Mystery in Rocky Mountain National Park

“He woke up in a flat landscape where the sun was rising, its red light illuminating the fog that rose like steam from the newly planted fields.”

Imagery is a powerful literary device used to full effect in the story, bringing the natural setting of Rocky Mountain National Park to life. The beauty of the nature around Jake is the initial reason he is captivated by the land, and this becomes a motif that runs throughout the entire novel.

“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.