Hangin' Out in Helena

While in town for my son Cody's deacon ordination, I wanted to check out all that Helena, Montana had to offer.  I've visited many cities in this great state, but this was my very first visit to Helena.
 

Mt. Helena

Cody, who was spending the summer at a nearby parish, was the perfect tour guide.  My parents, one of my brothers, my daughter Denise, and I all piled into his car for some sightseeing. 

Reeder's Alley entrance

First stop, Mount Helena City Park for an overview of the surrounding town and valley  below.  And a peek at Mt. Helena's summit rising high above the prairie.  I hungrily eyed the trail heading up it's slopes, but only one week post-pin removal surgery, there was no way I was hiking anywhere.

Loved the old brick buildings

On the way up to Mt. Helena Park, we passed by an interesting group of well-worn brick buildings.  Colorful signs hung over some of their doorways and pots of bright flowers lined a wide brick walkway.  It looked so enticing, my family agreed to stop on our way back.

Old-timey sign

The place was called "Reeder's Alley" and I discovered it was the oldest intact piece of the early city.

Brick paved sidewalks

Reeder's Alley was built in the 1870s by a Pennsylvania brick mason named Louis Reeder.  Instead of prospecting, this mason traveled to Helena in search of other business opportunities.  The early gold camp provided many construction projects in need of someone with Reeder's building skills.

Ornate door handle

After several years, Reeder began investing in property and development, and began constructing small brick houses that catered to single miners.  By the year 1884, the large collection of brick buildings nestled along the steep slope of Reeder's Alley were in place.  It was said that some of these miners were able to prospect right outside of their front doors at the foot of the alley.

Door close-up

Today these well-preserved structures give fabulous insight to Helena's early mining days.  All the buildings have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and designated as a historic district.

Historic stone building

And - besides being such great bits of history, these old buildings made wonderful photo subjects!  I lagged behind my family, snapping away at everything that fit in my viewfinder.

The back entrance

Many of the old buildings appeared to have been converted into offices or businesses.  And one, at the very top of the hill, housed a colorful Mexican restaurant.  (A lady walking by informed us it was the best place to eat in town)

Family photo op

The restaurant's large wooden deck had a great view of the city and it's surrounding forested hills.  But it was a bit too early for lunch yet, so my family posed for a group photo, and then moved on.

Downtown Helena pedestrian mall

Next, Cody drove us to Helena's downtown core.  A vibrant place, with many well-maintained brick buildings housing interesting shops and restaurants, we wandered a bit, taking it all in.

Official "selfie spot"

Two city blocks had been closed to autos, and converted into a wide pedestrian mall.  Small areas of grass and flowers, benches, and public art were strategically placed throughout.  One large statue of a cowboy cracking his whip, nicknamed "The Bullwhacker" was prominently placed between buildings. 

Of course I had to try it!

A short distance from this statue, a sign had been stuck onto the pavement proclaiming that very place a "selfie spot."  Apparently this was where to stand if one wished to capture a selfie of themselves and the statue.

Of course, I had to try it out!  Yep - it worked.

Large chess board

We wandered by a gigantic chessboard, complete with all the pieces.  A little entertainment when you're tired of shopping.

Time for wine!

We checked out many of the cute stores lining this pedestrian mall, but my favorite by far was a wonderful little wine shop.  Although I didn't buy anything, I appreciated the funny signs on their shelves - and the A-board they posted outside. 

Hope you enjoyed this quick tour of Helena.  But I'm not quite finished.  Not only a lovely town, Helena also has the distinction of being the state capitol of Montana.  Come along for my next post when I visit it's gorgeous capitol building.


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A Deacon in the Family

Those of you who have followed my blog for awhile know that my son Cody has been attending seminary.  For the past five years, he's been studying to become a priest.  A huge step towards this goal is the ordination to a deacon, which usually occurs one year prior to the priestly ordination.  In a late June ceremony, my son officially became a deacon.

A proud mom moment!

Cody attended college in Montana, and had decided upon final priestly ordination, he would work for the diocese of Helena, MT.  Therefore, his diaconate ordination took place in Helena, the diocese headquarters.

Lovely cathedral of Saint Helena

Cody had lots of family there to support him on the first step of his journey.  My husband, daughter, and I traveled from Oregon to witness Cody's important day.  My parents and two of my brothers also made the trip to Helena. 

