Backcountry Fishing

Today I was wanting to post a blog...an update or something like that, but I realized I haven't really pulled out my camera lately.  Sometimes I don't get the desire to take pictures for a while, instead I feel more like looking back at other pictures and reflecting on them.

So, I went looking through my photos and remembered I trip I took in early September with three lovely women from camp.  While the explore students were in the backcountry on the Montana/Idaho State line trail, we decided to spend the weekend out in the same area. 

The trip was to be a hike back to some lakes where we could relax.  Trina, being hardcore (she really is), carried her fishing pole and a two-person raft in along with all of her other gear.  One afternoon I went out with fishing on the lake.  I rowed around while she fished.  It was a beautiful and sunny day on a quiet lake up in the mountains.

My beautiful friend Trina

This is a really fun shot of the fish coming out of the water!

The colors and patterns on the fish were so vibrant and beautiful

Gutted fish waiting to be eaten...

Trina getting the grasshoppers out of the bag

The fish steaming as they cook in the pan

I nearly forgot, it was on this trip that I discovered I have a knack for catching grasshoppers to use for live bait.  I chuckle as I ponder these pictures, you would maybe suppose that with all the fishing pictures I have put up that I would love fish.  But, growing up I hated...I mean despised the days we would eat fish.  Now I have come to think it is all right, but the idea of eating fish and liking it is still relatively new!

Paddle like crazy

The last few months have been pretty crazy with Explore students here at camp.  Explore is the outdoor education and leadership college program from Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada.  The program partners with Camp Bighorn to do a variety of skills and courses here at camp for half of the school year.  On Sunday, we woke long before the sun rose to say goodbye to the forty-something students who had been here the last two months.  Gabe and I, being facilities people, checked their dorm rooms one last time, to make certain that they had cleaned and tidied their rooms.  Then we all stood in the cold, dark morning and waved goodbye to the bus pulling away.

A quietness has spread over camp in the evenings with the lack of students.  But our days, at least for operations staff, have begun more pressing projects.  One of the top priority projects is to get the snowcat and the two military trucks into working order for when the students arrive back in January.  The trucks and the snowcat allow us to transport students up to Siegel Pass where they do their winter skills such as tele-skiing, snowshoeing, survival and avalanche training.

Today I wanted to share with you all some photos I took back in September during the college students skill time.  One afternoon, I headed out with Dianna, the office manager at camp, and we took pictures of orange team canoeing and black team kayaking as they all came through Cascade rapids down the road from camp.

Graham and Dennis...I love Graham's expression

and down they roll...

Ethan and Joe followed by Josh and Katie

In my mind I envision this being Lewis and Clark on the Columbia...but, alas...

Is Joe practicing his acrobatic tricks?

Looby hitting the wave train

Megan fighting to stay upright

The aftermath

One boy...one big fish

Today I thought I would take a break from multiple photos of recent events in my life and look at Gabe's past.  Here is a photo of 12-year old Gabe with his first salmon.  This huge fish was a  Chinook Salmon that weighed 36 pounds. 

Bison Roundup

Okay...so you need to read this post with bluegrass music playing in the background (I promise, it adds a good touch).

Last week a small group of us from camp attended a very Montana-ish event.  We went to a bison roundup at the National Bison Range that is just northeast of here.  We got the start time wrong and arrived almost two hours early, which meant we were able to watch the sunrise over the Mission mountains.  It was a chilly and cold morning, but I am glad we arrived early to get a good viewing spot of the bison for soon after arriving multiple school buses of children arrived and the place became chaotic. 

Three years ago, they decided to no longer round up the bison with cowboys on horses, but instead to use jeeps to bring them in slower.  When a small group of bison are brought into the gates they channel them until they have one buffalo.  The buffalo is then ushered into a scale, where it is weighed and its chip checked for age.  Then the buffalo is tagged and sent to get its medical check.  From there, they are either set back out to the range or put a pen to be sold. 

The sun coming over the Missions

These mountains are amazingly beautiful!

Early morning smiles...

Watching elk on the range

Everyone drinking coffee before the roundup

Gabe's beard

Look at this cowboy's mustache...this is one thing I enjoy about Montana!

Watching the buffalo

Here they come running around the corner

If you look closely, this tag tells that this is a 3 year old male

weighing 1245 pds...who is third buffalo through the gates

 

 

 

This guy wants out...

and there he goes.

Rounding up the buffalo with jeeps

The penned buffalo waiting to be rounded up.

A Visit to the land of Glaciers : Three & Four

Our last two days in Glacier were relaxing and much colder than the first two days.  Gabe spent time fishing.  On the last day we headed out in the fog and worked our two canoes across Kintla lake.  It was a beautiful trip...I look forward to going again.

Fishing

 

The whole crew of us

A Visit to the land of Glaciers :Two

After spending the night in the front country campground at Kintla Lake.  I woke early to find Gabe had already slipped out of the tent.  I grabbed a snack and headed out to the lake with my camera.  The world was quite still and the sun was still behind the mountains.  Its pinkish light lit the mirrored lake, Gabe was in the canoe fishing some distance from shore.  He spotted me and came and picked me up.  Till the sun rose above the mountains Gabe fished and I drank up the beautiful stillness.  Following that we ate breakfast and headed out in the canoes with Josh across the lake.  We had six miles to paddle to find the backcountry campsite.  In the early afternoon the wind picked up and urged us on towards our goal.  Gabe and Josh fished the entire way.  We ran into another guy in a canoe heading towards the front country, he let us know that the night before they had to chase a black bear from the campground with pots and pans.  We continued and finally came upon the campsite area.  We set up camp and soon Becky, who hiked in that day, met us.  In the afternoon, Josh, Becky, and I, hiked further back to find "glaciers".  On the way we discovered an amazing waterfall, and stopped and pondered flowers in the midst of a burn area.  We made it all the way to upper Kintla and paused on the shore for a break.  As we sat, Becky noticed a black bear meandering on the shore across the lake.  We watched till he disappeared, then we headed back to camp for dinner.  Thanks to Josh for the photos of Gabe and I!

 

Gabe fishing in the early morning light

The day before at Avalanche Creek

Heading to the backcountry

This little girl kept stopping to smell the flowers

The day before overlooking Lost Lake

The kitchen and bear bag area in the backcountry site

The waterfall

Becky and I at Upper Kintla Lake

Our view of the glaciers

The trail

Our cozy home