For the People
Park 2 Park 2009 ~ One Rider's Perspective
By David Lewis
It was Monday September 14th and I was waiting to catch a flight to Kansas City for a business trip. Technically I was back at work, but my thoughts were still on the previous week’s Park-2-Park ride. I reflected on the apprehension I felt when I stepped out of the cabin in St. Mary the past Monday morning and gazed toward the threatening skies to the south west. The gusts of wind in the night were so strong that I felt the cabin move on at least one occasion. At 8:00 a.m. the riders gathered for a ride meeting complete with a native prayer ceremony – we were in Blackfoot country. Never having been much of a spiritual man I stood just comfortably outside of the circle of riders that was called by Betty Cooper, a Blackfoot elder woman. Amanda Cooper sang a Blackfoot song for us. The haunting beat of the drum and the power in her voice drew me closer into the circle. I have no idea what the song meant, but somehow it struck me emotionally. I could tell that whatever she was singing, it was coming from deep inside.
David Lewis is a returning rider on the Park-2-Park Montana ride. Read more about his experiences on this year's ride.
