Latest Update: June 22, 2001 by Ben Marcus

11:22 MOUNTAIN TIME, THE CABIN AT WISE RIVER, MT.

MONEY:
Three nights in the cabin: $90
Half-day drifting: $80
Tips for Don + cleaner: $50

In a message dated 6/22/2001 8:50:03 AM Pacific Daylight Time, jeff@frqncy.com writes:

Ben,
Contact me at 206-860-4196 ph/fx, or 206-409-xxxx cell. My other outlook e-mail is jeff@frqncy.com (check the site @ www.frqncy.com. but then again it's linked to sacklunch, so you've probably already hit it.).

I HAVEN'T SEEN YOUR SITE YET. BUT I'LL LOOK. I'LL CALL YOU SOON.

JUST WALKED OUTSIDE AND SAW A BADGER (???) RUN PAST WITH ANOTHER ANIMAL IN ITS MOUTH. IT WASN'T IKE.

I'll make some travel arrangements today and hit you back.

OKAY. MIKE AND RICH GAVE ME DIRECTIONS FOR A WIDE LOOP DOWN THROUGH THREE FORKS AND ENNIS TO YELLOWSTONE AND THEN BACK UP ON HIGHWAY 15. I MAY DO THAT THROUGH WEEKEND AND HEAD FOR IDAHO ON TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY. HOPE THAT'S OKAY. MAYBE YOU COULD FLY TO YELLOWSTONE AREA AND DRIVE UP THROUGH MONTANA.

Get wading boots. I don't know if you have waders, but by this time of year, I don't bother with them and it's nicer to wet-wade anyways.

I HAVE WADERS BUT NO BOOTS SO I AM A MENACE TO NAVIGATION.

We'll be wading everything from larger streams to step-accross tributaries. Pick up a pair of the basic canvas Hodgman's they're the cheapest, most durable and dry the quickest.

OKAY. HODGMAN WADING BOOTS.

The Chuck Taylors of wading. Also get some neoprene wading socks with gravel guards. Should be able to pick up the whole program for about $60.

SHOULD I MAYBE WAIT AND BUY THEM USED IN SUN VALLEY?

A pair of lightweight nylon Patagonia-type swim trunks, a cool, wide brimmed hat, vest, and net with retractable vest-clip (worn on your back) -- this is pretty much the set-up.

GOT THE TRUNKS. A MOSQUITO HAT THAT WILL WORK. GOT THE VEST. NO NET.

As for flies we'll see what's hatching and pick some up out there.

OKAY. I HAVE SOME NYMPHS AND DRIES FROM HERE.

Sun Valley is a good place to pick up a rod if you want.

MY ROD IS OKAY. A LITTLE HEAVY AND MEANT FOR STEELHEAD, BUT IT'LL WORK.

TOO BAD I BROKE MY FRIENDS FAVORITE ROD YESTERDAY.THOSE THINGS ARE MORE DELICATE THAN I THOUGHT.

There's all kinds of rich folk who quit difficult pursuits like fly-fishing on a weekly basis. The papers and garage-sales prove phenomenal.

COOL. MAYBE I'LL WAIT AND BUY BOOTS AND SUCH THERE.

As well, I'm down with a few of the folks in Smith sunglasses fly-fishing optics dept. who usually have a surplus of goods.

GREAT. MIKE GAVE OUR GUIDE A PAIR OF SMITH'S YESTERDAY.

So, don't worry about what you don't got. But the wading boots are a good one if you don't already have em.

I'LL GET EM.

I 'll get you Boise arrival info ASAP.

FUN FUN FUN

THANK YOU.

Regards,
JG

That exchange with Jeff Galbraith sums up my next week or so. Mike and Rich left a few hours ago and showed me a route that will take me through Melrose to Twin Bridges, Ennis and down through Yellowstone. From there IÍll probably drive to Ketchum or to Boise to get Jeff.

I did see a badger walk past a few hours ago when I went out to look for Ike. The badger had another animal in its mouth and my heart skipped a beat. It wasnÍt Ike. I missed the photo, too.

I tried to give Mike $500 for the rod but he was insulted. I told him to use it to start the Live Like Jay fund, but he made me right another check.

Talked with Frosty Hesson, JayÍs mentor and coach, and added another piece to the puzzle.

