A freewrite poem for no reason:
The sky is hungry, and she's coming fast;
across the meadow, and no,
not even the snow capped peaks will slow her now.
Soon, she'll grow irritated and mad
and strike down all those
who may cross her path.
It's moments like this when god crosses my mind,
and I'm convinced it never was
or ever will be a single being.
He's a force of nature,
so complex, so emotional and powerful;
no book or race or soul
will ever define his reign.
We the people speak about power,
conquering the people who hold us back.
Progress is the name of the game,
and "in the name of god," we shout.
Guns blaring, flags waving,
blood runs red.
To all those who lived before me.
I'm sorry you were born blind.
It was never your fault,
but the ones with greed smeared across their grins,
who told you Adam ate from the tree of knowledge,
and now you're all sinned.
Knowledge is the key to Earth's survival.
Not to conquer,
but to protect
and serve.
We have Mother Nature and Father Time
to care for the clocks and weather,
but what about the running water?
the herds of sheep?
and the groves of aspen?
Rain will fall and years will pass,
but without our help no one will see what the gods performed.
The bears won't den on winter slopes.
Pines won't grow after a summer's burn.
Wolves won't howl to the night,
and we will never be able to watch
and take it all in.
See, everything works in simple mathematics;
in circles and waves,
if one factor goes, the other won't survive.
It's like a childhood game of dominos,
but the board spans for acres
for square kilometers,
and I bet what the birds will see
when it all crumbles away
is a portrait of a meadow
and a trail of smoke at one corner,
until all that's left are deserts
breeze
and lightning storms.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Just Like Summer Camp: Training Pt. II
June 16th
The cold rain returned to West Glacier sending away the crews to their respected areas after an eventful week of training.
Part of me wants everyone to stay here and work the park with us, but the other part is excited to get to know the Glacier crew even more.
We went out with a hoorah in epic fashion last night. Not only was it the last night we will all be together but it was Cayley's 21st birthday. And there is probably no better way to celebrate your 21st than at Fritas with 30 drunk outdoor/ bear enthusiasts. Let's just say this morning's hangover matched the weather.
But the collaborative hangover didn't let us off the hook for work. We were all right back at it, cutting wire, printing envelopes, and we even got a new job:
to grind up 5 barrels worth of fish guts. So the Cabinet-Yaak and Glacier crews switched off working in the pouring rain, chopping off the heads and shoving the bodies of hundreds of carp that we received from a bow fishing tournament at Canyon Ferry Lake. Even through the rain and a long hot shower I can smell the rotting fish on me. My water shoes may be ruined as well, currently reeking in the trunk of my car.
The last two days took us out in the field in groups to learn first hand how to survey the rub trees. It was a slow process for some of the newbies, but it didn't take any of the fun out of the day trips, and it was a nice change of pace from the classroom.
Tuesday brought Team Mike (Roesch and Beall) to the land of the power pines, a highway of a tree species fueled by electricity, aka power-lines. It was also optimal mosquito breeding territory. It was definitely not the greatest hike in the world, but we made it a good time. We saw a good amount of wildlife tracks and other traces, including a shit load of bear hair samples.
When evening arrived, another tasty family dinner was cooked and served to the music provided by Haakan, a fellow Glacier intern, and Dan Eker, who works in the Bob Marshall.
We moved the group down to Apgar on the south shore of Lake McDonald, where a gorgeous sunset was waiting.
The peaks on the far end still hold an ungodly amount of snow, and the constant rain and highs in the 50s equates more snow in the high country. It's a beautiful sight, but it means we will be waiting even longer to hit the passes.
Our group found snow on our Wednesday hike in the Whitefish Range near the North Fork Drainage. It was a much more scenic day, and it was strange to be walking on feet of snow, wearing shorts and gators as a rain, sleet hybrid fell down on us.
We were also reminded that bear crew is fun at the Polebridge Mercantile, where an employee asked all of us in hiking gear what we were up to. And with our answer, she laughed and said, "I heard you guys like to party."
Then we hit Fritas, and the rest is history.
cheers,
Beaz_
The cold rain returned to West Glacier sending away the crews to their respected areas after an eventful week of training.
Part of me wants everyone to stay here and work the park with us, but the other part is excited to get to know the Glacier crew even more.
