Montana Headwall

MAY–JULY 2009 $4.95

montanaheadwall.com

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trailheadmontana.net | 221 E. Front St. Missoula | 406. 543.6966

WESTERN MONTANA'S

PREMIER SPECIALTY

OUTDOOR GEAR STORE

WESTERN MONTANA'S

PREMIER SPECIALTY

OUTDOOR GEAR STORE

INSIDE Contributors 6Those who make it possible

On Belay 8Happiness is…an inaugural issue

Head Lines 10Montucky landminesSuper time for SuperTagsA Shadow no longerWater legislation wrap-upSuburban wolves

Head Light 24Lighten up, point-and-shooters

Head Shots 26Our readers’ best pix

Wild Things 34Bearing down on anal plugs

Grub 36Snagging the delectable dinosaur

Getaway 38The Yaak Valley

Calendar 48Get your race on

Head Gear 50Field testing the best ultralight shelters

The Crux 58Pursuing fungus, drawing fire

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The Bitterroots attract serious attention–and the masses

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44

Hike-a-biking the crest of the Whitefish Range

Bearing north to WatertonLakes National Park

Cover: Katie Goins, embracing Bitterroot granite.

� Chad Harder

16

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matt GibsonGENERAL MANAGER Lynne FolandMANAGING EDITOR Chad HarderADVERTISING DIRECTOR Peter KearnsPRODUCTION DIRECTOR Joe WestonCIRCULATION MANAGER Adrian Vatoussis

CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Frank, Skylar BrowningCOPY EDITOR Amy LinnART DIRECTOR Kou MouaPRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Jenn Stewart, Jonathan MarquisADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Carolyn Bartlett, Tami Johnson, Steven Kirst,

Chris Melton, Miriam Mick, Hannah Smith, Scott WoodallFRONT DESK Lorie Rustvold

Please recycle this magazine317 S. Orange St.• Missoula, MT 59801

406-543-6609 • Fax 406-543-4367www.montanaheadwall.com

Ari LeVaux LeVaux writes “Flash in the Pan,” a syndicatedweekly food column that has appeared in more than 500 newspapers. As a formerinstructor at the University of Montana inMissoula, LeVaux led student groups to Brazil,Bhutan, and Cuba to study agriculture andfood. An avid hunter, skier and hiker, he excelsat camp cooking, although he admits hisfavorite food is fake mayo.

Brianna RandallRandall works as water policy director and lob-byist for the Clark Fork Coalition. When she’snot navigating the eddies of Montana waterlaw, Randall can be found hiking, snowboard-ing, mountain biking, dancing, yoga-ing andsailing on Flathead Lake.

Aaron TeasdaleFrom the Andes to Africa to the wilds ofMontana, writer/photographer Teasdale is hap-piest in the globe’s woolier corners. His story“Across Masaai Land” was awarded the BestAdventure Travel Article of 2008 by the Society ofAmerican Travel Writers, and his work hasappeared in Audubon, National GeographicAdventure, Backcountry, Bike, Mountain Gazette,and others. He lives on Missoula’s Northsidewith his wife and two boys.

Greg KeelerKeeler has taught English at Montana StateUniversity in Bozeman since 1975. He has pub-lished two memoirs, Waltzing With the Captain:Remembering Richard Brautigan and Trash Fish: aLife. Almost Happy, his latest of seven collectionsof poetry, will appear this spring. He illustratedJim Harrison’s chapbook, Livingston Suite, andNPR’s Car Talk aired his song “WD-40 Polka.”

Montana Headwall is a registered trademark of Independent Publishing, Inc. Copyright 2009 byIndependent Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or in part is forbidden exceptby permission of Independent Publishing, Inc. Views expressed herein are those of the authorsexclusively. Are we having fun yet?

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Montana Headwall Page 6 May–July 2009

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llow me to offer thefirst testimonial forMontana Headwall:This magazinemakes my life happi-

er. Anything that steels meagainst the seductions of Wiigolf and encourages me tostretch my legs outside earnshigh marks, and on that score,Headwall’s a big winner. Theexcitement of planning itslaunch, sifting through thestory ideas, talking adventureand imagining all the fun Icould be having primed me toski more than 20 days this win-ter, about five times more thanusual (and far more than I’vemanaged before). At age 42,I’m skiing stronger and havingmore fun than ever. And that’sa great feeling.

We want Headwall to do thesame for you. We’ve tried tocreate a magazine that embracesMontana’s myriad opportuni-ties for outdoor adventure withso much enthusiasm, friendli-ness and style, it will inspireyou to get out more often anddiscover new pleasures rightout your back door.

Our mindset is inclusive.Whether it happens on a

mountain, in the woods or onthe water, as long as it lookslike fun we’ll lap it up likedeer at a salt lick. Campersand climbers, hikers andhunters, bicyclists and baitfishermen alike will find kin-dred spirits in Headwall. Evencouch potatoes should get arise out of it, what with thebreathtaking photography,snappy writing and all.

Turn the pages and see foryourself. If we’re getting itright, you should feel the urgeto go play outside. That wouldmake us very happy. And ifyou act on that urge even afew times…well, wouldn’t thatmake you even happier?

Bear in mind that you’renot just readers of Headwall,you’re the subjects. So keep usup to date on your adventuresat [email protected]. Tell us what you’redoing and feel free to offer sug-gestions. You’ll see a secondissue in August. In the mean-time, enjoy this inaugural edi-tion of Montana Headwall. Thenmosey outdoors for some fun—as often as you possibly can.

Matt GibsonEditor-In-Chief

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ne minute you’re strolling in the morning sun, hop-scotching through the mud and dog poop on theRattlesnake’s Woods Gulch trail, the next you’re

down on soggy knee, cradling your dog’s head and wonderingWTF is up with this heavy wire contraption slowly pinchingyour pet’s trachea into her spine.

Fifi has just jammed her face into a Conibear trap, and yourimmediate priority is to save her life. But unless you’ve come pre-pared—with a Sawzall, a powergrinder or at the very least anunderstanding of how these“instant kill” traps work—yourefforts will likely be futile.

Unlike their leg-holdbrethren, which simply clamp apaw, Conibear traps are designedto kill quickly by suffocation.And this they do, very efficiently.

Montana’s Fish, Wildlife &Parks gives permits to about3,000 trappers annually, andeach permitee can legally set anunlimited number of traps onnearly all of our state’s publicland. This has responsiblerecreationalists arming them-selves with the knowledge andskills necessary to quicklyextract their canine campanionwhen she becomes a trapper’s“incidental take.”

But if attempting to freeyour pet from a snare has your

moral compass pointing in the direction of vengeful rage, take amoment to consider the law. Your good ol’ state governmenthas not only made it “unlawful to destroy, disturb or removeany trap, snare or trapped wildlife,” but also bans you from pre-emptively triggering a trap—even if your goal is to preventinjury to nearby humans, pets or wildlife.

So treat the snare with care. And if your dog gets snared,use mechanical reasoning rather than fury. It’s far more likely

to release Fifi from the device’s tighten-ing grip. Further, when walking yourdog on public land, you’ll always wantto carry a sturdy leash, bootlace, belt orrope, which can give you the leveragenecessary to compress the springs quick-ly. Study the following illustration, andlearn the procedure before you head out.With only a few minutes until she goeslimp, time is not on your side.

Chad Harder

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1. Start the extraction by covering the dog’s headwith your jacket. This can reduce bites and helpcalm her down.

2. Identify the trap’s orientation. If necessary, twistthe pinching jaws away from her throat andonto her skull.

3. Now, the hard part. Conibear traps don’t relaxeasily, and most trappers use a tool to openthem. So pull out your belt, a rope or her leash,and thread it through both side rings.

4. Loop the cord back through the closer ring,and step on the far end of the cord. Pullvigorously on the nearby end until thesprings begin to compress.

5. Once the jaws are close together, grabthem and hold them together, hookingthe safety lock before repeating thesesteps on the other side.

6. Pet the dog enthusiastically before disposing of the trap with understandablefury.

CONIBEAR TRAPS

The Montucky Landmine

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Illustrations by Rob Rusignola


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Chad DeVall in theBitterroot Valley

Photo by: “Photo John”

Chad DeVall in theBitterroot Valley

Photo by: “Photo John”


HUNTING

Take yer shotHey hunters, seeking something a little more

horny? The rut may still be a long way off, butfor those of you longing for something more thana full freezer this fall, now is the time to sign upfor the annual Montana SuperTag drawing. Thislottery-style license allows you to hunt anywherein the state, even in the famed “trophy districts”where big racks (but few hunters) roam. You’vegot until July 2 to purchase SuperTags for moose,sheep and goats. The deadline for deer, elk, ante-lope, bison and mountain lions is July 30. Go tofwp.mt.gov for more details.

BY THE NUMBERS

5: Dollars a SuperTag entry will set you back

7: Montanans among the eight 2008 winners

$256,595: Amount generated by SuperTag sales in 2008

50: Chances purchased by 2008 winner Aaron Franz of Sidney to snag a single goat tag

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� Chad Harder


No shortcuts

EEaatt iitt .. DDrriinnkk iitt ..LLiivvee iitt ..••WWiinnnniinngg sseelleeccttiioonnss ooff wwiinnee && bbeeeerr ••BBlluuee rriibbbboonn ddeellii••HHaarrdd--ttoo--ffiinndd ggrroocceerriieess••SSuuppeerr ccooffffeeee••FFiinnee cciiggaarrss••SSeerrvviiccee tthhaatt ssaayyss hheellll yyeess!!

MMoonn -- TThhuurrss 88 AAMM ttoo 1100 PPMM •• FFrrii && SSaatt 88 AAMM ttoo 11 11 PPMM •• SSuunn 99 AAMM ttoo 99 PPMM554499.. 11229933 •• wwoorrddeennss..ccoomm •• DDoowwnnttoowwnn MMiissssoouullaa,, CCoorrnneerr HHiiggggiinnss && SSpprruuccee •• EEssttaabblliisshheedd 11889900

OBITUARY

Shadow laid to restBeloved mountain dog Shadow

returned to nature’s bosom on March 4,2009, after a quiet ceremony in the back-yard garden of longtime companion RyanShaffer.

The mostly-Malamute mixed-breed,affectionately known by many inMissoula’s outdoor community as theShadow Princess, spent much of her lifehiking, hunting and otherwise running atlarge.

