My Journey
- Thread starter YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
- Start date
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Foy.....yea I agree.....a few days after my visit I went onto Google to learn more about the tribe(s).....when one takes the time & energy to learn the history of our past, you know.....with today's mindset.....it's nearly impossible to believe what was done.....
I say tribe(s) because this particular reservation was established for two separate tribes.....the Chippewa & Cree tribes.....
I said my goodbyes and gave my assurances that I would return later that day to participate in the evening activities.....and then off we went for a hike to the summit of Mount Otis (4,741') in the Bear Paw Mountain Range.....
I was so ready for an afternoon up in the mountains.....somehow it seemed that I'd found myself in lots of conversation as of late and I just needed (wanted) some time alone on a mountain.....
The Bear Paw Mountain Range is an absolutely stunning mountain range to have a hike.....on a Sunday afternoon there was not another person in our sights.....not five minutes into our hike a coyote began to yelp & bark.....oddly I never once saw the coyote yet I estimated that it was no more than a few hundred feet away.....the music lasted no less than ten minutes.....
My guess was that it must have had a den nearby.....possibly in that rock slide.....
A life lived too short.....I feel like I would have liked this guy.....
The summit views were spectacular.....
I found a summit log and signed it the same as I always do.....Jerry Tanner Trapper (2) dogs.....
It was a perfect weather day so we stayed on the summit for quite some time.....on our descent I spotted a small black bear a good distance away.....looked to be foraging for food along the creek bed. We spent the remainder of the afternoon reading Old Jules, occasional walks along the road, and cooling off in that nearby creek.....
I say tribe(s) because this particular reservation was established for two separate tribes.....the Chippewa & Cree tribes.....
I said my goodbyes and gave my assurances that I would return later that day to participate in the evening activities.....and then off we went for a hike to the summit of Mount Otis (4,741') in the Bear Paw Mountain Range.....
I was so ready for an afternoon up in the mountains.....somehow it seemed that I'd found myself in lots of conversation as of late and I just needed (wanted) some time alone on a mountain.....
The Bear Paw Mountain Range is an absolutely stunning mountain range to have a hike.....on a Sunday afternoon there was not another person in our sights.....not five minutes into our hike a coyote began to yelp & bark.....oddly I never once saw the coyote yet I estimated that it was no more than a few hundred feet away.....the music lasted no less than ten minutes.....
My guess was that it must have had a den nearby.....possibly in that rock slide.....
A life lived too short.....I feel like I would have liked this guy.....
The summit views were spectacular.....
I found a summit log and signed it the same as I always do.....Jerry Tanner Trapper (2) dogs.....
It was a perfect weather day so we stayed on the summit for quite some time.....on our descent I spotted a small black bear a good distance away.....looked to be foraging for food along the creek bed. We spent the remainder of the afternoon reading Old Jules, occasional walks along the road, and cooling off in that nearby creek.....
vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
Jerry,
With all this recent research you have been doing does this mean you are going "Tribal"?
With all this recent research you have been doing does this mean you are going "Tribal"?
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Ace.....you doing OK ? Haven't seen you around lately.....
vintageracer.....no, I don't think I'll be doing that. Tribal is directly related to community, and as much as I think I'd like to be a part of community, the reality is that I don't want to be a part of community any longer (subject to change as the need may arise).....
I had a unique experience in my life when I served in the Peace Corps & lived in the South American jungle with the tribes and I got to experience true community.....a place where everyone depended on each other for their survival.....and I developed great respect for their way of life and that experience has stayed with me my entire life and has helped to form many of my beliefs.....
That evening we left the Bear Paw Mountains behind and headed back to the teepee for the evening's events. Somewhere.....at some point in time.....during that return trip I took a wrong turn, did not realize it, and found myself 25 miles away from the teepee. I had to decide whether I would show up at a minimum of an hour late, or just move on.....
It was now late that Sunday evening when we made a stop at Fort Assinniboine.....so late that it was closed for business.....
We continued driving east.....passed through Havre, Montana .....I almost wished that I'd brought my passport along.....I might have gone further north (I believe that we were about 40 miles from the border with Canada), but instead we drove further east, and then drove south.....
That night was spent along the slow moving Milk River .....it seemed now that we had entered the flat lands of eastern Montana.....the landscape changed here drastically.....
The next morning we continued south.....we drove through a large section of ranch land covered with oil rigs.....
I had a few new destinations in mind that morning.....Google Maps once again led me down some beautiful back roads.....in the wrong direction.....eventually leading me to a dead end.....
Finally we arrived at destination number one.....