We went out with a hoorah in epic fashion last night. Not only was it the last night we will all be together but it was Cayley's 21st birthday. And there is probably no better way to celebrate your 21st than at Fritas with 30 drunk outdoor/ bear enthusiasts. Let's just say this morning's hangover matched the weather.
But the collaborative hangover didn't let us off the hook for work. We were all right back at it, cutting wire, printing envelopes, and we even got a new job:
to grind up 5 barrels worth of fish guts. So the Cabinet-Yaak and Glacier crews switched off working in the pouring rain, chopping off the heads and shoving the bodies of hundreds of carp that we received from a bow fishing tournament at Canyon Ferry Lake. Even through the rain and a long hot shower I can smell the rotting fish on me. My water shoes may be ruined as well, currently reeking in the trunk of my car.
The last two days took us out in the field in groups to learn first hand how to survey the rub trees. It was a slow process for some of the newbies, but it didn't take any of the fun out of the day trips, and it was a nice change of pace from the classroom.
Tuesday brought Team Mike (Roesch and Beall) to the land of the power pines, a highway of a tree species fueled by electricity, aka power-lines. It was also optimal mosquito breeding territory. It was definitely not the greatest hike in the world, but we made it a good time. We saw a good amount of wildlife tracks and other traces, including a shit load of bear hair samples.
When evening arrived, another tasty family dinner was cooked and served to the music provided by Haakan, a fellow Glacier intern, and Dan Eker, who works in the Bob Marshall.
The peaks on the far end still hold an ungodly amount of snow, and the constant rain and highs in the 50s equates more snow in the high country. It's a beautiful sight, but it means we will be waiting even longer to hit the passes.
Our group found snow on our Wednesday hike in the Whitefish Range near the North Fork Drainage. It was a much more scenic day, and it was strange to be walking on feet of snow, wearing shorts and gators as a rain, sleet hybrid fell down on us.
We were also reminded that bear crew is fun at the Polebridge Mercantile, where an employee asked all of us in hiking gear what we were up to. And with our answer, she laughed and said, "I heard you guys like to party."
Then we hit Fritas, and the rest is history.
cheers,
Beaz_
Just Like Summer Camp: Training Pt. I
June 11th
I knew this research project was big, but until this morning I had no idea the full scope of the bear project. Over the past 10 years, Kate Kendall and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Project has received millions of dollars in funds from NGOs, the USGS, local and national governments. It spans from the Canadian border to Missoula, Libby to the Eastern front of the Rocky Mountains, encompassing eight million acres, five wilderness areas and Glacier National Park.
I felt privileged to be part of it in the first place, but now I feel borderline important.
A lot of pressure rides on every one of the crews, bio-techs and interns to take down data and keep it safe, because a lot of money and a lot of criticism is on the shoulders of us all. Believe it or not, but the locals in the area are not the biggest fans of bears, and some want them all gone. It hasn't been easy convincing these people that conserving a predator like the grizzly bear is an important part of not only their lives but future generations.
Kate spent the morning of the first day of training going over projects from the beginning that started in 1997 with the Greater Glacier Bear Project, where non-invasive techniques were first used to monitor bear populations to the current project. The Grizzly Bear DNA project is known world-wide as one of the state of the art research project ever initiated.
The rest of the day consisted of frisbee, free food, bear safety and bear spray. We even got kicked out early due to some folks who love god maybe a little too much. During Amy's final presentation, she was interrupted three times by three different people to warn us that the sunny weather outside is too iffy to hold mass outside in Apgar, so 100 worshipers came storming in as she gave her final words on field protocol.
I remain by my philosophy that I don't mind religion, but its believers are a bit oblivious of the world around them. Going to church is one thing, but another is being respectful to the people and world you coexist with. I'm not saying I'm the most virtuous individual in the world, but they need to take a look at themselves. Sir, in your SUV, if you don't have the patience to wait for me to tie my shoelaces before you pray to the force of nature, you don't deserve to be taken up by the rapture. Sorry to burst your dream bubble mang.
Anyways...Today I revitalized my excitement for this summer and my journalism project I want to complete. Throughout Kate's talk, I was writing vigorously, outlining my plan, my sources I want to talk to and the direction I want to take. If there's anything that will save the world or even a population of threatened animals, it will all come down to public opinion and their combined conscious. I'm starting to realize that this is what journalism is all about: opening up the minds of locals to an idea in a way that they will willingly partake in the cause. And if I can't be passionate about a cause as important and extensive as Kate Kendall's work with USGS then I don't deserve to be called an aspiring journalist.
