March 2001 Moccasin Telegraph

3/29/01	Just a further update expanding on the Blackfoot Reservation fishing conditions mentioned in the previous entry. (For those who don't know, the Blackfoot Reservation is some of the premier trophy trout fishing in the world. See our Fishing Article section for more info). The ice is about half off Mission and Kipp Lakes, and there is even a small amount of open water at Mitten. Reportedly, the fish are hungry, and it doesn’t take long at all to limit out. Slot limits permit keeping only one fish over 19", and in a nutshell there aren’t very many fish under that size, so if you want to fish more than a few minutes, plan on catch & releasing…As far as the rumored fish kills, that isn’t a factor now, but could be by later in the summer. With the exception of Duck Lake, most of the reservation lakes aren’t very deep. Mitten, for instance, is normally only about eight feet deep, and now is reportedly only about five feet. If/when it gets hot later this summer, unless we’ve received enough precipitation to recharge ground and surface water levels, there is potential for the water to warm to the point where fish kills could result. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Speaking of drought, we also recently heard some information that we hope turns out to be true. An acquaintance operates a large-scale catering company, and last summer did a landslide business servicing fire camps. When queried whether he expects to again make a killing this coming fire season, he answered in the negative. He researched weather records as far back as available. In virtually all cases, when an open winter such as we’ve just experienced followed a bad fire summer, the early spring was dry, but then once it started raining sometime around early June, it basically didn’t stop. Long-term weather forecasting is an inexact science at best, but let’s hope he’s right… On a completely unrelated note, I recently returned from a three-day, twenty mile snowshoe trip. I pulled an expedition sled, expecting to be hauling out a massive load of shed elk antlers, but ‘twas not to be. Besides getting back into shape from too much time spent behind a desk over the winter, and experiencing a new-to-me style of wilderness travel, looking for sheds was the ostensible reason for the trip. Like weather forecasting, searching for elk antlers, whether they are still attached to the bearers or not, is a most inexact science, and all I have to show for my effort is ONE lousy antler. I did lose a few pounds, though, as well as get my first sunburn of the season, and don’t exactly consider the trip a complete failure. So, if you’re thinking looking for shed antlers sounds like fun, and a good excuse to get some exercise and fresh air, subscribe to our service and I’ll tell you one spot that most people in the know would think would be as good as it gets, that isn’t…
3/20/01	This info really did come in on the moccasin telegraph, as it’s mostly from the Blackfoot Reservation. I’d been asked about some alleged fish kills in the Reservation Lakes this winter. For those that don’t know, many of those lakes are some of the best trophy trout fishing around. They’re landlocked, and spring fed, so the trout don’t reproduce naturally, but the tribe has an active stocking program. The lakes are an exceptionally productive environment, and it’s reported fish grow at an average of an inch per month for their first two years. Yep, we’re talking big fish….Anyway, it’s not terrifically uncommon for lakes that are ice-bound for an extended period to develop oxygen shortages, resulting in fish kills. Georgetown Lake by Anaconda is suffering that condition right now, and Fish, Wildlife, and Parks is forecasting a likely 100% fish kill there. That was also rumored to be the condition on the Rez, but I quizzed a number of locals who ice fish there quite a bit, and it was news to them. Ice fishing has been good, and there's no reason to suspect that fishing won’t be good as usual this spring and summer. Since the lakes are spring fed, they shouldn’t be plagued, at least to the same degree, by low water conditions facing a lot of the stream fed lakes in Montana. The other item of note regards the elk herd from the northeast part of Glacier Park. Those elk usually winter on the Reservation, which has an exceptionally long and liberal hunting season, at least if you’re a tribal member. A couple of winters back, there was quite a slaughter of elk in the Duck Lake vicinity, reportedly around 300 animals. I’ve no problem with people putting an elk in the freezer, but I hate to see an entire herd nearly wiped out. Anyway, elk are not stupid, and this year it appears they migrated into Canada, which is only a short trot away for an elk. Hunting regulations across the border are greatly more restrictive, and word has it very few elk were taken by hunters. Interestingly, I’ve heard reliable reports that some of those elk migrated east, and re-entered the US in the country from the Sweetgrass Hills east to the Milk River. Elk numbers have been increasing in the Sweetgrass Hills for some time, and they’re also colonizing some of the flat farm country to the east. Undoubtedly, some will make their way to the Bearpaw Mountains south of Havre. It’s a biologically verifiable phenomenon that animals colonizing a new area are exceptionally productive, both reproductively, and in terms of antler growth. The likely new state record Pope & Young (archery) bull elk came out of the Bearpaws this past fall, and it’s a safe bet that there’ll be plenty of other staggeringly huge sets of antlers running around that country this next fall. You need to draw a special permit to hunt there, though, so bear that in mind for the June 1 deadline for permit applications.