Exterior close-up

The Cathedral of Saint Helena was the setting for this solemn ceremony.  A magnificent building, I was awed by it's lofty spires and ornate exterior.  A perfect venue for such an important event.

The inside is just as stunning

The stonework on the cathedral's outer walls was amazing, as were the intricate stained glass windows.  Before entering, I spent a lot of time outside trying to capture the many details with my camera.

Stained glass windows line three sides

Although the exterior was breathtakingly beautiful, the cathedral's interior was jaw-dropping.  Tall marble columns rose above the pews, as if reaching towards the heavens.  Beautiful stained glass windows encircled the walls, each one depicting a story of the church.  And everything was gilded with gold.

The deacon and priest candidates (photo from diocese website)

In addition to Cody, two young men were to be ordained as deacons, and two other men would be ordained as priests.  The five candidates processed down the main aisle at the beginning of the mass, followed by nearly all the priests and deacons in the diocese.

Cody's Ordination (photo by Father Jeff)

I'd never attended an ordination, so everything was new to me.  Due to the solemnity of the ceremony, I opted not to take any photos of the actual event and just observe.  But Father Jeff, Cody's college mentor and good friend, was sitting in a prime location and captured this shot of Cody being ordained by the Bishop.  He was nice enough to share this photo with us (thank you, Father Jeff!)

Family photo

The mass was long - well over two hours - and the day hot.  Temperatures reached into the upper 90s.  Although the cathedral had air conditioning, the high ceilings and packed house kept it from being effective.  My family and I sweated bullets.  I couldn't even imagine how Cody felt, in his black shirt and pants, with a white cassock over top.  And then, as part of the ordination ceremony, the deacons each donned a beautiful robe over top of all that.

My beautiful kids

But Cody bore it all like a champ.  Once the mass was completed, we all gathered outside to breathe some cool air, and congratulate the new priests and deacons.

Cody and Bishop Thomas

Now it was time for photos!  I grabbed Cody and my family and herded them back inside to pose in front of the beautiful altar.  I asked the Bishop if he'd mind being in a few photographs, and he was gracious enough to oblige.  A wonderful man, I was honored to finally meet Bishop Thomas, who Cody had spoken very highly of.  The above candid photo, which I captured after a couple of formal shots, turned out to be my favorite. 

(On a technical note, all my indoor photos were taken without flash, at higher ISO settings, most around 1600.  I think they turned out quite well.)

Three new deacons!

Back outside, I was also able to get a couple group shots of Cody and his fellow deacons.  These three outstanding young men will all be back next year to be ordained as priests.

My happy son

My son was so happy that day!  It made my heart glad to see him full of joy.

First mass with newly ordained priest and deacon

One of the deacon's many jobs is to assist the priest during the mass.  (Deacons can also marry, baptize, and officiate at funerals)  During the mass, Cody could now read the gospel, preach homilies, and give the final blessing. 

I learned a new priest's first mass is a very special occasion.  Cody offered to be the deacon at newly-ordained Father Christoper's first mass the following morning.  Of course, my family all attended.  Both young men did wonderfully. 

Deacon Cody

Cody spent the rest of his summer break from seminary performing his deacon duties at a nearby parish.  I'm told he was kept very, very busy!  He'll return to Oregon later this month to complete his last year of seminary.  And then, next June, we'll return to Helena to witness our son's final step in realizing the goal he's worked and studied six long years to fulfull - ordination to the priesthood.

I am so extremely proud of my son.  I know he will do a lot of good in this world.

Wildflower Bounty on Saddle Mtn

I'd heard the reports.  Seen the photos online.  Rumor had it this was the best wildflower show ever on the slopes of Saddle Mountain.  No way was I missing out!

Little did I know it would be my last hike for nearly a month.

Lovely, green woods

As some of you may remember, in mid-June I had a little trouble with a pin in my right foot (full story here).  Temporarily placed from an October bunion surgery, it had begun to migrate out of position. 

Wild iris

Suffering with a sore foot all week, I waited until my Friday off to see the doc.  After confirming that indeed the pin was moving, my doctor suggested I try a bunion pad to take pressure off the affected area.  Hoping this pad would keep things in place, I decided to try it out on a hike.  It was my day off after all - I didn't want to waste it sitting around home!