The project might get their information published in science journals, but that is not going to get out to the people who need to hear it. Kate talked about her experience on Capital Hill in 2008, during the presidential campaigns, when John McCain called the project a waste of money right along with the "Bridge to Nowhere." He ended up changing his public opinion thanks to a Washington Post reporter who decided to talk to Kate and published a full spread feature in the Post. Those are the stories that get to people. I want that to be my job.
I've been slacking on my writing and blogging lately, because people have finally shown up, and goddamnit am I excited for this summer. The crew I'm part of is going to be awesome. I had the privilege to pick up all the interns. I had my doubts, but my pessimistic mind was trumped by my longing to meet new people and expand my horizons from my tiny bubble of Missoula, Mont. There's something about people who work with wildlife or even as simple as being passionate and wanting to work for little to no pay just to say they were part of something amazing.
June 12th.
It's beginning to feel like summer. Despite the scattered thunder storms over the past few days, the sun has been strong and tourists are starting to crowd the mercantile and the rest of West Glacier. I even had traffic, a string of 12 cars, on my way back to Coram.
I'm currently sipping a beer at the Stonefly happy hour to get a little break from the crowds and constant action that bear crew brought to camp. The Shins are playing lightly over the speakers, and locals are scattered around the bar and booths, chatting or using the only free wifi in the area. I'm starting to think that bars are an improvement to coffee shops in the free internet category.
Last night all 45-50 members of the bear crew met up at Kate's home in the Flathead Valley that sits on 60 acres or so right along the Flathead River. There was a point between the storms that I thought I was back in the rainforest of Australia, as the sun set cut through the misty rain clouds. If only the trees were palms instead of deciduous, and the water wasn't 38 degrees.
We drank beer and ate delicious food, played badminton, talked about the status of the world and of course bears and bear crew. Things may have become slightly fuzzy by the time we returned. But all in all it was a great night.
Training today was another classroom day, and I'm starting to get antsy to get out in the field again. There's only so much we can learn about field protocol and safety in a classroom setting. Although the things Amy and Kate are telling us will be important in the early hitches. The rivers are still huge and fast, and the snow is still increasing in the high country. Apparently, in the middle of the park there are a range of flat top mountains that are currently holding five feet worth of water in the snow pack, and those mountains are no where close to the highest peaks or have the most snow. It's going to be one hell of a summer, and I don't think any of us in the Glacier crew will understand until we experience it first hand.
Tomorrow's training session will be all about river and snow crossing. We get to go out in the field and prove we can handle what we've been learning in the slideshows.
Well, gotta go and return to the rest of the crew.
cheers,
June 13th
Bear Spray, River and Snow Crossings
I felt privileged to be part of it in the first place, but now I feel borderline important.
A lot of pressure rides on every one of the crews, bio-techs and interns to take down data and keep it safe, because a lot of money and a lot of criticism is on the shoulders of us all. Believe it or not, but the locals in the area are not the biggest fans of bears, and some want them all gone. It hasn't been easy convincing these people that conserving a predator like the grizzly bear is an important part of not only their lives but future generations.
Kate spent the morning of the first day of training going over projects from the beginning that started in 1997 with the Greater Glacier Bear Project, where non-invasive techniques were first used to monitor bear populations to the current project. The Grizzly Bear DNA project is known world-wide as one of the state of the art research project ever initiated.
The rest of the day consisted of frisbee, free food, bear safety and bear spray. We even got kicked out early due to some folks who love god maybe a little too much. During Amy's final presentation, she was interrupted three times by three different people to warn us that the sunny weather outside is too iffy to hold mass outside in Apgar, so 100 worshipers came storming in as she gave her final words on field protocol.
I remain by my philosophy that I don't mind religion, but its believers are a bit oblivious of the world around them. Going to church is one thing, but another is being respectful to the people and world you coexist with. I'm not saying I'm the most virtuous individual in the world, but they need to take a look at themselves. Sir, in your SUV, if you don't have the patience to wait for me to tie my shoelaces before you pray to the force of nature, you don't deserve to be taken up by the rapture. Sorry to burst your dream bubble mang.
