January 2001 Moccasin Telegraph

1/2/01	Avalanche danger is considerable in the backcountry, as recently, tragically, evidenced by the death of a father and son on Emigrant Peak south of Livingston on New Years Eve. The problem is the sustained cold weather we had during November and December, with relatively minimal snowfall during the period. This causes what snow was on the ground to form large sugar-like crystals, sometimes called depth hoar, rather than consolidating into a cohesive mass. Then, when subsequent snowfall that accumulates on top of this unstable layer gets heavy enough, on a steep enough slope, and/or is triggered by some disturbance, you've got an avalanche. This situation is common throughout the west this winter, and to date there have been eleven fatalities, with four in Montana. If you're thinking of doing some backcountry skiing or snowmobiling, a valuable resource is the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. They issue daily updates, and have links to other avalanche forecasting centers around the country. I sure don't want to be hearing about any of you in these reports, so be careful out there.
1/3/01	Got the lowdown on several current and proposed bighorn sheep reintroductions from some Fish, Wildlife, and Parks biologists last night. First up is a transplant from the Sun River area along the Rocky Mountain Front to the Highlands south of Butte. This one is a go, and will take place as soon as some sheep enter the trap FWP has near Gibson Reservoir. Unfortunately (for the sheep trapping project, at least!), the weather up there has been quite nice and the sheep aren't hanging around the trap much. Eventually some of them will succumb to the prospect of an easy meal, though, and they'll be going on a horse trailer ride to Butte. Big surprise!! I hope to get a chance to help out with this project, and if I can break loose when I get a short-notice phone call, I should be able to get some photos and if I'm unlucky even a few hoofprints on my anatomy. Next on the list for a transplant are the Tendoy mountains near Dillon. An environmental assessment is being prepared for a reintroduction in the Greenhorn Mountains southeast of Alder, but there's still some details to be worked out, mainly mitigating the effects of domestic sheep grazing allotments in the adjacent Gravelly range. Domestic sheep and bighorns don't mix, or rather, they mix too well. Often, this results in devastating disease problems that can wipe out a herd of bighorns in short order. That's likely what happened to the sheep in the Highlands, where the herd was decimated by disease a number of years back. Of most keen personal interest to me, work is proceeding to lay the groundwork for an eventual release of bighorns in the Bridger Mountains out my back door. Several key landowners who have property adjacent to the main winter range still need to sign off on an easement for the project, but it's sounding like progress is being made. I'd get a major kick out of seeing bighorn sheep out my window on a regular basis!! On a related note, biologist Kurt Ault said the sheep herd in the Spanish Peaks is in some trouble, with low lamb recruitment over the past few years. Herd numbers are down to around 67 as of their last aerial survey, from a high a few years back of nearly 170. The likely culprit is lion predation. Interestingly enough, he knew of a study that took place in western Montana a few years ago. It was actually parallel studies on both sheep and mountain lions in the same area. They were having the same problem with very low lamb recruitment into the herd, with only one or two lambs per 100 ewes reaching their second year. Obviously, a sheep herd with those kind of numbers is doomed. Anyway, they had radio collars on a good number of the lions in the area, and determined that most if not all of the bighorn kills were attributable to one particular lion. He was, ahem, removed from the population, and the sheep herd recovered nicely within just a few years. To that end, the Spanish Peaks were placed in a lion hunting district with a longer season. Anyone who's hiked the Peaks, though, knows they are a wilderness area, rugged and quite inaccessible particularly in winter. It seems most lion hunters are fond of snowmobiles and cruising roads to find tracks, so lion hunting success is low in that area. That doesn't particularly bode well for the bighorns. So; looking for a real adventure? Head up into the Peaks via skis or snowshoes, with a predator call and your weapon of choice, and engage in a little hunting where the line between hunter and hunted is at best vague and at worst completely reversed from the norm! It's a low-probability exercise, in fact I've yet to meet or even hear of anyone successful in that particular style, although myself and a few friends have tried. Remember, though, you need to have applied for a lion tag by 8/31, so if you didn't you're out of luck for this year. As are quite a few bighorn lambs....
