Music on the Mountain

by Lowell Kenney
(Shelton, WA)

I worked at Many Glacier Hotel for Rocky Mountain Outfitters in the summers of 66 & 67.

Of all my memories, the best was an evening I had to go look for several mules that had gotten out of the Lake Sherman pasture.

It had been a stormy and rainy afternoon spent shoeing horses and mules, so I was glad to hit the saddle and to go look. The rains had stopped and the evening was crystal clear and fresh with the sunset pushing the clouds away. The trail that I followed took me high above the valley floor along the South East ridge between Swift Current Lake and Cracker Flats.

I had a good dappled grey gelding that I enjoyed riding and as the sun slipped under the remaining clouds it lit the Swiftcurrent Valley like a spotlight.

Then through the evening sounds a trumpet started playing. He was above and ahead of me and playing trumpet solos, flight of the bumble bee, etc. He was very good, as were most of the talent that worked at Many Glacier Lodge those years.

As I rode closer I began to catch a glimpse of the player standing on the very edge of a ledge and playing his heart out. The music was great and the scenery made it surreal.

When my horse blew his nose the fellow nearly jumped off the cliff. I apologized for startling him but had to ask why.

He told me that he had often suffered from stage fright if he had to play to a large auditorium, sometimes the vast space overwhelmed him.

He had found this overlook while hiking and decided that if he could play to the Swiftcurrent Valley no stage would ever scare him again.

My horse and I backed out of there and spent the rest of the evening looking for mules--but really we were just puttering through the trees so we could stay in earshot of this very fine trumpet player.

It is one of my favorite memories of all times.

I hope that he has been very successful and that his horn has brought him fame and fortune.

The memory has warmed my soul many times over the years.

Lowell Kenney
Guide/Packer
Rocky Mountain Outfitters
Many Glacier
Glacier National Park
1966 and 1967