Anyways...Today I revitalized my excitement for this summer and my journalism project I want to complete. Throughout Kate's talk, I was writing vigorously, outlining my plan, my sources I want to talk to and the direction I want to take. If there's anything that will save the world or even a population of threatened animals, it will all come down to public opinion and their combined conscious. I'm starting to realize that this is what journalism is all about: opening up the minds of locals to an idea in a way that they will willingly partake in the cause. And if I can't be passionate about a cause as important and extensive as Kate Kendall's work with USGS then I don't deserve to be called an aspiring journalist.
The project might get their information published in science journals, but that is not going to get out to the people who need to hear it. Kate talked about her experience on Capital Hill in 2008, during the presidential campaigns, when John McCain called the project a waste of money right along with the "Bridge to Nowhere." He ended up changing his public opinion thanks to a Washington Post reporter who decided to talk to Kate and published a full spread feature in the Post. Those are the stories that get to people. I want that to be my job.
I've been slacking on my writing and blogging lately, because people have finally shown up, and goddamnit am I excited for this summer. The crew I'm part of is going to be awesome. I had the privilege to pick up all the interns. I had my doubts, but my pessimistic mind was trumped by my longing to meet new people and expand my horizons from my tiny bubble of Missoula, Mont. There's something about people who work with wildlife or even as simple as being passionate and wanting to work for little to no pay just to say they were part of something amazing.
June 12th.
It's beginning to feel like summer. Despite the scattered thunder storms over the past few days, the sun has been strong and tourists are starting to crowd the mercantile and the rest of West Glacier. I even had traffic, a string of 12 cars, on my way back to Coram.
I'm currently sipping a beer at the Stonefly happy hour to get a little break from the crowds and constant action that bear crew brought to camp. The Shins are playing lightly over the speakers, and locals are scattered around the bar and booths, chatting or using the only free wifi in the area. I'm starting to think that bars are an improvement to coffee shops in the free internet category.
Last night all 45-50 members of the bear crew met up at Kate's home in the Flathead Valley that sits on 60 acres or so right along the Flathead River. There was a point between the storms that I thought I was back in the rainforest of Australia, as the sun set cut through the misty rain clouds. If only the trees were palms instead of deciduous, and the water wasn't 38 degrees.
We drank beer and ate delicious food, played badminton, talked about the status of the world and of course bears and bear crew. Things may have become slightly fuzzy by the time we returned. But all in all it was a great night.
Training today was another classroom day, and I'm starting to get antsy to get out in the field again. There's only so much we can learn about field protocol and safety in a classroom setting. Although the things Amy and Kate are telling us will be important in the early hitches. The rivers are still huge and fast, and the snow is still increasing in the high country. Apparently, in the middle of the park there are a range of flat top mountains that are currently holding five feet worth of water in the snow pack, and those mountains are no where close to the highest peaks or have the most snow. It's going to be one hell of a summer, and I don't think any of us in the Glacier crew will understand until we experience it first hand.
Tomorrow's training session will be all about river and snow crossing. We get to go out in the field and prove we can handle what we've been learning in the slideshows.
Well, gotta go and return to the rest of the crew.
cheers,
June 13th
Bear Spray, River and Snow Crossings
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Hitch # 0: Rain, Angry Mamma Bear and Surgery
May 25th Day 1: Leaving West
The rain woke me up at 6:30.
It wasn’t thunder or wind. It was as if god was dropping thousands of marbles from the sky, flooding the street and alleys around the house, and the rain wouldn’t slow throughout the day.
Of course the weather’s decision to turn away from a week’s worth of beautiful sunny days to pouring rain came the day I head into the water logged forests and mountain ranges of the Cabinet/ Yaak. It’s the closest area in the inner continental U.S. to a temperate rainforest, receiving more than twice as much rain as the Montana average.
Preparing for this trip got a bit tougher overnight.
Now along with food, clothes, barbed wire and nails, we have to pack in snowshoes, trekking poles, axes and saws in case we come across blizzard conditions. I’m relieved we’re not backpacking this trip. Instead, we’ll be setting up camp in a pop-up trailer at the Troy Ranger Station outside Troy, Mont, population 1,000.