Her wild and suspicious grin was asfamiliar to backcountry travelers as itwas in the Missoula potluck scene. Aquiet nature belied an aggressive stylethat regularly left other dogs in the dust,and she never shied away from a goodline.

Originally from Eagle, Colo., Shadowspent time in Vail before transitioninginto a communal and rec-centric home inMissoula. Not one to wait for a human’sconsent, Shadow excused herself from theclaustrophobic confines of home at everyopportunity. She was not unknown toMissoula Animal Control.

By all accounts an alpha female andlikely a wolf hybrid, Shadow would

� Chad Harder


commonly instigate the canine choir, herlong and mournful howls nearly indis-tinguishable from those of her ancestors.

Loved by many, Shadow neverthelessdisplayed no tolerance for “yipperdogs,” and more than once her ownerwas called upon to cover the vet bills oflesser, thinner-skinned canines. She fur-ther impressed her wild lineage upon anumber of elk calves and fawns, and itwasn’t until the second decade of her lifethat, after being slowed by a stroke, shefinally stopped enforcing the rules of thepack with an iron paw.

Shadow is survived by packmatesCallie and Huck. Her presence is widelymissed.

Chad Harder

UNDER THE BRIDGE

Water laws flowWhenever debates about rivers and

property rights surface together,Montanans have found the confluence tobe mighty turbulent. The 2009 state leg-islative session was no exception.Legislators arrived eager to makewaves—and floated more than 100

water-related bills—but only a few meas-ures made it through the Capitol’s end-less eddies and became law.

River lovers made a big splash withthe Big Sky Rivers Act, an effort to createstreamside setbacks for new buildingsalong Montana’s “Big 10” rivers, includ-ing the Clark Fork, Blackfoot, Bitterrootand Flathead. After a hearing full of heat-ed testimony from river rats, conservationgroups, state agencies, property owners,and businesses, the bill dried up and diedalong party lines in the House LocalGovernment Committee, effectively mov-ing the issue back to cities and counties.

Other legislation fared better. HB 190sailed through both houses on a wave ofsupport, clarifying laws for floaters andanglers who access public waterwaysfrom county roads and bridges while pro-tecting the rights of riverside landowners.

Our favorite local rivers will runcleaner and clearer thanks to SB 200, a billbanning the sale of phosphate-containingcleaning products in the Clark Fork Riverbasin. This preemptive and cost-effectiveeffort reduces nutrient pollution—one ofMontana’s main sources of poor waterquality—and should slow the growth ofthat all-too-familiar slimy green algae.

The Montana Aquatic Invasive SpeciesAct combats the impending tide of non-native aquatic species—namely zebra andquagga mussels—by creating boat check-points and wash stations in heavy-useareas. These little exotics devastate lakesand their associated water-dependenteconomies by fouling boat motors, disrupt-ing lake ecology, and clogging dams andirrigation infrastructure. Quaggas havealready muscled their way into Nevada,and zebras are bottlenecking mighty closeto Montana’s western border. The act willhelp the state in its upstream battle to pre-vent the invaders from establishing theirown lakeside residence in Montana.

Brianna Randall

PACKED IN

Suburban wolves On a snowy walk in late March, Rod

Dietz witnessed the stirring spectacle ofthree gray wolves stalking deer across aslope—the sort of once-in-a-lifetimeencounter with an apex predator that mighthappen in Yellowstone National Park. ButDietz hadn’t traveled any further than theresidential area of Missoula’s South Hills.

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“I’ve seen them before in trips toCanada and even here in Montana, it justmakes you really excited,” Dietz recalls.“For the next two hours, I thought aboutthose wolves, you know?”

The canids were likely membersof the Welcome Creek pack, sayswolf management specialist LizBradley of Montana Fish, Wildlife& Parks (FWP). “They’re a packthat runs the north end of theSapphire Mountains, andthey’ve been found in theMiller Creek areabefore,” she says.

Bradley callsDietz’s report a

classic, and one of a rising number ofwolf sightings in Missoula neighbor-hoods like the Rattlesnake, PatteeCanyon, South Hills and Miller Creek.

The 66-year-old Dietz, an avidoutdoorsman, wants wolvesaround “But I don’t want to seetheir population get so greatthat there becomes a fear fac-tor among the general popu-

lation,” he says.It might be too late.

At the end of last year,at least 497 wolves

in 84 packsroamed

Montana, an 18 percent increase over2007. At least 23 packs straddle theMontana-Idaho border.

“Wolves have this uncanny ability tofind other wolves, and to just hook up ina vacant spot and start a new pack,” saysCarolyn Sime, wolf coordinator for FWP.

But as wolves disperse, clashes withlivestock increase. In 2008, 110 wolves inMontana—and eight entire packs—werekilled after chronic conflicts.

Despite the lethal control actions,“The population still grew, the popula-tion is still secure,” says Sime. “I think alot of what we’re learning and seeing iswolves are just a very, very dynamicanimal.”

That resiliency is, in part, why stateofficials pushed to remove wolves fromthe endangered species list. Hunts inMontana and Idaho could begin this fall,unless environmental groups halt delist-ing in court. They argue hunting couldremove 1,000 wolves from the NorthernRockies.

No chance, says Ed Bangs, wolf coor-dinator for the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService. The environmentalists, he says,are just “crying wolf.”

Matthew Frank

by Chad Harder

uman feet rarely stand atop Sky Pilot.With seven miles of canyon and nearly 5,000 vertical feet separat-

ing the summit from its closest trailhead, the 8,792-foot peakreceives little attention. But from the ridge between Bear and Sweathousecreeks—a popular Bitterroot backcountry powder stash—Sky Pilotstands out as the hulking hunk of granite to the west. Backcountry skiersregularly ogle its plush north-facing bowl, but the cliffed-out eastern facecomes off more like a BASE jumping perch than a descent route. It’s pos-sible that rock climbers have scaled the steep pitch, but nobody everskied it.

H

Until March, that is, when ColinChisholm skinned up Bear Creek, picked outa narrow, barely-connected ribbon of snowand ice linking the top to the bottom,climbed it and skied the face. Solo.

“I couldn’t find anyone to go with me,”he says.

Chisholm’s inspiring first descent cer-tainly warrants attention, but it hardlystands alone. Montana’s latest crop of back-country enthusiasts are targeting theBitterroot’s steepest shots, and descentslong thought impossible are falling, one byone. Sure, small groups of talented moun-taineers have been exploring the range’sremote and challenging faces ever sinceclimbing ropes and skis first came toMontana. But lighter and better gear, com-bined with the growing wealth of routeinformation online, are finally exposing therange for what it really is: an adventurer’smountain Mecca.

“The terrain that people are now skiingin the Bitterroots is stuff that people in the’90s didn’t really think was skiable, like theeast face of El Capitan,” says Chisholm, thesecond of perhaps only two who have skied

that puckering pitch northwest of Darby.“Now all of a sudden, we’re thinking, ‘Thisis skiable!’”

Skiable to some, maybe, but not themasses. Aside from the Bitterroot’s extremeeastern fringe, the range’s terrain is notori-ously difficult to access, a factor that haslong kept all but the most committed fromeven finding— let alone ‘scending—thechallenging lines found deep in the back-country. Today, however, more and morealpinists are pushing their limits on thearea’s test pieces—steep, narrow couloirs forthe skiers, and soaring buttresses for therock climbers.

The ’Root causeThe heart of the Bitterroot lies in a tower-

ing granitic spine running 65 unbroken milesfrom Highway 12 on the north to the WestFork Road on the south, protected on allsides by the 1.3 million-acre Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. The ridge itself alignsalmost perfectly along a North-South axisand doubles as the Montana-Idaho border.From the crest, a series of rugged canyons onthe Montana flank descend directly east as

their creeks tumble toward the BitterrootRiver. From the air, it appears like a giantyard rake has etched parallel, 15-mile-longtrenches from the spine to the valley.

For trail users, the orientation of thesecanyons means it’s hard to get lost. Unlessthey’ve humped all the way to Idaho, dis-oriented hikers can always just drop backdown to the valley. But to alpinists quest-ing specific, technical objectives, the

Katie Goins keeps clipping along on the golden granite above Big Creek.

� Chad Harder

� Chad Harder

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mountain’s orientation to the sun makes allthe difference.

For instance, sun on south-facing walls—like those in Blodgett, Lost Horse and Millcreek canyons—regularly melts off enoughsnow to allow climbers a chance to workworld-class, multi-pitch granite in the heartof winter. Just across the canyon on norther-ly aspects, snow hides from the sun in shad-ed bowls and gullies well into summer, pro-viding plenty of off-season options for skierswilling to hike their turns.

Of course, the deeper options don’t gettargeted if nobody knows they’re there, andit’s likely that many aesthetic Bitterroot linesaren’t just unskied, they’re unnoticed. Mostpotential adventurers either don’t have theendurance to penetrate far enough to scopethe deep-in-there lines, or they lack the tech-nical skills (or cajones) to safely negotiate the terrain.

“The Bitterroots are just really hard toaccess. It’s not like you’re just going up to apass and going from there, because there’snot even really any roads,” says JohnLehrman, a dedicated Bitterroot skier and entrepreneur.

Skied for the first time last winter: Theeast face of El Capitan. � Colin Chisholm

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But for the committed few willing to slog uphill for the better part of a day, the payoff can be huge—thousands of vertical feet riding a blank canvas ofuntouched snow.

This “subcult of backcountry skiers,” asLehrman calls them, provides the clientelefor his new business venture, the DowningMountain Backcountry Snowsports Lodge.Positioned on private property halfway up the terrain-rich Downing Mountain,Lehrman’s lodge stands out as an anomalyin a range otherwise devoid of backcountryaccommodations. Operating out of theGrubstake Restaurant high above Hamilton,Lehrman provides customers with a steepski-in, ski-out experience, epicurean mealsand an outdoor hot tub with magnificentviews. These amenities may attract less

hardened winter travelers to the Bitterroots,encouraging them to comfortably explorethe impressive 2,500-foot bowl rising directly above the lodge. But Lehrman’squick to point out that it’s just a taste of theterrain available on the range’s moresecluded ridges and peaks.

“I’ve been to so many places in theBitterroot and been like, ‘Oh my god, I can’tbelieve this is here!” he says. “It doesn’t getbetter than this. It only gets longer. TheBitterroot is a world-class backcountry skiing destination.”