1/5/01	A lawsuit challenging Montana's stream access law was tossed out of court by Federal Judge Charles C. Lovell yesterday. Yay!! That's good news for anyone who floats or fishes in Montana. This suit was filed by the Mountain States Legal Foundation on behalf of three private landowners, and challenged the current law that gives recreationists the right to access waterways up to their normal high water marks, even when they flow through private land. This law is clearly a good thing, unless you've bought your private piece of paradise and want to keep the common riff-raff out. Of course, if you're somewhat careful about which piece of paradise you buy, that isn't necessarily a problem. Streams still have to be accessed from some publicly accessible point like a bridge on a public road, so it's not like hordes of cigar-puffing fishermen can cross private land to reach the old fishin' hole. Overall, it's a very sensible law. The Montana Wildlife Federation, Montana Coalition for Stream Access, Montana chapter of Trout Unlimited, and the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana hired Bozeman attorney James Goetz to fight the MSLF lawsuit. He characterized Lovell's decision as "a total rout" and said it "made mincemeat of the complaint". Of course, MSLF says the decision will be appealed. I'd say they're whistling in the wind on this one, though. On a distantly related note, president-elect Bush's new Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, used to work for MSLF, under none other than James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under Bush, Sr. I think most of you are aware of Watt's reputation. Let's just say he wasn't known as a friend of the environment. Hopefully Norton will be better, and from what little I've heard so far, I suspect she will. Reportedly, she plans on giving more authority to local land management agencies, rather than a heavy-handed "one size fits all" approach handed down from Washington. That will certainly be a change of pace from the Clinton/Babbit years. Going from Watt to Babbitt was like one extreme to the other, and I for one am ready for some time on the middle ground, which is usually the most sensible place to be.
1/8/01	Checked out some wolf reports over the weekend. I'd heard a rumor that there are about 15-20 wolves that have taken up residence along the west face of the Madison Range, from Papoose Creek north to the Beartrap Canyon. I know there's wolves in that area, I've seen fresh tracks before, although didn't on this trip. I took a ski tour up Indian Creek, and did see some old tracks in the snow that were likely wolf. They were old and pretty well deteriorated, but too big to be coyote and I don't think mountain lions have taken to travelling in groups. I hope not, anyway....I ran into a game warden who was monitoring the late elk hunt currently going on in that area, and a Forest Service employee he knew also stopped by to chat. Their opinion is that there's more like five wolves in the area. There'd been a pair for some time, and it's either their offspring or they've been joined by some others. So, I'd say the 15-20 figure is probably inflated. The game warden and FS employee are in the field pretty much daily over there, and should know. Given the prey base over in that vicinity, it's not too surprising wolves are moving in. If you want to see a lot of wildlife, the Madison valley south of Ennis during winter is sure a good place to do it. Just from the highway, you can see thousands of wintering elk, deer, and antelope. Yesterday we took a hike in the Dome Mountain vicinity north of Gardiner, where a wolf pack is also active. No sightings, though, although we again saw good numbers of deer and elk, plus a considerable number of bald eagles. The highlight of the day was seeing a bald eagle snatch a fish out of the Yellowstone River. Got some photos of him sitting on the ice with fish in hand, so to speak. If they turn out good, they'll be posted here.