Ken Honeycutt and I will be covering strictly low elevation trails and roads, below 5,000 ft in elevation, where the heavy snow line still lingers, constructing up to 200 rub trees.
Day 1 continued: Troy Ranger Station
It’s cold, rainy, yet gorgeous.
I always forget until I return to the northwest corner of Montana that it’s my favorite area in the state, besides Glacier of course.
We drove yesterday evening through low fog and showers, entering the green forests of the Kootenai, alongside the Cabinet Mountains. Those peaks may only reach around 8,000 ft, but considering that the Kootenai River at the Idaho boarder is the lowest spot in the state, 1,800 ft, makes the peaks much more impressive. Mist hung on the snow covered passes on both sides of Highway 2, as elk and deer grazed and crossed the road throughout the trip. Rain fell in waves, and in between I swore I could almost see the sun.
We arrived in Troy to a parked pop-up trailer next to the Kootenai National Forest fire crew locker room. The trailer apparently has a gas leak, so we don’t have heat for the time being.
This will be home until we finish this 9 day hitch. At least there is power and lights, so Ken and I could plan out our days. Well, he planned. I took pictures. We have books and books of maps, road maps, trail maps, measuring snow levels, distances, forest service and private land. The study area is huge, and we need to figure out a strategy that will be beneficial for our time and the study in its early season hitch.
Tomorrow’s the day. I finally get to witness first hand what I signed up to do. All I can do is wake up and hope my hiking boots hold up without waterproof material.
And hopefully I don't freeze in the night.
It’s doubtful, not the freezing part.
May 26th Day 2: Porcupine Creek
I met Kris, the Cabinet Project Manager, this morning before heading out into our first day. She gave us the new tree tags and asked if 400 would be enough. I don’t think she understood our goal would be 150 trees.
She also installed heat for us in the little pop-up, and does it feel good after a day of constant rain showers and hiking through wet brush and snowpack.
Turns out that the leak in the camper was actually in the roof, and not a gas leak, so we froze for no reason…
Despite my lack of activity over the past few months, I managed fairly well out there. I guess I still have youth on my side.
Today took Ken and I up Porcupine Creek south of Libby in the foothills of the Cabinets. It was a nice area, nothing spectacular. We cris-crossed through meadows, across creeks, and up and down hills all the way to the snowline at around 5,000 ft. And goddamn was it cold. Well, the air wasn’t too bad, but my soaked feet were. There’s not enough waterproof spray in the world that could’ve kept my boots dry today.
I also realized I have a lot to learn about my limits out here. When we hit the snow and the long stretches of downed timber to climb over, I looked at Ken as if he was crazy. Why the hell are we still moving? The clouds were darkening, snow started to fall, but I think it was my poor mood that caused it. Your mood determines even the weather or at least your ability to overcome it.
Throughout the eight-mile day, we only managed to construct four rub trees, and one we had to dig through three feet of snow to do so. I guess the area we were in was fairly bear free. In fact the only bear we saw was a young black bear from the highway, driving back into Troy. It was the first bear I’ve seen in my time with the bear crew. I’m known in my family and now in the crew as bear repellant.
I’m hoping tomorrow will be more promising. We’re hitting the day early, so more gas station coffee will be necessary.
Somewhere between the morning fog, Radiohead and my tired thoughts, I could’ve sworn I’d find Sasquatch today. Well maybe I’d have more luck if I had some magic mushrooms. That would’ve capped off my dreamlike morning in Callahan Creek.
The clouds were so low I could’ve stuck my spork (handy camping utensil) into them as I ate my oatmeal. But as another cup of gas station coffee settled into my veins, they lifted up, and we found more snow, downed timer and closed gates blocking our every move.
Ken and I spent the majority of the day driving. We didn’t mean to stick strictly to road-side rubs, but every trail we tried to find or get to was blocked in some way. Snow blocked the route to Goat Creek, and timber cut it off at the other end. The only trail we managed to find was a tourist trap tour of the Callahan Logging Mill of the early 1900s. It was probably the worst attempt at a historic trail I’ve ever seen. All that was there were a dozen or so signs of facts or stories and park benches every couple hundred yards.
I guess bears don’t like logging literature, because the five-mile trail gave us zero rub trees.
