Taum Sauk Mountain State Park #2
I arrived at Taum Sauk Mountain in the late afternoon. The
temperature was 80 degrees. It felt like summer.
coatless in October
one after the other
the trees shedding their leaves
At 1,772 feet above sea level, Taum Sauk Mountain is the
highest point in Missouri.
running out of water
I welcome
the shade-covered bench
The mountain is named after Piankashaw Chief, Sauk-Ton-Qua. The
name was later changed to Taum Sauk because it was easier to pronounce.
historical marker
a fellow hiker fills in
the missing words
Legend has it that the chief’s daughter, Mina Sauk, was having a forbidden love affair with an Osage warrior. The warrior was captured, tried, and condemned to death.
The Piankashaws pushed him off a cliff. As he fell, spears were thrown at him until his blood stained the rocks. In despair, Mina Sauk threw herself off the ledge so her blood would mingle with that of her lover’s.
jagged outcroppings
the golden sunset
softens their faces
The Great Spirit was displeased with the Piankashaw tribe.
Shortly after, the ground shook violently. The mountain cracked. Water flowed from
the earth and washed away the blood of the lovers.
annoyed with me
a squirrel
swishes its tail
When the waterfall is just a trickle, those are the tears of Mina Sauk. When the waterfall is at full strength, the couple has been reunited in spirit.
Today, this area is known as Mina Sauk Falls; the highest
waterfall in Missouri.
darkening skies
I leave the waterfall
for another day
The trail was getting harder to follow with the waning light,
so I headed back to my car.
dry throat
the dust of my footsteps
beneath the pines
