Books! An Annotated Alaskan Booklist

Reading

So, when it's raining, I can do "inside" things. I have always loved to read — the opportunity to be transported to another place and time in the hands of a good writer magical.

I've read more books in the past weeks than I have in a long time, and I am reveling in it!

**** Thanks to Rebecca, who loaned me The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, I got to visit the alien planet Rakhat with a Jesuit party of scientists and missionaries, with all of the excitement but none of the real danger. It was a thought-provoking book, on several levels, and I highly recommend it.

** Thanks to Linda, I read Drive Me Wild by Christina Nealson. Linda had lent it to me because the author (and her husband) similarly sold everything they owned, bought an RV and embarked on a nomadic lifestyle. Their journey lasted five years, from Baja to the deserts of the Southwest to the Colorado Rockies and visits with friends all over the US. Sadly, their marriage ended, and with it their trip. Christina is continuing to travel though, now with a pickup and trailer.

---

I've also been reading books about Alaska. 
Pretty much anything I can get my hands on, from personal stories to crime fiction and even romance. Hey, a little bit of everything!

So how do I get books on the road? 
(1) PAPER BOOKS: Real, honest physical paper books from friends, thrift stores, etc.
(2) DIGITAL BOOKS: When I don't have "real" books to read, I read on a Kindle paperwhite. It has a long battery life, and I can read it without having any additional light on. It's also easy to read outside without the awful glare that you get on shiny so-called "smart" devices. It even has 3G, so I can download books without wifi. (I don't know what prescience made me get that, but I'm glad I did!)
On it, I can read books:
- borrowed from my "home" library
- borrowed from Amazon's Kindle UnLimited (which, for $10 per month, I'm really enjoying— it's like a lending library from which you can have 10 books "checked out" at a time)
- purchased from Amazon (but with all the other books out available, there are very few of these.
I could read on the iPad, but I find it too heavy to hold; it takes up too much power; and it's too shiny. The only advantage it has is color (for illustrations), but since I'm reading words and not looking at pictures, there's really no advantage to using it for reading. Just IMHO.

(3) AUDIBLE BOOKS: I also listen to books, either through Audible on the iPad or on my little AGPTEK mp3 player, which I'm totally in love with — it replaces a SanDisk Clip player whose battery wore out. A small mp3 player allows me just to listen without using up a phone battery: I don't need any reading glasses or or any additional light. It's light and tiny and has a countdown sleep timer, so it just goes off after a set amount of time. This new AGPTEK mp3 player has an incredible 70 HOUR play time — so I can go almost two weeks without having to charge it up again. Plus, it has a micro SD slot, so I can really load it up. I haven't even mentioned the books I have on it, as they are mostly popular books downloaded from the library.

There are so many ways to get books now, it's almost an embarrassment of riches. I'd read all day if I could!

---

Here are some of the books that I've read so far, with ratings (***** = the best)
There are more on the list, but if I just read and write I won't be doing anything!

**** 10,000 Miles In a Dogsled (Hudson Stuck): This is the MOST amazing book. Hudson Stuck was a hardy and compassionate minister who traveled all over Alaska during the early 1900s. (Evidently he also traveled many other places, too!) His descriptions of the scenery, the dogs, different types of sleds and when to use them; what is the best clothing to wear, the awareness of weather when traveling in the dead of winter make you feel everything, even while sitting in the comfort of a warm place. He was remarkably understanding and appreciative of all native cultures in Alaska, and displays far more compassion for "others" than many people today. Really a remarkable book (I'm about 2/3 through).

**** Fire and Ice (Dana Stabenow): a Liam Campbell mystery. Liam Campbell is fictional Alaska State Trooper (policeman), posted to a backwater Alaska town that (like Midsomer Murders) has a disproportionate number of difficulties for its size. There's a great cast of characters, from the drunk native shaman with powerful insights into the people of the town, to the magistrate/bar owner who knows everyone and is a source of information for Liam's quest to solve the murders, to the sexy pilot with a past relationship, the fishermen and native peoples. This book had that rare blend of being a "whodunnit" with characters you come to care about, and the added fillup of being set in a bush town in Alaska, and all of the flavor you might expect. I will be reading more from this NYT bestselling author! Reading a book like this is like having dessert!

**** From a Bush Wing: Stories of An Alaska Wildlife Trooper (Stephen Santiago Reynolds): Really liked this book. The author flew for Fish & Game, patrolling from the air, nabbing poachers and helping people in trouble. Really gets you to understand the importance of planes in the Alaska wilderness. And the fierce independence of the people who live there.