1/11/01	Attended a meeting last night regarding changes in the hunting regulations for 2001, and came home with enough statistics and figures to glaze the eyes of a Statistics 101 professor. The most noteworthy points will be condensed into an article in our Hunting section, (now up, the "Elk Hunting by the Numbers" article) but briefly; deer numbers have recovered nicely from the tough winter of '96-'97, and more liberal deer hunting regulations are in the works. In most areas, we will be going back to the either-sex whitetail regulations, where you can use your Deer A tag for either sex whitetail deer, or antlered mule deer. Also, antlerless mule deer tags, which were for all practical purposes eliminated for the past couple of years, will be back in good numbers for many districts. Of course, these changes are in the preliminary, evaluation, and public comment stage. Actual quotas won't be set until next summer when we see how game numbers have fared through the winter. Elk continue to thrive, and numbers exceed Fish, Wildlife, and Parks objective levels in virtually all regions. In the aforementioned upcoming article, you'll see current elk plan evaluation numbers for elk population, hunter numbers, recreation days, elk harvest, bull/cow ratios, calf/cow ratios, percentage of branch antlered bulls harvested, percentage of six-point bulls harvested, and harvest timing. Print those tables of numbers off, and read 'em before bedtime, and we guarantee profound sleep and sweet dreams of giant elk antlers!! Getting back to the changes for 2001, antlerless elk permit numbers have been increased in many areas. Those interested in bowhunting northern and eastern Montana elk likely won't be too excited about one change on that front, though. The requirement to apply for an unlimited archery tag to bowhunt elk in parts of the Missouri Breaks has been expanded to include all of Region 4, 6, and 7 (northern and eastern Montana). This permit must be your first and only choice. A lot of people have generally applied for a trophy elk permit, or cow tag close to home, and put in for an unlimited archery permit in the Breaks as a second or third choice. Also, a considerable number of people were going bowhunting for elk in areas of southeast Montana, where no special permit was required. From all reports, bowhunter numbers were getting to be excessive in those areas (widely varying opinions on that, but if somebody's bowhunting where you want to, then numbers are excessive!). Requiring an archery permit to hunt there, which is guaranteed but precludes drawing any other elk permit, will undoubtedly reduce hunting pressure. A lot of people aren't going to like it when they find out, though.... A couple of other noteworthy changes pertain to bird hunting. It's proposed that the first week of pheasant season be restricted to Montana resident hunters only. I'll bet that one's going to get a lot of comment. Also, the turkey bag limit is proposed to increase, or rather be restructured. As it stands now, you could take one turkey each in the spring and fall season. Under the proposed change, you could take two turkeys in the spring season, but then you're through and can't hunt the fall season. Turkey numbers in much of eastern Montana are exploding, and they are wearing out their welcome with many ranchers whose yards and haystacks are covered with the big birds. I plan to do my part to help out, and a goal for 2001 is to harvest a wild turkey holiday dinner with bow and arrow.
1/13/01	We need some snow in Montana, excluding the northeast corner of the state, where they've been quite tired of snow since early November! Streamflow, irrigation, and water table concerns for next summer aside, the skiing is lousy. I know, travel websites are supposed to put things in a good light, but, here at Cowboy Heaven Consulting we tell it like it is. We skied Bridger Bowl Friday. I used to be on the ski patrol up there during a previous life in my college days, so I've skied there a lot, and it's about as marginal for snow cover as I've ever seen. Not that it's just unspeakably awful skiing....The upside is that since it hasn't snowed for a while, the rocks are visible and (relatively) easily avoided. For instance, we skied the High Traverse into the South Bowl. That is fairly challenging skiing under any conditions, and I must say it was better than expected. The High Traverse accesses the mid to lower reaches of some of the Ridge chutes, and is some of my favorite terrain on the mountain. Oh, the memories....Once in the late 70's, before the Pierre's Knob lift was built, a buddy and I broke trail beyond the Exit Chute clear over to Pierre's Knob, and laid first tracks down the face that is now under the Knob lift in about 18" of fresh, light powder. Ahhhh.....That was one of the highlights of my skiing experience...!!! I digress, though...Some of the initial sections of the Traverse have a fairly high "pucker factor". Clark and I had hooked up with a guy he knew, introduced to me as Crazy John, a typical fortyish Bozemanite free spirit expert skier. He'd skied Exit Chute earlier in the day, and said it was actually pretty good (considering). He went zipping through the "don't screw up here" section of the traverse, and I noticed he was taking every opportunity to brake before one particularly tight section. A guy who was letting us go by while waiting for a buddy said "there's a big rock sticking out right after that drop-off, but if you keep your feet apart you can clear it". Valuable knowledge....I elected to launch over it since I don't like straddling jagged rocks at speed, and made it to the climbing portion of the Traverse without mishap. The skiing was actually not bad.... Those chutes don't get too much sun this time of year, and the snow was actually toward the softer end of the spectrum, if marginal in quantity. We skied Big Sky a while back, and besides their snowmaking capacity, they lucked out with a storm in early November that parked right over Lone Mountain and dropped about three feet of snow. Snowfall since has been limited, but the Lone Peak Tram is open to the top of the mountain most days (it was when we were there), and if you don't like the prospect of skiing a thigh-burning quantity of steep ice on the way down Liberty Bowl, you can always elect to ride the Tram back down (which is commonly done and no one will snicker at you. The first time I was up there, there were two possible routes down. The one was rated "marginal", and the other "not recommended"! You gotta like that...The view alone is worth the ride, you can see clear down to the Grand Teton in Wyoming on a clear day from up there.) Otherwise, with very few exceptions, skiing statewide is marginal. Big Mountain at Whitefish is only 70% open last I heard, and mountain snowpack in the Flathead, Marias, Sun, and Teton drainages is at or near record low levels. The one bright spot, such as it is, is in the Missoula area. Lookout Pass is reporting 45-60" of snow, and Lost Trail 50", and we're planning a ski safari to check out some unique lodging and recreational opportunities in that vicinity, which you'll hear about here. Some of the other ski areas further east are only reporting 15-17" at the bottom of their mountains, and that just ain't enough.... When it does finally snow, we'll report it here. Until then, let's just be glad that low mountain snowpack makes for better wildlife wintering conditions.
