| Ten minutes out of town, we found the
| |
| | where I came up, so I went back up, then
|
| dirt road that goes up to Storm Lake. We
| |
| | down the west side and finally back north
|
| had been there before, shortly after
| |
| | to the grassy slope where Ana was
|
| moving to Anaconda, Montana. The road was
| |
| | waiting.Maybe it was foolish to leave Ana
|
| hard on the car, but we couldn't resist
| |
| | alone. Just three months later, two boys
|
| going. This time we would hike up to the
| |
| | were attacked by a mountain lion on the
|
| tundra and stay the night. My wife Ana
| |
| | hill just behind the town of Anaconda.
|
| had never been camping above the
| |
| | The fourteen-year-old fired his gun to
|
| treeline.There were a couple cars, but
| |
| | scare it off. Both boys were probably
|
| nobody in sight. The lake was sparkling
| |
| | larger than my gunless wife. Fortunately,
|
| in the sunlight, and the mountains of the
| |
| | we didn't meet any cougars or bears on
|
| Anaconda-Pintler range rose up all around
| |
| | this hike, but Ana had other things to
|
| it. It was quiet and cool here at 8,000
| |
| | worry about.Camping With Aliens In
|
| feet. We put on our packs and started up
| |
| | Montana"I hear voices," she told me in
|
| the trail. Twenty minutes later we were
| |
| | the tent that night. I assured her there
|
| past the lake, and the trail
| |
| | was nobody within ten miles of us, and
|
| steepened.Hiking With Guns In
| |
| | then she was worried about aliens landing
|
| MontanaAfter an hour of zig-zagging up
| |
| | in the meadow. Well, it would make a good
|
| the mountain we met another hiker. We
| |
| | landing site. The wind threatened to
|
| talked briefly, and noticed the handgun
| |
| | shred the tent all night, sounding like
|
| on his belt. This is common in Montana.
| |
| | the whispers or screams of ghosts - or
|
| We've seen guns on the hiking trails and
| |
| | aliens. By morning the wind relented, but
|
| in the bars, and the bank tellers don't
| |
| | it was well below freezing - time to get
|
| even blink when customers walk in wearing
| |
| | Ana home.Despite the cold she hates so
|
| guns - they probably have their own.We
| |
| | much, Ana couldn't help stopping to take
|
| never did ask this hiker why he had one,
| |
| | in the view as we crossed the high
|
| and didn't find out until later that
| |
| | meadows on our way home. Mountains, grey
|
| there are grizzlies in the area at times,
| |
| | with rock, green with grass and flowers,
|
| something some "experts," have denied. At
| |
| | and painted with white patches of snow,
|
| least we had our freon horn to blast if
| |
| | were everywhere. Lakes sat in valleys
|
| we met a bear, but then maybe that would
| |
| | below, unvisited for weeks at a time.
|
| just get the bear angry.The trees got
| |
| | We'll be back there again, but perhaps
|
| smaller as we climbed, and ended just
| |
| | with bear spray and alien
|
| before Storm Lake Pass. Ana waited
| |
| | repellant.Notes:Forty-five miles of the
|
| patiently at the pass while I ran the
| |
| | Continental Divide Trail pass through the
|
| five minutes - which became twenty - up
| |
| | Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. Other trails
|
| to the peak of Mount Tiny, about 10,000
| |
| | in the area are never heavily used. You
|
| feet high. Small, compared to some of the
| |
| | can easily find mountains and whole
|
| surrounding mountains, but it seemed
| |
| | valleys where you'll be the only human
|
| almost rude to give a beautiful mountain
| |
| | residents for as long as you stay.Steve
|
| a name like that.Later, past goat meadow,
| |
| | Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and
|
| Ana waited again while I scrambled up the
| |
| | traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17.
|
| rocks to the top of Kurt Peak (also about
| |
| | Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana,
|
| 10,000 feet). I couldn't find the route
| |
| | whom he met in Ecuador.
|