*** Mrs. Mike (Bernard & Nancy Freeman): Did anyone else read this years ago? When I was young, I found it on my parents' bookshelf, and was captivated by the young girl who (like Clara in "Heidi," another favorite book), was sent to the North West Territories (NWT) to live with an uncle for her health. There she meets a handsome Mountie, and they fall in love and get married. It's a fairly simple tale, but told well, and the adventures: from forest fire, to meeting the Indians and giving an impromptu "tea party," to watching beaver and other animals and the dangers of illness away from civilization... the book still has magic, pulling you into the adventures and story. A little like Anne of Green Gables. While not strictly Alaska, the book is set in Canada, where I'm traveling through and I wanted to re-read it to see if it was as good as I remembered, while having some more appreciation for the places written about.

*** Stories I've Heard, Characters I've Met & Lies We've Told (Tom Brion): Totally amusing and easy to read, these are almost like very short vignettes about life in the bush. This has the real flavor of the wackiness and derringdo, often seen as commonplace that must be found in the bush. There's the Turkey Bomber, survival of plane crashes, tales of duct tape and plane repair. Probably most of it is true.

** Alaska Up North & to the Left (Steven Swaks): An EMT and his doctor wife, who are from Los Angeles, transplant themselves to Bethel, Alaska, and become invested in the town. Good for seeing what a year in Alaska is like. Things to consider, like having a heated garage. I liked that it went through an entire year. It was okay.

** 40 Years the Wilderness (Dolly Faulkner): Quite captivating from the aspect that the author homesteaded in the Alaska wilderness along with her sometimes-there husband. Interesting for all the things one must consider: fuel during long winters, all supplies have to be flown in by plane, learning to shoot and living with wild animals, and issues with government and native people. Well written in parts but with annoying jumps along the way, the one thing that lit the book up was the evident love this woman had for her home in the wilds of Alaska.

** Becoming Frozen: Memoir of a First Year in Alaska (Jill Homer): A twenty-something writer/editor and her athletic boyfriend try out Alaska. In the cold of winter, the writer decides to try snow-bicycling and eventually rides in a 200-mile race in the dead of winter. Interesting because it was true, and certainly had lots of information about weather and surviving in the cold in Homer, Alaska, it just didn't gel for me. There was too much personal angst and too little about the land itself.

* Alaska Heart (Christine DePetrillo):  Forgettable romance between a New York magazine writer and an Itiderod dogsled musher. Yeah. Well, the title was good.

Alaska (James Michener): I'm now into the grand-daddy of them all: Alaska by James Michener. I admit that the first chapters have put me to sleep, but I know it will get better.

Waiting for mail, part II

People

Some of you have asked if I've met people on this trip.

I have met some interesting people, but I am not going out of my way to make new acquaintances. There are a few memorable folk: Martin at Marias Pass and Richard in Lethbridge (more on him later).

Hiking along St Mary's Lake in Glacier NP

Marty is a Blackfoot, born and raised on the Reservation in Montana. He went to graduate school at Montana Tech in engineering and has traveled a good deal in his lifetime, having worked with the Hoopa in Redding, California, and with the Hopi in Arizona, among other places. He was very happy to be on his first vacation "home" in a long time and seeing snow on mountains again. He was on his way to visit his daughter in Kalispell and other local friends and family. We talked about the fractionalization of tribal lands, social issues, and how beautiful Montana is. I have an open invitation to visit if I'm ever traveling through Minnesota, where he's living and working for the federal government. Who knows where N0MAD will go next?

Beautiful wildflowers along the trail

Walking in the rain

There comes a certain point where you just get tired of being cooped up reading or drawing and need to do something else. You just accept — reluctantly — the fact that you're going to get wet.

The Red Eagle Trail is supposedly an "old bison hunter's trail." It extends gently back into the Glacier Wilderness above St. Mary's Lake, and I followed it for several miles, but have been a little leery of being alone too far back into the backcountry because of bears. I carry bear spray, but wanted to enjoy the hike without too much worry.

The scenery is magnificent, the wildflowers amazing, and, while it did rain and periodically, it finally cleared up by the end of the day so there was unaccustomed blue sky, which made everything even better. The fierce winds that had been blowing previous days were even absent!

The only thing about hiking in the rain is that while you might stay relatively dry on top, all the vegetation is wet from the rain (even when it stops raining) so that as you walk your boots and pants gather up every bit of moisture hanging on every leaf.
It's been a couple of years since all the wet hiking in Washington, so I sort of forgot about this fact. I hadn't thought to get out rain pants, but might reconsider this in the future.