Lost and foundDan Hoffman has spent more than a

decade jamming his fists into the chossy tow-ers of the Bitterroot’s hardest and most aes-thetic walls, largely focusing his energy in therock climbing showcase of Blodgett Canyon.He may work as a mild-mannered hydrolo-gist in the horizontal world, but when thingsget vertical the 32-year-old Hoffman is wide-ly known as “Deathwish Dan.”

“It doesn’t get better than this.

It only gets longer. The Bitterroot

is a world-class backcountry

skiing destination.”

—John Lehrman

Opposite, from top:

Cragging on the Kootenai classic “Arms Race” (5.9).

Earning turns above Bass Creek.

Seth Quackenbush takes the Mountaineer’s Route (5.10c)

in Lost Horse Canyon.

� Chad Harder

� Chad Harder

� Chad Harder Montana Headwall Page 21 May–July 2009

“A lot of climbers have nicknames, youknow? Some stick, others don’t. This onestuck,” he says flatly.

It stuck for a reason: the lanky Hoffmanmoves like a spider over difficult rock, com-pleting (with climbing partner Solon Linton)an unheard of link-up, climbing Blodgett’sthree most prominent buttresses—Flathead,Shoshone and Nez Perce—in less than a day.In 2007, he spent an entire summer puttingup new routes on Nez Perce, giving him aunique and perhaps unparalleled perspec-tive of the valley.

“We spent like seven or eight weekendsup there, both days of every weekend, andover the course of the summer we saw otherclimbers maybe twice,” Hoffman says.“Most summer weekends there’s just two or three parties up there in Blodgett, andthat’s different than a lot of other areas, like Lost Horse.”

For years, the Lost Horse Creek drainageremained a sleepy canyon with expansivebut rarely-visited walls. It started gainingpopularity about a decade agoas boulderers—gymnasticclimbers interested in low-to-the-ground, dynamic moves—began testing themselves onthe high-quality erratics scat-tered about the wide valleyfloor. Climbing contests sprangup, drawing a new crop ofclimbers to the valley, includ-ing many from the Universityof Montana’s substantial wall-crawling community.

But a pair of events reallycaused the area to blow up in 2008. First,Joe Josephson’s climbing guide, Lost HorseCanyon: A Climber’s Guide to Montana’s BestClimbing and Bouldering, comprehensivelylaid out the canyon’s established routes andanchored the area on Montana’s rock climb-ing map. Soon after, the Bitterroot NationalForest proposed reopening a retired gravelpit at the base of some of the area’s premier

climbs, bringingfront-page recogni-tion to the burgeon-ing scene and effec-tively uniting the for-merly loose-knit rockjocks in opposition to the quarry.Nevertheless, theirlawsuit failed to stopthe project.

“The ForestService blew it prettyseriously on the LostHorse situation,” saysGray Thompson, anelder statesman ofMontana climbing. A prolific rocksmith,alpine mentor and recently-retired geologyprofessor at the University of Montana,Thompson has relentlessly explored the rockworld for decades, putting up his firstBitterroot ascent in 1969. Still a Missoula res-ident, the 68-year-old Thompson has

climbed “Oh, about half the days since New Year’s.”

“They just plain didn’t understand therecreational value of Lost Horse to climberswhen they pushed the quarry through,” hesays. “They’re still lost in the ‘timber beast’days, and haven’t made the transition tounderstanding that recreation value is a lotbigger today.”

Thompson’s not alone in recognizing thevalue the Bitterroots provide for hardcoreadventurers. Multiple guidebooks and anumber of magazine articles over the pastdecade have shared the range’s lesser-knownroutes with alpinists from outside the region,from Tom Toula’s Rock and Road, an encyclo-

pedic, 536-page tome of NorthAmerica’s climbing areas, to RandallGreen’s detailed Rock ClimbingMontana. However, the widespreadexposure has met resistance from anumber of locals reluctant to share“their” stash.

“There was a real anti-publicationethic for a long time,” says Rick Torre,a longtime Bitterroot climber andauthor/publisher of The BitterrootMountainbike Guidebook and TheBitterroot Climber’s Guidebook, an updat-ed version of which is scheduled for

release this summer. “People were like,‘Who’s this asshole who wants to write aclimbing guide?’”

Maybe that was once true, saysThompson, but times have changed.

“I think that ethic has largely disap-peared. If the climbing exists, you should tryto make it available to other climbers,” hesays. “But that’s the perspective of a scien-tist, to share everything you know.”

Thompson’s ethos might apply in theclimbing world, but Bitterroot skiers lag fur-ther behind on the sharing curve, and manyremain protective of the goods. Just askLehrman. He publishes an online journalcalled backcountryfocus.com, providing adetailed collection of trip reports and photo-graphs describing his Bitterroot ski outingsto remote peaks and ridges. Focusing prima-rily on terrain that’s either physically ortechnically beyond the grasp of most winteradventurers, the website could hardly becalled a guidebook for the masses.

Still, Chisholm felt betrayed when hecame across backcountryfocus.com two years ago. Here was essentially an online

“People were like,

‘Who’s this asshole who

wants to write a climbing guide?’”

—Bitterroot climber/author Rick Torre

� Chad Harder

Paul Donaldson takes the path less traveled on Canyon Peak.

Continued on page 54

� Chad Harder� Chad Harder

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Bright IdeaPhotographs don’t capture subjects, they capture

the light reflected off of subjects. And while most cam-eras provide good exposure in most situations, brilliantobjects—snowy mountains, sunshiny water, even thesun itself—sucker cameras into thinking too much lightwill pass through the lens. The camera then compen-sates, reducing the light hitting the sensor and creatingdark, dull and flat images.

Photographers with manual camera settings canbeat this easily—you just ignore the light meter andadjust the settings until the camera’s digital displaymirrors your artistic vision. But with so-called “simple”point-and-shoot cameras, the manual setting is missing,and photographers are forced to trick their camera tocreate their intended image.

How? Override your camera’s sensor by “pre-framing”

on nearby foliage, blue sky (without the sun!), even the palm of your hand. Once framed, just press theshutter button halfway down and hold it while youmove your lens toward your upcoming award-winningphoto. Press the shutter and voilà! You’ve got correctexposure—and the picture you were seeing in the firstplace.

� Chad Harder


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Chris Russell finds her wayup Mount Pollock’s “GreatCleft Route” in GlacierNational Park 1/125 sec @f/16. � Morgen Lanning

Chris Russell finds her wayup Mount Pollock’s “GreatCleft Route” in GlacierNational Park 1/125 sec @f/16. � Morgen Lanning


Kirk Baker and his passenger chutefor the ground from high above theBitterroot Range.1/1250 sec @ f/20. � Ran


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The illuminated Fusillade Mountain glacier basin silhouettes a hiker in Glacier National Park.1/250 sec @ f/8.0. � Kara McMahon

The staff of Montana Headwall knowsyou’re out there having wicked adventuresand recording your exploits photograph-ically. Problem is, even excellent imagesoften get loaded onto a hard drive andnever again see the light of day. We’reready to rectify this tragedy by dedicating a few pages of every issue to publish ourreaders’ best photos.

The rules are simple: go outside, havefun with your friends, and take a bunch ofpictures. Then send us your very best tocompete against other reader submissionsfor cool prizes like gift certificates, camerabags and gear.

Send your pix to [email protected]. Include your name, thenames of any recognizeable people in theimage and, if you’ve got it, technical infolike shutter speed and aperture. We’ll take itfrom there. But don’t delay: Get outside and start shooting today.

Summertime sunset over Sentinelas seen from Playfair Park.1/250 sec @ f/5.0. � Morgen Lanning

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ushing our bikes up the finalswitchback, wind-blasted treesand scree drop off at our side, thecleats of our cycling shoes scrap-ing across the talus. Four thousand

feet above our starting point on the valleyfloor, we finally crest the 7,822-foot MountThompson-Seton and enter a world of lim-itless blue sky, jagged mountains spillinglike the sea to every horizon. The weath-ered ruins of a fire lookout sit scatteredacross the summit like a memory. Much toour surprise, the mountaintop is furnished,and two ancient metal bed frames atop theruin invite us to recline, take in the views,and consider our predicament.

Today is the first day of a grand, three-day experiment, an attempt to carry feath-erweight camping gear on mountainbikes while linking the mountaintops ofthe 85-mile Whitefish Divide Trail. We’reheading south from our car parked nearthe Canadian border, and will loop backon day four via jeep roads lower in thevalley. Currently, we’re sprawled on thesecond highest peak in the WhitefishRange, one of northwest Montana’s moreuntamed tangles of mountain and wilder-ness. We’ve been climbing hard all day in95-degree heat, and although only 90minutes of daylight remain, we’ve justrun out of water.

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Water does not come easily on ridgelines,and before we’d headed out I’d painstaking-ly planned the trip’s water sources—primari-ly alpine lakes perched a few hundred feetbelow the divide. But today’sclimb has taken longer thanexpected, and we’re realizing we won’t reach any ofthem by sunset. We need to find water, but I’m not reallysure how.

Reluctantly peeling our-selves from the rusty and bat-tered beds, Matthew Lee, BobAllen and I clip in for a plungeoff the summit on a faint sliverof a trail before wrappingaround the headwall of analpine bowl. I stop at a switch-back to study the map, whichshows what just might be astream beginning in a crease inthe mountain below us.

“I swear I hear water running,” Bob says,motioning into the darkening forest below.As he tromps down to check, Matthew and Ilisten.

“Could just be the breeze in the trees,” Isuggest.

Then we hear a “Woo-hoo!” and Bobcalls up from the greenery, “There’s a springcoming out of the ground right down here!”And with that we are saved.

Fully loaded with water for the nightand next morning, we streak through thedimming forest, hoping to re-crest theWhitefish Divide by nightfall. Since we’re

deep in the heart of grizzly country, wework diligently to forewarn the large, toothycarnivores with a rolling chorus of calls:Matthew’s booming, owl-like “Whoop!

Whoop!”; Bob’s piercing whistle; and mysing-song-y, “No bears. Noooo bears.”

The trail is everything a wilderness trailshould be—eight to twelve inches of deli-ciously off-camber tread and dashed withnerve-tingling exposure. Between the adren-aline rush and our newfound water, we’redownright exuberant.

The sun sets, gilding the surroundingmountainsides, and we ride onward througha darkening night—whooping, whistling,and singing with increasing gusto—until wefinally gain the divide itself and make camp.

