top of page

Granite: Spirituality in the Mountains

When you look at this granite, you see time and spirituality.

Underneath Boone Hall lays the Orma J. Smith Natural History Museum. An eclectic collection of artifacts from around the world. But past all the large displays of mammals and other eye-catching exhibits, on a small insignificant bottom shelf tucked away in the corner of the museum is a small piece of rock, a specimen of granite to be particular. And though it may not seem like much, there is a whole world of existence it possesses.

​

Just north of where this specimen was sourced in southeastern Idaho lies the Teton range, the heart of which contains a very similar type of granite to this specimen. The Tetons are a contradiction in and of themselves, not yet even ten million years old, but made of rocks dating back billions of years. The Tetons, then weathered by glaciers, and erosion created its signature rugged landscape full of scars and emotion. This duality of time and the jagged granite backdrop has shaped the way people interact with the land.

81aIJsYEjPL._SX385_.jpg

A visual representation of granite

426_803_Mormon_Row_Grand_Teton_National_Park_lg.jpg

The Tetons as seen from Mormon Row, image courtesy of Outdoor project

Artwork inspired by the fur trade, courtesy of Steve Murdock

Snapchat-994099990.jpg

Atop Buck Mountain, Grand Teton and the rest of the Cathedral Group in background.

The story of spirituality in the Tetons begins with the Shoshone tribe. Up on a sub-peak of the Grand Teton, thirteen-thousand-200 feet above sea level, one will find the enclosure. This man-made semi-circle of granite was built presumably by the Shoshone tribe for their vision quests. Young men of the tribe would ascend to this place and sit for up to four days. No food, no water, hardly any clothing at all. When the human body is devoid of all and any needs. Visions would begin to manifest themselves, great spirits from the past would give them direction and meaning, many of the attributes these men would carry for the rest of their lives such as their name would come from these vision quests undertaken in the heart of this granite range.


The Tetons were also important to European trappers, hunters, and explorers who used the range for resources. The Tetons were at one point, the epicenter of the fur trade which would see pelts from animals such as the beaver sent all across the globe. To them, the range signified abundance and life from which they could make their living. A lifestyle of freedom and this spiritual sense the environment naturally brings with it. It is from these early French trappers where the name of the range is derived. "Le Trois Tetons," or the three breasts.

the enclosure grand teton spur off upper saddle (25).JPG
ba609326983c26881c362a23a9d70138--fur-trade-mountain-man.jpg

Even in culture today, the spirituality of these towering peaks is not lost. As someone who has spent a good portion of their life in the mountains, I feel a very personal draw and connection to these peaks. For me, the mountains represent humility and vulnerability. The mountains can humble you in a way that almost nothing else can. You could be out having a great day, then all of a sudden the wind picks up and storms roll in, now you have to turn around and realize your headlamp isn't working. You think to yourself in these moments. “Wow, I could like perish out here because I botched it." And no one would know, nobody would care, the wilderness wouldn't care, it puts you in your place in the world. To put yourself out on that edge, to walk that fine line of life and death, and weigh risk vs reward. It leads to this different state of looking at the world, this mental state where one can inwardly reflect on what is truly important in life. When at the mercy of the range and the weather, nothing more than a speck. Nothing else matters except the decisions made in the present. This little rock, found on a tiny insignificant shelf in this museum when connected to it, can open the mind to see the world from a completely different perspective.

The Enclosure, image courtesy of Wyoming Whiskey

bottom of page