A New Start: The Bitter and the Sweet

We now are finishing up our time in the Jackson Hole area, and it  has been a bittersweet time of joy and loss.

The bitter? There is always the thoughts of David and the ache of life without him...some days more intense than others. And then, last Saturday, Hannah had to put her faithful 12-year-old dog, Rajah, down. It was a hard decision, but over the past few weeks his decline was accelerating so fast that it was the only humane thing to do. I am glad we were here for her, as over the past six months she has lost a grandmother, a brother, and now a beloved pet that she rescued from the shelter, at a time when she needed the unconditional love of a new puppy to help her through a rough personal stretch.

Now the sweet: On the day that Rajah died, Matt, unbeknownst to Hannah, had scheduled an appointment at a jewelers in Idaho Falls, to order THE RING! Matt was going to tell Hannah that he had an errand to run, then later find a nice time to surprise her with flowers, a ring, and THE PROPOSAL!  But seeing that he couldn’t leave her alone that day, he wisely thought it good therapy to take her with him, and get it sized right then. He’s still keeping  it secret as to when he will actually go through the formality of giving her the ring. Nothing more said about the date and place of THE WEDDING!

The trip out here was hard: had the motor home in the shop three times, twice for engine work that still has not fixed the problem of cutting out during acceleration...and another to replace all six tires after one blew out and we discovered that the others, because of dry rot, would probably go that way too.

We have been camped at a nice campground over “the hill”, ie Teton Pass, in Victor, Idaho. During our first two days, we had a visit with Friends, Dave and Virginia Wood, who were on their way to Dayton after a two-year stint serving as a Friends in Residence at a Quaker hospitality house in Oahu, Hawaii.

Then we met up with Jim’s high school friend, Jerry Boling, and his wife, Pat, from Alabama, who are on a 12-week road trip throughout the West. And this past weekend, we attended the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival, a three-day bacchanal of music and spirits of all kinds. It's the same resort where we skied the first three winters of our retirement. It was great to coordinate this trip with the festival, because our favorite band, Donna the Buffalo, played both nights, and we boogied along with other members of “The Herd.”

So far, Jim's back is holding up, but not without the help of some powerful NSAIDs. These, along with the steroid shot he had before we left, will hopefully do the trick as we don our packs for the next phase of our journey:  three weeks in Alaska.  We fly out on Thursay to Ketchikan, where we begin our tour of the Inner Passage, via the Alaska Marine Highway (aka the Alaska state ferries). I hope to keep updates on this blog along the way, so more later!

On our way out, we stopped in Eldon, Iowa, the site of the house that Grant Woods used in his famous painting, "American Gothic." The visitor center provides replica clothing to recreate the most recognized painting in the world, after the "Mona Lisa."

On a hike from the campground up to Palmer Mountain.

Hiking with Virginia and Dave Woods. Wyoming's state flower, Indian Paintbrush, is in the foreground.

Here we are, part of  "The Herd," at the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Fest.

Hannah joined us for day two of the festival.

Celebrating Jerry's birthday at the Grand Teton Brew Pub

Moonscapes and Sawtooths: Just Another Day in Idaho

Just returned from a nice four-day getaway to central Idaho. Our first destination was Craters of the Moon National Monument. Two summers ago, we had stopped in for a short visit and vowed to return someday and spend more time.

The monument is located in the Snake River Plain, which was created by a series of cataclysmic caldera-forming, super eruptions which started about 15 million years ago. In fact, the hotspot that created these eruptions is now located under the Yellowstone Caldera in Yellowstone National Park, due to the tectonic plate's drift that is moving north at the same rate that our fingernails grow...about 2 inches a year. Over the past 15,000 years, a series of Hawaiian-style eruptions filled in most of the calderas and created a surreal landscape of volcanic tubes, cinder cones, and a variety of lava flow formations. When we visited without the deep snow, we had the feeling of walking in an immense gas-fired BBQ grill!

The closest town for lodging is Arco, where we stayed for two nights. It's a town I wouldn't recommend to visit for its own sake, unless you want to stay in the first town in the world to be powered by its own nuclear reactor. In fact, the old reactor is now a museum and on the register of historic places. Didn't stop as it was closed for the winter.

