Latest Update: July 1, 2001 by Ben Marcus

12:43 SUNDAY JULY 01, 2001 IN THE VAN AT THE CAMPGROUND

MONEY Flies, sun cream, magazines at Lost River Outfitters: $83 (!)
Sushi dinner with Jeff: $66

Back from town. Jeff is night-fishing under a _ moon, trying to skate an orange-bodied stimulator across the surface to catch a fish. He just said. "There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of night action up here."

Oh well. We went into town and raised hell. Actually, we went into town and spent money. I stocked up on orange-bodied stimulators and prince nymphs at the Lost River and also bought every fishing magazine I could find. I'm going to pitch an interview with Yvon Chouinard to all of the magazines. Yvon said good things at that Patagonia retailer's conference, and if I could get him to say those things again it would be a great interview.

So maybe I'll get the $83 back. I think I'm running out of money but I couldn't get to the Internet place today to find out. And it's also closed tomorrow.

We had a big sushi dinner at Sushi on Second prepared by a friend of Jeff's. Then we went to the Casino Bar for a lemonade (me) and a beer and a Jagermeister (Jeff)

I made a bunch of calls. Left messages for Peter Mel and Scott Liska, the guy who runs the Alaskan Surf Adventures. Left messages for Brock but talked to George Nikitin, the Russian-speaking photographer who was going to guide us safely through Kamchatka.

I pitched the Alaska idea to him and he sounded interested. His alternative plan is to go fishing in Yosemite with his friend the F.B.I agent who spies on the Russians. George was even thinking about taking the F.B.I agent to Kamchatka, and I wondered, out loud, if it were possible to get an F.B.I. agent into Russia. Jeff was walking by and heard me say that, and looked at me funny.

So maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't. I'm disappointed about Kamchatka but who knows, maybe I saved us all from being kidnapped or irradiated or whatever.

Alaska will work. Scott Liska takes his boat out of Seward to the outside of Hinchinbrook and Montague Islands. Fish and surf all day, drink beer and sleep all night. Might even be able to take Ike.

Could be worse. I can barely focus my eyes.

So tomorrow I'm either going to drive Jeff to Boise and buy tires at a Sears, or I am going to drive to Twin Falls and buy tires at a Sears. I'm going to stay around here until July 4th, which is supposed to be a lot of fun in the nearby town of Hailey.

I'm going to fish until then, then probably drive back toward Challis, then up to Salmon and into Montana then on to Canada. I'll drive through B.C. and steer toward Alaska.

My mom is going to look up ferry times, and I'll go if Peter says it's okay.

So it's all in limbo right now, but that's cool. Things will work out.

I'm tired. Good night.

9:31 MT SUNDAY, JULY 2, 2001 IN THE VAN AT THE CAMP BY THE RIVER

The sun is up and hot already. The sky is blue. The birds are chirping. Ike is hunting, Jeff is packing. It's time to get going. I might be giving Jeff a ride into Boise today if he can't get one elsewhere. I don't mind. I'll get out of town for a day, buy some tires hopefully and maybe find a Kinkos where I can get some work done. I'll try to get back here by tonight. I'm leaving some stuff in the campground so no one takes it.

I was a bit slack over the last few days filling in all the details, but there should be enough here to keep you entertained. Basically, since I arrived in Ketchum we spent the day running around town, fishing Warm Springs and the Big Wood, buying stuff at fly shops, drinking beer in noisy bars. I was preoccupied with the Jay story, which went on and on, but I finally got it done.

Jeff was getting frustrated with all my work and internetting, and we both got sunburned.

I forgot to mention buying my Idaho fishing license on one of the days, and then the Ranger coming by a half an hour later. Dodged that bullet.