The cleaning lady is here and I have to scoot. I need to wash some towels and go get DonnieÍs address so I can send him a copy of Cadillac Desert.

Then I donÍt know what IÍm going to do. Drive, I guess. I need to buy some All Terrain tires.

ThatÍs it for now.

I have two dollars in my wallet.

18:04 PST A SCENIC OVERLOOK AT THE MADISON VALLEY, MONTANA

ODOMETER: 55201
TRIP METER: 123.7

MONEY:

Two NFS maps.
Three Big Hole River, Montana stickers
Two no-knot eyelets
Two pin-on retractors
Two Eagle Claw leader links
Four nymphs
MT sticker
5X tapered leader
6X tapered leader
Panther Martin lure
Toothpick holder
All from Wise River fly shop: $46.00

A1 sauce, water, fly-fishing magazine
From Wise River Mercantile $11.65

Gas in Melrose: $20.00

Laundry at Wise River: $ 4.00
Shower at Wise River: $ 3.00

Stupid cat. You think traveling with a cat is glamorous? Not always. Today I thought I saw Ike get eaten by a badger, attacked by a dog, run over by a car and he has disappeared three times, delaying me at least three hours.

Right now IÍm at a scenic overlook on Highway 287, a few miles out of Virginia City. I can see a whole bunch of the Madison Valley spread out below me, including a mountain peak called The Sphinx. Ike is off wandering around in the bush, again. When I pulled up here he was meowing unhappily so I let him out to run around. This time, he took off into the brush, and I couldnÍt catch him. Laura suggested snapping my fingers gto get him to obey, but that didnÍt work. That cat is beginning to take advantage. Stupid cat.

I was about ready to start typing this update when a motorcycle came sputtering up out of the valley. A man and a woman in leather stopped at the overlook and took pictures of each other. I offered to take a couple of digital photos, and they were delighted.

I got the womanÍs e-mail address, but not her name, and promised to send the photos. I told them I was waiting for my stupid cat, and we talked about where I was going and where they were going. TheyÍre from Idaho Falls and are just on rideabout. They were wondering if anything was going on in Virginia City, a gold-era town on the highway a few miles back the way I came;. I said it didnÍt seem like there was much going on.

At some point, Ike emerged from the bush. I grabbed him, said hello and set him down to say hello to the strangers. Usually he would do just that, but this time he took off in the bush again. Stupid cat. CanÍt trust him.

Ike held me up in Wise River too, and for awhile I thought IÍd be spending the night there in an RV park, waiting for him to show up.

After the cleaning lady kicked me out of the cabin, I drove into Wise River looking for a laundry and a shower. I found both at the Wise River CafÚ. The shower cost $3 and I cracked a joke to the lady behind the bar.

I sez, ñItÍs the third Friday of the month, right?î

She sez, ñYou betcha.î

I sez, ñThen itÍs time for a shower.î

She smiled quietly to herself, and took the $3.

I had fouled some blue towels at the cabin, so I washed them along with my own towels and other clothes. I let Ike out of the car and he behaved myself by hanging out in the laundry room. There were tow dogs prowling around, and Ike really, really doesnÍt like strange dogs, so he stayed inside.

The laundry was going so I went in the bar and played the poker machine. I used a bunch of quarters my mom gave me and made $8, but I probably broke even.

When I went back out, Ike was gone and the dogs were prowling. He had disappeared, so I spent a bunch of time walking around the RV park calling him, poking around in garages and making a spectacle of myself. I bought a bunch of fishing gear and stickers at the Wise River store, including a Panther Martin lure, just in case.

While the clothes were washing I drove to Donnie the Guides house and thanked his wife for dinner and got their address so I can send him a copy of Cadillac Desert. Eventually the laundry was washed and dried and there was no Ike, so I took off to do some errands and maybe fish.

I dropped off the towels with Frank at Troutfitters and asked to plug into his phone line. I assured him I was using the 800 number, and I checked my e-mail.

I went as far as Dewey and threw a few casts in some decent water at the fishing access. No bites, and lots of boats going past.

Driving back toward Wise River, my heart jumped when I saw clump of black and white fur dead in the road. Skunk. Whew. Whew as in the smell and whew as in it wasnÍt Ike.