Despite the bad luck on hikes, we managed to double our rube total from yesterday, setting our total at 12. I think Kris expected us to put up 40 a day.
Day 4: Arbo Creek
Ken and I decided, as we were planning our hitch that we would save the Yaak for the best weather.
Granted, we were simply joking to lighten the mood, while rain shower after shower drizzled on the roof of the camper.
Sunday morning brought a bluebird day. So we went up Arbo Creek between Yaak and Troy. It was the first day of the year I was able to hike in sandals, walking up creeks and enjoy doing so.
Driving into the forest I could sense seeing a bear. Even Ken was giving me guidelines for bear etiquette in grizzly country. We followed wildlife hints everywhere: moose, lion and bear scat, flipped over rocks, and we even managed to take home moose paddles as souvenirs. Yet, all we came across were more downed trees, blocking our path, causing us to bushwhack or climb over the blockades. This area must’ve been hit by some severe weather this winter, because everyday we come across similar dead ends.
We still managed to climb up a beautiful trail and up a ridge that looked over a lot of the lower Yaak drainage. Hopefully the luck continues with the weather.
Day 5: Cabinets!... I mean Keeler Creek (Angry Mamma Bear)
Another sunny day brought us to another random road blocked adventure. With gas station coffee in hand, I drove down the Bull River Valley, alongside the Cabinet Mountains, thinking we were on the verge of our first taste of the wilderness area, where no roads touch the 100,000 acre pristine forest and mountain range, but the trail vanished, leaving us avoiding private property signs and colliding rivers, risking either getting shot by locals or wet without reason.
So we decided otherwise and drove more roads, driving up and around Keeler Creek, north of Bull Lake. Since we missed out on a gorgeous hike this morning, we decided to hike deep into the Kootenai Forest on an abandoned and overgrown logging road.
From the start, we found more fallen timber, but we prevailed into the snowpack. Storm clouds loomed overhead to the sound of growls and barks.
I was a good 30 meters ahead of Ken, when I realized what I heard.
So I looked back to see Ken leaning over, laughing quietly into his open hand. The other held his can of pepper spray.
So I armed myself as well.
The growls continued as Ken made his way towards me, and I asked, “Is that a bear?”
Ken simply laughed and nodded his head. He turned around and started talking to the direction. It still hadn’t shown its face. “Hey bear. Hey-o.”
We continued walking, pepper spray in hand about a hundred yards from where we first heard the growls to a old intersection. I walked down towards our destination, but Ken went to the wooden pole.
I knew it was a rub tree.
I stood there, thinking, “There is no way he is setting up a rub tree…No way in hell.”
But, he set down his pack to find the GPS and yellow markers and started hammering. Then the bear was back, angrier.
“Ken, we’re going. There’s no way I’m putting up a rub right here,” I yell.
He finally agreed and we made our way, after he took the GPS point and finished hammering the markers.
We couldn’t have gone another quarter mile before we came across another rub tree, and this time it was quiet enough to set down our bags and put one up. But half way through installing the barbed wire, we heard crunching branches in the forest.
“Mike, put on your pack and grab your spray,” Ken shouted. “Get out of here bear!! Get out now!”
My eyes lit up, and my heart started racing again. He told me to keep my pack on and watch his back as he finished the rub.
We didn’t hear the bear again. And I’m still not sure if the crunching at the second tree was in fact the same bear, but the invisible culprit made for an exciting event.
We ate lunch down the trail a ways, and Ken went over bear safety with me and laughed that we probably should’ve gone over it on day one.
And from there we went on more roads. I found my first rub tree on my own and met some random East Coaster from Virginia, surveying wolves. She was awkward.
Well that was Keeler Creek.
The End.
P.s. I want to go to Argentina.
A Lesson in Rubs
Add yellow tags for trail markers, tree number tag barbed wire. and presto. A rub tree.
Day 6: Libby’s St. John’s E.R.
I woke up this morning at 4 a.m. in the worst pain imaginable. I tried to fight through it, but my gut and groin was in excruciating pain.
I made it to a few minutes before we were to take off for another day of hiking, before I told Ken I think I have to go to the emergency room.
So I took the rig and drove myself to Libby to get it checked out, and it turned out I had a hernia and had to get surgery.
I’m down and out with another fluky injury for two weeks.
Enough on that subject.
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