Back Home Again: Montana Priorities (trout fishing, backpacking)

I loved Hawai'i, I really did. But not as much as I love my home along the Continental Divide in the Rockies of southwest Montana. It's a tough place to leave in summer, and first two priorities upon arrival: troutfishing and backpacking.

Check the first one off, on day 1:

The Big Hole River fished well on dry flies, lots of brown and rainbow trout rising to small caddis flies and a white aquatic moth. Still, when you want to bring one fresh trout home for supper after a morning of fishing, tie on a stonefly nymph (this beautiful imitation was tied by friend Don Kieffer I think. Or was it Mike Morris? Or Chad Okrusch? At any rate, THANK YOU you guys for feeding my habit.):

Next day, a few nights of backpacking. Strangely enough, although I can see it to the south from my house, I had never backpacked into the Highland Mountains:

We hiked up from Hell's Canyon, above the old Forest Service Guard Station (it's available for rent):

This area is dry and therefore below treeline--sagebrush prairie, ideal habitat for this big-eared Mule Deer doe:

MollyTheDog & I found a campsite on an elevated point of dry ground, near the creek but breezy so the mosquitoes (the air is thick with 'em this year, following that long wet spring):

We built a fire and cooked a good supper:

And fell asleep cooled by the breeze from a snow cornice on the ridge above our camp:

Hiking upward through the twisted krumholz and avalanche chutes, I could see the cones of Whitebark Pines shining dark against the blue sky:

 A squirrel had cut a cone but not harvested it, so I enjoyed the pine nuts, a tasty if sticky treat:

In the woods, Heartleaf Arnica (Arnica cordifolia) carpeted the ground and Fritillary Butterflies find these flowers especially tasty:

Also in the woods, the occasional Pine White Butterfly:

There was lots of elk sign (such as this big wallow) and though we sent one huge bull crashing from it's bed I was not quick enough with the camera:

Several other widlflowers bloomed in the woods, including Trappers Tea (Ledum glandulosum):

And Green-flowered Wintergreen (Pyrola chlorantha):

As we began to rise above tree-line, wet meadows were still full of spring flowers such as these Shooting Stars:

In transitional (between wet and dry) areas, there was Arrowleaf Groundsel (Senecio triangularis ):

In drier areas, Silvery Lupine (Lupinus argenteus) dominated the floral community:

In the driest and rockiest areas, the star of the moment was Lanceleaf Stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum):

Froma meadow leading to the saddle between Table Mountain and another, unnamed, ridge, you can see why this mountain deserves its name:

We surprised a herd of Rocky Mountain Big-horn Sheep. There were 12 in all (8 ewes and 4 kids); here are some of them:

Pausing to watch the sheep, my binoculars found a flock of robins mobbing something on the meadow past the roll of the ridge where we could not see. I thought maybe it was a Peregrine Falcon or other predator, so we hike closer. It was a Coyote, mousing and seemingly oblivious to the pesky birds. MollyTheDog and I hunkered down into some krumholz where I plucked a blade of grass and used it to make a high-pitched "dying rabbit" squeal. Coyote approached steadily but cautiously, coming to within about 60 yards before it scented us and bolted:

We continued our steep scramble up Table Mountain, pausing for breath occasionally, and taking in this view of Red Mountain:

When MollyTheDog finds a snow field, she KNOWS what to do. Oh the joy of life's simple pleasures!:

In the Alpine meadows and "rock gardens" of Table Mountain, I was pleased to find some new (to me) varieties of wildflowers. Who would think that the flora would be so different from the Pintler, just a few miles to the west? New species included Alpine Buttercup (Ranunculus eschscholtzii; lower left yellow flower):

Globeflowers (Trollius laxus):

A variety of Phlox probably kelseyi var. Missoula:

And Old Man of the Mountain (Tetraneuris grandiflora):

Familiar, though always welcome, were  Moss Campion (Silene acaulis), shown here with a Tortoiseshell Butterfly:

Tiny Alpine Forget-me-not (Eritrichium nanum), shown here with a buttercup for size comparison:

 Cushion Buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium):

Cushion Phlox (Phlox pulvinata) shown here with a humblebee:

Once on top, it was time to hang out at the peak monument, enjoy lunch, and engage in soulful contemplation. Great views of course, including a view north to Butte (left) and the Berkeley Pit/Continental Pit copper mines (right). That's my house in the upper left of the photo ;-)

A hike down and back to camp, a good night's sleep, then the hike out. Back in Butte, were treated to an evening thunderstorm and a rainbow:

I think I already found that pot o' gold...