3/10/01	Had an interesting trip on back roads along the Rocky Mountain Front yesterday, while returning from a few days spent east of Glacier Park. Much of that time was spent preparing no-longer-needed farm machinery for an upcoming auction, which as you might expect involved a goodly amount of retrospection and contemplation of the dismal state of the agricultural economy. But, as the saying goes, the only thing constant is change. I find it kind of interesting to contemplate that less than 150 years ago, that area was still in the heyday of the buffalo/plains Indian culture. There’s been a lot of change compressed into a relatively short time period since, and I’ll bet nobody who saw their way of life coming to an end thought it was fun. Most striking is that everybody that comes to mind offhand who’s tried to make a go of it in that country has had a pretty short run of it. The Blackfeet had arguably the most sustainable culture, not that we should all go back to hunting buffalo and living in teepees. Still, they only acquired horses in the late 1700’s, and by 1880 their nomadic buffalo culture was done for. The open range cowboy era didn’t really last long at all, around 25 years. The homestead era peaked from 1911-1919, although a few hardy descendants of those immigrants are still hanging on in various states of skyrocketing debt load and dwindling income. Large scale sheep ranching had its run through the 40’s and 50’s, but now you’d have to look hard to find even a small flock. The oil boom ran pretty strong through the thirties, and like agriculture has hung on since with brief spurts of prosperity, mostly in the 1970’s. Since then, it’s been pretty ugly, though. Of course, there were a few other even more risky enterprises, mostly of questionable legality like whiskey trading with the Indians, later reincarnated in the Bootlegging era of Prohibition. Now there’s a limited amount of dope smuggling into Canada, but obviously those sorts of ventures aren’t slated for a long life span. So, it remains to be seen what if any sort of culture will be truly sustainable on the wind-swept plains east of the Rocky Mountains in north central Montana. It’s an austere country, with moments of great beauty sprinkled into long periods of unrelenting harshness. I caught one of those moments at sunrise one morning last week. Low level ground fog created the impression of a sea, with the Rimrocks and Sweetgrass Hills rising above like islands. The area commonly known as the Hi-Line, from Glacier Park east to around Malta, is far from devoid of redeeming qualities, but it exacts a toll from those who live there, plain to see on faces of people and buildings you see in the communities that dot it. I'm fond of saying that Montana may be God's Country, but the Hi-Line is still Napi's country. Napi is a figure from Blackfoot mythology, a powerful creator-type figure, but also the Trickster, who amused himself by making things difficult for the humans. I'd say Napi still has a pretty strong grip up in that country....
3/5/01	We spent the weekend skiing at Discovery Basin, something that’d been on our list for some time. I’ll put up a detailed report in the Articles section, but briefly, what a kick! I was under the impression the runs on the front side of Rumsey Mountain were all beginner and intermediate runs, and was pleasantly surprised to find several black diamond pitches mixed in. Regardless of classification, the runs on the front side are all groomed to perfection, and compare real favorably with the cruising runs on the lower mountain at Big Sky, for instance, particularly when you consider that lift tickets are less than half what they cost at Big Sky. The parking lot was fairly full, as you might expect on a weekend with bluebird weather, but lift lines were extremely minimal, and the runs were uncrowded. My wife hates skiing in crowded conditions, and she had a great time. My snowboarder son felt right at home, and rapidly found the half-pipe (snowboarders are well represented at Discovery, and a contingent of telemarkers were also in evidence). My daughter was trying snowboarding for the first time, so took a lesson. I don’t know if she was more impressed with the teacher or teaching, but she had a great time and it boosted her confidence considerably. As for me, I love open cruising runs where I can carve GS turns at high speed, and the front side runs are perfectly suited for that. What I really was interested in was the back side of Rumsey Mountain, though. That is reputed to be some of the steepest lift-serviced terrain around, and with the exception of one intermediate trail that follows the ridge around the bowl, consists of all double black-diamond runs. Yep, they’re steep! Signs at the top stress that you should be up on your self-arrest skills in case you fall, which is undoubtedly good advice. Compared to areas off the Ridge at Bridger Bowl, or the Lone Peak Tram at Big Sky, I didn’t think it was all that bad, though. It’s just as steep, but unlike those places, if you crash you don’t have to worry about going over a cliff. So it’s kind of "safe" adventure, and if you’re an expert skier you’ll get a big kick out of it. In spite of the lack of snowfall we’ve had this winter, conditions were good. With a foot or two of fresh powder, skiing Discovery would be outrageous, though, especially the back bowl. I’m sure we’ll be back, and I hope our return coincides with a powder dump!

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