Mystery in Rocky Mountain National Park

“Why would my grandpa hide an empty envelope in here? Then something caught his eye. The lightest script, in pencil, was written along the inside. Jake tore the envelope open and read the message: Find the Old Man of the Mountain. He’ll show you the way.”

By having Jake ask himself questions inside his mind, the author invites the reader to ask themselves the same questions. Aaron Johnson also introduces clues slowly, allowing readers to piece together evidence before it is revealed to them. Some of these clues are revealed almost immediately, while others take days of searching to be uncovered.

“The tops of the mountains, still covered in snow, were lit by the dawn with pinks and blues. Below them were more mountains, covered in the deep greens of the forest.”

The families camp in a portion of the park called Moraine Park, and when Jake wakes up the first morning, he is stunned by the beauty of the world before him. There is a sense of endless possibility and of Finding Freedom Through Adventure. Jake is 13 years old and still sees the world through a curious and invigorated lens, and to him, the mountainous landscape looks like it goes on forever.

“These are called contour lines. They tell you how steep or gentle a slope is. On the ground, the space between each line is fifty feet.”

The ranger who gives Jake the topographical map explains to him (and the reader) what some of its symbols mean and how to read them. Maps are used as a motif in the novel to help emphasize Finding Freedom Through Adventure. This is because they give the map-reader a tool that allows them to navigate the wild safely and at their own desired difficulty. The ranger’s explanation is also shown visually through an illustration of the lines on the map.

“His mind kept returning to one thing, something Jasper said: We trust you. Those words made Jake think this scavenger hunt was somehow more than just a game.”

Jake’s adventure begins with him believing that his grandpa has sent him on a fun and exciting adventure through the wilderness as part of Connecting to One’s Family Legacy. While this is true, there is also an underlying sense of importance to the task, as though Jake is being entrusted with something far beyond what he initially realizes. This moment foreshadows Jake’s discovery of Abe’s journal and his becoming the Keeper of the spearhead.

“With nowhere else to go, he scrambled down the steep side of the gully by holding onto the trunks of a few aspen trees. Finding a narrow shelf of rock, he edged out onto it, leaning against the face of the cliff and tucking himself into the shadows.”

Glimpses into Abe’s life are brief but filled with tension, suspense, and excitement. As Abe escapes capture and runs away with the spearhead in his pack, the narrative becomes entirely action-focused, dashing from moment to moment with swiftness and an atmosphere of danger. Abe not only faces the threat of the people pursuing him but also of the wilderness itself.

“He didn’t want to admit that he was embarrassed by his cousin’s excitement. But if he kept standing there still as a tree, not saying a word, he would appear impolite and awkward. So, he decided to ask Amber a question.”

Jake’s inner thoughts reveal his awkwardness in seeing Amber for the first time in several years. A lot has changed for them both, and it’s like meeting an entirely new person. Still, Jake manages to show maturity and break the tension between them. A nature-related simile is used to add humor and emphasize Jake’s nervous state.

“You now know the top three: falling, drowning, and hypothermia. I want you to keep those hazards in mind when you create your itineraries. You can avoid all three of them if you plan things out and make good decisions.”

This powerful lesson imparted by Uncle Brian is perhaps the most important aspect of wilderness exploration because knowing the common ways in which people die in the wild is the first step in avoiding them. The trio works together to create itineraries and keep their parents informed of their plans. It is also an important reminder to expect the unexpected and understand the importance of being able to make quick but logical decisions.

“The view at Bear Lake took them by surprise. The snow-capped mountains that had appeared so far away from their campsite now stood before them, their image reflected on the water’s surface. Chipmunks ran about begging for food from the visitors, who were taking pictures of the landscape and posing for selfies to share with their friends.”

The image of mountains and forests reflected on the lake below is one that typically comes to mind when a person thinks of the Rocky Mountains. Jake, Wes, and Amber have the quintessential experience of the landscape during their explorations and are lucky enough to experience many of its natural wonders. There is also a juxtaposition here between the natural environment and the dozens of tourists who are there with their cell phones.

“The form of a tree materialized like a ghost in the mist. Its gray and twisted arms had been shaped by years of storm winds, bending to the east. A few green needles remained in bunches on the tree, proof that the ancient pine was still a living thing.”

On their first excursion alone, the atmosphere becomes dramatic and tense as Jake pushes them to visit Emerald Lake despite the storm. The tree appears before him in a mysterious fashion, with its gnarled appearance heightened by the almost unearthly nature of the snow around them. The fact that the tree is described as ancient but still alive is also a clever symbol of the Legacy shared between Jake and his ancestors.

“Whatever is in that thing belongs to the team. I think you should open it.”

After spending almost two days feeling adamant about keeping the scavenger hunt to himself, Jake realizes The Power of Sharing Responsibility and how important it is to have support while exploring the wilderness. In this significant gesture, Jake allows Amber to open the message, signifying his decision to be part of a team.

“Abner rode with the ease of a man who knew exactly who he was and where he was going. And Abe wondered if he stayed long enough, if he too might become such a man.”

Abe looks to Abner with admiration and respect because Abner knows how to deal with people, how to achieve what he needs, and how to face each challenge head-on, no matter how difficult or terrifying. Abe effectively becomes adopted by Abner and is raised by him into adulthood. These formative experiences on the ranch in his youth made Abe into the brave explorer he became.