Twin lodges in the beaver pond!

This trail even has the option to go past a beaver pond! It was an active pond — I saw lots of evidence of gnawed trees, and the dam itself was about four feet high! This was also the first time that I've seen a double lodge.

Beaver lodges and dams (and the resulting ponds) are awesome engineering feats. This particular dam must have been 40 feet long and 4 feet high!

I would have loved to have actually seen the beavers working, but they tend to only come out at dawn and dusk, which is very late these days, and I didn't really want to stay out that late! One of these days, I'll find a pond and be able to watch for them. 

Buffleheads swimming in the beaver pond

Even if the beavers weren't out, there was so much to see here: yellow warblers in the brush, robins flitting from tree to tree, and ducks swimming on the water. I heard woodpeckers (there was a big fire here in 2006), but I never saw one.

I imagine that there may be fish in the pond as well.

I saw only a few other hikers on the trail, so it was relatively uncrowded.

The Lubec barn at the 1913 ranger station site

Lastly, there were two log structures at the end/start of the trail. The ranger station (aka "house") was a very pretty one with broad porch and gabled roof, but unfortunately the sun angle was wrong so I couldn't get a good picture of it. The other structure was a barn brought in and reassembled from another location, but would have been similar to the one that originally was there.

Eva, the wife of the first park ranger, Chance Beebe, told stories of the animal life that abounded in the area, reporting that there were "skunks in the cellar, lions in the attic and bears in the backyard." Mrs. Beebe recalls having to guard her laundry drying on the line, because if she didn't the bears (black bears during the daytime; grizzlies at night) would rip it to shreds! It must have been an interesting life there in 1918!
Click here for more information. They were hardy folk in those days!

Shooting star

A different sort of Indian paintbrush

Reading

So, when it's raining, I can do "inside" things. I have always loved to read — the opportunity to be transported to another place and time in the hands of a good writer is a portal through space and history.

I've read more books in the past weeks than I have in a long time, and I am reveling in it!

See my next post for a reading list!

Waiting for mail

I'm getting behind due to a combination of weather, lack of internet, and enjoying life off-line, but I wanted to get a few thoughts about the last days of May before too much time goes by. Here are a few bits and pieces.

Above Marias Pass 

Marias Pass

I spent a number of days up here on the cusp of the Continental Divide, waiting for my mail to arrive from South Dakota.

There is something mind-blowing about straddling the continent: precipitation falling on the west side eventually ends up in the Pacific Ocean; that which falls on the east side makes its way to the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico.

It's pretty amazing to think about, even if it is just gravity at work.

At sunrise

Reference photo for drawing

One of the very cool things about spending a lot of time in one area is that you get to see the landscape change throughout the day.

If snow falls overnight, it gets whiter; as the sun moves through the sky (or clouds obscure it), the shadows and colors on the mountains, water and sky change, sometimes dramatically.

It's like having a movie play in slow motion for your own personal entertainment.

Besides the beautiful mountains at Marias Pass there was also a very nice Forest Service campground ($10/night), a rest stop, the CDT (Continental Divide Trail – I hiked a bit on it), and... trains!

Sunset near Marias Pass

Trains

At 5213 ft, Marias Pass is the lowest pass in the area. It had been used by wild animals and native Americans for years, but its location was a closely guarded secret to outsiders. It wasn't until 1880 when an engineer for one of the Canadian railways managed to "discover" the pass with the aid of a renegade Blackfoot scout.

The railroad values it for the same reason that other travelers had — low elevation and gradual approach, so there was less engineering work that needed to be done to plan the route. A LOT of trains go through here. It is not unusual to see engines pulling 100 oil cars, or box cars, or refrigerator cars, or whatever cars on the tracks. It brings back good memories of reading to Cam — he loved trains as a child, too.

I grew up a few blocks from what is now the Peninsula CalTrain, and confess I love the sound of the trains. If you've read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, you know that when the trains are running, all is right with the world. The sound of the whistle/horn conveys a language of its own, like a secret message, and the low thunder of the trains going by just means that commerce is going forward, that people and goods are going places, and that is a good thing.

Rain...

Dawn rainbow

You've been hearing a lot about rain on this trip. Yes, it's been raining a lot.

It's not that I don't LIKE rain. I do like rain… when I'm inside.

When camping, though, it's mostly a drag: you get wet, your gear gets wet, and your clothes get wet and stick to you. And when it rains all the time, nothing dries out.

But it does keep the car clean.
  And it does provide dramatic interesting skies.
     And it does bring rainbows.

