Montana - The Missouri and Big Birthday (documented)

Well since leaving Canada I have diverted somewhat from my original agenda of rock climbing destinations and it’s been great. I have to admit I needed a little brake from climbing after 6 months solid. I realized while in the Bugaboos that my cousin Whitney and husband John, whom I had not, lived in Missoula, MT. Due south on the same highway 93 that I was on in Canada. So I planned a side trip before meeting Mike and Meg in Spokane, WA.

WOW Montana is awesome and Whit & John know how to enjoy it. I arrived at their home around mid-night and was floating the Clark-Fork River by 10:30 the next morning. Quit a welcome. The fun started there and has not quit. That very weekend we took a 4 day trip floating a section of the historic Lewis & Clark path on the Missouri River. This is the crew including our mascot Juneau, Sacagawea was tied up.

This was my first multi-day float trip and it’s definitely the way to travel backcountry. When floating, weight is not a consideration which is good as I was still recovering from coming out of the bugs. We had all the comforts of car camping without the car and crowds. Whit and John spent 2 years guiding this river and know it well. I had the benefit of what some would pay close to $1000 for. We saw one crew with a support motor barge full of comforts. We paddled past them and waved bye from up high. This is the aptly named hole in the wall. It was the only prominent feature we passed that was not mentioned in Lewis’ Journals.

Hiking side canyons (slot canyons) is a must and the only way to appreciate and respect the history of former inhabitants. This is one surviving petroglyph just up from our first camp.

All and all the price of admission on the Missouri guided or not, is well worth it. The river, the wildlife and the sunsets are amazing.

Special thanks to John, Whitney & Juneau Todd.

….. and that was just my 1^st week back in the states. I must be living right because my second week can’t be outdone either; a Birthday visit from Mike and Meg Montgomery and its not even my birthday.

I have to start with – HAPPY 40^TH MIKE!! I know that has to erk him a just a little. He sure doesn’t act 40 or really look it but if I have to be 32 then he has to be 40. I mean I was only like 12 (or 25) when I met and made friends with him and he did help get me the job that I ended quitting to take this trip. And, he still talks to me, go figure.

Mike and Meg arrived in Spokane on a Friday morning after leaving TN ~ 4AM or something crazy like that. We immediately lit into catching up and getting wound up like good friends do. This is Mike and Meg at one of the Winery’s we visited just outside Spokane. It’s amazing we made it there, what with all the chatting, direction giving, bad maps and cramped conditions in my little truck not to mention a headache or two.

Of course I lobbied for a river trip given my recent introduction to the water in Montana. So we loaded up hit the Clark Fork. This time with Pangaea Expeditions (http://www.pangaea-expeditions.net/index.htm), a great rafting company that really knows how to do the Clark Fork. After already floating it once, I was surprised how much they added to the fun. Good Folks.

See now Mike doesn’t look 40 here. He does look like he’s going to get a mouth full of water. Also next time you see Mike; ask him how he likes swimming rapids?

There is a lot more to add on my visit with Mike and Meg but photos were not always taken and you just can’t publish everything. I will however publish the fact that Mike Montgomery’s 40^th Birthday has been immortalized in Spokane, WA in a pub named, O’Doherty’s AND that I helped do it. Here is the full story.

Chris, our bartender and fine fellow, enlightened us on how and why the signed $1 bills were all over the bar. The bills were there to document someone, something or both and the process to get the bill posted involved singing or telling a joke by a patron, sponsor, on top of the bar with everyone's attention. This ain’t no small pub either. I agreed to address the crowd on Mike’s behalf and chose to tell a joke as opposed to singing, since people were eating. The first picture proves I tried and the 2^nd proves I succeeded and that Mike Montgomery can never claim to be less than 40. Good Times!!

I want to leave you all with the joke I told and I encourage your comments. I like the joke and didn’t get the crowd approval that I think its worth.

