A tale of two rivers

 It's actually springtime on the Bitteroot River and as I see people towing the boats and the energy surrounding it I'm struck again how different just about everything on the two rivers I know is. You know I like lists so I'll put it into that kind of form or what I've noticed starting with this...

Favorite Tow vehicle on the Root: Toyota Tundra, new.

Favorite tow vehicle on the Kenai: Suburban , old.

Favorite Root boat : rubber or the Clackacraft head Hunter

Favorite Kenai Boat : Willie Predator.

Favorite Root rods : Sage, Winston

Favorite  Kenai rods : Lamiglass, Loomis

Favorite Root reels : Orvis , Abel

Favorite Kenai reels : Shimano, ABU Ambasedeur

Favorite Root bait : none

Favorite Kenai bait : salmon eggs

Favorite Root beer : Chardonnay

Favorite Kenai beer : Miller lite, if it's on sale

Favorite Root shore lunch : humus, celery,  berries and ahhh...Chardonnay

Favorite Kenai Shore lunch :  Pizza Boys delivery

Favorite Root donut : Sticky Buns

Favorite Kenai donut : Twinkies

Favorite Root Musician : Rihanna

Favorite Kenai Musician; Hobo Jim

Favorite Kenai Fish term : Hog

Favorite Root fish term  : nice little fella

Favorite Root attire : cargo shorts, Sims UV blocker ( with name ) 

Favorite Kenai attire : Grunden or Helly Hansen 

Favorite Root foot wear : Teva's or Keen's

Favorite Kenai foot wear : Extra Tuff's

mmmmmmm......and speaking of boats, I lucked out and found just what I wanted and what a value it is. Thank you to my new friends at Elephant Boys in Spokane . For about the same price as I sold my 23 year old guide boat with patches and welds and 3000 hours on the motor I got this beauty brand spanking new.

It's the biggest 16' boat I've ever seen. Wide at the chine and the sides are higher than my guide boat at 32 inches. It has beautiful lines and with a 10 degree V to the pad and a reverse chine it's gonna swim just fine. I wanted something lighter and easier to put on and off the trailer as well as go down the road well. I also wanted the tiller handle as I feel really safe with it and I should , I've run it for thousands of hours.

I started my guide career with Mercury and then went to Johnson ( OMC), then I had the Honda sponsorship and got fired and then moved onto Yamaha. So back to square one with Mercury I'm duly impressed. This motor has the innovation that Mercury is known for and the tiller handle is so ergonomically correct that it's amazing. This motor comes with the low idle troll feature as well as a heated handle...now that's a feature !  I suppose you can see that I just love boats. Years ago MP said she wished I spent more time making the house look nice...in Jeff's world parking this baby in the yard does exactly that !  To quote my old friend Shawn Whitmore when I asked him why he was routinely buying new  boats " I guess I'm just a little queer about boats ".

It's and RH brand boat which is now part of a company named Fish Rite that all salmon anglers are familiar with. I hope you keep an eye on Mile 14, fish pics to come. 

No matter where you go...there ya are...

 We have a three mile hike along the Bitteroot River at a place called Skalkahoe Bend that we just love. It has lots of wildlife and healthy interesting people that we meet along the way....And...right now the Bitteroot Water Forum ( BWF ) is doing a project to ' save ' it. Well this is something I know a little bit about and sometimes you learn more from mistakes than you do from your successes. I hate to be critical as I guess you could make the case that I didn't do such a good job of saving the last river I was on but I'm going to risk it. I doubt many of my new neighbors read Mile 14, yet, but if they do here's the deal...I just moved here from California and am going to run for City Council....just joking.