There was one evening when I'd gone to bed, snuggled warm and dry in N0MAD, listening to the steady patter of raindrops on the roof. It let up sometime during the night, but as the sky lightened, I heard it raining again. Dawn comes VERY early now – the sky is light well before 5am. On this day, the rain was a fine rain, almost a mist.

As the sun rose, it shone through the drizzle and everything glowed with luminous pink. Suddenly a vertical rainbow shot through the trees. I was so surprised and awed that it was a moment before I thought to grab the camera off the front seat and take a picture. Of course, by that time it had faded, so the photo doesn't really show how spectacular it was.

Glacier lily, colored pencil

But it's something I will long remember.

Drawing

I've spent quite a number of days drawing.

The wildflowers are beautiful; it's still spring here, so they freshly blooming and changing every day and with location and altitude.

I love glacier lilies, probably because they're an early-blooming flower and so represent spring and the retreat of the snow. It was nice to draw something with bright color, and something that was relatively simple.

I did attempt a big, vast vista on bigger paper. It took three days, and I'm still not done.

The changing light throughout the day, as well as from the ever-changing clouds, made this something of a challenge, but I learned to use binoculars to help understand the relationships between mountain faces.

Also, the changing light of the day showed different aspects of the scene throughout the day. For instance, what looked like forest at one point, actually was a burned-out area that I had only assumed was forest!

St Mary's Lake & Glacier NP, colored pencil (still need to finish the sky)

---

That's one thing that I like about drawing: it encourages me to really LOOK and SEE and disassociate my mind, which is constantly making assumptions about what it is that I think I'm seeing.

A lesson for life.

---

Aspen leaves, colored pencil

Retreating from the Big Picture and wanting to do something easier again, I did these aspen leaves.

The trees are just leafing out, so they still have a light baby green newness, with just a tinge of red, not the rich mature green of summer. There are no bug holes or dust, just fresh new leaves.

I wish I could have gotten them in the sun... but... there was no sun at the time.

It was a good exercise, however, and I realize I need practice in foreshortening — another place where my mind tells me one thing, but putting it on paper requires seeing and drawing what is THERE... not what your mind tries to convince you what's there.

The Continental Divide

Flathead River is high and muddy.

The rains have abated, but before it stopped there was flooding and damage nearby and in the park. Rivers are flowing fast and muddy. All that water had to go somewhere!

It was good to wake up and have it NOT BE RAINING!!

Columbia Falls: Equipment Check

After the downpour and before starting out again, I checked the bike and kayak. Good thing, as the bike was leaning and needed to be re-set.

The kayak needed checking, too. Even though there is a cover over the cockpit, it's neoprene and therefore not fully waterproof. After all the rain, it seemed prudent to go ahead and take it off to see what damage there was.

Who can resist an adorable chocolate bunny?

So yes, Cap'n, we had taken on water, but it could have been worse. There was probably bout 3" of water in the bottom. It makes the kayak quite a bit heavier (not good for being on the roof or vehicle handling), so it was good to get it off and get the water out. I hope it can continue to dry out, but on the other hand it's good to know what the equipment can take.

(At some point I'm going to have to do some boat maintenance, plus I realize that I'd forgotten to get the float bag replacements. Oops. Will have to think about how to handle that! Surely there will be float bags available ahead on my route!)

View north across the Flathead River towards Glacier NP.

While reattaching the kayak, this unusually marked bunny came out for a breakfast nibble of dewy grass. What is it about rabbits that makes them just so darn cute?

I stopped at West Glacier, as there was an Alberta Visitor Center. Figured it was a good idea to get some advice, especially since I'll probably most of the time be without phone service.

No idea what bird this is, but it was very cute!

Wow. What an excellent source of information! The gals there were GREAT. They spent a lot of time with me, listening to what I wanted to see, and making recommendations. I came away loaded with brochures and maps and loads of information. They were quite ecstatic that I was in no hurry and planned on spending up to a month in Alberta and the Yukon. They also made some tech/phone recommendations, so it was a really worthwhile stop.

Glacier NP: Goat Lick

It is so wonderful to be able to stop whenever one wishes. The next memorable stop was at Goat Lick.

I stopped in the later afternoon in the hopes that there might be some mountain goats. Got all armed with scope, tripod and cameras and walked out to the viewing platform. Goat Lick is at the sides of a canyon (still on the Flathead River) where minerals in the rocks leach out and apparently they are quite tasty to mountain goats. It's supposed to be fairly easy to see them, as they cling to the sides of the canyon.

High on a hill was a lonely goat...