Our first day at Craters, we joined a Meetup Group from Boise for a ranger-led snowshoe hike. What a nice group of people. Turns out they were staying in our motel, and they invited us over that night for a potluck dinner. (You can see photos of the day at their website: http://www.meetup.com/Boise-Trail-Heads/ and click on "past trips."

The day was snowy and windy, and the snow-covered lava formations gave a surreal look to the landscape. The hike was topped off with a trek to the top of one of the volcanoes.

Our plan for the next day at Craters was to cross country ski on the 7-mile groomed trail that in the summer is a road that takes you through the park. But the wind was fierce--too windy for me. However, Jim persevered and did the entire loop while I hung out in the visitor center and watched a movie that said the entire area is overdue for another lava-forming event. (The eruptions occur about every 2000 years, and guess what? That was 2000 years ago!)

After Craters, we drove through Ketchem (ie sun Valley), Idaho, to Stanley, Idaho, which has the frequent distinction of being the coldest spot in the Continental U.S. It's also known as the Gateway to the Sawthooth Mountains, a spectacular rocky-cragged range that visually lives up to its name. We love Stanley. During the summer, the place is busy with white water rafters taking off for trips down the Salmon River, as well as mountain bikers and hikers/backpackers. However, in the winter, lots of places close down and the population goes down to around 100. The town even has its own school--grades 1-9 with just 8 students.

What we like most about Stanley is that the residents haven't sold out to the big resort conglomerates, so it's kept that rustic mountain-town feel. As far as we could tell, all the businesses are locally owned. We stayed at one of the few motels open, The Sawtooth Motel. Loved it. A few years ago, the owners bought and restored the lodge and restaurant, which was built in the early 1930s. While our room had simple furnishings (no TV), we slept under a comfy colorful quilt and had a great view of the sunset over the Sawtooths.

We spent one full day in the area, cross country skiing a groomed area not open to snowmobilers. Although the temp hovered in the low 20s, we topped off our day with a soak in a natural hot spring. In fact, this hot spring has its own hot tub, which was really the bottom half of an ocean buoy that some enterprising soul(s) hauled in. A pipe running from the spring funneled the water into the "tub" and when it overflowed, a valve on the bottom could be opened to drain some of the excess water. When the water got too hot (110 degrees maybe?), two buckets could be used to scoop up water from the icy Salmon River and pour into the tub to lower the temperature ...for a while. The soak was wonderful but of course, getting out and changing into dry clothes is the real challenge.

We took the long drive back to Jackson via the scenic St. Rt. 75 from Stanley to Challis, then dropping back down to Arco and Jackson. After Arco, the roads got really trecherous, with strong winds and whiteout conditions. Jim did great, relying on his 20+ years of professional driving experience to get us back safely.

We are now back in Jackson, winding down our third winter here. We should get a few more days of skiing in before heading back to Ohio in about a week. See you then!

Arco's Claim to Fame


Lava-Formation in Craters of the Moon


Jim and the Boise Snowshoe Meetup Group


Connie Showshoeing with Lava Cone in Background


The Sawtooth Hotel


Sawtooth Hotel's Dining Room--Real Cozy


Sawtooth Scene from Cross Country Ski Trail


Hot-tubing Along the Salmon River

Winter in Wyoming 2011

Arrived in Victor, Idaho, (a stone's throw over Teton Pass from Jackson, Wyoming) on January 13 after a thankfully uneventful three-day drive from Ohio. This winter we have been fortunate to have several nice housing options, the first being a sweet condo owned by friends Cheri and Tom Stevens. They graciously offered the use of their condo until they arrive from upstate New York, which was yesterday.

Last week, we transitioned to Jackson, where we are house sitting next door to Hannah for the month of February. We really enjoy being close by, and cooking dinners together almost every night. Hannah’s turned into quite the cook (but not due to my influence!). And, her emphasis on healthy eating and organic foods is making us more aware of what we’re putting in our mouths as well as our eating patterns. Hope we can carry it on when we leave here.

