Yesterday I was in Montana out at Lake Como volunteering with the Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclist to build 2 berms on their new trail Waddell. I anchored at a spot near their meeting place. I didn’t remember if the meet time was 9 or 9:30. I was ready to go on either. I looked in the rearview mirrors seeking uphill traffic. I finally saw 1 rig just before 9:30 presenting me with a signal to walk up to meeting place. Several guys were there, I joined them, several of them were officers in the club, one is named for Kern’s turns trail that I had ridden 2X. Nice hand built for mtn bikers. I rode up to work site with the youngest of the group. We parked where a piece of the trail crossed the road then loaded up with tools and walked short distance to where we would construct berms on the new trail. I learned that the club wrote and received a grant for machine building this piece of trail. Mini-ex created the tread with our work to finish off the build. The first berm was built solely out of dirt as no rocks could be found, we were working in rock free location. A borrow pit was dug and dirt was transported in 5 gallon buckets. I was the hauler. My arms are trashed this morning. The second berm nearby was built with several ferried in boulders. They have a rock sling. Dry dirt. They did have a tree sprayer and several 5 gallon jugs of water, the water was sprayed on the fresh dirt then packed repeatedly to sculpt the berm. They used a string line to assure the radius remained constant. Nicely done as much as I do not know how nor really want to ride berms.
While we were working a string of horseback riders directed their mounts on the freshly built trail until they were asked to not ride on tread. I really don’t have anything nice to say about horseback riders out trail riding. They ride on soft dirt post holing and leaving cast in hoof prints. They are not cordial, to me it seems like social stratification they have because they are buying their recreation while others serve their needs. because they are not on the ground building what they are riding on we are treated as subservient to them. Their fun items cost more than our bikes and certainly if we are hands in the dirt workers. My dissatisfaction with this user group. We worked for 4 hours then walked back to the rigs for provided nourishment, none of what is on my diet. No harm as I did not prepare them for my needs. I caught an early ride back to my van as I needed to get moving for Lost Trail Pass.
I complimented the club members for their club name choice of Backcountry that to me means building mountain bike trails not bike park sport trails. If you have to pedal it, that weeds out much of the new riders who are pay to play sport riders.
I drove back down to Hamilton for groceries. In town for several blocks anti abortion protesters lined the street with hand written signs. Freedom of speech and assembly. Seems more antis protest over the wants of more but the more are less public.
I stopped at Red Barn for water. A woman who lives nearby and is mixed in with freinds of in laws whatever that confuse me. She said that she learned to knit and only knows one stitch, she makes simple things I asked about hot dish pot holders, she said let me check. She returned and gave me 2 new holders. I thanked her warmly then retired the 2 hand made ones i bought in Oakridge years ago. I prefer to support individuals when I can find their work.
Then came the big climb up to Lost trail Pass where Lewis and Clark were lost on their way to the ocean. Big hump drive. I am a worrier about my van’s health and performance. I don’t abuse it and I spend $ on service and preventive maintenance but still I worry. Been that way since it was brand new, not the 276,000 miles and almost 15 years old condition. Made the pass. Big empty base area lacking any indication of no parking. I remembered a logging road that climbed out of the area as I pedaled up this road years ago to a trail. Today I rode in the van up a single wide dirt road. Steep, a logging operation was underway near where I found a crash spot. Freshly decked logs waiting for a ride downhill. No work on Sunday but I suspected today would resume hauling and I did not want to encounter a logging truck on the narrow road so I bailed back down to ski base. I found a person to ask permission to camp, he said help myself and told of a secluded spot which I took. Over past years I skied here. Great big area so far away from a population. Quite chilly night. Pass is at 7,xxx”
The guide book was signed in 2015 which was when I attempted a ride out of the pass. I parked at the base then pealed up the same road I drove. What a pedal struggle. When I arrived at the trailhead I was beat and concerned about the remoteness of the location. I bailed on the ride. Yesterday I drove what I pedaled that year. I did not want to repeat that pedal.
This morning I descended down to Salmon, ID where I am parked at a weigh station with internet signal. I will find rides here from a guide book written by 3 locals. I was given the book by 1 of the writers when I was here back in 2015.
I am in wild mountain country. Enough noisy people convinced the state government to delist protection for wolves to declare all outright extermination of them. Claim is wolves kill big game. Science says that top tier predators are necessary for the health of the entire ecosystem. people should really be up in arms about invasive knapweed which crowds out forage for the big game that want to be hung over the fireplace. Ultimately knapweed will be the scourge. I see knapweed where I ride where it was transported by prolly horses who ate the seeds then deposited the seeds. But, at the trail work site we were building a new trail and I saw lots of knapweed that were not sourced by horses. Knapweed takes over and crowds out native forage, nothing eats it, it just takes over.
Back in 1978 I attempted a thru hike on the Pacific Crest Trail starting at CA Mex border planning on finishing at WA CA border like 5 months later. Up in Washington I heard about the Snow Brothers who were also thru hiking. I shared a night with them at the Dana Yelverton shelter in the Goat Rocks wilderness. The shelter was stacked rock with no mortar but had a roof. Greg and I were solo but hiked together for WA. 4 of us crowded in the shelter out of the rain. The next day we all continued northward. Greg and I elected to hike to the top lift shack at White Pass ski area while the Snows hiked the trail. A sign at the shack read hit the red button and wait for an attendant to arrive and load us on a chair. We stood in the rain waiting. Finally a guy arrived, he was Dave Mahre, resort manager. I was shivering from the wet while he told his his story of the shelter built in recognition of that woman who died of exposure there years ago. He finally put us on chairs and we rode down to the base, He let us sleep in a bunkhouse on beds and hot showers. The brothers arrived later and were also treated to his comfort. We hung out at a convenience store, Cracker barrel, across the highway for 2 days of steady rain. I was given a birthday escape from the trail then returned further north. Greg and dropped off the trail 1 day north of Stevens Pass after 2 solid days of rain holed up in my tent. The trail was a muddy mess from horses, Greg’s boots needed a cobbler and we both needed to get out of the wet. Maybe a week later Greg and Jeff, another hiker we shared trail with, and I drove over Rainy Pass in my ’72 VW van on the North Cascade highway crossing the trail. We spied 2 hikers trudging in the rain: it was the Snow Brothers. I never heard from any of those people until last week when one of the Snows emailed me. Blast from the past so to write. I am recalling memories like they were yesterday.
Dave was part of the legendary Whitaker group that climbed Everest and father to the Mahre twins ski racers.
It’s not that I am older and wiser than you, I just have had more places to fall.