Well, I didn't see any, but just decided to chill out and enjoy the lack of rain, cool breeze and rushing of the river. A group of people came up. They had been there earlier in the day, and knew exactly what to look for. Turns out there WAS a goat... a baby. I had seen it earlier, but just thought it was a stump!

Somewhat embarrassed, I got out the scope and, gosh, but it's great to have it. And it's fun to share, too. The goat really wasn't doing very much — it was pretty obliging by moving a little, and then standing still, thinking goat thoughts.

We all wondered where its momma was, but none of the people who came up could find any others. So I count myself lucky to have seen just one.

I'm sure there will be more on my travels, but always seeing the first of a particular animal is exciting.

Glacier lily in the sun.

Marias Pass: Continental Divide

There was supposed to be another letterbox at the Continental Divide, but I couldn't find it.

On these explorations, it's the journey that's important, not the prize (although that's fun). I poked around a bit in the forest where it was supposed to be ("between three pine trees under a rock covered with plant debris"), but didn't find anything.

It was fine, though, because the forest floor was just COVERED with glacier lilies. These delicate flowers are possibly my favorite wildflowers after columbines, ranking right up there with shooting stars. Perhaps it's because they are one of the first wildflowers, and so fleeting.

The sun was at a very low angle, and it was interesting to use the light. It's such fun to play with photography. I'm learning a lot about what works and what doesn't, and when it's appropriate to use different cameras.

The view at Marias Pass is spectacular. I'll need to add to this, but want to post, because my battery is dying, and I have to get back to my campsite.

I'm taking off the next few days. I've requested mail here at East Glacier: my first try at "General Delivery" as I have a passel of mail accumulating in South Dakota, and want to pick it up before heading into Canada where it's more expensive to mail. I just hope it gets here Saturday before the long weekend, but such is life if it doesn't. Things could be worse!

So long... be in touch soon.

Biblical rain

Wet and wild, but still smiling near Flathead Lake.

Well, I've about had it.

Apparently the Jet Stream is meeting Gulf moisture, and the result is... rain. LOTS of it. At least there are no tornadoes or hail predicted, so must count my blessings.

The forecast

Saturday: Rain showers until midnight. Chance of rain: 100%
Saturday night: Rain after midnight. Chance of rain: 100%
Sunday: Rain showers until midnight. Chance of rain: 100%
Sunday night: Rain after midnight. Chance of rain: 100%
Monday: High temperature: 46°. Rain showers likely. Chance of rain: 90%
Monday night: Rain showers likely. Thunderstorms possible. Chance of rain: 90%

So, yes, rivers are high and fast. I'm glad I don't have to cross any!

Blue-winged teal

Swan Lake

Since I missed the National Wildlife Refuge at Ninepipes (it looked really beautiful, but it was too late in the day), I decided to see if I could see any swans at the refuge at Swan Lake. I'd seen three flying overhead near Kalispell — easy to identify because they have really, really long necks — so thought Swan Lake might be a good possibility.

Unfortunately, it was... pouring.
Continuously.
No letup at all.

I tried to look for some birds, but the conditions weren't great. The windows kept fogging up, the rain was streaking down, and the rain formed a pretty effective blurring effect.

Most birds were sensibly not flying around or even out at all. So I was pretty jazzed to see three male blue-winged teals and one female. They are quite handsome birds — very stylish, even in the muted gray of the rain, and they seemed to be doing some sort of neck flirtation. The male would stretch his neck up, the quickly put it down, to be repeated by the female and the male again in quick succession.

Rain and clouds obscuring the mountains around Swan Lake

The dominant male was also chasing away the other two, so it seemed some ducky-love was going on!

Didn't see any LIVE swans, but neither did I want to venture out to the viewing platform. Turns out that the only swans I did see were the swans on the mailboxes — seems like "swan" is a favorite motif for these vacation homes!

Also abandoned a couple of letterboxing explorations. It was just plain too wet.

Camped at the NFS campground at Swan Lake. Funny thing, I was the only one there, other than the camp host!

This is the TRAIL, not the creek!

Viking Creek

Given the forecast, I didn't have a lot of hope for the next day's explorations, but decided to get out anyway.

There was a six-letterbox series at Viking Creek in Whitefish, and I decided "what the heck." It was early enough in the day that I'd dry out (probably). For those of you who don't know, a "series" is a set of letterbox finds that all have a theme. They are kind of cool, which is why I decided to just go for it.

The nature trails at are... okay (other than being wet). No big views, and no birds to speak of, other than the stamps that were hidden along the trails (although I did surprise three white-tailed deer, who pranced off into the forest). I found five out of the six boxes. One was completely submerged, but it's a testament to the creator that the box was dry inside.

