Month: August 2016 (Page 4 of 7)

Bitterroot Valley

August 13, 2016 / Bruce "Buck" Nelson / 0 Comments

August 13

Last night I slept under the stars and when I awoke about 1 AM I stayed up for a while to watch the meteor show. I am a big believer in keeping it positive but that was a lousy show. 🙂 I only saw about a half dozen mediocre streaks in maybe 45 minutes, nothing like the amazing, unforgettable Leonid shower I saw in 2001-ish. This one likely got better but I fell asleep again.

Nearly all day long I had a bike path to follow which was nice as the traffic was heavier as I moved farther north. The scenery was really pleasant, featuring the Bitterroot Range. There were also some especially pretty horses: gray roans and paints, buckskins and more.

Horses and Bitterroots

I saw what must have been the remains of the Roaring Lion Fire, plenty of smoke patches but no flame. Glad I was able to walk right through this area.

In Hamilton a guy walked over to talk to me. It was long time smokejumper Jeff Kindermann who jumped out of Missoula. He knew I was hiking and happened to spot me. It was really fun catching up with him.

In Victor I found a cafe just 10 minutes before it closed, good thing since I’d been walking the last two hours looking for hot food. I ordered a giant burger that must have been at least 4 inches tall, pre-squishing.

It was probably the hottest feeling afternoon in a week. Dave and Marty Hade texted me saying they were in the area. They drove up to see me and we had a good break in the shade while they gave me fruit and ice water and a pastry. It was a good day for seeing old smokejumper buddies.

Late in the day I found a nice hidden camp spot in some Ponderosas. Three whitetail deer watched me and snorted for twenty minutes. I walked about 23 miles today. Colter

Clark: September 8th Sunday 1805 a Cloudy morning Set out early and proceeded on through an open vallie for 23 miles… two of our hunters came up with us at 12 oClock with an Elk, & Buck—the wind from the N. W. & Cold. The foot of the Snow mountains approach the River on the left Side. Some Snow on The mountain to the right also proceeded on down the Vallie which is pore Stoney land and encamped on the right Side of the river a hard rain all the evening we are all Cold and wet. on this part of the river on the head of Clarks River I observe great quantities of a peculiar Sort of Prickly peare grow in Clusters ovel & about the Size of a Pigions egge with Strong Thorns which is So birded as to draw the Pear from the Cluster after penetrateing our feet. Drewyer killed a Deer. I killed a prarie fowl we found 2 mears and a Colt the mears were lame, we ventered to let our late purchase of horses loose to night

Trip overview and route map with position updates:

https://bucktrack.com/Lewis_and_Clark_Trail.html

Darby, Montana

August 13, 2016 / Bruce "Buck" Nelson / 0 Comments

August 12, Day 142

It was another pleasant, cool morning, and a nice walk between the Bitterroot Mountains and the river.

Trapper Peak was especially impressive, the highest mountain of the range.

Trapper Peak

I stopped at a restaurant in Darby, with a very cheerful waitress. I had a Taco salad and she filled my water bottles for me.

Now that I had coverage I got caught up on email and talked to an old smokejumper buddy who lives in Missoula. He’ll meet me in a day or two.

I stopped at the grocery store but with occasional cafe meals along this section I didn’t need much to supplement my small food stock. I decided to get some ice cream. I could get a half gallon of the good stuff on sale for less than a pint. I sacrificed and went with the half gallon.

Late in the day I started looking for a good camp spot where I could watch for the Perseid meteor shower. I found a hidden grassy spot between the abandoned railroad next to the river and the half abandoned frontage road I’d been walking. I didn’t set up my tent. Instead I used the bug screen to keep the few mosquitos away until the meteor show started. Colter

Clark: September 7th Satturday 1805 A Cloudy & rainie Day the greater Part of the Day dark & Drisley we proceedd on down the river thro a Vallie passed Several Small Runs on the right & 3 creeks on the left The Vallie from 1 to 2 miles wide the Snow top mountains to our left, open hilley Countrey on the right. Saw 2 horses left by the Indians Those horses were as wild a Elk. One of our hunters Came up this morning without his horse, in the course of the night the horse broke loose & Cleared out—we did not make Camp untill dark, for the want of a good place, one of our hunters did not join us this evening. he haveing killed an elk packed his horses & could not overtake us.

