Ten minutes out of town, we found the dirt road that goes up to Storm Lake. We had been there before, shortly after moving to Anaconda, Montana. The road was hard on the car, but we couldn't resist going. This time we would hike up to the tundra and stay the night. My wife Ana had never been camping above the treeline.
There were a couple cars, but nobody in sight. The lake was sparkling in the sunlight, and the mountains of the Anaconda-Pintler range rose up all around it. It was quiet and cool here at 8,000 feet. We put on our packs and started up the trail. Twenty minutes later we were past the lake, and the trail steepened.
Hiking With Guns In Montana
After an hour of zig-zagging up the mountain we met another hiker. We talked briefly, and noticed the handgun on his belt. This is common in Montana. We've seen guns on the hiking trails and in the bars, and the bank tellers don't even blink when customers walk in wearing guns - they probably have their own.
We never did ask this hiker why he had one, and didn't find out until later that there are grizzlies in the area at times, something some "experts," have denied. At least we had our freon horn to blast if we met a bear, but then maybe that would just get the bear angry.
The trees got smaller as we climbed, and ended just before Storm Lake Pass. Ana waited patiently at the pass while I ran the five minutes - which became twenty - up to the peak of Mount Tiny, about 10,000 feet high. Small, compared to some of the surrounding mountains, but it seemed almost rude to give a beautiful mountain a name like that.
Later, past goat meadow, Ana waited again while I scrambled up the rocks to the top of Kurt Peak (also about 10,000 feet). I couldn't find the route where I came up, so I went back up, then down the west side and finally back north to the grassy slope where Ana was waiting.
Maybe it was foolish to leave Ana alone. Just three months later, two boys were attacked by a mountain lion on the hill just behind the town of Anaconda. The fourteen-year-old fired his gun to scare it off. Both boys were probably larger than my gunless wife. Fortunately, we didn't meet any cougars or bears on this hike, but Ana had other things to worry about.
Camping With Aliens In Montana
"I hear voices," she told me in the tent that night. I assured her there was nobody within ten miles of us, and then she was worried about aliens landing in the meadow. Well, it would make a good landing site. The wind threatened to shred the tent all night, sounding like the whispers or screams of ghosts - or aliens. By morning the wind relented, but it was well below freezing - time to get Ana home.
Despite the cold she hates so much, Ana couldn't help stopping to take in the view as we crossed the high meadows on our way home. Mountains, grey with rock, green with grass and flowers, and painted with white patches of snow, were everywhere. Lakes sat in valleys below, unvisited for weeks at a time. We'll be back there again, but perhaps with bear spray and alien repellant.
Notes:
Forty-five miles of the Continental Divide Trail pass through the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. Other trails in the area are never heavily used. You can easily find mountains and whole valleys where you'll be the only human residents for as long as you stay.
For Sale In Montana
Meeting the beaver was a unique and rather unsettling experience. Movies and cartoons have often portrayed beavers as industrious, cheeky and tenacious. Beavers are all of that, however; in the wild they are also just plain ugly.
Beaver (Castor canadensis), semi-aquatic mammals, are the largest rodents in North America, north of Panama and they are the second largest rodent in the entire world (after the capybara). They are closely related to rats, squirrels and marmots. Beavers have an average lifespan of 12-15 years, however; beavers over 20 years old are not uncommon. Mature beavers normally weigh from 40 to 60 pounds, however many will reach a weight of close to 100 lbs.
In the water they are amazingly swift and graceful, slapping the water surface in frivolous play. Diving and cavorting, beavers use muscled, webbed rear feet to swiftly propel their torpedo-shaped bodies through the water. Their broad, dorsally flattened tail provides extreme mobility and maneuverability. Out of water the beaver is a clumsy, rather slow hump-backed creature.
A typical beaver family unit consists of a pair of adults, the yearlings and kits. Beavers will have 4-6 kits after a 105-107 day gestation period. Beavers breed from January through March. At about two years old, young beavers will either leave of their own accord or are driven from the parental home colony to seek new winter quarters.
Beavers once lived in most forested areas of the North American Continent. If one could find a stream, lake or river, one could most always find a beaver colony. Excessive fur trapping in the late 1800's and early 1900's nearly eradicated the beaver in Montana. Today, most colonies are found in remote regions where their activities do not interact with man.