Soaked Pikahiker boots

The place was known as a "wetland" even in drier conditions; in the rain, it was a swamp. The reason for this is actually kind of interesting: there is an underlayment of lacustrine clay about 18" underground. So it's difficult for water to drain since this clay forms something of an impervious layer. Boy, was that evident. The trails were puddles and creeks themselves.

It was no wonder that my Pikahiker boots were soaked at the end of this expedition! Thanks to GoreTex, my feet actually were mostly dry, but it's still squishy and a little cold to walk in them.

I turned the heat up on the car, and drove slowly north, finding another letterbox at the North Forty Resort, a very ritzy place that I'd probably never even consider staying at, but the gals at the front office were clueless but enthusiastic. The stamp was really pretty.

Retreated to the library at Columbia Falls to start this post, but they closed early, so couldn't send it.

It's supposed to get better later this week, but in the meantime I'm doing a lot of reading and sleeping and thinking.

It's actually pretty heavenly, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

National Bison Range (and some social commentary on homelessness)

It finally feels like this trip is really starting (after almost a month on the road)!

Finally got out of Missoula after spending too much time at AAA picking up maps and a guidebook for Canada/Alaska. (I don't like carrying more than I have to, so didn't get everything before I left.) "AAA" must stand for "Awesome And Amazing" — the staff there were super nice to let me use their wifi (fast and free) since I also had some bank business to take care of.* It was a perfect place to work and use the phone (hard to do in a library).

Wild rose in the rain

Greenough Park & Stellar Jay

It was a drippy morning, but I had two more letterboxes to find. The first was at Greenough Park, a natural park along Rattlesnake Creek. What I didn't know was that the park was an access point to the Rattlesnake Greenway, a path that runs for miles along the creek, and connects with the Clark Fork River pathways that I discovered the previous day! So it was a double win!

For awhile, the main path is paved, but there are side trails for hikers and dogwalkers that bikes are not allowed on. The trail goes right by the river, with blooming lavender lilacs, bright pink wild roses, berry bushes, and more that I don't know the names of, all heavily laden by accumulated water from the rain. The sound of the rushing creek tumbling over rocks is soothing and energetic at the same time. I'm just glad that there were a couple of bridges, and that it wasn't necessary to cross it on foot!

I found the letterbox (beautiful stamp of a stellar jay), and greeted quite a number of dog walkers. It's so nice to see dogs and their owners out enjoying the outdoors. One dog, a St Bernard, was carrying a very awkward, large branch, and his owner laughingly commented that it was "a treasure" and they probably were going to be going home with it.

The wildlife don't seem to be much bothered by all the activity. I saw a couple of Canada geese and some  mallards down by the creek, and could hear birdsong above the sound of the noisy creek. Supposedly there are pileated woodpeckers here, too. Although I kept an eye out, none were seen or heard.

Another fire lookout at the Smoke Jumper Center

I would have loved to have continued on (trails do that to me) but wasn't really prepared for 30 miles of really wet weather, and I was feeling some impetus to get going. So I put this on the "Back to Missoula" list, and regretfully turned around.

I'll be back.

Smoke Jumper Center

Another letterbox was at the Smoke Jumper Center. Unfortunately during this shoulder season before Memorial Day, tours are only given by appointment, but the grounds are open with some displays, including yet another log lookout building, memorials and exhibits. It was interesting to see the Parachute Loft, the Fire Lab, and out on the airfield were training grounds with pieces of aircraft, presumably where the jumpers could practice before actually jumping out of a flying aircraft!

The letterbox clue indicated it was near  the "Firefighter Memorial," which resulted in some temporary confusion, as it turned out there were TWO memorials. It took some wandering around to find the second one, but I learned some interesting things: for instance after WWII, excess bomb casings were filled with water and dropped on forest fires as an experimental way of fighting forest fires! (The practice was abandoned when better techniques were developed.)

I did find the letterbox: it actually was under one of the stones of the fire lookout cabin's foundation.

National Bison Range:
rain clouds, but no bison

Anyway, I was eager to get to the Bison Range (after one detour back to AAA to pick up a lens hood that dropped out of my bag — it was outstanding of them to track me down before I'd left for good!)

National Bison Range

The National Bison Range was the very first national refuge, established in 1908 by President Teddy Roosevelt. The place closes at sunset, but I had plenty of time to drive the longer road (19-mile Red Sleep Mountain Road) and wander on the few trails that hikers are allowed on.