This winter has proven to be colder and snowier than last year, which I understand Ohio experienced as well. Our first day at Grand Targhee came with a foot of fluffy powder. Matt fixed Jim up with some more mellow skis, with the idea that this year he will behave himself and stay on the groomers and hopefully avoid blowing out his other knee!

Matt also fixed me up with another set of skis that are "less aggressive," which is a nice way of saying they are more geared for my level of skiing. They are lighter and more flexible, so turns and edging should be easier. However, I made the mistake of requesting they be tuned and waxed before I tried them out. Little did I know that this would cause them to be much faster. Combine that with the unusually icy conditions my first time on those skis, and it was a crazy run down. Not a pretty sight, but I did manage to get down in one piece.

The colder temps and deep snow offer some great cross country ski conditions as well. One outing was at Harriman State Park, which is known for the Trumpeter Swans that winter over there every year. This is due to the fact that the Clark Fork River, fed by hot springs, stays open all winter.

We have had a cow moose and her calf hanging out for several days in the housing complex where we're staying. They like nibbling on the young trees and bushes. Both are not very big so the mom must be young. We became quite attached to them. But then, yesterday, driving back from Targhee, we drove by a dead moose that had been hit by a vehicle about 5 miles from our place. It was a small one. Sure hope it wasn't one of our guys.

I am including several photos highlighting our time here. We plan on heading back to Ohio sometime during the first week of March.

The Grand, Middle, and South Teton on drive up to Grand Targhee Ski Resort

Trumpter Swans at Harriman State Park

Momma moose and her yearling calf hanging out around our place

View of the Tetons from bike path near Hannah's


Sunrise as seen from our sliding glass doors


Sunset over the Tetons

Trout Fishing in the Bitterroots

Less than two weeks to go here at Ninemile, then we head for home.

One of our biggest adventures was a two-night backpack trip to Dalton Lake, which was highly recommended because of its ease in catching cutthroat trout. The lake is one of three along a portion of the Stateline Trail, which, true to its name, traverses along the ridge tops of the Bitterroot Mountains, with spectacular views of Idaho to the west and Montana to the east. It's also part of a proposed wilderness area called The Great Burn, an area where the nation's largest firestorm roared through in 1910.

I had some trepidation about taking this on, as it has been three years since we’ve donned backpacks. But my biggest concern centered around encountering creatures of the Ursus variety, as in ursus americanus and Ursus arctos horribilis,(otherwise known as the black bear and grizzly bear). I don’t think my fear was entirely unfounded: this summer, there was the fatal grizzly rampage at a Yellowstone-area campground and the Glacier episode where Jack Hanna pepper sprayed a charging grizzly.

But closer to here, there’s been more black bear encounters, and they’ve occurred when a camper is most vulnerable: asleep in a tent. While there have been no fatalities, one camper’s ear was chewed on, requiring over 40 stitches to set things straight.

Nevertheless, we set out on a beautiful bluebird-sky day. The trail into Dalton is about 7 miles, and includes several steep climbs (something I wasn’t prepared for. When trekking along ridgetops, one would expect level ground, right?? Not!) But the most difficult section was the hike down into the lake itself, which required an 800-foot descent in about 3/4 mile. In other words: steep! Of course, this meant we would have to do this trail in reverse on our way out, (bad mental picture).The descent was not without its rewards as we passed through large swaths of bright pink fireweed.

Once we got down, it was indeed a beautiful spot. The lake is bordered by a high glacial cirque on one end, a steep rocky slope plunging down to the water’s edge on another, and a nice rock outcropping on the side where we set up camp. And because the lake is remote and not fished out, the fish starting biting as soon as we “wet our lines.” Jim fulfilled his wish to have a fresh-caught trout dinner, cooked over a campfire.

Besides the cutthroat trout, the only other wild critters we encountered were mountain goats. Watching them skitter easily along precipitous rock ledges is an awesome sight. We also assume that the stomping sound we heard around our tent at night belonged to some type of hoofed animal, either a goat, deer, or moose. (While the sounds did evoke some anxiety on my part, we surmised that a bear would make a “thrashing, grunting-in-the-brush" type noise. At least, that’s what I told myself so I could get some semblance of sleep.)