1/15/01	Took a ski tour up Spanish Creek yesterday, and stopped at the Gallatin game check station on the way to see how the Gallatin and Flying D late elk hunts are going. They both started off pretty good, with the Gallatin hunt running 76% success the first two weeks, and 71% on the Flying D (this was the second weekend for the Flying D hunt). No surprise, given the mild conditions we've got, but success appeared to be way down this past weekend. It was about noon on Sunday when I stopped, so undoubtedly some more elk came through the check station later, but at that point there'd only been about fifteen out of the Gallatin, and 29 off the D (out of 134 hunters). The elk have scattered and moved into less accessible areas, and it goes to show that elk hunting can be a tough proposition even on these late hunts (which are normally about as easy as elk hunting gets!). Most interesting to me were the reports of success, or lack thereof, for either-sex permit holders. The lucky kid who drew the single Flying D bull tag got a dandy! I visited with Bud Hubbard, Turner's chief of security for the ranch, and he said one of the ranch guides took the kid out and he connected on a gorgeous bull. There's a picture of it in the check station, a big 6 X 7. Bud was unsure of the score, but thought it would go a little over 340. On a less encouraging note, the handful of either-sex permit holders for the late Gallatin hunt are probably bemoaning their cursed luck. Out of five hunters so far, there's only been one bull even seen (and shot), a raghorn 4-point. I guess there's tons of big bulls yarded up in Daily Creek, just inside the Yellowstone Park boundary. They don't grow those big antlers by being stupid, though, and unless we get some nasty weather (which isn't really in the forecast), that's where they'll stay. The Gallatin late hunt is sort of a shadow of its former self. This year permits were cut back to 80, from the previous 500. Elk distribution patterns seem to be changing in the upper Gallatin. After so many mild winters in a row, it seems that the elk that migrate from that area to winter along the west face of the Madison Range do so early, and those that stay & used to winter in the upper Gallatin now tend to stay in the Park. Wolves are starting to become somewhat abundant up there also, which is also a factor, more or less depending on who you talk to. On a more positive note, the Flying D hunt will be expanded for next year, from 350 permits this year to 1200 for 2002. This year permits were good for a 4-day period, but next year they'll be for two days. Also, those who draw a general season district 311 cow tag will be allowed to hunt the ranch the last week of the general season. Those of you planning to hunt elk in southwest Montana next year might want to consider putting in for one of these cow tags, either the general or late season, as an ace-in-the-hole to help increase the odds you'll have a freezer full of delightful elk burger, which is a staple food around our place. If nothing else, just exploring around the Flying D is tremendous fun. It's over 100,000 acres of the nicest country in southwest Montana, which is to say anywhere, and seeing Ted Turner's herds of bison, plus the deer and elk that thrive on the ranch, make it seem like you're back in the 1800's.
