Latest
Update: June
19, 2001 by Ben Marcus
23:44
SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2001 A CAMPGROUND NEAR DIVIDE, MONTANA
Ike
is out running around. Hope I see him again. This just feels like
coyote country. I just pulled into a National Park Campground
near the Big Hole River. I came here expecting to find only the
recent memory of Mike Locatelli. I knew he was coming here with
Richard Metiver, but I thought he would be gone by now. Turns
out he'll be here until the 23rd, and I have someone to pester.
After
Missoula I headed south through the Bitteroot Valley, which lived
up to its reputation. It reminded me of British Columbia, but
lusher and more populated: snow covered mountains on both sides,
a very nice river running through it and lots of horse and cattle
ranches. There also is a large pole house industry in the Bitteroot
Valley. I saw at least a dozen operations, some of them surprisingly
large scale, with cranes and huge piles of poles.
I
almost ran out of gas and had to turn around, not knowing what
was around the corner, but certain I had passed gas somewhere
along the line. I bought another $50 worth and pushed on. It was
dark by the time I got to a little town called Darby. There are
lots of little "casinos" all over Montana, which mostly means
slot machines. Bad for me. Good for Montana.
At
Darby I called Mike Locatelli's house in Santa Cruz and talked
to his wife, Nancy. Turns out Mike was still in Montana and had
arrived here on Friday. He's going to stay until the 23rd. That
was good news. I called pops for Father's Day, won $10 on a poker
machine and then called Mike.
They've
been drifting the Big Hole every day and catching trout. As I
drove from Darby to Wisdom and then to Wise River, I figured I'd
hang around those guys for a few days. I can read and fish and
write while they're drifting the river, then maybe hang with them
in the evening. I've got 80 DVDs and also my VHS/TV, so I should
be able to keep them entertained.
It's
very dark here and starting to rain. Ike came back a little wet.
I'm going to read the Lewis and Clark book for a little bit and
then hit the sack.
It's
weird to know someone out here in the middle of nowhere.
14:49
MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2001 JERRY'S ACCESS, WISE RIVER, MONTANA ODOMETER:
54944 TRIP METER: 867.4
MONEY:
DIVIDE BRIDGE CAMP GROUND: $6 SALMON FLY AND CADDIS FLIES AND
LEADERS: $24.98 WATER AND MILK AND SPOONS FROM WISE RIVER STORE:
$3
Wow.
It's rare and cool when a place lives up to the hype. The Hollister
Ranch does. Santa Cruz in November does. Montana does.
Parts
of British Columbia look like the Big Hole River valley, but this
is absolutely flawless trout country. The river flows through
perfect horse and cattle pasture, there are snow covered mountains
on both sides and puffy clouds are moving through a blue sky.
Earlier
today I got stuck in a traffic jam of about 300 cows and calves
who appeared to be doing road maintenance by eating the grass
on the side of the road. There were about 8 people on horseback
moving them along. Everything is healthy here: horses, cattle,
people, pasture. Trout. Mosquitos.
Right
now I'm in the parking lot at Jerry's Access, just down from Wise
River. People launch and bring out their boats here, and it's
also possible to fish from the bank. Ike just wandered off into
the trees along the river and I found him with his nose down a
gopher hole. There's a half-dozen pickup trucks with trailers
in the lot and a drift boat going by every 10 minutes or so.
I'm
waiting for TroutFitters to open at 15:45 so I can go get a proper
fishing license. I went there earlier today to see about Mike
and Rich Metiver. They were on the river but I saw a picture of
Rich with a nine-pound brown trout on the wall. They also sell
Maui Jims for less than that outlet store, just in case I break
mine.
I
bought some salmon flies and caddis flies and two spools of leader.
The guy in the shop rigged me up the local brew: A bug, juicy,
floating salmon fly on the end, with a caddis fly trailing behind
it. Never seen that before, but every river is different.
There
are a couple of fish camps along the river and all of them are
fairly plush. Mike and Rich will be at Troutfitters until the
22nd, and I'm hoping they'll grant me a big favor.
I
called Evan today from a payphone and they're going to dedicate
some pages to Jay Moriarity. They want me to write the piece,
so hopefully I can use the phone for calls and computer when Mike
and Rich are on the river. We'll see.
This
place is perfect: sunny but not hot. Last night it rained and
it actually got a little cold. I would imagine the mountain tops
got some snow.
After
buying the gear at Troutfitters I came to Jerry's Accss and made
a bowl of oatmeal. I started to rig up my 14 foot spey road but
then thought better of it. I used my smaller, ancient steelhead
rod instead, and did a few casts. No bites, and then I remembered
I didn't have a license. I thought I saw Fish and Game checking
me out, so I packed up and went back to Troutfitters. They were
closed until 15:45. Now I'm back at Jerry's Access. I rinsed the
oatmeal out of the pot in the river, then used the post for a
shampoo. I rinsed off in the bush, not in the river, so don't
worry.
I
also called Pez to see if the latest Surfer's Journals were in,
and would they maybe Fed Ex some to me here. Pez said he would
when they came in.
So
that's it. Montana rules. I wish I had the $1,500,00 they're asking
for 700 acres on the river. This morning I realized what my ideal
country house would be. I've always known it will be a big main
house with an Industrial Strength kitchen and Entertainment Room,
with smaller cabins outside for sleeping quarters and bathrooms.
Now I know that the Main House will be shaped like a barn. Barns
are nice. Barns have style. There are some classic barns around
my mom's house in Sequim, so I'd probably copy one of those.
All
I need know is a couple of million. There is a doctor from Indianapolis
who built a $3,000,000 stone gothic mansion along the river. It
sticks out like a sore thumb, but it's got location, location,
location.
That's
it for now. Gotta go find Ike again and buy a license.
Montana
rules.
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