We hiked along all the paths which were well marked with informative signs.....I'd say it's a somber place to visit.....beautiful country.....
Then we were off to destination number two.....
vintageracer.....no, I don't think I'll be doing that. Tribal is directly related to community, and as much as I think I'd like to be a part of community, the reality is that I don't want to be a part of community any longer (subject to change as the need may arise).....
I had a unique experience in my life when I served in the Peace Corps & lived in the South American jungle with the tribes and I got to experience true community.....a place where everyone depended on each other for their survival.....and I developed great respect for their way of life and that experience has stayed with me my entire life and has helped to form many of my beliefs.....
That evening we left the Bear Paw Mountains behind and headed back to the teepee for the evening's events. Somewhere.....at some point in time.....during that return trip I took a wrong turn, did not realize it, and found myself 25 miles away from the teepee. I had to decide whether I would show up at a minimum of an hour late, or just move on.....
It was now late that Sunday evening when we made a stop at Fort Assinniboine.....so late that it was closed for business.....
We continued driving east.....passed through Havre, Montana .....I almost wished that I'd brought my passport along.....I might have gone further north (I believe that we were about 40 miles from the border with Canada), but instead we drove further east, and then drove south.....
That night was spent along the slow moving Milk River .....it seemed now that we had entered the flat lands of eastern Montana.....the landscape changed here drastically.....
The next morning we continued south.....we drove through a large section of ranch land covered with oil rigs.....
I had a few new destinations in mind that morning.....Google Maps once again led me down some beautiful back roads.....in the wrong direction.....eventually leading me to a dead end.....
Finally we arrived at destination number one.....
We hiked along all the paths which were well marked with informative signs.....I'd say it's a somber place to visit.....beautiful country.....
Then we were off to destination number two.....
tacototheworld
Well-known member
As a retired (too old I guess) climber, this movie was quite gripping!Yet Another Morning in Montana.....
The past few months have been a good mix of clear skies combined with warm temperatures, and cloudy skies combined with cold temperatures & rain or snow.....and it's fortunate that there's been plenty of inclement weather.....as we're having right now.....the rivers & streams are flooding with all the moisture and the melting snow from the mountain peaks.....
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It's a good morning to hang out on the couch.....
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.....and sit by the fire.....
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.....and read a travel book.....
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I found a free link to a movie this morning that I've wanted to watch for sometime now.....The Alpinist.....the story of the life of the incredibly accomplished Canadian climber.....Marc-Andre Leclerc.....what an amazing young man he was before he lost his life in a climbing accident in Alaska.....a few screen shots from the movie & a link to a piece published in Climbing Magazine in case anyone here has an interest.....
The Calculated Madness of Marc-André Leclerc
"He can deal with the runouts, the licheny rock, the missing bolts...he can go ground-up on routes that other people wouldn’t contemplate."www.climbing.com
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Ace Brown
Retired Ol’ Fart
I don’t know how i missed so much story telling. But now I’m caught up. Hard to reply to much but thanks for the bike shots and info. Movies on climbing you mentioned were both good. Too bad Le Clerk died so young. He sure was good.
I often watch the long bike ride documentaries. Finished one recently about a young German. Pretty good one.
Thanks so much for letting us ride along.
Ace
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I often watch the long bike ride documentaries. Finished one recently about a young German. Pretty good one.
Thanks so much for letting us ride along.
Ace
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
tacototheworld.....I've noticed you guys get in some beautiful hikes.....I'm always wishing that you'd post tons more pictures of those hikes as you've seen & experienced some spectacular places.....
Ace.....sure thing.....
The second destination for the day was even more random than the first.....at this point in our travels we became real overlanders.....I say that cause we spent the next one hundred miles.....give or take.....on gravel & dirt roads.....
I recall passing Calm Your Soul Lane.....might be my favorite road name ever.....eventually our wanderings brought us to destination number two.....Bear Paw Battlefield .....yet it wasn't at all what I expected.....there never was any indication to the tourist that this place actually exists (it's on the map).....
I felt like this place was as remote as it could get (for Montana), and instead of Bear Paw Battlefield signs, I see this unexpected line of informative signs as we travel this seldom traveled roadway.....
So we parked the rig and walked this roadway.....it was so silent out here.....it was yet another heaven on earth.....
After maybe an hour of walking along this roadway, we jumped back into the cab of the truck and headed south.....we had not seen a single soul for hours.....
Ace.....sure thing.....
The second destination for the day was even more random than the first.....at this point in our travels we became real overlanders.....I say that cause we spent the next one hundred miles.....give or take.....on gravel & dirt roads.....