“Nature's engineers”, beavers have the ability to build dams and to modify the landscape to increase its suitability for their habitation. Beavers often build huge conical lodges at the edge of a lake or pond or will sometimes burrow into the bank of larger rivers. Beaver dam-building activities are integral components of the ecosystem as they play an important part in natural water flow and erosion control. Beaver ponds also provide recreational opportunities such as hunting and fishing.
In Montana, beaver problems can occur wherever there are trees, water and man. Most conflicts with beaver occur in areas where beaver cause problems by flooding pasture land, roadways or restrict water flow of streams. Sometimes beaver are really an annoying pest when they girdle ornamental or landscape trees or undermine property with their burrowing.
Since I viewed my first beaver on Cedar Creek, the US Forest Service has trapped the Cedar Creek Colony for relocation and demolished the dam. Unfortunately, their dam construction was causing flooding upstream and washing out the roadbed.
Intelligent creatures, beavers construct stick and mud dams in order to build their lodges in the resulting ponds. The lodge provides protection from marauding bears, wolves, coyotes and cougars. Working primarily at night, these nocturnal creatures are hardworking, prolific builders, carrying stones and mud with their powerful fore-paws and twigs and branches between their teeth. The beaver's chisel sharp and rock strong incisors grow continuously. These guys are really industrious! The largest beaver dam on record was discovered near Three Forks, Montana. Visible by satellite, it is 2,140 feet long, 14 feet high and 23 feet thick at the base. Amazing!
Beaver ponds play a significant role in the formation of Montana's plant and animal habitat. Beaver dams create ponds that help stabilize water tables and help reduce rapid rain runoff. Beaver dams reduce soil erosion and improve soil quality, with runoff deposits settling into quiet pools near their dams. Beaver habitat is rich in plant, aquatic and animal life, making beaver ponds an excellent locale for observing nature.
Hindered by very poor eyesight, beavers compensate by having highly developed senses of smell and touch as well as exceptional hearing. When startled or frightened, beavers will use their flat and scaly broad tails to loudly slap the water as a signal of danger. In response to the alarm, which can be heard over a considerable distance both above and below the water, the beaver colony will “dive for cover” and may not re-emerge until some invisible sense gives them an “all clear”. The Salish Indian Tribe that lives in Northwest Montana has a tribal ledgend that says beavers are fallen Indians, doomed to the lowly state of a beaver by the Great Spirit.
Strict herbivores, beavers will feast on a wide variety of herbaceous and woody plants. They enjoy wild berries in season and especially crave the water lilies found in many alpine ponds and lakes. Cottonwood, willow, aspen and alder are important foods, much of which is stored in caches for winter consumption. Beaver will also gnaw and harvest birch and maple trees.
A staple of Native Americans and early settlers, beaver meat is fine-grained, deep red, moist and tender. When properly prepared, beaver meat is similar in flavor to roast pork. The high fat content of the succulent tail meat is especially savored.
Prized by hunters and trappers for its sleek, warm pelage, the beaver's value as a fur animal lead to the early exploration of the North America Continent. Rich chocolate brown in color with black to reddish guard hairs, beaver pelts are soft, extremely dense and have excellent insulating qualities. At one time considered the most valuable of furs, beaver was also trapped for its castor glands which produce castoreum, a highly sought product used in making perfume. In Montana the beaver is an official furbearer and is managed and protected by regulated fur harvests.
Both Steve Gillman & Marlene Affeld are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Steve Gillman has sinced written about articles on various topics from Camping, Hypnotherapy and Entertainment Guide. Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 42, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For travel stories, tips and a free Travel Secrets e-book, visit:. Steve Gillman's top article generates over 135000 views. Bookmark Steve Gillman to your Favourites.
Marlene Affeld has sinced written about articles on various topics from Food And Drink, Education and Camping. Marlene Affeld has a passion for the environment and all things natural. A seasoned traveler, Marlene enjoys sharing her experiences with others. Visit Marlene's site at Nandu Gre. Marlene Affeld's top article generates over 49500 views. Bookmark Marlene Affeld to your Favourites.
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