1/22/01	If you're planning to fish, float, or have any other water-related fun in Montana next summer, you might do well to note that the drought that plagued the state last summer is still very much in evidence. I was talking with a farmer relative from Conrad over the weekend, and he reported that water levels in the reservoirs of north central Montana are still critically low, and with record low mountain snowpack the odds of them filling with spring runoff are dwindling by the day. Of course, we've still got two and a half months in which to accumulate some snowpack, and here in Bozeman we woke up to a surprise eight inches of fresh snow Saturday morning. Longer term, the odds are at best so-so, though. The National Weather Service released their long-range outlook updates last week, and the 30 and 90-day temperature and precipitation maps for Montana are inconclusive. They're both rated "CL", which in layman's terms means they're not confident enough to stick their necks out and predict above or below normal conditions, or more specifically, there's less than a 30% chance of their being right, so they ain't saying.... The numbers we do have aren't encouraging, though. Most mountain snowpack levels statewide are only 50-60% of normal. The best is the Missouri Headwaters at 70%, but the Kootenai and Flathead drainages are at 49%. Still worse are the Sun/Marias/Teton drainages, which come off the Rocky Mountain Front and among other things supply irrigation water for my farmer relatives. They're at a dismal 46% of average, and if things don't improve farmers in those irrigation districts may be looking at no irrigation water at all next spring and summer. A lack of irrigation water is likely not a pressing concern of too many readers, but if you are planning any outdoor recreation in Montana next summer, a drought will affect you. We'll likely be looking at very low streamflow levels by mid to late summer, which is obviously not good for fish or fishing. Also, a lot of those irrigation reservoirs also happen to be great walleye fishing, and as it stands now the boat launches on many of them are hundreds of yards from the water. Plus, unless we luck out with abundant rain during spring and summer, another bad fire season is all but guaranteed. So, my advice is if you're planning a Montana vacation for summer 2001, try to do it early, while there's still a chance of things being moist and green, instead of dry and burning. There's still time for this situation to turn around, but it'd better get after it pretty quick. Think snow...
1/26/01	I noticed on the Mountainzone site about an interesting and very ambitious backcountry ski tour through the Greater Yellowstone region being undertaken this winter. The improbably named Winston Goodbody (which if not true now certainly will be by spring), and partner Joe Hartney, are planning a 650 mile trip (see the trip map) through some of the most rugged and remote country in the lower 48. Briefly, they start in Wyoming, traverse the Wind River Range, cross Yellowstone, and follow the Absaroka Range north to Livingston, Montana. Then they plan to follow the Gallatin Range south from Bozeman, cross the western portion of Yellowstone, and then conclude by following the Teton, Wyoming, and Salt River ranges through western Wyoming. Whew!….Much easier said than done, that’s for sure. Portions of the route are relatively gentle, but an awful lot of it is very high and extremely rugged country. Of most keen interest to me are the portions of the route I am most familiar with, the legs through the Absaroka and Gallatin Ranges. As anyone who’s hiked there, or even traveled through the Paradise valley south of Livingston can attest, the Absarokas are anything but benign mountains. Many of the individual canyons make great hiking or ski touring destinations, but traversing the entire range is going to involve some mind-bogglingly difficult passes between those canyons. The Gallatin Range crest is much gentler, but also contains some very hairy spots for a late-winter ski tour. The Gallatin Crest is one of my favorite hiking areas, see the relevant articles in our Hiking section. A couple of falls back I was on my way back to the Windy Pass trailhead after a few days spent camping in the Moose Peak vicinity. I stopped to talk with a couple who were staying at the Windy Pass Cabin, a Forest Service backcountry ranger station that’s seasonally available for rent (also see our article on these cabin rentals). Interestingly, the guy and a few buddies had years previously attempted a late-winter ski traverse of the Gallatin Range. He gestured north and said "there’s a headwall with seriously ugly avalanche potential, and we thought better of it. Good thing, because about a week later two guys died there." This past summer, my son and I hiked up to Crater Lake on the Gallatin Crest via the South Fork Swan Creek "trail" (very infrequently used, primarily by elk and mountain goats), and I saw that headwall. Just the thought of crossing it on skis makes me shudder. Near the head of South Fork Swan Creek, the Gallatin Crest trail drops off the divide into the basin at the head of the creek before climbing back up to the divide at Crater Lake. Inbetween it crosses a very steep, open slope of about a thousand vertical feet. It’s about the most deadly-looking, avalanche-prone location for a trail I’ve seen. It may be possible to stay on the ridge above (I haven’t tried yet), but I doubt it, as it looked like cliffs would probably block the route. That seems likely; if it weren’t it would have been much simpler and easier to just continue the trail along the ridgetop. So anyway, I hope Winston and Joe exercise good judgement in that spot, not to mention the dozens of other similarly dangerous ones they’re bound to face. It’ll be interesting to monitor their progress on the Mountainzone site, and if nothing else it’ll whet your interest to hike or ski those areas yourself. After all, that’s what adventure is all about in my opinion. Reading about someone else’s adventures is interesting to a point, but I view it as fuel for your own dreams, and impetus to turn those dreams into reality.
