Been swept away in the spring rush of work, great weather, and more work. Finally, I have found a great niche where I LOVE the work I'm doing, not just in concept, but in the day to day nitty gritty aspects as well. The Lolo is a superb place to be, and the issues are sooooo interesting. In the course of a single day I deal with everything from the internal budget situation, to the local newspaper wanting to do a story on our contractors that hire seasonal migrant workers, to a big contentious ski resort proposal in town and so much more. My job is all about people, their opinions, values, and how it all fits into managing forest ecosystems. Thus is the life of a public affairs officer...
Turned 31 on April 12, and Max helped me celebrate over good food and drink. After that I went canoe camping with a bunch of coworkers in the Gates of the Mountains. 7 of us met up for a weekend of canoeing up to Meriweather Gulch, about 20 miles N of Helena. This area was 1st discovered by westerners when Lewis & Clark paddled upriver on the Missouri. After a long trip through the plains of E Montana, they remarked on how entering the canyons here was like going through the gates of the Mountains. Later, in the 50's, 13 smokejumpers died on Mann Gulch, a truely tragic event.
On Saturday I rode my bike up Mount Sentinel via the Crazy Canyon singletrack. In all it was 15 miles with 2000 feet of elevaion gain, all from the beauty of my back door. The ride is about 2% street, 70% fire road, and 28% singletrack.
Just got back from a spur of the moment week in Butte, where I trained to be a wildland fire information officer. Butte is a fascinating town, full of history and interesting relics. Apparently, Butte boasts the largest St Patrick's Day celebration in the country, and at one point had more Irish people than any other city in the union. I personally find it pretty unsightly, but you can't help and wonder in awe at the open pit mines surrounding the town, the crater 1800 feet deep and over a mile across filled with acid, and large white statue of a religious icon looking down at it from a nearby mountain.
Another fun weekend hanging out with Max on the West Fork of the Bitterroot. Rode the moto down for some target shooting to get sharp for hunting season. I'm looking forward to bringing home my own steak, especially the organic, free range, venison kind.
Been swept away in the spring rush of work, great weather, and more work. Finally, I have found a great niche where I LOVE the work I'm doing, not just in concept, but in the day to day nitty gritty aspects as well. The Lolo is a superb place to be, and the issues are sooooo interesting. In the course of a single day I deal with everything from the internal budget situation, to the local newspaper wanting to do a story on our contractors that hire seasonal migrant workers, to a big contentious ski resort proposal in town and so much more. My job is all about people, their opinions, values, and how it all fits into managing forest ecosystems. Thus is the life of a public affairs officer...
Been getting out a decent amount since April started. Mary visited for a few days from Seattle, and we went climbing, dipping in the hotsprings, and feasting with Brett, Merica, and Mike (and Tyler and Seamus, the dogs). At the same time I started a new job on the Lolo, and that's been busy and exciting. Check out Mary's climbing photos from her sweet camera here: http://picasaweb.google.com/merrymaryk/RockClimbingInMontanaYeeHaw
