Since my last post I have done all sorts of hiking, made some good progress at work, and realized how important it is to have whiskey when you're camping in 30 degree weather.
First, at the end of last month, or maybe the beginning of this month (I don't remember) myself and 4 friends went backpacking in Glacier. It was a whilrwind of a trip. Me and three girlfriends left Butte around 6 pm on a Friday, and swung through Missoula to pick up one of our guyfriends. There were 5 of us, plus all our gear in a 2 door car, so it was a wee bit cramped. Around midnight as we were driving down some windy dark road we came around a corner and almost got in a head-on collision with a moose. The atmosphere in the car went from gentle music and calm conversations to lots of screaming and laughter in just a few sweet moments. I have never seen such a large animal! And one that just looks stupid. Well, this guy ran away a little, but then turned around and geared up like he would charge, and somehow I think he would have won. Eventually, after much laying on the horn and creeping forward he galumphed off the road and we continued on our merry way. We got to the trailhead around 1 am, and collapsed into bed. I believe we started hiking at about 11 am the next day. We hiked an easy five miles and then stopped at a lake to eat lunch, before hiking some of the more difficult 8 miles I've ever done. It was hot, windy, and there was no relief from the sun, but oh lord I would do it again in a heart beat. We went over two passes, and hiking maybe 4 miles along a dangerously narrow trail hugging a steep ridge of loose shale. Lucky for me, I love heights.
This is the view we had of Old Man Lake (where we camped) while we hiked along the ridge. We hiked all around the ridge to the left of the lake, and then followed switchbacks straight down near the furthest corner.
On our hike down to Old Man I spotted a couple mountain goats, and later a bald eagle over the water. One of our friends saw a bear running along the far shore of the lake, but that was the extent of the exciting wildlife. Apparently, that time of the year bears are active almost 20 hours a day, and we were in the thick of bear country. When we got back I watched part of Night of the Grizzlies and I am really glad I didn't know of this before we went.
The next day was a pretty easy 6 mile hike out, and then a very stinky car ride back to Butte.
If you're like my dad and spend far too much time using Google Earth, the trail we took went over Dawson and Pitamakan Pass in East Glacier. We started to Two Medicine, and looped around to camp at Old Man Lake.
I also hiked up to the Our Lady of the Rockies statue. There's no trail, so we just drove down a private road as far as the little car we were in could handle, and then parked and walked until we found a decent way up. That hike was short, but 3500 ft straight up a mountain side. I think that's my favorite kind of hiking though: bushwacking and rock scrambling. The view of the pit was incredible, I really did not appreciate the sheer size of the operation until this vantage point.
The darker water is the Berkely Pit and the water above that is the Yankee-doodle Tailings pond: another lake of toxic water contained by a simple earth dam. Awesome. Also, today I was thinking about places in Ashland are named things like the Acid Castles and the Fairy Ponds. I am living in a different world.
And when you see the Lady in town, it's hard to appreciate just how friggin huge she is! 90 ft of volunteered money and time watching over Butte.
I just got back from hiking the Humbug Spires--these giant rock outcroppings about a half hour outside of Butte. It was 9 miles, but fairly easy. We only gained about 1000 ft in elevation, and most of that was at the end. We ate lunch on top one of the outcropping and watched the clouds lift off the mountains. I don't have any pictures loaded yet, but here's a link to a website about them: http://www.visitmt.com/categories/moreinfo.asp?SiteID=1&IDRRecordID=904
Last weekend I went out to a small town called Sheridan (population 700) for a Cider Pressing Party hosted at the community garden and organized by another VISTA. I have never quartered or grinded so many apples in my life. It was great seeing a new community though, and there was plenty of dancing to simple bluegrass underneath old trees and eating freshly made donuts and drinking hot cider and cheap whiskey. A few friends and the VISTA who works though built a fire that night and camped in the gardens. I'm not gonna lie--I was very cold. And as I mentioned, I had never before truly appreciate how warm whiskey can make you feel. The next day was beautiful and sunny though, and when you're a mile above see level and clear sunny sky seems to up the temperature significantly. We took the scenic way back to Butte and stopped to soak in a hot spring that was so warm we had to bucket in river water. The soak took the chill out of my bones though, and the drive home was nothing but sunshine and singing.
Work is still going really well. I managed to convince a handful of friends to come out and volunteer and we finished prepping all the hoop houses for covers, and even got the cover up on one. I also just scored a bunch of free organic seeds, so I'll be planting in the greenhouses and seeing just how well they extend the season. In early November I'm going out to the 1st Annual Inland Permaculture Conference in Spokane, and I really can't wait. I'm tabling for our project at the trade-show and I think I'm going to learn so much about how permaculture works in places like Montana.
I've gotta go, because it's getting cold here and I need to make some potato-leek soup.
I will mention that I leave for home in a few days and I don't know if I have ever been this excited for anything else in my life. I am so happy for Chris and Dana and so excited to see everyone! SEE YOU ALL SOON! I love it out here, but of course I miss home and everything that that means. Oh well, I guess we all have to grow up sometime.
Here's a link to my project's website: http://sift.ncat.org/
And here are a few extra photos!
Old Man Lake. We hiked all along that ridge you see.
This ridge, actually.
Taking a break to enjoy the view.
Okay, BYE! I'll post more pictures next time.
Love you guys!
Camille
