the slog through the Bob

well... we made it to Lincoln MT. The former home of the Unabomber - perhaps he even go online on this very machine in this very library - though I don't know if he used the internet, given his anti-technology stance. We now near completion of our list of errands, and look forward to dinner and wine (courtesy of Galen and Cheryl Stroab, who also kindly drove us from Rogers Pass to Lincoln) - though we may have to violate Montana's new open container law to drink it...) this evening in the county park.

Well I wish we could post some of the photos we've taken over the last couple weeks, the deep snow along the Chinese Wall, the monster trout I've been catching, the wild mountainous horizons we've gazed at along our rambles. But they'll just have to wait for later. And I'm running against the half hour time limit I've been alotted here as it is, so I'll have to keep it brief. Suffice it to say the walkings been great from East Glacier to Rogers Pass, lots of pretty country, not too many tough river crossings (many many minor ones), only one super snowy pass, "Switchback" to disorient and frustrate and tire us out. And the weather's been getting better, the rain seems to finally have moved on, save for a thunderstorm here or there. Of course, it was only a day after the rain stopped that the mosquitos started to appear. But not bad yet, not bad at all.

Pretty rainy through the Bob (occasionally referred to as the Bog by southbound CDT hikers, who hit it right smack in the rainiest and snow-meltiest time of year). Actually fell into a little perched bog (fen, I guess, it being of the calcareous spring-fed variety and thus not ombrotrophic), in addition to all the snow post-holing. One moment I was walking along, the next I was waist deep in frigid organic goo. Delightful. Will have to show you the photos later, whoever you are anyway, who may read these lines. Anyways it was pretty wet out there for the most part, muddy trails, river wading, or deep snow. A lot of fun but we were getting tired of wet feet for sure...

Met up with old friend Sundog and new friend Kristina and took a couple wonderful days off at the infamous solstice party along the Dearborn River. And the weather cleared up just in time, and we've had brilliant warm sunshine, 16 hrs a day, all summer.

The hike across the Scapegoat was the easiest yet, beautiful ridge walking, more excellent fishing, lots of views etc. You'll just have to see the photos sometime. But now my time on the computer is up, and thats about all there is to say for a while....