The hike out was just as pretty as the hike in (made it to the top of the ridge over Dalton in about an hour), and got a closer look at a mountain goat ram up ahead on the trail. Once back to civilization we stopped at our favorite Huckleberry ice cream shop in Superior.

The huckleberries are indeed ripe, along with the service and choke berries, preferred bear food. Perhaps that’s why PBR (the name we have bestowed on what we assume is the same bear who raided our beer when we first arrived) has been hanging around, along with her two yearling cubs. But so far, she’s been a good bear, engaging only in bear-type behavior (no more beer for her!). Other critters around our Camp have been wild turkey, deer, and elk. We also had a moose wander into a campsite along the Lochsa River, where we spent a night at Jerry Johnson Hotsprings.

Well, this might be my last post from Montana. This weekend is the Rootfest in Missoula, and before we leave, we hope to bicycle the Hiawatha Trail, which is actually an old railroad bed winding through 10 tunnels and seven high trestles in the Bitterroot Mountains.

Connie's catch of the day

Dalton Lake


View of Dalton Lake from atop ridge (our campsite was on the point)


Jim cooking over campfire


Lacey in the Bear Grass


Sunrise over Dalton Lake


Connie on hike out: Could this be a snag from the 1910 fire? Maybe.


Q: What do bears do in the woods? A: Hang out behind our campsite!


Bullwinkle pays a visit


Jim at Jerry Johnson Hotsprings (moose came by later)

Red Buses, Ghost Towns, and Fire Towers

We had a nice time with David, but his visit seemed to go by way too fast. He flew in on Saturday, July 18. On Sunday, we headed off to Glacier National Park. It’s a beautiful drive up around Flathead Lake, which is now in the throes of cherry season. Roadside stands are everywhere, and being the cherry fan that I am, we couldn't resist stopping for the fresh picked delicacies. We stayed for three nights in Hungry Horse, which got his name back in 1900 when a horse wandered off and came back hungry.

To fulfill Jim’s never-ending, yet unfulfilled, quest for a fresh trout dinner, our first day in Glacier was spent in the Two Medicine area. While I enjoyed walking Lacey around the campground and enjoying the views from the picnic area , Jim and David hiked in about a mile to wet their lines in the lake. But not even a nibble did they enjoy. Nevertheless, the area’s scenery was reward enough for their effort.

On Tuesday, we took the Jammer Red Bus Tour in the park. The vintage red buses were built in the 1930s, and were the primary way tourists visited the park. Their unique name comes from the old days when drivers could be heard "jammin" on the gears of the bright red buses as they drove up and down the steep mountain grades. The vehicles run on both gasoline and propane and include canvas tops that are rolled back. While this feature allows spectacular views of the peaks and cliffs towering over your head, it also provides quite a cold ride. Ours was the “Crown of the Continent Tour,” which took us from the park’s west side, up the precipitous Going- to-the-Sun-Road to Logan Pass, which sits on the continental divide. After a brief stop there, we headed down the park’s eastern side to St. Mary’s and Many Glacier.

While The tour was nice, I would categorize it as a “Been There, Done That” experience. My biggest gripe is that, there was no time to spend at any one spot. For example, at Many Glacier, there was only time to have lunch (which was tasty) at the historic lodge, but no time to sit on the lodge’s expansive porch and enjoy the magnificent views of Swiftcurrent lake and the surrounding lofty peaks. The ride also was a real tease for hiking: I really wanted to get out and hike some of the places we visited.

On our way back to Ninemeile on Wednesday, we stopped at Garnet Ghost town. While Montana is known for its many ghost towns, Garnet is one of the more isolated and non-commercial. In fact, the management approach of the Bureau of Land Management is to preserve what’s there, not restore. Compared to some of the restored historical sites we’ve visited, I think this approach provides a more authentic experience. The town was founded in the late 1800s after a gold strike and by 1898, over 1,500 people lived there. But once the gold, silver, and copper played out, only 150 people remained by 1905. By the end of WW1, it was pretty much abandoned. For those who really want a surreal experience, one of the cabins is available for nightly rental.