So there's the problem. As you can see the top pic shows the meandering nature of the river and the bottom is looking upstream showing a natural eroding outside bend. The bank is under cut and the flow accelerates to the first pic's log jam where the erosion is stopped by some tree's and then the natural collection of debris that the roots hold. The footprint of our path runs parallel with the river of course but all of 30 to 50 feet from it. And of course they have the usual stay the hell off the bank signs. Unlike on the World famous there are no boat mooring divits , no bank fishing paths, no 200 - 500 powerboats running by everyday throwing wakes at the shoreline...it's all natural. But they only have so much  meander to lose so with no ( or little ) public input they came up with a plan and the work started today.

All along the outside bend about 100 ft. parallel a swale is being built to create trees and yes, willows to hold the bank. Then this part of the bank will be armored with rip rap in hopes of holding off the erosion until the swale matures enough to hold the bank...great plan...But of course unsightly and certainly not natural. One of my observations from the Kenai after 40 years of projects is that there was little or no consideration for the aesthetics of the bank saving projects. The light penetrating boardwalks are now everywhere, shiney aluminum that in many cases is lying around the riverbank derelict from a lack of maintenance. So what could have been done better Hamilton Montana ?

1. The BWF has been criticized for a lack of public input. You having scoping meetings for several reasons. To make the public more comfortable and let them know what to expect and to take suggestions on how the project could be handled to lessen any impact and maybe,just maybe , somebody might have a great idea about how to do it better, if you're listening.

# 1. leads to number 2.  If the bank must be armored it can be done organically with root wads and cabled trees. The clue is really in that first pic. You can see the trees holding the bank just like root wads would while allowing soil,  driftwood and river rock to build up....on the World Famous all those beautiful houses on the outside bend at Beaver Creek would be gone now if not for exactly that type of project. 

3. I don't know where all the $$$$ comes from but like many projects this one is gonna cost some serious lettuce. Now seeing's as it's public money for public property and that the erosion is 100 % natural has anybody thought about a mitigation approach ?  You take that same pool of money and instead of spending it on something that might or might not work you go and buy up some other riverfront for future public use and protection from development . 

4. I think that the BWF's approach should be a last resort thing if and when structures or homes are endangered which right now looks to be decades away if mother nature decides....

5. OK enough.... I know nobody likes new people moving into an area and wanting to change it into where they came from so I'll just shut up . But please BWF, have some meetings so people can get to know you, I'm new here and it's an interest of mine.

Speaking of water....who would ever have thought I'd have trouble finding a boat for my passion. Yikes, they tell me because of the pandemic and a slow down in manufacturing all the new 2021 models of the boats I'd like are spoken for...I went to Townsend Marine who says they are one of the largest Lund dealers in the USA just to see this.

I must be dumber than a mashed cat. I never would have guessed. As we drove up to the Marina I told MP that this is going to be fun as they hundreds and I mean hundreds of boats sitting around....well...wrong. They said I could order sometime in May and then hope for delivery by fall.

If I'd known I might have brought the big ol number 003 boat but it was just really to big and to purpose built for my new fishing life. I like the open with the tiller that I'm so used to but I don't need to seat 4 people and I want something light and easy to handle and to  tow to places I've never been before. Lund, Smokercraft almost all the manufactures make these boats in 16 and 18 foot and they look to be fantastic, they are a far cry from the skinny old red Lund that we all grew up in Alaska with. They are wide, have more V ( some up to 12 degrees ) and are lighter by half than what I'm used to.... I need to go from this: 

To this:

I really want to buy a brand new one and have the features etc that I want like oil bath hubs on the trailer. On St. Paddy's day we're going to Spokane as they have many large dealers there. No place in Montana has a new boat for me.....jeez...Louise....So if any of you, my friends see or know of a new or even used boat like this please holler, that ol white Chevy is ready to go where ever it's gotta go to make it's owner happy.

But all was not lost in our search for the next S.S. Minnow. When we went to Townsend we spent a night at the hot springs and discovered the coolest  picnic spot on the other side of a one way bridge over the Missouri near Toston Montana. The adventure continues....

All growed up.