Larkspur alley

So after leaving the doctor's office, I grabbed my backpack and headed straight to Saddle Mountain.

Switchback with a view

Saddle Mountain is located 65 miles west of Portland, in Oregon's coast range.  A mere 10 miles from the ocean, summit views stretch for miles in all directions.  Each summer this treeless peak produces an incredible display of wildflowers.  A well-used State Park and campground are located at it's base.

Wildflower field

Leaving the sunny skies of Portland, I was disappointed at first when I saw the Coast Range cloaked in clouds.  But - on the bright side - it would make temperatures much more bearable for hiking, and provide some great light for photographs.

Colorful flower garden

The flower show began soon after the half mile mark, when I spotted my first wild iris.  While bent over trying to get a photo, a group of descending hikers informed me the best was yet to come.

Looking towards Saddle Mtn summit

And they were right!  After the iris zone, I passed through an area thick with tall stalks of larkspur flowers.  Purple blooms lined the trail - it was like walking through a floral tunnel.  I'd never seen such a high concentration.

Tiger lilies a-plenty

I passed by so many different patches of color.  There was brilliant orange columbine, pink wild onion, Indian paintbrush, tiny cheery yellow flowers.  Every time I turned the corner, there was something else bright and wonderful.

Incredible flower fields

The trail to the top is steep.  Gaining 1600 feet in a mere 2.5 miles, some sections are a sweaty slog.  Due to overuse, path erosion has necessitated extensive repairs.  Many portions of the trail are now rebuilt with rock wrapped in chicken wire.  Not very fun to travel over, but it does keep the dirt in place.

Windy path up the mountain

The first mile and  a half wound through lovely green forest.  Gaps in the trees gave occasional views of the hills and valleys far below.  After much climbing, the forest suddenly parted, providing a dramatic view of the summit ahead.

There were fields of these lovely pink blooms!

It was at these final summit meadows where the flower show really got going.  The ground was covered with blooms of all different varieties.

Rounding the bend

Orange tiger lilies dotted the landscape.  Pale pink frilly flowers bloomed in thick patches.  An occasional wild iris rose above the grass.  I'd never seen such a concentration of wildflowers!  I tried hard to capture this incredible kaleidoscope of color, but my photos didn't do it justice.

Summit selfie

It took quite awhile for me to travel the final half mile to the mountain's very top.  Too many colorful distractions!  But I finally reached Saddle Mountain's summit, and was surprised to have it all to myself.

Saddle Mtn summit view

All the way up, I'd been passed by a steady stream of hikers, both ascending and descending.  Arriving at an empty summit was nothing short of astonishing.  Enjoying the solitude, I soaked in the magnificent views while enjoying a snack.

You could see for miles

Parting clouds allowed glimpses of nearby ocean beaches.  The adjacent mountains and forests spread out in all directions, clear cuts making ugly interruptions in the green landscape.

Wild rose

I spent a wonderful half hour by myself on the summit before another hiking party arrived.  Taking this as my cue to leave, I swapped camera lenses and began the long trek down. 

Tiger lily

My trip up had been all about capturing landscapes.  For my return trip, I'd attached my macro lens, intent on getting more detailed images.  I hoped these flowers were ready for their close ups!

Unknown pink flower

So many wonderful wildflowers!  I had trouble narrowing down my images, so here's a sampling for you to enjoy.  The above pink flowers were everywhere.  I'd never seen flowers like these before, and sadly had no idea of their name.

Wild onion

Lovely pink wild onion.

Loved these white flowers

These dainty white flowers grew in great abundance in one section of the meadow.

Two-tone purple beauty

Upon entering the forest once again, I spied these miniature two-tone purple penstemon blossoms.

Almost done!

Halfway down the mountain, my foot began to throb.  This half mile marker was a most welcome sight!  Arriving at my car, I was more than ready to remove my boots.

Hiking on a lame foot was probably not one of the smartest things I've ever done.  Less than a week later, I'd be in my doctor's office having those pins removed.  A rude interruption in my summer hiking plans, it would be several weeks before I'd be healed enough to hit the trails again.

But I don't regret my hike up Saddle Mountain.  Seeing those amazing flower fields was totally worth it.


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