A beautiful Indian Princess dances in the sun. The drums sound loudly in her ears. Closing her eyes she feels the rhythm of life. From afar he watches her, loves her, and hopes to one day catch her eye. The day is coming and she will be chosen to wed. To continue the traditions of her people. He loves her. He must show her.
They meet. One day under the cover of the clouds he picks for her a wildflower. She sees him for the first time and so it begins. He fights for the right to join her tribe. He passes the tests. He wins the battles. She shares with him her story of life and fear to be wed to a man she doesn’t love. He shows her through his tenacious perseverance of her love that he can save her and her people from the battle they are raging with nature. By loving him, all her people could be saved.
This is not the way of her people. Love or not, he is not of her kind and she has responsibilities. She is beautiful and sought after and jealousy becomes rampant. She pleads to her father to grant his blessing for her to love the man she chooses. She prays to her God to give her this one gift, allow her this one love. She will leave with him and give her place to another if he will only give her this chance. She will sacrifice all to be with him.
They run away, up to the place of the wildflowers, to their true beginning. They are followed and he is ambushed. She watches in sorrow as he is pushed from the top of the mountain. He becomes water and finds his home surrounded by the memories of their love. She cries out a sacrifice to her god that she will honor her prayer. Take her life that another may save her people. She feels her heart breaking and lays down upon the mountain. With the final rip of her heart she becomes stone. Facing heavenward a constant example to seek the promptings of the heart.
Her tribe overcomes the sadness of the loss and are indeed given the blessings of her sacrifice. Love and service given, blessings and protection received.
The Indian Princess of Mount Timpanogos watch over me.
I set out at 3:30 in the morning with a group of friends with the hope to reach the summit in time for sunrise. 11,750 feet in the air, 4500 ft elevation gain and over 14 miles roundtrip was quite a journey. I had a great group to run with and I appreciate very much their patience with me. I play a few roles when in a group like this...usually I am the slowest. I provide this service for those who are getting tired and don't want to admit it. Instead they can say, "I'm going to run with MeriAnn for a while so she doesn't have to be alone." I also am a clumsy...so I take away any chance that another person will ever be more embarrassed than I am. I fall. A lot. Four times on this adventure in fact. But, I get up and I keep going. This was such an adventure. A bucket list item for me. Yesterday I said, not sure when I want to do that again. Today, I think there's a maybe. That's how things work. It was just so beautiful and now I know just where to go.
Breakdown ahead..prepare for beauty.
We started running in the dark. The first 2 miles there are lots of boulders and roots. I found one right around mile 1.5. I tackled the rock and then slid in hoping to win. It hurt...not a good start. There is a lot of loose slick rock areas and a few streams to cross. At night..the sounds are magnified. The streams across the rocks. Amazing.
Around Mile 4, you hit some switchbacks with more, bigger rocks. I fell once here too. 
Around Mile 5, you reach a beautiful meadow of wildflowers. Also the difference in elevation here was noticed.
Around Mile 6.5 begins the climb to the area called "the saddle"
My Sidekick had asked me to please lay on The Indian Princess's Belly..so I did. She wondered what it would feel like. It feel pretty incredible babe...pretty incredible!
My Sidekick had asked me to please lay on The Indian Princess's Belly..so I did. She wondered what it would feel like. It feel pretty incredible babe...pretty incredible!
Then it's just over a half mile from there to the summit. This was the scariest part for me because of the slick rock and steep edges. Breathtaking doesn't even describe it. I was scared. But I kept stepping and I am so glad I did. I was really worried going up about the coming down, but it actually was way better coming down and I am really happy that I made it to the top.
The white dots here and mountain goats. We also saw some deer and even ran into a momma moose and her two babies. We quickly ran the other way. 
On our way down we ran into this man. His name is Ben Woolsey. He has done this hike over 700 times. You can read his story here. He's amazing and so nice!
The meadows...
Looking back at the beauty. 
looking back at part of the climb. The trail is there somewhere. Maybe it's a good thing it was dark when we first went up...
The aftermath...only because I fell (four times) Stay on your feet and all will be okay! Or maybe just hike it. Or go during the daylight. Or maybe it's just me...
My first summit of Timpanogos was quite the journey. It was beautiful and incredible and I am so glad that I took the time to meet the greatest legend from the place I call my home. Thank you princess for the journey.
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