 It's the weirdest thing. Until your parents pass and leave you alone there's just something where you still feel like a kid and it's a comfort to know that in somebody's eyes you're still just a kid...Odd to think that with MP's moms passing she's now an orphan of sorts. My folks left years ago so when Mary Beaudette went last week I guess I new the route a bit and wasn't surprised when we heard the ol ' she had a great life and that she was 95 ' ....when the people you love are 95 whats wrong with 97 ? 

Some how or another I used to think she didn't like me. She was just a mother who like all of them wanted the best for the kids and I was, well, a, mmmm....not as good at life as I am now. I think we just didn't understand each other and throw in a side order of being off to Alaska with her baby girl well our relationship took a awhile  but she came to love me and I her.

Mary was a tough woman. Growing up on a homestead on the Missouri breaks. Raising 5 kids without the help of a husband. Putting herself through college while raising the kids with no $$$$.  As I sat the other night and listened to MP and her sister reminisce I realized how difficult for her it must have been to have the kids in the orphanage while she made a future for them, the kids grew up on wild game and a pot of deer stew only had meat in it for the first serving.  BUT, the proof was in the pudding, her 5 children are remarkable individuals. I think the best thing a parent can help a child with is a positive self image and that she did, the women in the family have a certain strength and independence who were taught that there are no obstacles and their children were gifted this as well. 

Mary was moved into an assisted living facility after a crash a month ago. She was just to independent for that and she just choose to leave is what I believe. Our last gift besides the gift of love which is eternal was Phizer...The covid  strategy at the senior residence was to inoculate all the people who live there as well as all family and frequent visitors. So tomorrow we go to Helena for our second shot and our lives will get way closer to normal, just with one less person we really love .

Loooooooong week

 Man, it's been a long one for sure...MPeasy went to Helena just as the winterapocalypse set in. The family was getting mom into an assisted living place and I decided to stay and play the guitar and.....well....that was about the entire plan. So on Saturday I get a call that the Phizer vaccine will be given to everybody at Legacy Senior living as well as family and frequent visitors. So, I spent Super Bowl Sunday jacking up the old white truck and putting on the studded snow tires that haven't been on it in ten years. Of course one thing leads to another and the starter froze up in mid tire effort so me and the neighbor Josh had to change that out as well. So I drive from balmy Hamilton to -20 Helena and we have a reunion and wake up the morning of our vaccine with no heat in MP's moms house....yikes... Turns out the exhaust of the new high efficient furnace was broken and in the extreme cold the intake was sucking in the exhaust and shutting down the system. So Tom and I Mcguivered a fix and walla, shots done, furnace fixed , garage cleaned out to park our car, new tires, new starter and a trip to the Casino. Perfect.

It's no news to anybody that more than 1/2 of the USA is experiencing  extreme winter weather. Here it was Winter Storm Uri and now it's Winter Storm Viola soon to be followed by Winter Strom Get me the $@#%&* out of here... Ya know in Alaska they don't personalize the winter by naming it. Instead they just blame it on the Russians as it's usually a Siberian Front that is responsible and Alaskans go about the business of dealing with the Polar Vortex or the Mega High or the Aluetian trough. But here in Montana it's just sooooo exciting. Every morning I wake up to old smiley here and garner some real world survival skills from him. I kid you not , he told us the other morning the best way to stay warm is to stay inside.

 

I've driven through a few blizzards. In fact just a couple weeks ago we had a class 9 through Utah and of course between Anchorage and Soldotna I almost stopped the car in a whiteout in the Portage area returning from the Great Alaska Shootout...of course that was shortly after Sam got car sick and threw up a Hostess Pink Snowball into a frisbee right behind the drivers seat...you get the point, it's stressful and the blizzard on the way to Helena was a class 8 I'd guess. I stopped to help a couple cars that parked in the ditch and were way to stuck for me to do much except make sure the ladies stayed safe and the usual Hamilton-Helena 2 and 1/2 hour trip was 4 and 1/2 hours....But we got the shots and there's light at the  end of the tunnel, and it ain't a train.  In two more weeks we'll get our second shot and receive our get out of jail free card and just maybe we can go from this.

to this.