1/29/01	I've recently purchased a pair of expedition-quality snowshoes, mostly in anticipation of spring shed elk antler hunting, and gave them their first real workout this past weekend. I've been a skier for a long time, both Alpine and Nordic, and while my personal preference for snow travel is still skis, I can already see that these snowshoes have their place. For one, as I have mentioned in previous Moccasin Telegraph entries, snowpack is quite marginal in Montana this winter, and in situations where you're facing a considerable proportion of bare ground, it's way handier to strap snowshoes to a backpack than it is skis. Or perhaps more accurately, it's easier to get around with a pair of snowshoes on your pack than it is with a set of skis towering over your head and getting hung up on every low limb you pass under. When cross-country skiing, I have only once skied on prepared tracks. Usually, I head up the same trails I would use for summer hiking, which usually at least in part consists of following a canyon bottom. The problem that often presents itself is the descent, since the trail is often narrow, with few spots wide enough to turn and scrub off some speed. Particularly when there isn't fresh snow, the trail can resemble a luge track on the way down, and rocketing down a narrow, icy corridor on Nordic gear can make for an exciting, and sometimes terrifying, descent. I always have to grin when I'm skiing up a trail and see a set of ski tracks that go shooting up into the brush along the trail. Grin, and make a note of the location in case I need to utilize the same escape route on my descent. These narrow trails with the occasional steep spot are where snowshoes really come into their own. Saturday afternoon I went up the Sypes Canyon trail in the Bridger Mountains outside Bozeman, a trail that fits the above description to a T. It was a real change of pace, and hugely reassuring, to be able to walk down those steep, icy spots in total control. My snowshoes are the Tubbs Mountaineer series, have quite aggressive crampons and very supportive bindings, and I encountered no slippage at all. Snowshoe design has changed greatly over the years, and these modern aluminum framed/synthetic decked shoes are worlds better than the old wood/webbing versions. We'd rented snowshoes previously, and did quite a bit of research on various models and brands, and it looks to me like the high-end Tubbs, and Atlas Summit series are the way to go if you're looking for a serious backcountry snowshoe. My preference runs toward the Tubbs, as the binding system is arguably superior, and particularly I prefer the tapered rear section which allows easier turning. Sunday afternoon I headed into the north Bridgers, in the Frazier Lake area, on my old standby Nordic ski gear. In that vicinity, there are considerable open slopes, and carving turns on the way down is tremendous fun, even with my borderline survival-style telemarking skills. As usual, there are no prepared tracks in the area, except at the Bohart Ranch, a nordic ski center near Bridger Bowl. I utilized existing snowmobile tracks and my climbing skins to facilitate the ascent, and had open, untracked "powder" (loosely defined) on the way down. While I find the noise of snowmobiles occasionally aggravating, I often utilize the trails they leave in order to avoid having to break trail through loose snow, and view them as a mixed blessing. If the proposed restrictions on snowmobile use in Yellowstone come to pass, it will force the industry to develop cleaner, quieter machines, and I for one won't miss that obnoxious two-stroke whine. Watch for an upcoming article in our Hiking section about the Bridgers. We're asked occasionally about the Bridger Mountains National Recreation Trail that stretches from just outside Bozeman to Fairy Lake, some twenty-odd miles away. Those who look at this map on the planimetric Forest Service maps often think "that looks interesting, we ought to hike that trail". If you look at it on topographical maps, though, you'll see a staggering amount of vertical gain and loss, and following it from Bozeman to Fairy Lake would be a most strenuous undertaking. We've been on all parts of the trail, at one time or another, via the side canyon trails that tie into the main Bridger Mountains trail, and plan to pull that info together into a comprehensive article on the entire route. Stay tuned....

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