Paddy and Murphy –

Paddy and Murphy are sitting at the bar discussing how broke they are when Paddy says, Murphy I got it. We’re Irish and we live by the sea. Yeah says Murphy. So most Irish love the Sea. Yeah says Murphy. We will start a business burying people at Sea. Brilliant says Paddy and they decide to put an ad in the paper. Two weeks later they get a call from Margaret who wants her recently deceased husband buried at Sea. Now this is Paddy and Murphy’s 1^st burial and they want to do it write. So boat loaded, Murphy begins to paddle them out to Sea. Paddy says that’s good and jumps over the side. He goes in to his waist and says, err it is not deep enough paddle out some more Murphy. A little farther out Paddy jumps over again this time going up to his neck but still it is not deep enough and has Murphy paddle out more. The again Paddy jumps over and goes down, down and then finally comes back up. Murphy says, “is it deep enough Paddy”. ‘Ihh its deep enough” says Paddy, “now gives us the shovel”.

Get it, “buried at Sea”.

Once again, Happy Birthday Mike!!! And thank you both for coming out. Nobody can do it up like we did.

Bugaboos - Parting shots and comments....

I ended up spending a little over 2 weeks in the Bugaboos and was able to climb more than I ever expected. The weather and my luck with partners was accommodating. My overall tick list includes: The Kain Route 5.7, The Northeast Ridge of Bugaboo Spire 5.8 (one of the 50 classics), Lion’s Way 5.7, The Snowpatch Route 5.8, Surf’s Up 5.9, ½ of McTech Arête 5.10 and the Northeast Ridge of Eastpost Spire 4^th class. I left behind a lot including the Beckey-Chouinard Route 5.10 (22p) on South Howser Tower. I need some more alpine experience before hitting that one.
McTech Arete (out the roof and up the left-leaning crack)

Afternoon weather
(this one caught us 1/2 up McTech but not before the fun 5.10, face crack)

I have a few more pictures to post on the routes I did since my last post but I mainly wanted to share some of my notes with others who are thinking of going to the Bugs or to do any alpine for the 1^st time. First off season, I hit it perfect in Mid-July this year. Typically you are better off closer to August and no later than September. The season is dictated by afternoon thunderstorms and the melt. The descent/ rappel route off the Howsers can be closed if the cornice has not fallen of the top. And the Bugaboo Col can be pretty nasty late in the year as the bergshrund opens up but there is a rap route for this also. Camping at Applebee Dome campsite is pretty swank for alpine camping. There are pit toilets and all the sites are established. That being said you are still at ~9000’ on a rock slab and totally exposed.

Mount Assiniboine, The "Canadian Matterhorn" (in the back center)

Bring a tent that can standup to the wind, rain and hail. I liked that I could cook in my vestibule also. Glacier travel; at least read a book about it and be familiar with the objective hazards, rope skills and self arrest methods. Glacier travel is a part of every approach and descent and although it is not difficult, being knowledgeable about it will improve your confidence and you’ll move faster. Attire; I took it all not knowing what to expect and wanting to be prepared. Next time I will have some light to mid-weight synthetic climbing pants, a pair of light weight, and flexible crampons for my approach shoes and I’ll carry a 25 to 35 liter pack. I did Snowpatch with my full on mountaineering pack with my huge mountaineering boots and crampons inside. Lead climbing with a 40+ pound pack sucks almost as bad as trying to simul-climb low 5^th class in mountain boots. Moving fast is key since the weather changes rapidly in the afternoons. Most routes took us 8 – 12 hours. Learn to simul-climb in approach shoes and with a pack. Typically both climbers carry a pack, not just the follower. Also get a pack that your ax or a ski pole will attach to. Short axes are great, nut tools work for minimalist.

Last and most important, partners. I got really got lucky and hooked up with some good folks to climb with but even good partners need to have experience climbing together. You cover a lot more terrain in alpine and even though you may not be climbing at your technical limit, wasted time and miscommunication can be dangerous. I really envied the teams that came prepared with objectives and past climbing experience. Develop a partner and train with them. Set a tick list and go balls out together. You will get a lot more out of the trip that way and you won’t have to make 2 trips to get all of your gear up to camp (and bust you gut getting it all down in one trip).

Morning View (I am gonna miss that)

These are just some notes to myself and anyone who is interested and are not by any means complete. I really enjoyed the Bugs and alpine rock climbing. It mixes backcountry, glacier travel in with remote, committing multi-pitch rock climbing. I am hooked and currently looking for partners to go back to the Bugs and onto the Winds and The Diamond.