But being Alaskan as the rest of Hamy and Stevi were in lock down we drove to Stevi to shop at the Mennonite store because we have nice new studded tires and we just love shopping there.  We drove the old highway and stopped for our tradition of eating Jalepeno Poppers as we drive and reflect on the winter scene. I love the ' snow snakes ' that the wind drives across the road. Here's the scenes which was really kind of in between flurries.

As I type MP's waiting for me to finish so we can get our daily 3 mile morning in... You've heard me say it a million times, ' ya just gotta want to do it "....and little old fashion tuff has to come into play as well.   Geno used to say ' Christ hates a coward '...lets ALL carry on.

Life ain't always a tire swing

 We got the call last Thursday. Cousin Bobby found MP's mom lying next to the bed unconscious and she was in I.C.U. at St Petes  hospital. She had somehow fallen and her body was accepting room temp so she was hypothermic with a body temp of  93. Somehow she had gotten her hand tangled up in the box springs under the bed and her index finger was horribly mangled ....It looked like the end.  We packed immediately and left Green Valley at 4:00 a.m.. Our plan was to drive north staying in touch with the family so we could get MP to a major airport along the way when it was time. I stayed on Highway 15 all the way from Las Vegas, 700 hundred miles on the first day and 500 on the second as my mother in law seemed to be stable and maybe getting better, she is one tough lady. To make a long story short it wasn't long before we got a pic of her sitting up in bed eating salmon, yep, she ain't dyeing this time. At first she had lost memory from the hypothermia but that came around and then she had her finger amputated and she was playing her suduko puzzles with what she calls ' stubby' ...jeez...So, we're back in Montana. MP's mom will be released to an assisted living soon and all is right with the world, just another bump in the road. It's been an emotional week and a bit of a whirlwind.

Needless to say I didn't have time for our usual daisy sniffing along the way. But we did stop for fuel in Dubois Idaho and I was duly impressed by the isolation of this place. You don't get here by accident. Once a thriving town it now has just houses and one gas station/ grocery / beer / front porch sitting  all in one store...Downtown Dubois, you must go someday and wonder how and why people live there...I'll find out on the next trip when I have time to talk story with the locals.

You know you're in the far west when you see a sign that says ' next services 82 miles '.  This is what that looks like.

Lucky for me , right before we had to blast off to Montana we got to do some ultra cool stuff....Growing up as an Army Brat one of my hobbies is Military History, I read a lot. So right in Green Valley is a National Historical location which is the only Titan Missile Silo in existence. This place along with 11 other were rushed into service in the desert and came on line as a nuclear deterrent at the height of the Cold War, 1963.  Each missile had multiple re entry nuclear bombs. Together with the other Titan Batteries in Arkansas and North Dakota it amounted to hundreds of Nuclear weapons to assure what was called M.A.D. = mutually assured destruction . Naturally the Russians had Hundreds as well so both sides new it would be pointless to push the button when there was so much fire power involved. I have my own theory....considering that missile powered space flight was so new and complex I think they figured most of these things wouldn't work so redundancy was the key to winning a nuclear war. Here's me top side and the missile looking down, very cool.

At the Titan site we were encouraged to visit the Pima County Aerospace museum, we were told that it was very covid friendly as it's huge, almost 100 acres. So the next day we were there and it's about the coolest I've ever been to. Max and me did the Boeing Museum is Seattle but this place is like Seattle's on steroids. When I was a kid not only did I see a Nike Missile launch at Fort Greeley Alaska but many times we were at Edwards and George Air Force Base in California which is part of the desert training area with Fort Irwin where we were stationed. The experimental Delta wing Bomber the EXB-70 crashed near Fort Irwin...So it was cool for me to see all the planes I've heard of and so many that I've seen like these first swept wing bombers the B-47 that were stationed at Eielson AFB when us kids would go there to swim.