A silver moon illuminates the night aswe relax on the ridgeline after dinner, the

day’s vestigial, purplish light settling overthe black silhouettes of surrounding peaks.As stars overwhelm the sky, Bob says, “Ifpeople could have seen us today, pushing up

that mountain, they would havethought, ‘What the hell are thoseguys thinking?’

“But to be here now,” he con-tinues, as if answering a hypotheti-cal skeptic, “to be able to sleep onthis ridge under the shootingstars...” He trails off, as if that’s theanswer itself.

The last best crestTo pull off a trip of this magni-

tude, I had forced myself to choosemy gear—and partners—wisely. Tomake the effort even remotely pos-sible, we had to pack extremelylight, work well together, and beprepared for long, difficult days

without complaint. So I went with the best.Matthew Lee has twice won the Great

Divide Race, a 2,500-mile, unsupportedmountain bike contest that traverses thecountry’s spine between Mexico and Canadaalong what’s called the Great DivideMountain Bike Route. He was an obviousand beneficial addition to the team, andwhen I explained my plan he instantlyagreed to join the “bikepacking” experiment.

For further counsel I tapped into theobsessive subculture of diehard gram-coun-ters in the ultralight backpacking world—especially the eggheads extraordinaire overat Bozeman’s BackpackingLight.com. With

The trail is everything a

wilderness trail should be—eight

to twelve inches of tread, deliciously

off-camber and dashed with

nerve-tingling exposure.

A series of faint but rideable stretches linkthe cairns along one of the most spectacularstretches of ridgeline.

their advice I whittled my gear, includingrack and backpack, down to 15 pounds, inlarge part because my tent, sleeping bag andpad weighed only 4.5 pounds.

Still, a few evangelical ultralighters triedto convince me to go even lighter. “You’rebringing a sleeping bag?” one snorted,implying that I might as well toss in a brassbed frame and king-sized mattress. But Iwanted at least a modicum of comfort, and I wasn’t about to use my multi-tool as a pillow.

Now that we were light enough, we justneeded one more rider. When renownedmountain bike photographer Bob Allenagreed to join the team, we were ready to ride.

That left only one question unanswered:Where to go? Bob suggested a few ranges—the Swans, Pioneers, Centennials—but forme, there really never was any question. Ithad to be the Whitefish Range, the wild areawhere I first started mountain biking andexploring on two wheels.

The range overlooks the North Fork ofthe Flathead River Valley, a place I’d roamedregularly as a Minnesota teenager visitingmy grandparents’ cabin. Riding into themountains with little more than a map, awater bottle and a thirst for adventure, Ispent countless days over the years losingmyself on the network of fading trails. Ihave a love for the North Fork like nowhereelse, and this trip felt like a culmination, acrown jewel, but also something of afarewell.

Riding remote trails is risky for anyone,but for me, taking a hard spill can be even

more dangerous. I have an inherited bleed-ing condition that I have somehow been ableto ignore successfully during many years ofhigh-stakes riding, but now I have childrento care for and the demands of my life aremore complex. My freewheeling twenties aregone, and being bedridden with injuries isno longer an option. I’ve finally come toaccept that my days of riding these trails arenumbered and I’m determined to savorevery minute of our adventure.

Ridgetop dreaming“What a goat trail,” Matthew says the

next day, maneuvering along another crum-bling, no-fall section of crest. Sometimes welose our way completely, shouldering ourbikes to search for any sign of the trail. We’dexpected easier going atop the divide, butthe path alternately vaults or plunges, leav-ing us to muscle up and down what feelslike the very spine of the earth.

Massive wildfires in the North Fork in1910 inspired Forest Service crews to prepfor the next big one, hewing a network ofpathways through these mountains anderecting fire lookouts atop the peaks. Todaythe remnant trails are little more than roughetchings in the mountainsides—perfect forgoats and the spirits of foresters long past,but intensely challenging on bicycles. We’rerequired to use all our skill and strength tonavigate the countless mini-summits dottingthe divide.

Every 10 miles of trail brings another5,000 vertical feet of tough climbing. Thiskind of riding has always been myfavorite—rough, wild, and packed with spi-raling switchbacks—and the WhitefishDivide in particular has long lived in mydreams. But over the years I’ve only experi-enced it in bits and pieces, after hours oflung-busting climbing. Now we’re living onit, waking on it each morning and ridingalong it each day.

We have everything we need until ourthird and final breakfast, and although we’restill on top of the divide we devour our

More comfortable than they look: the rusty beds in the old lookout provide a fine spot to relax and consider the situation.



Plugging alongThe bungled truth about anal corks

ow do you prep for 131days of slumber? If you’re abear, you top off an

autumn-long binge of berries andapples with one last bedtime snackof pine needles, moss, even fur bit-ten from your own coat, effectivelycorking the colon and preventing amid-winter fouling of the den.Waking in spring, you just head outand void the blockage with extremeprejudice.

Or do you? Bear anal plugs havelong been the subject of scientificspeculation—and to a lesser extent,observation—as well as a popular fea-ture of hey-did-you-know hiker lore.Yet international bear expert ChuckJonkel isn’t entirely convinced.

“Ah, the anal plug,” he muses.“People argue about it even now.My experience is that most [hiber-nating bears] don’t have plugs, or ifthey do, it’s debris from licking andchewing in their sleep, digging a lit-tle and grooming and getting hairand dirt and such all mixed in.”

Bear in mind that this Missoula-based biologist has inspected morebutts than Sir Mix-A-Lot, and hedoubts many of the animals limitthemselves to a diet of duff beforeretiring. More commonly, he says,black and grizzly bears gradually

stop eating in the weeks beforehibernation as behavioral and physi-ological changes start preparingtheir bodies for several months ofgroggy half-wakefulness.

“You can’t be in there fidgetingand checking your watch, and so

on,” Jonkel explains. “You’d use upall your energy and die.”

As for rectal plugs, some scien-tists suggest that the bear’s lowerinnards secrete a waxy wad ofmucus, called a tappen, to aid con-stipation. Nonetheless, Jonkel

remains fairly certain anal plugs arenot universal among bears.

Pity, that. One pictures spring-time in griz country as a majorunplugging of the great ursa, arelease of chunky champagne corksamid an aromatic anal anthem.

Bear anal plugs have long

been the subject of scientific speculation—

and, to a lesser extent, observation—as well as a

popular feature of hey-did-you-know hiker lore.

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some look to fishing for its poetryin motion, for the philosophicalspeculations and harmonious

bonds it fosters between the angler andthe natural world. Others prefer a morephysical experience, one comparable to,say, a cage match with a T-Rex. If thisdescribes you, consider heading east for about with the bizarre spoonbill paddlefish.

With a shark’s body and the nose of agiant spatula, the spoonbill paddlefish,Polyodon spathula, is believed to predatedinosaurs by 50 million years. Oncewidespread, the massive and meaty fishhas since been over-harvested, and todayonly two populations remain—one inChina’s Yangtze River, the other in theMissouri River system of Montana andNorth Dakota.

While the meat is considered delicious,spoonbill eggs are even more coveted fortheir resemblance to the Caspian Sea stur-geon caviar, which at $100 or more perounce qualifies as one of the world’s mostvaluable wildlife commodities.

But Caspian Sea sturgeon numbershave plummeted 90 percent in the lastfew decades, and sturgeon advocateshave successfully redirected roe eaterstoward paddlefish eggs. Connoisseurswho’ve embraced paddlefish roe—akaYellowstone caviar—claim to suffer noloss in the quality of their delicacy.

Gabriel Kreuther, executive chef atThe Modern in New York City, is a bigfan of Yellowstone caviar. “It’spitch black,” he told

me by phone, “with a creamy feel and anutty, grassy taste. It is something good,something delicate.” A 2009 James Beardaward semi-finalist, Kreuther servesYellowstone spoonbill caviar on a cauli-flower panna cotta with cockle clamsand an orange emulsion, as well as witha tuna and scallop tartar and a salad ofceleriac, oysters and almond crème.

While not endangered like its CaspianSea brethren, the spoonbill has also suf-fered in recent decades as prime spawn-ing grounds have been erased by devel-opment and dams. Still, more than 30,000roam Montana’s river bottoms, enoughfor Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks toallow fishing from May 15 to the end ofJune, or whenever the quota is reached.

That’s not to say that landing one ofthese prehistoric monsters is easy.Regularly weighing more than 100pounds and feeding exclusively on plank-ton, spoonbills refuse lures, and even themost wiggly worm or artfully-tied flyarouse nothing in these bottom-feedingvegetarians. Paddlefish anglers insteaduse heavy-duty fishing gear to hurlweighted treble hooks acrossthe river, dragging themalong the bottomand violently

jerking their poles until they snag into afish and yard it to shore, a battle that canlast a half hour or more.

But once landed, paddlefish havebecome one of the simplest fish foranglers to process. Why? Well, nearly allof Montana’s paddlefish angling happensat the Intake Fishing Access Site north ofGlendive where representatives from theGlendive Chamber of CommerceYellowstone Caviar Project are standingby to clean and wrap your fish inexchange for its eggs. They process thecaviar (not a simple procedure) and sell itto benefit paddlefish research and conser-vation, sending anglers home with a fewdozen pounds of quality spoonbill filets.

If snagging a paddlefish sounds likeyour idea of a good time, head for theIntake Fishing Access Site. Or if you’dprefer to just taste the eggs, contact theYellowstone Caviar Project via e-mail [email protected] or call (406) 377-5601.

S

Roe your boatSnagging Montana’s delectable dinosaur

A spoonbill paddlefish,snagged at the Intake FishingAccess Site near Glendive.

� Chad Harder

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Remote possibilityThe easy pace of pleasure on the Yaak River

n a damp, gray Friday after-noon, the second day of ourcamping trip to the YaakValley, my girlfriend Renieand I sought some painless

diversion. The fishing had beenslow, and the light drizzle dousedour enthusiasm for an ambitioushike. We decided on an easy walk toVinal Lake, just a short drive northof the valley’s namesake “town.”

We strolled a quiet mile along atrail of matted pine straw beforearriving at a modest pond sitting ina shallow trough against a low,forested ridge. On a far bank, a neg-lected boat lay upside down in thebrush. Closer to us, a loon silentlycruised the dark, cold water. Wewatched it dive, then reappearunpredictably as far as 50 yardsaway. After each plunge, we wouldtry to guess where it would surfacenext. Minutes passed, and a light

rain began to fall. Renie and I hud-dled under our umbrella with ourshoulders pressed together, scanningthe water and anticipating the loon’snext emergence. Tiny ripples from

countless raindrops expanded indelicate circles across the lake. Andthe hush—not a silence, but a steadywhisper of weather—carried mythoughts away.