After David left, we had one more adventure. The Ninemeile Ranger District manages a fire look out tower that sits atop 7,349 foot Stark Mountain. For the last 39 summers, the tower has been “manned” by 83 year-old Virginia Vincent. She’s quite the character. Never married and I think never held a full-time traditional job. So, last Monday, we decided to drive the 15 miles up to the tower. We knew it would be a rough road, and in fact, I had to get out and throw larger rocks off to the side of the road several times. We had lunch at the tower, after which Virginia showed us around and how to use the Osborne Fire Finder, a type of alidade used to give a directional bearing of a fire to fire crews. She also pointed out a hike to another peak that she had taken (by herself of course) the night before.

After the hike, we proceeded back down the road and ended up in the small town Superior, where we usually stop for their delicious huckleberry ice cream cones. Upon coming out of the shop, we discovered a pool of oil under the car. Apparently, we hadn’t completely cleared every knarley rock on the road. Fortunately, we were able to make an appointment at a nearby mechanic (one of only two in the town), and rent a room in the town’s only motel. It’s a wonder that we made it back to town without blowing up the engine. I can’t image what we would have done if the oil pan had broken while we were way up on that mountain road. It would have been one heck of a long hike back to town.

Only five weeks left for our volunteer post. So much to do and see, so little time!

Going-to-the-Sun-Road


A Scene in Glacier


Stop at Many Glacier Hotel


Garnet Ghost Town


Mr. Davis's general store



A Room in Mrs. Wells's Hotel included a fainting couch for the ladies


Mrs. Wells's hotel


Virginia showing us the Osbourne fire finder


Stark Mountain Lookout Tower as viewed from a nearby peak

Blue Skies Over Montana

It’s a beautiful day in the Ninemile Neighborhood! On clear days like this, I never fail to marvel at the intensity of the Western blue sky. Apparently, the brilliant blue color is due to the very low humidity, which also helps make the upper-80 degree days still very pleasant. Night time temps have been falling into the lower 40s: perfect sleeping weather.

It’s also drying out, which now puts the fire danger from low to moderate. Yes, fire is something that is always on people’s minds out here. This year especially so as the forest service is hosting several activities commemorating the centennial of the 1910 Big Blow Up, or the "Year When the Mountains Roared."

Driven by hurricane-force winds, the Great 1910 Fire - the largest in U.S. history - incinerated more than two million acres of timberland in northern Idaho and western Montana in two terrifying days and nights. The fire storm destroyed several towns but miraculously, the death toll was limited to about 133 people.

Rather than let the loss be a total defeat, the strongly environmentally conscious President Teddy Roosevelt and the U.S. Forest Service used the hard learned lessons to strengthen the fledgling Forest Service (created just five years previous) and the National Forest System.

One of the more compelling stories from this fire is that of Ed Pulaski (a name familiar to fellow Miami Valley Outdoor Club members who have worked trail maintenance at Wildcat Hollow).

Pulaski, an Ohio native born in Greensprings, was a ranger supervising crews about five miles south of Wallace, Idaho, when the fire suddenly overwhelmed his crew in a narrow steep creek drainage. Drawing on his knowledge of the area and the dynamics of forest fires, Pulaski led his men to safety in an abandoned prospect mine that had seepage from a spring. But despite his effort to hold back the flames and smoke with hatfulls of water and wet blankets across the entrance, several supporting timbers caught fire. When one man panicked and tried to flee the mine, Pulaski pulled a gun and threatened to shoot whoever tried to leave. The men survived by lying prone on the tunnel floor, where they all became unconscious. When it was all over, five men and two horses died, but the remaining men, including Pulaski, suffered life long effects of the fire . Pulaski was blind for several months afterwards.

Today, the mine entrance, now known as the Pulaski Tunnel, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes a 2-mile interpretive trail leading up to the actual mine. In hiking the trail, Jim and I got a sense of how confined the men were in the narrow and steep terrain.