I recall passing Calm Your Soul Lane.....might be my favorite road name ever.....eventually our wanderings brought us to destination number two.....Bear Paw Battlefield .....yet it wasn't at all what I expected.....there never was any indication to the tourist that this place actually exists (it's on the map).....
I felt like this place was as remote as it could get (for Montana), and instead of Bear Paw Battlefield signs, I see this unexpected line of informative signs as we travel this seldom traveled roadway.....
So we parked the rig and walked this roadway.....it was so silent out here.....it was yet another heaven on earth.....
After maybe an hour of walking along this roadway, we jumped back into the cab of the truck and headed south.....we had not seen a single soul for hours.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
We passed by the remains of a stone cabin.....no trees here for a log cabin.....
My eyes fixated on this little perfectly formed mountain for quite some miles.....it couldn't have been more than a thousand foot climb.....unfortunately it was located on private fenced land.....
I spotted a bald eagle on a fence post along the road.....also from quite a distance.....he took off as we approached.....and then I saw the badger in the road.....his meal I would assume.....
Once again the landscape was changing as we continued south.....small mountains were now covered in small stands of pine.....we passed by an old log cabin.....
We continued south without much on our minds.....the stunning landscape was all that I needed to occupy my mind.....
Somewhere along that road I realized that I had missed my turn.....we backtracked twenty miles and then we drove west.....pelicans are a common sight on the lakes & rivers in the summertime of Montana.....our stop here was brief as were many of our stops that day.....
My eyes fixated on this little perfectly formed mountain for quite some miles.....it couldn't have been more than a thousand foot climb.....unfortunately it was located on private fenced land.....
I spotted a bald eagle on a fence post along the road.....also from quite a distance.....he took off as we approached.....and then I saw the badger in the road.....his meal I would assume.....
Once again the landscape was changing as we continued south.....small mountains were now covered in small stands of pine.....we passed by an old log cabin.....
We continued south without much on our minds.....the stunning landscape was all that I needed to occupy my mind.....
Somewhere along that road I realized that I had missed my turn.....we backtracked twenty miles and then we drove west.....pelicans are a common sight on the lakes & rivers in the summertime of Montana.....our stop here was brief as were many of our stops that day.....
Sierra Valley
Wander
Ive been waiting for you to adventure to this part of Montana. Sure is beautiful!!! One wonders where you will be next? Some cool small mountain ranges out that way and the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument looks fascinating.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Sierra Valley.....it's a different kind of beautiful there that's for certain.....there are no towering, jagged, snow covered mountain peaks.....there are no rushing rivers & waterfalls.....there are no gigantic trees and stunning forests.....just the simple beauty of nothingness is almost what I'd call it. Central Montana definitely speaks to me.....
Just a few miles beyond Faber Reservoir we connected with the main highway, took a turn to the left, and then we drove south.....
Viewing the remains of the old homesteads along that dirt highway seemed to put my mind into a dream state.....
I often find myself longing for a simpler life.....something that I have convinced myself once was.....
Occasionally we spotted horses grazing along the highway.....
And occasionally small beaver dams were spotted along the way.....sparse gatherings of trees lined the mountain tops.....
Now the highway was winding up into some of the most beautiful mountains I've ever laid my eyes on.....not the Himalayas nor the Andes kind of beautiful.....but this place was just as special in it's own way.....
Herds of cattle dotted the landscape as we drove south.....
I believe it was maybe thirty miles of this dramatic landscape.....and then the landscape changed once again.....we were, for our third time on this little trip, approaching the fast flowing Missouri River.....
Just a few miles beyond Faber Reservoir we connected with the main highway, took a turn to the left, and then we drove south.....
Viewing the remains of the old homesteads along that dirt highway seemed to put my mind into a dream state.....
I often find myself longing for a simpler life.....something that I have convinced myself once was.....
Occasionally we spotted horses grazing along the highway.....
And occasionally small beaver dams were spotted along the way.....sparse gatherings of trees lined the mountain tops.....
Now the highway was winding up into some of the most beautiful mountains I've ever laid my eyes on.....not the Himalayas nor the Andes kind of beautiful.....but this place was just as special in it's own way.....
Herds of cattle dotted the landscape as we drove south.....
I believe it was maybe thirty miles of this dramatic landscape.....and then the landscape changed once again.....we were, for our third time on this little trip, approaching the fast flowing Missouri River.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Now XP member Foy had stated that this next section of highway was steep.....he wasn't kidding.....it's rare that I use the steep descent function on my truck.....here I did.....
So quickly the landscape changed again.....
Above us as we descended I spotted an abandoned mine shaft.....
At the base of the canyon, along the rivers' bank.....the remains of a small homestead caught my eye.....