Such are the pleasures of theYaak, a place so splendid in its isola-

tion, the dimples of rain on an other-wise ordinary pond leave a deepimpression.

Hidden in the far northwesterncorner of Montana, the Yaak Valley

arcs through heavily timberedmountains between the PurcellRange in Canada and the CabinetMountains Wilderness near Libby.Leaving from Missoula, we spent sixleisurely hours on the road, cruisingpast Noxon before heading north

OSuch are the pleasures of the

Yaak, a place so splendid in its isolation, the

dimples of rain on an otherwise ordinarypond leave a deep impression.

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In pursuit of corpulent brook trout.� Matt Gibson


through the gorgeous Bull RiverValley on Montana Highway 56.

Lured by the promise ofgiants, we stopped along theway at the Ross Creek CedarsScenic Area for an enchantedpicnic among towering old-growth trees, some that havestood there for centuries andmeasure more than 8 feet indiameter. While any pebbleplucked absentmindedly fromthe nearby creek bed would bevastly more ancient, somethingabout the living cathedral atRoss Creek alters the perceptionof time. A day, a season, a year…what do they matter in the lifeof such titans?

After shoring up our sup-plies at Stein’s IGA in Troy, weturned right onto Highway 508,following the Yaak River norththrough a 7-mile canyon to YaakFalls, a formidable cascade adja-cent a forest service camp-ground. The pocket water of thecanyon has a reputation forgood rainbow trout fishing, butit’s a rugged walk down to thewater. Above the falls, the riverflattens out, meandering throughwillows and grassy meadows.Undercut banks supposedlyhold monster brookies, and a

tenuous population of rareColumbia River redband troutmingles with the usual mix ofcutthroat, rainbow and bulltrout.

Our first full day in the val-ley had been a sunny exemplarof late July, and we wet our linesabove town amid the shallow rif-fles of the Yaak River’s main

fork. We’d hoped the small waterwould serve up easy action onattractors, but had no luck.Wading wet, we covered about ahalf-mile of water without a

An ancient colossus towers over Ross Creek.

� Matt Gibson

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strike before giving up. We had-n’t come to work hard—for fishor otherwise—so instead of slic-ing into our store of summersausage and bagels, we headedinto town for cheeseburgers andlocal color at the notorious DirtyShame Saloon. The Dirty Shameand the Yaak Tavern—whichadjoins the camper-friendly YaakMercantile—pretty much consti-tute the whole settlement, or atleast its visible public life.

We found Dirty Shame ownerGloria Belcher working alonethat afternoon, her hands full asshe whipped up tasty fare forfive customers hungry for a latelunch. (The excellent mango salsasuggested culinary ambition thatseemed surprisingly out of place,though not at all unwelcome).Taking time for cheerful chitchat,Belcher recounted her efforts tofix up the joint after years ofbenign neglect. The recentlycompleted remodel uncovereddozens of bullet holes in thewalls, she said, pointing at thespot where she’d hung a decora-tion to conceal the hole where a

round had pierced the door leading out to the deck. The most recent target of a trigger-happy drunk was a recalcitranteight ball on the pool table, but that happened before shetook over the place, she told us.

Although the fishing neverpicked up during our three dayson the river, I finally landed ahealthy 16-inch rainbow on aStimulator, coaxing him from hishiding spot behind a boulderjust a few steps upriver from ourcampsite. It was the last eveningof our trip, and I was finally ableto provide Renie with the freshfish dinner I’d promised. Butafter landing my prize, I had anunexpected change of heart andreleased it. I don’t really knowwhat came over me, whether Idid it out of respect for this elderstatesman of the river, orbecause I’d left my manhood athome with my power tools. I justknow I shouldn’t have men-tioned it, because whatever softened my heart toward thatfish had not inspired Renie.

Yaak Falls� Matt Gibson

No, she wanted meat, andthe ribeyes from a previous nightwere long gone. Chastened, I setout again with my pole andcame back with a pathetic 8-inchdink, which I served unpersua-sively alongside pasta flavoredwith antiseptic powder from afoil packet.

Luckily for me, Renie gotover it. All it took was a little

good-natured ribbing, a rustle ofwind, the burble of the riverflowing past our campsite, andthe twinkle of a million starsabove our campfire.

“I really needed to get away,”she said.

“Is this far enough?” I asked.She didn’t really need to

answer. The treetops nodded inthe breeze.

On the wayPicnic at Ross Creek Cedars, four miles west of Highway 56,just south of Bull Lake. Huge old growth cedars, some asmuch as 500 years old and more than 8 feet in diameter,tower over a garden of ferns and wild ginger. The one-mileinterpretive trail makes for a lovely postprandial stroll.

CampingTry the Forest Servicecampgrounds at Whitetailand Pete Creek. Both offerprivate, shady sites, butWhitetail’s riverside set-ting makes it the mostdesirable. Longtime camp-ground host Joe Whitekeeps everybody honest,which we appreciatedwhen some Washingtonbikers tried to muscle in on our choice river-bank site.

Bonus prizeHighway 508 follows theYaak Valley over thePurcell Mountains to LakeKoocanusa, one of themost remote, lightly trav-eled stretches of pavement in the Lower 48. An ideal routefor cyclists looking to escape traffic, it’s also a relaxing, scenicdrive. Lingering snow typically keeps the route impassableuntil June.

Rain checkIf bad weather drenches your camp, just roll into town andorder a cozy meal at the Dirty Shame Saloon or Yaak Tavern.You can’t miss ’em as they’re pretty much the only two build-ings there. If Mother Nature throws a really violent tantrum,rent a rustic cabin at the Dirty Shame or hope for a vacancyat the well-appointed Yaak River Lodge, just a short waydown the road.

Yaak

LibbyTroy

Ross Creek Cedars

Lake Koocanusa

VinalLake

British ColumbiaMontana

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508Yaak River

Kootenai River

56�d�d2

Map by Joe Weston

Morning mist rises from the Yaak River. � Matt Gibson



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COUNTRY• Lodge open daily for breakfast,

lunch & dinner.

• 20 cabins/rooms availablefor rent.

• Located just 55 miles SWof Missoula on Hwy 12.

• Only 12 miles from Lolo Pass& 10 miles from Jerry JohnsonHot Springs!

• Plenty of parking year-round for trailers, campers, snowmobiles, and large groups.

oat Haunt does notlook like an officialinternational bordercrossing. As we

approach the checkpoint fromthe Canada side, there’s exactlyone park ranger and one borderagent standing between us andour homeland. I see only twobuildings—one up the trail abit, another just off the trail.That’s the ranger station, aboutthe size of a large outhouse.While 11 park and border per-sonnel inhabit Goat Haunt dur-ing peak summer weeks, typi-cally just two or three peopleoccupy the post, giving it statusas one of our country’s mostremote points of entry.

“The moose outnumber us10-to-1,” says the park ranger,half-jokingly. “They’re ourbackup.”

After Sept. 11, the govern-ment completely shut down theGoat Haunt Border Crossing,fearing that terrorists wouldtake advantage of the minimaloperation. But even as borderrequirements tighten—

beginning June 1, travelers must have a passport to crossinto the United States—GoatHaunt remains a throwback.For my wife, my 3-year-olddaughter and myself, the port is nothing more than a pleasantconversation, a quick flash of paperwork, and a

recommendation for a hike to afavorite nearby overlook.

The area’s quaint, un-touched feel makes it an idealday trip while vacationing inWaterton Lakes National Parkin Canada, just north of GlacierNational Park in Montana. Thepark’s hub—Waterton

Townsite—is a charmingCanadian village just six hoursfrom Missoula, and it offers theperfect jumping-off point for alllevels of thrill-seeking, fromlonger hikes to shorter excur-sions more suited to our daugh-ter’s attention span.

Returning to Waterton aftera day in the sun, we soaked insmall-town hospitality andrelaxed in rustic accommoda-tions, promising to return oncewe realized we couldn’t seeeverything in a single trip.

Bears on the brainMy daughter asks for just

one thing out of this family get-away to Waterton: to see a bear.Aside from the promise ofwaterfalls, vistas, boat rides anda must-have slice of pie fromthe famous Park Café in St.Mary, I mention we just mightglimpse a bear—not knowingthis would become the onlything she cared about.

Fortunately, the Red RockParkway leading into the town-site carries a reputation for

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Bearing northA three-year-old tests border security at Waterton. Her findings: Canada’s got cute bears.

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The Prince of Wales Hotel, overlooking Upper Waterton Lake.


excellent bear viewing, and itdoes not disappoint. Three milesinto the drive my wife spots amother and cub on a ridge over-looking the two-lane road. Soonafter, we see another pair ofblack bears playing in a grassyfield, just 30 yards from the

parkway. Staying close to ourcar, we watch for nearly an houras the two bears roll around,occasionally poking up theirheads to watch the watchers.Before lunch on the first day ofour trip my daughter is alreadyecstatic about seeing her firstreal bears.

Red Rock Canyon lies just 25minutes north of Waterton, butits geography is more reminis-cent of an Arizona landscape.Brilliant magenta, taupe and

green rock formations line thestreambed, and well-maintainedtrails—suitable for kids orgrandparents—meander alongBauerman Creek, offeringenough variety to keep a familybusy for at least a half day.

The next day delivers anoth-

er mellow Canadian gem.Akamina Parkway bends westtoward Crandall Lake beforedropping south to CameronLake—a serene subalpine tarnnestled between the snow-cov-ered peaks of Akamina Ridge.Arriving at 10 a.m., the place isempty, save for a few park per-sonnel running the dock. Werent a canoe for $25 (row boatsand paddle boats are also avail-able by the hour) and paddle thelake’s perimeter, taking in the

view of the towering Mt. Custerand searching the shorelines forgrizzly bears.

Go to Goat for mooseThe massive, border-span-

ning Upper Waterton Lake isundoubtedly the area’s show-case feature, and any visitorwould do well exploring it for aday. Extending from the

Canadian townsite’s shoressouth into Montana, the lake’ssouthern terminus is home tothe remote ranger station andborder post.