The visitor center was closed, so I picked up a map and walked the mile-long trail nearby. The weather was threatening to rain, but the lowering clouds gave an energy and air of mystery to the landscape that wouldn't have been there had it been sunny blue sky. Wildflowers, mostly white yarrow, lupine and toadflax (look like miniature yellow snapdragons) were blooming abundantly.

Spotted towhee

No bison were nearby, but that was okay; I was sure I'd see some later.

I was glad that I had 4WD on this trip. Not that a normal car wouldn't have been able to make it, but all the rain had made the road muddy and slippery, and with the steep 10% grades I was happy to not have to worry about making it through.

The road climbs steadily through open grassland. I saw ONE lonely bison from waaaay far away. Glad I had the telephoto and spotting scope, as otherwise the dark mass might have been confused for a rock with horns.

You have to drive slowly so as to not miss anything!

— Yellow warbler —
Hard to photograph, as it has a quick, darting habit in brush.

No bison, but birds everywhere!

There were lots of birds singing and flitting about in the creek bottoms. Since I wasn't having a lot of luck seeing bison, birds were fun to look for. They were all over the place, but it was still a challenge to find them!

I've had the best luck finding birds either:
(1) when they are startled and fly off, which is not particularly productive, but sometimes they are obliging and only go a short way;
(2) watching for them at the tops of vegetation; or
(3) listening for them and trying to zero in on their location.

Even that is tough.

Western meadlowlark trilling

It was sort of funny to be doing this, because most people on the road were zooming along looking for the big animals. They often stopped in front or behind me, probably wondering why in the heck I'd stopped!

I saw and heard magpies, western meadowlarks, and robins; a yellow warbler, spotted towhee, and mountain bluebird; crows, and more. I am very glad for the telephoto lens and the spotting scope, as I'm now beginning to reap the benefits of having it. So many of these birds you'd just be able to squint at, but I'm able to see them clearly with the scope.

I now know what a meadowlark sounds like, (although I'd never attempt to imitate that song). And now that I know what one looks like flying, it will be easier to identify them on the wing.

---

So much of bird identification is just taking the time to observe with all your senses: really seeing, really hearing and putting the two together. It's being quiet and patient, and very zen.  

---

…And not being frustrated that you don't see anything!

Bitterroot: Montana state flower

Which I kind of was 10 miles into the trip, and having seen only two lone male bison from very, very far away.

The Bitterroot Trail was at about the half-way point. At the end of the trail, there were bitterroot flowers just beginning to bloom. Until they bloom with a bright pink flower, they are a small, unassuming plant that grows close to the ground. Their roots are edible, although they have to be boiled to be palatable.
If you are interested in when to harvest and how to prepare bitterroot, you can read about it here.

Wave cut terraces still visible on the hillsides

Lake Missoula

The road rose higher, it began to rain in earnest, and I was figuring this trip was just going to be a big bust. I looked for elk in the forests at higher elevation, but didn't see any of them, either.

What I did see was an interesting exhibit about Lake Missoula, one of the large Ice Age lakes (or succession of lakes) formed by ice damming the outlet of the Clark Fork River, similar to Lake Bonneville and Lake Lahontan to the south. These lakes grew bigger and bigger as the ice kept plugging up their outlets, but eventually — and catastrophically — the water burst the ice dams and flooded the areas downstream.

Yellow paintbrush

These events have had lasting effects on the downstream geomorphology, scouring and deepening canyons and making "scab lands" in eastern Washington and Idaho. Fascinating history and geology, and the power and speed of these periodic floods is almost incomprehensible. You can still see the wave cut terraces formed by Lake Missoula in the hills of the Bison Range.

The road dropped down, with fields of wildflowers: purple lupine, deep blue penstemon, yellow toadflax, white yarrow and pale yellow indian paintbrush.

It was breathtaking.

Bison grazing, with the Mission Mountains in the background.
The clouds lifted just briefly. This must be amazing in the sunshine!

And in the far, far distance was a herd of bison grazing. I peered at them with the spotting scope, and took pictures with the telephoto, but they were so far away that it was still just a teensy bit disappointing.

Still, this is probably my favorite picture from this trip — it's iconic of the wild land and the animals that live there.

There was evidence of bison (or elk, which can also be very destructive): tracks, patties, wallows and muddied places where they'd crossed the road, but no bison close by...

Finally! A pronghorn buck! Up close!

I was beginning to grumble that it was easier seeing bison in Yellowstone NP and in South Dakota at Custer State Park where they were wandering around on the road! I guess they have so much range to wander on here, that there's no reason for them to be close by the road!

Finally! Big animals!