Back at the laundry room I expected IÍd be asking to rent an RV space for the night, but there was Ike, sitting patiently in the laundry room. What a good cat. I had a talk with a guy from Minnesota who wanted to know about wading the river. I suggested he do one day of drifting to get all the local knowledge. Ask a million questions, get the scoop on places and gear, and then heÍd get his $280 worth. He didnÍt seem all that intrigued. But he liked the van and the way I was (barely) financing all this.

I threw Ike in the van and we took off. I stopped at the Wise River Mercantile and bought some water and a fising magazine. I still had some meat pasties IÍ;d bought a few days before, and cooked one in the store microwave. It was good.

Then I hit the road, using directions Mike had given me just before he and Rich drove off (hopefully not in a huff). I drove out to Divide and passed that Reverend JosephÍs survivalist compound again. I passed Salmon Fly, where we took the boat out yesterday, and bought gas at the place we had bought beer yesterday. Actually, I went back to Melrose after getting a look at the gravel road that went off to Twin Bridges. There were no mileage signs and I had a quarter tank, so I bought $20 of expensive gas then hit the dusty trail.

This was like a decent Baja road, but I almost lost it in very soft dirt on the shoulder when I went too far over to let a truck pass. That was kind of close. I should wear my seatbelt. Mike thought the road to Twin Bridges was 30 miles, but it was more like 20.

Oh good, Ike just came back. I turned off the radio and heard him meowing. There are worse places to be stuck

The terrain of dry Montana changes almost as rapidly as the terrain of wet Montana. It changes from pasture to desert to bald mountain to dry valleys to river valleys to forested mountain to granite mountain from mile to mile to mile. Twin Bridges was a green little town where the Big Hole dumps into the Beaverhead (I think). A nice little Montana town, and I drove on through Laurin, Alder, and Virginia City, checking out historical spots like RobberÍs Roost and reading historical signs. That part of Montana produced a lot of gold in 1899, and there are lots of Wild West stories. There doesnÍt seem to be much going on there now. A highway runs through it.

I didnÍt stop at any of these places. I guess IÍm going to try to make Three Forks tonight on Highway 287, which follows the Madison River-one of the forks of the Missouri,. Tomorrow I will probably head for Yellowstone and Old Faithful by way of Bozeman and Highway 89.

Ike is sleeping after two good little runs in the bush. Stupid cat. DonÍt trust him. There are worse places to have to sit for a cat, but one of these days heÍs really going to hold me up. I mean, what if I had a schedule to keep?

21:02 FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2001 AN RV PARK IN CARDWELL, MONTANA

IÍm plugged into a phone socket under the counter of a gas station at an RV park somewhere in Montana. I took a detour off the highway from Innes to Three Forks to check out the Lewis and Clark Caverns, and I did that because I stopped at a supermarket in Ennis and bought a book about Meriwhether Lewis by Steven Ambrose.

But IÍm getting ahead of and behind myself.

After finding Ike I drove down into the Madison Valley, which was rich and green and had a nice river running, etc. etc. I decided to drive up to Three Forks, just for the hell of it. After taking a photo of a statue of a guy fly-casting for trout. I headed north on Highway 287, I think. It was late afternoon and the light was great and Ike was sitting on the dashboard and it was all good, as the kids say.

I think it was in Ennis where I stopped at a grocery store to se if they had anything interesting to eat. They didnÍt, but they had a book on Montana fly-fishing and that Meriwhether Lewis book. I cracked a joke to the lady at the check-out counter:

ñNever read a book before, this is the place to start.î

She smiled quietly to herself.

As I was leaving I saw a copy of Montana Magazine next to Montana Journal so I bought them and went back to the check-out counter. I cracked another joke.

ñIÍm going to start with a magazine and then get into the books. Easier that way.î

She smiled to herself, although less quietly than before. I said my usual line about Lewis and Clark dragging their canoes from Saint Louis to Oregon, and she said something about the Lewis and Clark Caverns, and got direction from a check-out guy.

So as I was driving north I detoured toward the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. This road was pointing toward Butte, and there was a nice river running alongside the road.

The Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park closed three minutes before I got there, so I pushed on and found this RV park, which is near Boulder River, and there is a highway over there. Ike is running around and I am typing while the people close up. IÍd better sign off.

Time to go do some reading.