“Jake had no idea the drive would be so captivating. After winding through the thick green forest, the road took them above the tree line into the alpine tundra, where fields of short green grass and white snow stretched for miles over the rolling mountain tops of the park.”

The sheer size and diversity of the landscape are most evident when the kids are driven up the mountainside to undertake their ride to Willow Park. After being on the ground below, where the air is cool but not frozen, and the water still runs, Jake finds himself in a totally new world of frozen tundra and a view that seems to extend forever.

“A series of images flashed through Jake’s mind. The scrapbook. The photo that wouldn’t budge. The hidden envelope. The message.”

As Jake reminds himself of every message from his grandpa so far, the reader is also reminded of all these experiences. It acts as a “catch up” point for the reader to take stock of what has happened so far and predict where all these discoveries are leading.

“Mountains ain’t piles of rock, Abe. They’ve got a life of their own, stirring up their own weather and shaking off anything that don’t belong. […] I don’t mean to scare ya. I just mean to say that mountains like Longs Peak, they demand our respect.”

The mountains are the most prominent and powerful aspect of the natural landscape in Rocky Mountain National Park. They extend toward the sky and take up a person’s entire visual field. Living in the area in the late 1800s meant that Abe was there when it was being settled and turned into a national park. It was still very much a wild frontier, and anything he learned about the land was either through experience or word of mouth. Abe is warned about the power of the mountains before he undertakes his journey to climb Longs Peak, and the conversation instills fear in him that he must overcome. This is how Abe finds Freedom Through Adventure.

“Wildflowers bloomed at the edges of the forest. With each mile, more snowmelt filled the streams that flowed into Fall River. Its waters gushed over rocks and through the ravines alongside the road. Jake felt like they were racing the river to the bottom.”

There is an atmosphere of excitement and youthful energy as the kids ride their bicycles down the mountainside. They are surrounded by the majesty of nature, and they follow the river that runs beside them as though they are becoming part of the natural environment. Rather than just looking at it, they are fully immersed in it and constantly Finding Freedom Through Adventure.

“Jake gazed at the sunset and soaked in his uncle’s words. Something in his spirit brightened.”

Upon hearing that he reminds his uncle of his grandpa, Jake feels a boost of confidence and knows he is doing right by taking part in this important quest to discover his family legacy. After spending several days in Rocky Mountain National Park, Jake feels connected both to it and to his own ancestors in ways he did not think possible, and he is grateful to be able to embody his grandpa’s adventurous spirit.

“The word paranoid made him stop short, and he immediately thought of Jasper. It reminds me of how Jasper eyed the door and looked around suspiciously when he gave me the package, Jake thought.”

Johnson uses Jake’s inner narrative and memories to cleverly provide context for the meaning of a word that some readers may not know. By reminding readers of the moment in which Jasper seemed suspicious and possibly even scared of something, readers can make an educated guess as to what the word “paranoid” might mean.

“Wes shifted his weight to thrust his hand up to Jake—but his right foot slipped. Jake reached out and caught his hand just in time. But the force of Wes’s fall threw Jake off balance, and he lurched forward over the edge. Amber grabbed Jake’s collar and pulled him back.”

The scene in which Wes is afraid to climb up through the crevice takes place in quick flashes, and each moment happens in quick succession. Speeding up the narrative in this way creates tension and alerts readers to the sense of panic and fear that Wes is attempting to fight through. Thankfully, Wes has the support of Amber and Jake, who fully believe in Sharing Responsibility for everything related to the task at hand. This includes fears, aversions, and mistakes that someone might make.

“Well, I’m here. They were wrong. And I guess this is what being free looks like. Like risk. Like trust.”

Abe was always told he would never be able to escape the city and make it on his own, but he has found a home and a way of life with Abner. To symbolize his achievement, Abe climbs the mountain and reaches the summit, where he affirms his newfound belief in himself and in the importance of Finding Freedom Through Adventure.

“If you’ve found this, then more likely than not, you’ve been followed. So, please heed my instructions.”

Upon finding the journal, Jake reads an inscription confirming that they are being followed in the present and that his great-great-grandpa was followed over 100 years before. It seems that this scavenger hunt and the possession of the spearhead is much more than just a matter of family legacy and, in fact, extends to a crucial role as a Keeper of an ancient relic.

“As he watched the leaves flutter on distant aspen trees, he made a promise to himself. He would return. One day, he would come back to discover its other secrets: the park’s many waterfalls and summits, its alpine lakes and hidden streams, and the stories it had yet to tell.”

Jake was drawn to the park from the moment he arrived, and when he leaves, he knows he will one day be back. Jake is confident in this because, through his discoveries, he has learned that his family legacy is directly tied to this land, and he hopes to strengthen his connection to his ancestors over time.

“This quest, I suppose, is much bigger than either you or I understand.”

In the last note from his grandpa, everything Jake suspected is confirmed. This short but powerful phrase suggests that Jake has been appointed with an extremely important task that goes back generations. The spearhead is said to be made from moon silver and leads to some sort of profoundly valuable treasure.

“One of the spearheads they call The Key, and the other was named The Spinning Star. As the story goes, the objects were fashioned of moonlight, liquid silver that fell from the sky as shooting stars.”

As Hank March tells the story of the two spearheads, it occurs to Abe that he has been given an opportunity to be part of something extraordinary and important. The spearhead comes from ancient times and is attached to this poetically told lore, which suggests that it is more than just a spearhead.