Trip overview and route map with position updates:

https://bucktrack.com/Lewis_and_Clark_Trail.html

Lost Trail Pass

August 12, 2016 / Bruce "Buck" Nelson / 0 Comments

August 11, Day 141, Mile 2578

I slept great. Griff was up making coffee as I packed up my tent. After granola and yogurt and a nectarine we drove back to where Griff had picked me up.

I thanked Griff for the food and making the drive. It sure has been fun hanging out with him.

Me and Griffs Camper

It was a nearly ideal morning for hiking over the Pass: few cars, a reasonable grade, and very cool temps. On Lemhi Pass, the Corps of Discovery had horses and an easy trail, here they had a brutal time of it and I had an easy road.

At the top, Lost Trail Pass, three timelines of my life converged: 1998 when we jumped a fire on the Idaho side just before I broke my leg in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, 2008 when I stood here to hitch into Salmon for Continental Divide Trail supplies, and now on this pretty morning.

After a good break at a picnic table I began the steady 7 mile descent into the Bitterroot Valley along the headwaters of the river of the same name. I stopped at the store at Sula.

“Are you a hiker?” The lady at the register asked. “Do you have a package?” I realized she thought I was a Continental a Divide Trail hiker. Many mail supply packages here.

I was going to get some hot food and use the WIFI. Neither were available. With no cell phone coverage in the last couple of days I was hoping to use the WIFI. I did get some cold food and had a shady break so it was a good stop anyway.

This was the area known as Ross’s Hole and the place L&C got more horses from the Salish or Flatheads.

I put in 25 miles, and then two more miles to find a good camp spot, which turned out to be a grassy spot next to an abandoned spur road hidden by trees. I wrote up a journal entry but still have no way to send it.

It was a good day. It seems strange to be back in Montana, but I’m still in the Columbia watershed. Colter

[see also my earlier post today https://bucktrack.com/lewis-and-clark-trail/north-fork-of-the-salmon/]

Clark: September 2nd Monday 1805… at 8 miles left the roade on which we were pursuing and which leads over to the Missouri; and proceeded up a West fork without a roade proceded on thro thickets in which we were obliged to Cut a road, over rockey hill Sides where our horses were in pitial danger of Slipping to Ther certain distruction & up & Down Steep hills, where Several horses fell, Some turned over, and others Sliped down Steep hill Sides, one horse Crippeled & 2 gave out. with the greatest dificuelty risque &c. we made five miles & Encamped on The left Side of the Creek in a Small Stoney bottom after night Some time before the rear Came up, one Load left, about 2 miles back, the horse on which it was Carried Crippled…

Clark: September 4th Wednesday 1805 a verry cold morning every thing wet and frosed, we detained untill 8 oClock to thaw the covering for the baggage &c. &c. groun covered with Snow… prosued our Course down the Creek to the forks about 5 miles where we met a part of the Flat head nation of 33 Lodges about 80 men 400 Total and at least 500 horses, those people recved us friendly, threw white robes over our Sholders & Smoked in the pipes of peace, we Encamped with them & found them friendly… I was the first white man who ever wer on the waters of this river.

Clark: September 5th Thursday 1805 a Cloudy morning we assembled the Chiefs & warriers… and requsted to purchase & exchange a fiew horses with them, in the Course of the day I purchased 11 horses & exchanged 7 for which we gave a fiew articles of merchendize. those people possess ellegant horses.—we made 4 Chiefs whome we gave meadels & a few Small articles…

Trip overview and route map with position updates:

https://bucktrack.com/Lewis_and_Clark_Trail.html

Bitterroot Valley

Darby, Montana

Lost Trail Pass

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