As we walked and I described all the planes to MPeasy A-10 tank busters and B-1 bombers flew over  from the museums neighbor, Davis Monthan AFB. The entire area is aviation. This Korean War era Mig-17 was one of my favorites. It battled our new swept wing fighter the F-83 Sabres and I have to say the Sabre looked to be a way more refined aircraft...in fact all the Russian Aircraft looked to be  kind of primitive compared  to their American counterparts and many were obvious copies. Here's the Mig and me in front of  a vertical takeoff British Harrier that won the War of the Falklands for the country that brought us the Beatles. 

As we were dropping some lettuce in the gift shop I noticed this on the wall and asked the cashier if she knew what it was called and she didn't. Well it's an Alaska thing I guess as it's the Marston Mat that they say helped win the war in the Aleutians , almost instant runway and...works darn nice for launching boats on the Kenai River.

Right down the road is what they call ' The Bone Yard ' .... It's actually where hundreds, no thousands of decommissioned airplanes rest in the dry and metal friendly desert. Some of these planes are relics but a huge portion of them have been put away with care and are maintained if ever needed again, the work of the 309th Aerospace + Regeneration Group. Very impressive the military might of our country. We saw hundreds of Hercules type cargo aircraft lined up I'd bet dollars to donuts from what I know of the U.S. military our guys could have them in the air in days. I told MP the worlds bullies like Kim Jong-Un ought to get a free tour.

So life is kinda normal. We're in Hammy and enjoying being in our new home. We walked along the river this morning and although it ain't the world famous it's just right for us right now, right here. Ain't MP cute walking in the snow squall ? I'll be batching it come mid week for a while when she goes to Helena to help get her Mom settled into the new place...it's a big part of why we're here....it's love.

We came home to a beautifully remodeled bathroom. My new friend Steve Robinson made it new again and as he decided to set the vanity into the wall it's made the worlds smallest bathroom way roomier. We love it  Stevie....mucho gracias.... I hope ya all come back to Mile 14.😎

What I've learned in Arizona

 which is a lot. So how about one of those lists with a few things I've learned, just in case you're thinking of a trip to AZ for a slower and healthier life.

1,  The desert is damn dangerous, mucho peligraso. There's sharp stuff everywhere. On our very first hike in the desert my ankle just kinda brushed a short kind of hairy looking thing and 6 weeks later my skin is still uncomfortably irritated. The cure...duct tape. Yup, you stick it on hard after you've already tolerated removing your hair with it and walla, out comes the invisible little spikes .

2.  The roads are damn dangerous ! mmmmm,,,,how to say it....well, most people my age have dealt with family or friends who have gotten to that point in their lives where they shouldn't be driving, it's a tuff deal but it's scary true. Most towns have some of these folks cruising around from time to time but Grass Valley AZ with a medium age of 74 has thousands of them. I've seen the oblivious run right through stop lights and I'm not talking about trying to 'beat' the stop  light, I'm talking full blown dodge the dummy at the light...

3. It's a slower life because the guy in front of you at the store takes 10 minutes to write a check and then 10 more minutes to balance his check book and ask for  double bags.

4. The way to catch fish is to know where and when the stocking is done.

5. If you want to make money either open a pet store or buy an ambulance.

6. It's pretty here and amazingly affordable.

7. It's like Mexico light...We've been living off a real Mexican Tienda where I get my Menudo on Sunday and fresh tamales, pico de gallo and wonderful and I mean wonderful Chili Relenos. We even got Mexican shrimp the other day just like the ones we subsist on in Maz. 

