meandered much like the river winding through the canyon, admiring the sharp relief of the rocks against the clear sky. On one side, the same mountains we frequent crosscut a cardinal direction shift allowing an unfamiliar view from the opposite side we stare at each day.
A distinct climate across state lines. A new to me area to explore. Another canyon to watch the play of light throughout the day. Wide open and flat rather than steep and forested. A waterfall as the goal instead of a lake or a peak. Therefore, bringing us the gift of a new perspective.
A picturesque moment captured in time
We chatted easily despite the wind tunnel effect of the canyon while following the dogs along the river trail. The mid-morning sun painted the cliff walls to our right in blazing orange washing down into yellow upon the grasses raised to meet rock. Rushing water soothed. All our senses at ease. The peacefulness of finding the space all to ourselves vibrated in the air: sweet possibility.
Eventually, a marker appeared amidst the sagebrush and cacti. A turn off to an old barely visible path up into a side canyon extended before us. Whisperer confirmed this sign as the trail to the waterfall and we marched upwards to a rock for a brief photo op before the brief climb. Shortly, a creek trickled into view and the path skip hop jumped back and forth or along its banks gradually gaining vertical feet and narrowing between cliff walls.
The dogs barked causing big horn sheep to skitter higher along the rock faces fascinating us with their rock-climbing skills. Don’t worry, I made sure to present you with pictures, wink. Turning our focus back to where the trail ended, we found the high waterfall still worth marveling at. With such dry weather it was surprising to see such a steady stream! Hardly believing our luck, I posed in true balletrina fashion (pronounced: bahl-luh-treena).
Big horn sheep are always a fun find on hikes! Add getting to pose in front of a waterfall and it’s even more thrilling of a day outdoors.
I don’t recall our discussions on the return trek. Still I know I felt lighter, brighter, and a tad more reverent. Ok, fine. Maybe time out in nature always effects everyone in that way. Nevertheless, I knew the experience of a shifted perspective proved meaningful—to my body, my mind, my spirit—and I wanted to hold onto the idea a bit longer.
Now, as I type this and hope to share a significant moment with you, I wish not to preach about changing our perspectives but to simply allow you to sit here with me as I re-teach myself this philosophical concept. When facing a new situation, I always hope to remind myself it holds opportunity. Instead, I trend towards a concern for the negative potentials emanating out of my brain and into the words I speak.
May I shed that way of thinking and step forward into the new year with the awe and wonder of possibility. If you hear the echo in your brain and appreciate finding a mirror here in me, then I hope we keep each other accountable. Maybe you worry about outcomes more than what you need in this moment or maybe you simply overanalyze each pro and con. Each option weightier than the situation calls for.
Either way, we all second guess our intuition. Hopefully, I (we!) shed that along with other ways of being that no longer serve our ambitions. Also, share your secret tricks if you are successful! Just like the river bending to create a new path, I s’pose so can we. Cheers to getting a little shifted in 2026!
Clark’s Fork Canyon