Joy in all its Sadness


Previously, dear reader, I shared an image of Substation 9 from across the Clark Fork River, taken from the side of today's I-90.  Today, access is difficult and by permission only.  One must travel the old right of way in from the west by using the same roadbed that was the foundation for all of those electrics that came this way many decades ago.  

But when I-90 was only the Sunset Highway there was a different path to walk to this remote outpost.  Seen above, the way to get there (apart from the rails themselves) was the small suspension bridge whose remnants are seen above.  This was a common way to connect the world with some of these remote substations found across the river.  It allowed a path to the living quarters of those who tended these substations and lived here during the times of Lines West.   


When these photos were taken, now nearly 20 years ago, the graffiti on the old substation was far less than it is today.  Nonetheless, the entrance stands barren and dark and the evidence of shotgun blasts on the brick is obvious.  The remnants of an old incandescent porch light still cling to the side, long since disconnected from the electric lines that traced the route through here.


Inside is a tour through industrial history.  The building is strong and well built.  The roof is still mostly solid in these photos and the walls remain straight.  The overhead gantry looks as though it could still traverse its rails and move equipment even now.  Even the windows, though shot out and broken, show the simple and lovely design that allows them to pivot open when the weather through this part of Montana heats up.  The view through the gaping windows on the ground level still shows a wonderful view of the right of way. 


Time has relentlessly moved forward, taking its toll on what was supposed to last forever.  It seems impossible to avoid the unmistakable sadness that reflects the decades and decay.  Here is the engineering marvel that was the best of its time and a standard of the world.  Even more than that, here lives were lived out under the sun until one day they weren't.


And with the sorrow, also a beauty of it all.  We look west in the photo above and still feel a pull of the west and the journey.  The way remains as beautiful as ever and we journey back out of Substation 9 the same way we came in.  This is the complexity of Joy: somehow blending the beauty of experiences, memories, sorrows, hopes and dreams together into something deeper.

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