While the 7-mile LakeshoreTrail parallels the lake’s westernside, most visitors take advan-tage of the classic M.V.International, an historic, 200-person boat operated by the

Park Entrance

CanadaUSA

Goat Haunt Ranger Station

Middle Waterton Lake

Lower Waterton Lake

Waterton Townsite

UpperWaterton Lake

Waterton Lakes National Park

Chief Mountain Port of Entry 17

5

6

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Akamina Parkway

Red RockParkway

Crypt LakeCameronLake

GlacierNational Park

“The moose outnumber us 10-to-1,”

says the park ranger, half-jokingly.

“They’re our backup.”

� Skylar Browning

Borders, boats and bears, oh my! Annabella Bradley-Browningchills at the beach. Borders, boats and bears, oh my! Annabella Bradley-Browningchills at the beach.

Map by Joe Weston


FLATHEAD RAFT COFLATHEAD RAFT COWe Sell Fun

Whitewater Rafting

Overnight Scenic Trips

Sea Kayak Adventures

Charter Fishing

Trips Leave DailyMemorial day Weekend - September

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Wildhorse Island Boat Tours

Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co.For $34, customers get an enter-taining history of the park, a lin-gering view of the clear-cutInternational Boundary and, 50minutes later, a drop-off at GoatHaunt. (The most knowledge-able guides are aboard the 10a.m. launch, friendly locals say.)

Just one mile from the dock,Goat Haunt Overlook providesa stunning view of the lake.Kootenai Lakes Trail is the mostfrequently hiked in the area,covering 2.5 miles of the bestmoose habitat inside GlacierNational Park. Our daughterfound it easy to navigate, andshe delighted at the sight ofmoose wading in the shallowwaters. We didn’t attempt the6.2-mile hike to Lake Francis, orthe additional 4-mile thigh-buster up to Brown Pass, butboth provide tremendous inter-national views.

Trails from the CryptTrek 5.4 miles into Crypt

Lake and you’ll feel like you

entered Nicolas Cage or BrendanFraser’s latest action-adventureflick. Ranked among the best(and most popular) hikes inCanada, adventurous climbersstart by boating to a dock onUpper Waterton’s east side ($16roundtrip) before humpingtoward Hell Roaring Falls. Theconstant climb passes a series ofcascades and crosses a talusslope before climbing a steel lad-der and entering a narrow, 60-foot-long tunnel through themountain. Hikers then use aseries of cables bolted to the rockas a handrail to maneuver acrossa cliff. Three hours and 2,300 feetof climbing later, Crypt Lakecomes into view to the south,reflecting the mountains ofMontana’s Glacier NationalPark. While the view is breath-taking, don’t dally—the lastcruise back to Waterton is youronly chance to avoid a lonelynight on the ridge. Needless tosay, this hike’s not recommendedfor small children or adults withbad wheels.The historic M.V. International. � Skylar Browning

While Crypt Lake receivesthe bulk of the attention, locals tout 7,805-foot VimyPeak—situated on the southeastend of Middle Waterton Lake—as a lower profile but equallyworthy alternative. With no ladders, no tunnels and a per-sistent 6.8 miles of climbing,Vimy doesn’t carry quite thecachet as Crypt Lake, but itdoes offer unparalleled views.As our guide tells us, “CryptLake is fun to try once, butVimy Peak is fun to keep try-ing.” He’d already climbed itthree times that summer, bush-whacking new trails the lasttwo trips.

Vimy’s easiest approachinvolves mountain biking fourmiles of trail before turningupward for a direct climb to the high summit. We figure it’s a good reason to return in a few years when our daughter’s less focused on bearviewing, and more interested inmaking it to the top.

How to get thereFrom western Montana, take Going-to-the-SunRoad through Glacier National Park, connectingwith U.S. Highway 89 in St. Mary. Take ChiefMountain International Highway to the bor-der (the station is only open June 1 to Oct.31) and into Waterton. The drivetakes approximately six hours fromMissoula.

Where to stayThe Prince ofWales Hotel: Thisiconic and palatialestablishment wasbuilt in the mid-1920s, set on abluff overlookingUpper WatertonLake and the town.The incomparable viewbelies its small rooms and steep prices. Call 403-859-2231.

Crandall Mountain Lodge:Waterton lost one of its most charmingattractions—and fine dining rooms—whenthe historic Kilmorey Lodge burned downearlier this year, but the Crandall

Mountain Lodge across the street helps to fillthe void with family-friendly accommoda-tions at a fair price. Call 1-866-859-2288.

Townsite Campground: Conveniently locatedon the south end of Waterton, this premier

location includes 238 sites, hotshowers, flush toilets, food storageand kitchen shelters. It’s walking

distance to restaurants andtrailheads, but prepare for

extreme winds blow-ing in from UpperWaterton Lake. Call 877-737-3783.

Local TipHome cooking is hard

to find in Glacier’s gate-way communities, and

locals know that nobodycooks it up better than the Park

Café in St. Mary. Be sure to arriveearly for breakfast, and orderyour pies in advance—we rec-

ommend the huckleberry. Smart travelers canorder the pie on their way up; it’ll be readyand waiting on the return trip.

Cameron Lake nestles between the snow-covered peaks of Akamina Ridge. � Skylar Browning

MAY

May 1-3Join the Rocky Mountaineers in aburly push for the summits of two

9,000-foot-plus peaks in Glacier NationalPark, Gunsight Mountain and EdwardsMountain. With the Sun Road not yet open,you can join these intrepid mountaineersand climb into some of the park’s accessiblehigh country. Don’t be fooled though—thistrip is advertised as a winter climbing andcamping trip and you should arrive pre-pared for such. Contact Forest Dean at 240-7612 or [email protected] for the beta.

May 2Paddle, cycle and run in the Park toParadise Triathlon, a team or individualcontest through the stunning ParadiseValley. Follow eight miles of paddling onthe Yellowstone River with an 18-milepedal through Yankee Jim Canyon beforepounding five miles of pavement to ArchPark in Gardiner. Contact Stacey Guntherat [email protected] or 848-7941for details.

May 9Join the grupetto at the WatsonChildren’s Shelter Bike for

Shelter, a fundraising fun ride for fami-lies. Sign up for the 2-, 15-, 20- or 50-milerace, then set your own pace and feelgood about kicking down for “area chil-dren in crisis.” For the scoop go towww.shelter4children.com.

May 12Birders will be flocking to theNational Bison Range in Moiese

for International Migratory Bird Day.Dig out your binoculars for “beginningand advanced birding” options, as well asbird identification and photographyevents throughout the day. The range willalso be opening the scenic 19-mile RedSleep Mountain Drive for the summerseason, weather permitting, so go towww.birdday.org for more info.

May 16 Get your team together and head to theLee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge forthe annual Adventure Biothon. This raceis designed to test a team’s physical abili-ties and knowledge of the natural world ina timed navigation of the refuge’s wilds,with short (2-3 miles) and long (3-5 miles)courses designed for “serious athletes, not-so-serious athletes, family recreation, oradventurous children.” Contact the refugeat 777-5552 for the scoop.

May 16Climb/slog up Great NorthernMountain with Rocky

Mountaineer Jim Cossitt via the “strenu-ous, non-technical 7-8-mile” route fromthe Hungry Horse Reservoir. Smack dab

in the heart of griz country, the final ridgewalk to the summit provides impressiveand unique views of southern GlacierNational Park. Contact Cossitt at [email protected] and join the summit team.

May 16-17Feeling buoyant, sailor? Gatherthose old boxes and get ’em soggy

at the annual Cardboard Kayak Races dur-ing the Northern Rockies Paddlefest atWayfarers State Park near Bigfork. Testdrive the latest fleet of new canoes andkayaks or drop in on free clinics coveringtopics like paddling technique and pack-ing boats for extended expeditions. Safetyequipment is provided, although youmight prefer to bring your own. Contactthe Northern Rockies PaddlingSymposium Association at 752-2446 formore information.

May 23-24Leave the gardening implements at homeand head to the 33rd Annual BigforkWhitewater Festival, a weekend of party-ing and racing through the Swan River’snotorious “Wild Mile,” a Class V stretchof sick whitewater surging with springrunoff. Hundreds of racers and thousandsof spectators rally for the triathlon andriver races, so sign up early, pack a coolerand be prepared for one of the best white-water races around. Call the KalispellAthletic Club at 752-2880 for the lowdown.

May 30Word on the trail is you shouldn’twear your new shoes for the 23rd

Annual Evaro Mountain Challenge, a col-lection of 5K and 10K runs over (oftenmuddy) trails and gravel roads. The 10K runprovides a “challenging” singletrack experi-ence, and top finishers receive “fun awards.”Call Bob Hayes at 726-3695 for the scoop.

May 31At 9,356 feet, Holland Peak is thehighest in the Swan Range, and a

worthy summer objective of any Montanamountaineer. But climb it in May, and you’rein for a “VERY challenging spring climb,”says trip leader Jim Cossitt. Participantsshould expect a great deal of exposure, more

than 5,000 feet of vert and enough steepsnow to require a belay. Plan on bringingyour harness and ice axe, but get on the listwith Cossitt at [email protected].

JUNE

June 6-7Don’t tell the FAA, but the annualPowder River Buffalo Shoot will be held“near the new air strip off Highway 59North” just 3 miles west of Broadus, WestDakota. Marksmen can bring their tradi-tional single shot or lever action rifle incalibers .375 or larger and join in the fun.Contestants will test their accuracy onmetal targets at distances of 250 to 1,000yards, and organizers remind you tobring plenty of ammo. Learn more byemailing [email protected].

June 19-21You’ll find a three-day bicyclebonanza during the Anaconda

Bicycle Festival, a fundraising party thatchips in toward the restoration of WashoePark. The showcase road event, Pedal thePintlers, goes down on Saturday andincludes 25-, 50- and 100-mile ridesthrough the mountains. Then on Sundaytheir dirty fat tire brethren hit the trail forthe “Disco Mountain Boogie,” a series of21-, 17- and 11-mile circuits of “scenic, fast,yet challenging routes” through the DeerLodge National Forest. Learn more fromthe folks at Sven’s Bike Shop at 563-7988.

June 20Ridge runners can scoot to Wulfman’sContinental Divide Trail Run, a 14Kpoint-to-point race along the single-tracksection of The Continental Divide Trailfrom Pipestone to Homestake Pass.Organizers point out that while there’s“just one hill,” there’s plenty ofmicrobeers and “carnivorous and vege-tarian fare available.” Get more info atwww.buttespissandmoanrunners.com.