The road finally drops down and becomes the "Prairie Road," which is more accessible to cars. It also is along the river, so (duh, if I'd thought about it) there is more wildlife nearer the water.

Finally, an elk! Actually, there were about 10 of them,
but they were in the trees, across the river, so a little hard to see.

In rapid succession, there was a pronghorn, a male bison, and a herd of female elk. The bison and pronghorn looked a bit shaggy; I'm inferring that they are losing their winter coats.

Yes, I feel pathetically thankful that I finally saw them. (It was also getting later in the day, so that may have had something to do with it, since animals tend to come out and forage at dawn and dusk.

I was also excited to see a female common merganser in the river; just enough to identify and get a lousy picture (not good enough for this blog). I'm learning to be quicker!

So, all in all it was a very good day... and it wasn't over yet!

Finally, a bison! Up close!

Pond at the nature area; yellow is blooming iris.

Turtle nose: if you look carefully
you can just see the shell under the water.

Picnic at the pond

With all the excitement, I needed some dinner. There was a picnic and nature area near the entrance, so I headed there, even though it was getting near closing time. Dusk is always a good time to observe wildlife, as the birds and animals need to feed and drink before settling down for the night. And dusk lasts for a long time, now!

There was a pretty little pond, and water is always attractive to wildlife, too. This place was no exception.

Cottontail rabbit.

There were turtles in the pond, just showing their heads above water and disappearing abruptly at the slightest alarm; cottontail rabbits running around; swallows swooping above catching insects; magpies scolding, doves cooing.

Rain doesn't seem to bother any of them, and I was glad to share the space and peace and quiet. It was way more interesting to walk around on the different trails than eat dinner!

The most special thing to me was a pair of vaguely duck-like birds high in a tree. I wondered what ducks were doing in a tree, since in my limited experience ducks belong on waddling on the ground or swimming in water. In the waning light of dusk, all I could really see was their silhouette, but when I turned the scope on them, I could see all their marvelous markings: a pair of wood ducks, which I had never seen before!

It was a great way to finish a truly remarkable day. I hope there are many more of them!

Pair of wood ducks high in a tree.

---

* Woes of a Nomad: for the record.

This nation is not set up for those of us who call the road home. You are SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME, be it your own or rented.

I don't. My car is my home.
It has a mobile address. Currently, Kalispell, MT.

I subscribe to a mail forwarding service, based in South Dakota, that holds my mail until I ask for it, and they will forward it to any address of my choosing. It can be a residence, Post Office, or business.

That South Dakota address is my home address. All mail goes there. My driver's license shows that as my address. My business is there. I vote in South Dakota (just did by absentee ballot; the primary is in June). My insurance, taxes, financial papers, taxes, bills... everything goes there.

But, technically, I don't "live" there. I live in the car. I'm <gasp> homeless.

Now, there is a funny thing. Not so funny when you have to deal with it, but amusing enough when you think about it.

For banking purposes, as a result of the Patriot Act, 
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A PHYSICAL RESIDENCE.

This has been a continuing source of frustration, on my part and on the banks that I'm trying to do business with. It's a problem for some financial institutions, but not others. Schwab doesn't have an issue at all; Chase was fussy, but eventually let it go; CitiBank needed an interim address, but finally accepted the South Dakota address.

Before I left on this trip, I opened a new account in South Dakota for my business. I registered my business "Rainbow Graphics" in South Dakota with an FBNS, using the South Dakota address and opened a business account with USBank. USBank was one of the few banks that had a branch in Marin, as well as having a presence in the Western US, especially South Dakota, so they were a good choice.

Before I left, all seemed to be fine...

Unfortunately all was NOT fine. They wanted a physical address that they could research and determine that I was connected with the residence. I tried giving them a friend's address (that had worked for CitiBank as an interim solution).

But no. That address was not "associated" with me.

I was given the option of showing a recent utility bill. (I don't have one.)

They wanted to know "how soon" I was going to be moving to South Dakota. I said I'm already established as a resident, and it would be January 2017 before I would even consider that option. I was traveling until then.

We seemed to be at a stalemate, but fortunately, I offered that I owned property in California, and would they accept that? Even though I don't LIVE there?

(Do you see how utterly twisted this is?)

So... yes, they would accept this, with conditions. I had to call the Marin County assessor's office, and have them fax a copy of my property tax bill, showing my name, the address of the property I own, plus my mailing "residence" address in South Dakota.

It was with some relief that the nice gal at USBank in South Dakota accepted this.

But I wonder... what would I have done if I did not own property??

---

There is something wrong with this country when homeless people cannot open a bank account because they don't have a residence.

---