Y2Y 1997 Update #2 from Walkin' Jim Stoltz

Y2Y Y2Y 1997 Update #2

July 11 - I slept in this morning. It felt as though I'd been under for hours, I must have needed the long sleep. After taking my time breaking camp, I walked out to civilization via the trail along Bear Creek. The stream was singing, flowers blooming everywhere and the birds flew constantly serenading me.

One major problem that hit me was how traumatized the trail is from ATV's in that area. The trail is a swath of churned, muddy ruts often wider than a highway. It was very depressing realizing these are OUR public lands and this is permitted to happen. It is not recreation, it is vandalism. I picked my way along and at one point found an arrowhead. This brightened me up considerably so by the time I met the dirt road I was in good spirits. Also, I would be seeing Leslie today.

I walked the dirt road looking for our friend, Maria Flannagan's, house. Somehow I missed it and walked an extra mile and a half before backtracking and finally finding her home. Maria welcomed me in. One of my food re-supply packages was stored there. Soon Leslie arrived and a wonderful evening passed much too quickly.

July 12 - A major break in the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor exists here. The city of Bozeman, MT, Interstate 90 and a railroad line are all obstacles for migrating critters and this hiker as well. I would do a road walk for 12 miles around and through a large chunk of private land. Leslie took my big backpack and I zipped along with a daypack enjoying the birdlife and most of the rural walk. As I stepped out the last couple of miles to the trailhead where Leslie would meet me with my pack, I was surprised when one of the cars stopped. It was friends, Dick and Linda Wolk from Massachusetts! Small world.

At the trailhead we had lunch and tried to say goodbye. It will be 6 weeks before we see each other again. Finally I packed up and headed up the Bridger Mountain Trail. This is a steep up and down trail along the west side of the Bridger Range. With the pack full and the guitar for extra weight, I was laboring up the rises and feeling slow. A Goshawk nest was my reward for stopping to catch my breath. It loomed above me nearby and an adult promptly came squawking and diving at me. I could make out a couple little fluffy chicks, and after a few pictures, left them all in peace. Several miles and one tired body later, I found a place to camp. The first flat spot with water. I claimed it and called it a day.

July 13 - More of the ups and downs this trail offers. From one drainage over to the next. Today is a beautiful day. And the day got better as I reached Ross Pass. The day took on a different tone and I climbed higher into more alpine country near Sacajewea Peak. Topping one pass I found five mountain goats grazing peacefully nearby. They were habituated to people and didn't run away. I inched closer and sat down to watch. Two kids butted heads and the others chewed up grass like vacuum cleaners! I was mesmerized for half an hour before heading on. My route led me down a popular trail to Fairy Lake campground where I stayed with a million and one mosquitos.

July 14 - I got a late start this morning and topped it off by taking the wrong trail! It seemed to be the one that matched my topographic map, but when it faded out before it reached the ridge I thought I'd continue up. Side trips are what this life is all about. I was rewarded with a view of Frazier Lake, the Northern Bridgers and most importantly, the country north of me. This has been a big unknown up to this point. I would be traversing a big 40 mile stretch of mostly private lands here. I wasn't able to contact some of these landowners so I would be going through private land without permission. Something I don't like to do. It felt like stealth hiking.

I traversed back to the trail and several miles later came out on a dirt road which I walked to a jeep trail. This took me back and forth between public and private land for most of the day, through beautiful, rolling country dotted with forest and meadow. By dinner I was back on a pack trail next to a tiny stream coming off Red Rock Mountain. I took a bath, washed out my socks and cooked dinner. Then I continued up the mountain trail.

When I reached the pass between Red Rock and Hatfield it was looking very stormy. I zipped along a trail on the east side of the mountain as it started to rain. Light was fading fast as I left the trail and bushwhacked northward to some logging roads. If I found these old roads by dark, then I could just follow them by moonlight down through a big stretch of private land. What I found was a maze of old roads.

It got dark and I took a couple of wrong turns, had to backtrack and at one point and had to bushwack through the pitch dark to find the way. I did finally find the right route. It led me down into open country. That ol' moon finally slipped from behind the clouds and I walked in an early silver light. I imagined a grizzly traveling through here in the same manner; on the sly keeping to the open places only at night. I camped in Middle Fork Canyon that night. Probably at 1:00 AM.

July 15 - At first hint of light I was off again. The idea was to get through more of the private land before anyone was about. It was several hours before I saw any sun, and when I noticed the first rays peeking through the trees, I stopped. Looking up the hillside I spotted a bull elk, antlers all aglow, posed perfectly in those first morning rays. The sun outlined him in an aura of gold and for a moment I thought he was other worldly ... I gasped aloud, so struck by the beauty of this most perfect site.

I kept to the trees most of the day and dropping to Sixteen Mile Creek found a 20 foot cliff that posed a little challenge for my day. In fifteen minutes, I managed to climb down with my full pack. After fording the creek, I had dinner in a nice ravine full of Aspen and singing water before pushing on. A lightning storm gave me a wonderful show of clouds, light and rain, then ended with three different rainbows.

July 16 - What a joy to get back onto public land. Entered the Helena National Forest following the ridgecrest of the Belt Mountains. It was a short day, a rest day. I found a perfect glade with a spring, an open meadow and a nice stand of old Douglas Firs to camp in. The day was spent reading and playing music. Often I found myself just sitting and listening ... "World watching". Sit and soak up the sounds and sights. It was a wonderful day topped off with a fierce storm to go to sleep by.

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