June 21Head out for the summer solsticewith the Rocky Mountaineers for

a “warm-up” to the top of WarriorMountain in the Swan Range. Althoughthis should be a non-technical jaunt, partic-ipants can expect at least some snow travelin the 10 miles and nearly 5,000 feet of vertcovered during the day. Sharpen your ice axe, and then contact Jim Cossitt [email protected] for more information.

June 21Apprehensive about jumping headfirst into atriathlon? Then consider hitting the SummerSolstice Triathlon in Kalispell. This “begin-ner’s tri” includes a 1/2-mile swim in FoysLake, a 12.7-mile bike ride and a 3-mile run,although some folks sign up just for the freefood and post-race massages. Check outwww.summithealthcenter.com for more info.

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June 21The Treasure State Triathlon starts competi-tors off with a 1.5K open swim, follows itwith a 40K bike ride and culminates in a10K run, all amid the splendor of the EastGallatin Recreation Area. This race is the2009 State of Montana qualifier for the “Bestof the U.S. Triathlete Competition,” and allproceeds benefit the recreation area. Go toto www.tri-mt.com to get lined out.

June 27Get yer runner’s high at the 41stAnnual Beartooth Run, a 4.4-

and 8.2-mile race that climbs the 2,000-foot ascent of the Beartooth Highway andends at Vista Point. For the lowdown goto www.beartoothrun.com.

June 27Head to Lolo Pass for theMountain to Meadow Half

Marathon and 5K Fun Run, a camasflower-filled trot in the shadow of theBitterroot Mountains. In honor of thepass’s historical significance, actors willperform a Lewis and Clark routine, firingancient muskets to get the race rolling. E-mail [email protected] forthe scoop.

JULY

July 4Bike riding runners will find their calling inthe Make It Hurt On The Dirt Off-RoadDuathlon in Bozeman. Utilizing cross-country ski trails and Forest Service roads,the woods ’n’ meadow course includessome stiff ups and downs. Learn more atwww.homestakelodge.com or call 585-8052.

July 9-11Fort Peck Lake boasts some of the best wall-eye fishing in Montana, so if you love slay-ing these invasives sign up for the MontanaGovernor’s Cup Walleye Tournament andbe prepared to bring home a cash prize of $15,000. Teams pay $400 to enter. Call 228-2222 to get fishy.

July 10-12Jump in your raft for the 46thannual Yellowstone River Boat

Float, a leisurely three-day float fromLivingston to Laurel on one of the state’slargest and most historic rivers. Floaterswill retrace the route of Lewis and Clark,except there’s live bands, street dancesand at least one diversion dam en route.

A team of Jetskiers provide support. Call222-4414 for more information.

July 11For distance-pain geeks, the GlacierChallenge has it all: six modes of trans-port, a stunning locale, great competitionand a good cause. Teams or individualscan enter this competitive fundraiser forFlathead Youth Homes while windingthrough 55 miles of Whitefish’s “back-streets, rivers, lakes and…singletrack.”Contact [email protected] or261-1831 for more information.

July 11Hardcores, take note. The Devil’sBackbone 50-miler runs the crest

of the Gallatin Range, in what organizerscall a “graduate level” run. It’s nearlyunsupported and unmarked, and runnersmust carry EVERYTHING they need for 5to 9 hours of serious trail running.Participants should carry bear spray andexpect 11,400 total feet of vertical gain, aswell as no easy way off the course. Most ofthe course lies above 9,500 feet; hydrationcomes in the form of streams, meltwaterand a “murky lake at 11 miles and 39miles.” Beginners are not invited, but logon to www.winddrinkers.org to learn more.

July 11Wait! Don’t toss those boxes!Instead, fashion yourself a boat,

strap on a floation device and sign yourselfup for FWP’s annual Cardboard CupRegatta at Helena’s Spring Meadow LakeState Park. Your boat must be made of card-board, so tap into your inner Noah and letyour imagination run wild. Call Craig Marrat 495-3270 for the lowdown.

July 12Head to Helena for the Spring MeadowLake Olympic Triathlon, a 1.5K swim,40k bike and 10k run through the trails ofSpring Meadow Lake State Park. Visitwww.usa-triathlon.org or [email protected] for more info.

July 16-19Pit your mountainwoman/man skillsagainst the best on their home turf duringLibby’s Two Rivers Rendezvous, a series ofself-sufficiency tests that include toma-hawk throwing, blackpowder shooting andmore. It’s fun for the whole compound!Call 293-9798 to get the lowdown.

July 17-18Log-rollers and other backwoods-styleathletes can test their mettle at Darby’sannual Logger Days, a weekend of 17competitive logging events. Call 961-8324to get informed.

July 19Hit the Downtown Criterium andthe Sleeping Child Time Trial in

this year’s Tour of the Bitterroot, a day ofbicycle racing in and around Hamilton. Visitwww.tourofthebitterroot.blogspot.com formore info.

July 19Cyclists looking for a bit ofeverything can head to the Tour

de Bozeman, a road race that combines aflat, 20K out-and-back time trial, a 300-meter sprint and “an unrelenting 70-mileroad race.” The weekend’s “three-stageomnium” takes place both downtownand in Bridger Canyon, and the winnerwill go home with $5,000. Check outwww.tourdebozeman.com for the scoop.

July 25Paddle fiends should head toFort Benton for the Montana

Cup Boat Race, a human-powered con-test on the mighty Missouri River. All non-motorized craft, from outriggers and row-ing shells to canoes and kayaks, are fairgame, although beginners should note thatrace organizers are extending their wel-come only to “fit, experienced paddlers.”Call 771-7240 to get in the game.

July 25-August 3Like jumping out of perfectly good air-planes? Then head to Lost Prairie’s 42ndAnnual Jump Meet for a week of fun, bothin the air and on the ground. Jumps from13,000 feet will cost qualified jumpers $25,a small price to be a part of the North-west’s largest gathering of skydivers in astunning locale. Drop in on www.skydivelostprairie.com for more beta.

July 26The XTERRA Wild Horse CreekTriathlon in Bozeman features a 1,200-yard swim, 16-mile mountain bike rideand a 6-mile trail run around HyaliteReservoir for teams and individuals.For the less hardcore, try the Wild HorseCreek “Just Tri Off-Road” Triathlon thesame morning. Learn more about eitherat www.bigskytri.com, or [email protected].

� Chad Harder


Light sleepersFlyweight shelters keep you floating down the trail

eavy backpacks create all kinds of misery on the trail,sometimes slowing your pace enough to blow objec-tives entirely. On ambitious adventures that truly testyour physical limits, there’s no better way to boost

your chances of success than to reduce your pack weight.Any serious gram-shaving should begin with an honest

look at your heaviest item—most often, the tent. In an ongoingquest to limit the pain inherent in lugging around a week’sworth of gear and food, the Headwall gear team has tried withvarying success to duck mountain weather in a number ofuber-light ways—from tents to tarps to Tyvek.

True, flyweight tarps work fine in mild conditions andmight save you in an emergency, but serious mountain weath-er can require more substantial shelter, one you trust to protect

you and yours when skies grow ominous. Don’t kid yourself—June makes a fine time for a blizzard ’round these parts.

As tent makers work to squeeze every possible ounce outof their products, they’ve altered traditional designs signifi-cantly, creating tents with but a single wall, tents that need nopoles, and tents that have no floor. Some are functional, othersfrustratingly lacking. But when you’re an “ultralighter,” onlya few features matter: weather resistance, ventilation andspace. We’ve taken three of the newer and more remarkableshelters and put them through the ringer. (Note: we’re not call-ing this grouping “tents,” because two of the three are so mini-malist as to be more tarp than tent.) All, however, will keepyou dry and protected in your quest for Montana-sized objec-tives, without breaking your back or the bank in the process.

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Custom Designed & Hand-Made in Montana

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GoLite Shangri-La 3 • www.golite.com • $225 • 1.8 pounds

Nine inches of heavy November snow had us mighty worried. While we’dgone to town for supplies, my tent—a Shangri-La 3 on its maiden voyage—

needed to protect three people’s gear during a raging Rattlesnake storm. If theshelter buckled, we’d be screwed—and forced to retreat the 10 miles to thetrailhead.

But even with all that snow, there it stood, proud and upright, the threedown sleeping bags and piles of warm gear bone dry inside. Two dozennights of blissful slumber later, I can confidently place the 3 among the bestdesigned ultralight shelters on the market.

It’s cozy for three, but spacious for two. Near-vertical walls and a 62-inchcenter height mean four stanky, poker-playing climbers can ante up on down

days without ever touching. The hexagonal shape and SilLite fabric keep itcrazy-strong, shedding wind and rain like a mallard.

To achieve its best-in-test 1.8 pounds, the 3 goes floorless and pitches withoutpoles—just suspend a line from a branch, clip in the apex and stake out the corners.

You’ve now got a spacious interior, equally suited for sprawling or late-night massage.Non-intimates can block unwanted fondling by instead erecting it with the pole (13ounces, included), or a paddle, or a cut-to-fit branch.

Uncomfortable with such a slight setup? Buy the custom floor ($75, 1.4 pounds) or bug-proof “nest” ($150, 2.3 pounds). Although both add enough weight to void ultralight sta-tus, they do deliver an excellent night’s sleep.

—Chad Harder

Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2www.bigagnes.com • $320 • 3.4 pounds

Upstart tent maker Big Agnes forever changed the ultralight tentlandscape five years ago with the introduction of the impossibly lightSeedhouse SL series, and with ongoing ounce-shedding refinements,the latest Seedhouse SL2 weighs in at a groundbreaking 3.4 pounds.

Unlike the other shelters here, the Seedhouse requires poles(included) to pitch. While this means it’s easily the heaviest in ourreview, it also allows it to be freestanding—and therefore a breezeto pitch anywhere. With a waterproof bathtub floor and gos-samer mesh body, it’s also the best for clear-night stargazing.A silicone-treated nylon fly tautly protects the cozy innardswhile simultaneously adding a diminutive, 8-square-footvestibule. I’ve weathered multiple mountain storms in the SL2, andit handles wind and weather with aplomb.

A single door and a svelte 28 square feet of floor space mean you’llbe intimate with tent mates. Halitosis sufferers will prefer the morespacious, three-person SL3, while soloists will love the SL1,which weighs less than some bivy sacks.

An accessory footprint ($50, 8 ounces) allows for a“fast-fly” configuration that won’t keep bugs out, butdoes keep you dry for only 2.1 pounds.