Just one year after the fire, Pulaski developed the Pulaski Tool, a basic implement of not only fire control but also a tool that club members use for trail work. Little did we know that every time one of us hefted the Pulaski at Wildcat Hollow, we were in one sense part of the story of "the Great Blow Up"!

Other trips we've taken on our days off include a 3-day getaway to Cook City, Montana, driving over the Beartooth Pass (whose elevation tops out at 10,974 feet) and into Yellowstone National Park, along with some day hikes in the Bitterroots.

We are looking forward to David flying in tonight. We will be leaving for Glacier National Park tomorrow for a few days. Grateful and thankful that life is good right now. More later!

The Pulaski Tunnel where 45 men retreated in the 1910 Great Burn


Pulaski Tool


Traces of old mining activity along the Pulaski Tunnel Trail


Scenes from top of Beartooth Pass




A scene along Big Creek in the Bitterroots

On the Trail of Lewis and Clark

Now that the weather has improved, with more sun and warmer temps, we’ve been able to get out more and explore the area’s mountains and trails.

One day, we took a drive along route 12, south of Missoula, called the Lolo Trail, the same trail that the Lewis and Clark expedition took over the Bitterroot Mountains, which nearly did them in when they encountered early deep snow, hunger, and dangerous mountain terrain. They were even reduced to eating a few of their colts in order to survive.

Of course, our trip didn't involve such hardship. Instead, we enjoyed a warm soak in the Jerry Johnson hot springs, one of the many noncommercial hotsprings that dot the area. Getting there required a 1 ½ mile hike along the Lochsa River. Seeing that the day was gray and rainy, soaking in the natural hotsprings felt really good. The hotsprings include three pools and on the way in, we encountered a young couple enjoying the first one “au naturale,” apparently not an usual sight according to the locals. As you can see in the picture, we didn’t feel comfortable exposing bodies in which gravity has taken a heavy toll over the years.

That day, we also held true to our eternal quest to seek out the big trees, which we found at the DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove. Named for Bernard DeVoto, a conservationist and Lewis and Clark historian, the grove features beautiful western red cedars where DeVoto edited the Lewis and Clark journals. These massive trees can live up to 3,000 years.

Another activity that we’re enjoying is fishing in the mountain lakes, many of which require a long (1 to 2 hour drive!) over unpaved Forest Service roads. Since we don’t have a 4-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicle, this often requires my getting out and throwing rocks over to side of the road in order to continue on.

Surveyor Lake also involved hiking 2 miles up a steep and dense, unmaintained trail. The entire time I was worried about bears, so Jim and I drew on our repertoire of trail songs (this time, an endless loop of improvised refrains from “She’ll be coming 'round the mountain") so as not to surprise an unsuspecting bear. But once we got to the lake, we felt better and spent the afternoon trying to hook some brook trout, to no avail. About the only thing we hooked was our tangled fishing line, and spent the majority of time trying to get untangled, apparently a major component of alpine fishing.

Two sister lakes we fished, Diamond and Cliff Lakes, were at higher elevation and still had ice chunks floating on the surface. Although we didn’t catch any fish, we were treated to the sight of an osprey swooping down and catching one in its talons. If just one fish were to be caught that day, I’m glad it was the osprey's.

Jim's rehab is progressing well, and hiking seems to really help. We've taken two nice hikes, one an 8-mile round trip up to Ch-paa-qn peak, at around 8,000 feet, the highest peak in the Ninemile Ranger District, and another along Kootenai Creek in the Bitterroots. We also enjoy a little 1 1/2 mile nature trail right by our RV site where we walk the dog every night.

Yesterday, everyone was in a twitter as a grizzly boar was sighted just two miles from here, a rare sighting for this area. So now, we carry our bear spray with us whenever we are out hiking.

Work at the Visitor Center is pretty laid back, and we have time to spend visiting with the resident mules and horses. One of the "retired" mules, Sue Ellen, who is an amazing 37 years old, has won our hearts, and we bring her a carrot everyday we "work."

Well, all for now. Hope everyone is having a great summer.

Western Red Cedars in the Devoto Grove


Connie soaking in one of the Jerry Johnson hot spring pools


An alpine lake with clouds


Cliff Lake


Sue Ellen