[pct-l] FW: Indian Summer in the Wilderness

[Jim and/or Ginny Owen]

>
>It has been a fantastic journey through the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat 
>Wilderness Areas - nine days of warm sunny days, brilliant autumn color, 
>and great hiking along the Divide.  We took our time, as usual, and were 
>able to enjoy this last real wilderness section in our long hike.
>
>The day we left East Glacier the weather changed, from the cold, rain and 
>snow of the previous 9 days to 60 and 70 degree days with sunshine.  Snow 
>melt made for a boggy entrance to the Bob, but it was still good as we were 
>able to see fresh, very fresh sometimes, tracks in the snow and mud.  We 
>actually saw bear tracks every day - sometimes four or five different bears 
>- but no fur this time.  We did see lots of deer and some elk, plus a 
>couple of golden eagles.
>
>It was hunting season (earlier in the Wilderness than for the rest of the 
>state) but we didn't see all that many hunters - at most one group a day 
>and some days none at all.  The one that surprised me was the man who asked 
>if we had seen the grizzly feeding on the dead horse next to their camp.  I 
>wanted to ask him, "Don't you think you ought to move your camp, or at 
>least get your horses out of there?"  But I kept my mouth shut.
>
>I was surprised to learn that the first 20 miles south of Marias Pass are 
>open to ATVs and motorcycles.  We stuck to the 'High Water Route' and 
>avoided most of them, but on a sunny Sunday afternoon, the place is busy.  
>I talked to the Ranger (on his ATV) and he said that it was legal during 
>the summer season.  He highly recommended part of the 'official' CDT - the 
>Kip Creek - Lee Creek Loop near the Ranger station - he said it was "Way 
>cool" - but we were running so far behind for the day after spending an 
>hour searching for Jim's lost glasses that we decided against it.  Has 
>anyone else done it?  Is it really as scenic as he said?
>
>We hiked the Clack Creek alternate - very beautiful.  We reached the 
>Chinese Wall at the wrong time of day for best photographs, but it was 
>still beautiful. We had a resupply at Benchmark - the box was there, but no 
>one was home and the water was shut off so our long awaited and badly 
>needed showers had to wait for three more days, until we reached Lincoln.  
>Fires closed the CDT south of Benchmark (Straight Creek Trail) - it was 
>still burning when we were there.
>
>We also had the excitement of walking right into another fire yesterday in 
>the Scapegoat on the south side of Green Mountain.  A prescribed burn had 
>gotten out of control, due to high winds.  We thought we knew where the 
>fire was, we could see the smoke two valleys over, so were very surprised 
>to be walking down the trail and see smoke on either side of us.  The ridge 
>1/2 mile ahead was clear so we hightailed it through the smoldering grass 
>and trees to safety.  As I told Jim, "There's a time to take pictures and a 
>time to move it"  but he disagreed.  "There's always time to take 
>pictures."
>
>If you hike through there on a dry year, as this one was, and there seems 
>to be no water at Valley of the Moon - go upstream.  We found good water 
>about 1/4 mile up, but it sinks into the sand there, leaving the stream and 
>pond totally dry.
>
>Walk softly,
>
>Ginny and Jim
>
>
>
>
>http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/
>
>