A tent this light and stormworthy doescome at a price—at $320, the SL2 is the costli-est in the test. And as with all ultralight gearit needs to be treated with care, so those whoare hard on gear should opt for a heaviertent. But if you’re in the market for a mini-malist, freestanding backcountry shelter, theSL2 is hard to beat.

—Aaron Teasdale


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Outdoor ResearchNightHavenwww.outdoorresearch.com$179 • 2.2 pounds

The smallest-packing shelterin our test, the Nalgene-sizedNighthaven protects two friendsfrom the elements remarkablywell. Note I say “friends,” as this“tarp tent” gets far too cozy forsquabbly non-intimates.

That said, mine has saved meand my sweetie from brutal alpineweather en route to the highestpeaks in Montana and Wyoming,and other than a suspiciouslymarmot-sized hole in the screen-ing, it’s none the worse for wear.

By using solely Silnylon andmesh, Seattle-based OutdoorResearch designed this extra-longsingle-wall to be both mosquito

and weatherproof, an unheard ofachievement among single-walltarp tents. It achieves its 2.2 poundtrail weight by dispensing with afloor (4 ounces of Tyvek sheetingsubstitutes well), and relies ontrekking poles to hold it up.

The NightHaven’s brilliantand unique design keeps bugs atbay via a drape of screening thathangs to the ground, and a fairlyflexible pitch allows for moreheadroom in mellow weather or alow-profile pitch when the windblows. Either way, when pitchedproperly a high-low vent systemkeeps air moving reasonably well,and plenty of adjustable guylinesand stake loops keep it rigid whena maelstrom strikes.

Some will find the Night-haven’s shortcomings unaccept-able. It has no room to sit upright.It lacks a vestibule and can be con-fusing (at first) to set up. But for aretail of $179, the NightHavenserves as a full-protection, single-wall shelter whose size, weightand price match that of your average bivy.

—Chad Harder


instruction manual, broadcasting the exactbeta he’d been identifying and exploring formore than a decade, now available to anyone.

To be clear, the 42-year-old Chisholm is arare specimen, an adrenalinized hospiceworker who finds skiing “no-fall” firstdescents—often by himself—to be a medita-tive experience.

“The risk of death elevates the need forfocus and attention,” he says. “When you areclimbing or skiing a difficult line, the ego,the self vanishes, and you have only theimmediate, pure moment.”

This kind of meditation works best in anuncrowded setting, and like Jesus defendingthe temple against the scourge of gambling,Chisholm sent a sharply-worded e-mail toLehrman, chastising him for recklesslyexposing the sacred mountains—through hisweb site and ski lodge—to a death of a thou-sand ski cuts.

Lehrman anticipated that kind of feed-back, but not from such a reputable source.“Colin came in and reached out to me withhis concerns, and his e-mail was crippling,”he says. “I said to myself, ‘this is the guywhose mind I have to change.’”

After talking on the phone, the twodecided to go for a ski and try to powderover their differences. It worked, and they’renow frequent ski partners, althoughLehrman still struggles to balance the joy hegets from sharing his adventures on theInternet with the fears of his critics.

“Some people say, and I really sympa-thize with this, that if you read one of myposts then you can’t go and experience it asan exploration for yourself,” he says, notingthat his site exists in an online reality ofGoogle Earth and endless Internet adventureforums. “Of course you can choose not toread these things, not be networked, and justgo out and do it on your own,” he says. “Butas long as you disseminate the info to createculture, growth and discussion, I’d say it’sfor the better.”

Let’s hope so. Technology and the spreadof information continue to influence the wayadventurers approach the Bitterroots. Andnew guidebooks, like Missoula’s ClimbingGuide and Big Sky Rock, Vol. 6, both due forpublication by First Ascent Press this summer,will undoubtedly bring even more users toour fantastic and fragile backyard range. It’ssomething Lehrman’s acutely aware of.

“Maybe the time has come for theBitterroot,” he says. “If it has, and the publicdecides it has, and the Forest Service decidesit has, then I want a role in shaping it. And Iwant everyone else to have a role in shapingit, too.”

ExposedCONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

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remaining food. Clearly we’vegone a bit overboard in ourminimalism, and althoughultralight is good, there’s apoint of diminishing returns.Fortunately, two of the trailworkers near Red MeadowLake merrily offer us beer at 10 a.m. We shrug, and chug.

Fortunately, the calorie-deficit bonk doesn’t hit until wereach the roads below, the sameroads that will by the end of theday deliver us, filthy and fam-ished, to the steaks and flowingtaps of the Northern LightsSaloon in Polebridge.

But that’s still a long way off,and we still have hours astridethe divide—the most spectacularstretch of ridgeline yet. Here wefind a series of long and faint butrideable stretches linking cairn tocairn, high above a series of bluetarns rippling lightly in thebreeze. Snow slivers cling to the scree slopes and hug theshorelines below. With tempera-tures nearing 70 degrees, gustywinds send a low patchwork ofcumulus pillows scudding acrossthe sky.

We begin our final descentjust a few miles from therange’s southern terminus. Withanother day (and some food),we could ride all the way toWhitefish. Bob, Matthew and Iagree that in our lifetimes ofgreat cycling experiences, thisranks as one of the best.

While the two of them rollaway, I take one last look acrossthe mountaintops, the pale bluesky stretching forever on allsides. We’d done it. I’d done it.We’d spent three days up herein the great open, in the land of

mountain goats and goldeneagles. I blow a kiss into the airand smile. If this is my lastmountain bike ride up here, it’sa hell of a farewell—85 miles inthree glorious days, directly ontop of the world.

Kintla Lake

Trail Creek

Whale Creek

Polebridge

Coal Creek

Northfork Road

Trail 26

Mt. Thompson-Seton

Whale Lake

Haines Pass

Glacier Route Seven

North Fork of the Flathead River

Trail 26

Whitefish Divide

Whittling pack weights (including rack and pack) down to 15pounds made this multi-day technical trip possible.

Top of the worldCONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

Map by Joe Weston

The route:Whitefish Divide Trail #26 runs for40-ish miles along the crest of theWhitefish Range immediately westof Glacier National Park. The bestdivide access from the north is viaWhale Creek, though it is also possi-ble to reach it on overgrown trailsfrom Trail Creek. The Glacier ViewRanger District Map is the bestsource for studying your options. Thetrail can be followed south towardWhitefish Mountain, and at trail’send dirt roads will lead you toWhitefish itself. We exited at CoalCreek Road and looped back to ourcar near Ninko Cabin on WhaleCreek. No permits are required, butdon’t forget the bear spray.


at because much of the time westuck to the islands, figuringthey were public domain, buteven there we would hear theoccasional pop. In thoseinstances, the merry patter ofgunfire would inspire Doug toreminisce about Vietnam, send-ing him into combat mode andcreating in him a longing for aweapon of his own. Deprived ofsuch an option, he wouldbecome a soundless blur, pass-ing behind willow thickets andmoving with such alacrity that Ifound it difficult to understandhow his bag could fill withmushrooms when I never sawhim stoop to pick them. Whenwe arrived at the canoe, Andreawould have it ready to go, likethe driver in a bank heist, andwe’d be off to the next island.

In late May, we came acrossso many fawns that Doug and I

temporarily lost ourBambiphobia and fantasizedabout how tender and tastythey might be, tossed guts hideand all into a deep fat turkeyfryer and served up on a bed ofhot, buttered mushrooms—though Andrea’s icy gazewould soon return us to moreeco-friendly topics, likechanterelle and boletus mush-rooms.

We pursued those the yearbefore, from late June throughearly September, dodging light-ning strikes and sloggingthrough marshes in the GallatinRange. Up there, the gunfire hada slightly different ring to it.Because we were in a nationalforest, we knew there was noirate landowner behind it andthat it was most likely just someguy sighting in his rifle. But theaccompanying splinter of twigs

in the pines above us offered lit-tle consolation, so we assumed a low profile between old firefighting berms while we rooted in the moss and stuffedour bags.

Chanterelles look somethinglike orange circus peanut candyand are about the same color asthe pieces of clay pigeons scat-tered around some of the mostproductive mushroom spots, sobetween the lightning strikes,the shooting, the splintering,the trenches, and the shatteredorange targets, I sometimes fig-ured it wasn’t much of a stretchfor Doug to start thinking Tet.Once, he left Andrea and merummaging through the duffafter chanterelles and startedbriskly skirting the perimeter ofthe hillside, disappearing andreappearing like a phantom. Igot a little concerned, but

Andrea (who always picked themost mushrooms) seemed to betaking it in stride.

“He okay?”“Yeah.”“He armed?”“You can ask him. He’s right

behind you.”After I finished crapping

myself, I noticed that he hadcrammed two bags full ofboletes. By crammed, I meanfour or five per bag. They’rehuge.

“I think I got ’em all,” saidDoug. “Let’s go, before thatidiot shoots us.”

Now that I’m back in mytruck here on the Gallatin, I cansee a pickup out in the field nearthe fence where I was pickingand wonder if the rancher isdown there in the cottonwoodsgunning for me. If so, I hope hedoesn’t step on the fawn.

The CruxCONTINUED FROM PAGE 58

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Keeler’s heroesUnder heavy fire, a misfit unit captures mongo ‘shrooms

’m pretty sure the gunfire is acoincidence, so I slip back

through the fence and start baggingmore grapefruit-sized morels. It’stoo bad these springs feeding theGallatin River aren’t belowthe high-water mark and inthe public domain, sincesprings are where I usuallyfind morels—dotting theglades between cottonwooddeadfall like tan ostrich eggs.I’m just about to lay myhands on one the size andshape of a human brain when I heartwo more shots and hurl myselfback through the fence, tearing myhip waders on a barb.

Hmmm, the shooting stops whenI’m on the river side of the fence,then starts when I’m on the mondomorel side of the fence. Perhapsthere is a connection. Perhaps I

should quit while the quittin’s good.Perhaps not.

Once again, I slip through thefence and make a mad dash for a

clump of fat ones popping up by alightning-fried stump, but I onlymake it half way because I’vetripped over a fawn sleeping in thehigh grass. It looks up at me in hor-

ror with its huge Bambi eyes,my mojo fizzles, and I backapologetically toward thefence. I can handle a littlegunfire, but I’d croak if I crip-pled a fawn.

Lugging my bags to thetruck, I think back to lastspring when I canoed for

mushrooms on the Yellowstone withDoug and Andrea Peacock. We usu-ally didn’t worry about getting shot

I“ I can handle a little gunfire,

but I’d croak if I crippled a fawn.”


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Montana Headwall

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