Of course we had to stop to have a look.....
I was probably back in the dream state at this point.....just wondering what life was like here decades ago along the Missouri River.....
The nearby gravestones also caught my eye.....although not so old.....
So quickly the landscape changed again.....
Above us as we descended I spotted an abandoned mine shaft.....
At the base of the canyon, along the rivers' bank.....the remains of a small homestead caught my eye.....
Of course we had to stop to have a look.....
I was probably back in the dream state at this point.....just wondering what life was like here decades ago along the Missouri River.....
The nearby gravestones also caught my eye.....although not so old.....
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Arjan.....it's the solitude.....that's what I like so much.....today I was close by Yellowstone National Park.....people, traffic, campers & RV's everywhere you looked.....thanks & you are welcome.....
ITTOG.....looks like I may be headed down the same road as you.....last week I finally got an x-ray of my hip and the radiologist stated that there's major bone damage apparently caused by an injury (that I already knew of course). I now have an early August appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon.....
Regarding that road, I think it would be impossible to travel it if it was wet.....it's seriously steep (much steeper than it appears in the pictures).....this sign was posted at the point of descent.....
Once past the old homestead, the road parallels the Missouri River for approximately three miles headed upstream.....
.....before finally ending at the McClelland-Stafford Ferry .....
The ferry pilot here was yet another older guy.....but fortunately he was a friendly old guy.....
We chatted for the entire less than five minute ride across the Missouri River (notice the replica Lewis & Clark canoe on the far shore).....
We continued driving south.....
ITTOG.....looks like I may be headed down the same road as you.....last week I finally got an x-ray of my hip and the radiologist stated that there's major bone damage apparently caused by an injury (that I already knew of course). I now have an early August appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon.....
Regarding that road, I think it would be impossible to travel it if it was wet.....it's seriously steep (much steeper than it appears in the pictures).....this sign was posted at the point of descent.....
Once past the old homestead, the road parallels the Missouri River for approximately three miles headed upstream.....
.....before finally ending at the McClelland-Stafford Ferry .....
The ferry pilot here was yet another older guy.....but fortunately he was a friendly old guy.....
We chatted for the entire less than five minute ride across the Missouri River (notice the replica Lewis & Clark canoe on the far shore).....
We continued driving south.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Our next stop was in Winifred, Montana (population less than 200).....this was just another stop to stretch the legs.....
.....and while walking around this little town we met up with this old guy that was headed into a store, and we began to talk.....and he says to me "you got to drive to the other side of town and look at the new school".....this is the story he told.....
"A native of Winifred, Mont., has donated $40 million to renovate the town's K-12 school campus.
KRTV-TV reports that the project is the initiative of Norman Asbjornson, who grew up in Winifred and went on to found HVAC company AAON.
“I’m more than capable financially of doing a significant contribution, and I said, ‘Well, if you’re committed to it, then I’ll dial in,'" says Asbjornson. "And if we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right."
This town (like I said with a population of less than 200) has an NFL quality football field.....funny thing is they can only field a 6 man football team (this is common for small towns such as this.....the field is far from common).....
Well.....obviously I was impressed.....we continued driving south.....stopping occasionally.....sleeping here & there.....
I don't recall exactly what day it was that I heard the banging & knocking coming from the truck's rear end.....but that banging & knocking definitely got worse as the days passed by.....and eventually I got curious and decided to have a look.....the passenger side looked good.....
The driver's side not so good.....we headed home after only a few weeks on the road.....we needed some help.....
.....and while walking around this little town we met up with this old guy that was headed into a store, and we began to talk.....and he says to me "you got to drive to the other side of town and look at the new school".....this is the story he told.....
"A native of Winifred, Mont., has donated $40 million to renovate the town's K-12 school campus.
KRTV-TV reports that the project is the initiative of Norman Asbjornson, who grew up in Winifred and went on to found HVAC company AAON.
“I’m more than capable financially of doing a significant contribution, and I said, ‘Well, if you’re committed to it, then I’ll dial in,'" says Asbjornson. "And if we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right."
This town (like I said with a population of less than 200) has an NFL quality football field.....funny thing is they can only field a 6 man football team (this is common for small towns such as this.....the field is far from common).....
Well.....obviously I was impressed.....we continued driving south.....stopping occasionally.....sleeping here & there.....
I don't recall exactly what day it was that I heard the banging & knocking coming from the truck's rear end.....but that banging & knocking definitely got worse as the days passed by.....and eventually I got curious and decided to have a look.....the passenger side looked good.....
The driver's side not so good.....we headed home after only a few weeks on the road.....we needed some help.....