Continental Divide: A Place Not An Attitude

 

Since I was in the neighborhood I kept a look out for this sign: Continental Divide.

 

It goes one way or the other. Water follows the path of least resistance? That’s the story.

 

One side drains to the east, the other to the west. That’s lots of drainage and it starts with the continental divide. So where is it?

 

For starters, it’s way the hell up in the mountains, not some field. At least it makes sense in the mountains with all of the streams and rivers and creeks.

 

The field? Need a sprinkler. And so flat. It’s not Iowa or Kansas, but they’d see a resemblance.

 

Every time I look out and see a flat horizon reminds why I love Oregon.

 

This is not anything like the continental divide. It’s a hay field with bales waiting for a pick up.

 

The water on the western side grows the hay. Fields go from desert to agriculture based on irrigation.

 

To find the source of the water, take a hike. Or like any decent American tourist, take a drive. Take pictures while you drive. It’s the American way.

 

After much mapping and reading and wandering around, make your best guess.

 

Which way is the continental divide? I say it’s over there. And here’s why: It’s my best guess.

 

Was I right? Maybe. If I was a solo traveler I’d probably end up stranded in a remote wilderness with an empty gas tank.

 

“The Continental Divide is thataway, honey,” said every married man without a compass.

 

Married people who travel together fall into two groups. One is the driver, the other is the navigator.

 

I’m both driver and navigator until proven wrong.

 

This is the moment of being proven wrong.

 

“These are the Grand Tetons. Yellowstone is that way, so the Continental Divide is this way,” honey said.

 

As a former Boy Scout, Army guy, and full grown man who spent three days camping at Sasquatch Music Festival against most good advice, I know how to follow directions when I have to.

 

Or when the directions lead to the correct destination.

 

So I got to the Continental Divide way up in the mountains, about 8000 feet up there, like a mile and a half, and had this thought:

 

Science explains the theory of continental drift. Geology comes up with a time frame based on the sort of fossils found in rock formations. Easy enough.

 

This isn’t conspiracy stuff, just elementary science stuff, like junior high level lessons. The earth is a living organism that moves under our very feet. We just can’t tell.

 

Other divides in society aren’t as organically originated. Racial intolerance and religious differences are learned things. A new born baby doesn’t come equipped with that, but parents and friends fill in the blanks along the way.

 

See, a forest fire is different than ethnic cleansing. In one everything burns; in the other only the chosen fall.

 

Nature works it’s way, human nature could use a few lessons.