8. Road Runner birds aren't rare.

9. Rude people are everywhere.....for instance

Every morning since we've been here at 8:00 a.m. people wave flags and yell on a corner just a block away and in the middle of a huge retirement complex. I don't care what the issue is or who you are it's damn rude. I grew up with a Colonel for a father that taught us that your rights end where the other guys nose begins. So this nicely crafted note was put up where they could see it...and ignored. The worst part is that after so long we've heard people to tell them to go home and then blocks away you can hear the F- Bomb and insults that follow. 

Like I say, you can claim acid rock sounds better than I do singing Country music...I don't care...but jeez, be civil and do it without embarrassing my wife...OK ? Kapeesh ?... So one morning this guy was finally out there on an opposing corner and I told him I was proud of him for standing up...he said they were scaring his dog so he had to do something. Yikes.  Did I mention the part where they were loud and vulgar on Christmas and New Years morning as well as every Sunday ?  I'm with you buddy , ENOUGH alright already.

We went to Nogales to investigate crossing the border to buy cheap Omeprazole that me , MP and Sam all take. It's a ghost town, all closed up. You can see that under normal circumstances there is a vibrant economy and a shopping vibrancy that we love...but....covid.  So if you're reading this Phil and Diane we'd really appreciate a little air drop from Mazatlan in a month or so.

Me and Bob went fishing to Parker Canyon Lake right on the border. You don't here me bragging. Of course I have an excuse with all the wrong fishing gear. But it's a gorgeous spot and very popular, so popular in fact they have high security.

I came with bass gear and of course they were fishing for trout as the water is to cold right now for bass. We hiked and enjoyed the outdoors...does Bob look like he's throwing a shot put ?

But you know me, I found the highliners and introduced myself. One guy was exactly like a lot of my competitors, had everything perfectly organized and plenty of it...Thanks for the tip Matt, next time I'll have the small wire hooks and 10 different colored Power Baits...or I might just wait till it warms up for bass as they're my favorite lower 48 fish so far...maybe because it's all I've caught . But, I will continue with dignity.

Quietude

 Welcome to my first blog entry of the year 2021....First thing I wanted to do is post this link to my friend Keith's Blog, he posted a pic of Mile 14 that all my Kenai friends will want to see. He also said some nice words about us and how life moves along....thanks  Keith.

https://www.beavercreekcabins.com/uncategorized/change/

Quietude....Now I was so impressed when MP used that word when she was basically telling me to shut up for the 14,237th time. We were watching birds with her new binoculars when she used it to tell me what people expect when watching birds. The mystery was that I'd never heard he use that word and even though she's a Mensa smart woman I figured she made it up....well, nope. I looked it up and sure enough she surprised me again with her vocabulary and right here in writing the southern bureau of Mile 14 apologizes of accusing her of  getting word lucky. Sorry baby😎

But if it's quietude you want, watching Sandhill Cranes at the Whitewater Preserve is no place to go...I guess somebody forgot to tell the birds because 30,000 of them in  one place is a sensory experience.

The G-man who was watching over the place told me it was the most ever in the 20 years he had worked there. I told him it was nice to see the planet is doing something right.

So MP has new bino's for watching and I decide to get my old super zoom Minolta camera out and only got one good bird pic on the whole trip with Bob and Dana...I guess my old camera does better with dead fish being held by people in a black boat.

As we went from spot to spot looking for different flyers we came across Arizona's oldest tree...So here a pic of Arizona's oldest tree and Arizona's second oldest Kenai guide ( hehehe, Chick is here )

If you're in this neck of the woods you can't drive by Tombstone or Bisbee without stopping. Tombstone is...well...just a tourist trap and rather uninteresting if you're a person who reads. But I did get to talk with Ike Clanton and sure enough he's got people on the Kenai and is going there to fish next summer. I told him he'd fit right in.

Bisbee is a really cool little town. It's full of old mining footprint and in a non-covid world it would have been fun to wander the streets that are full of history and local art , you know the kind of town you'd spend time in eh ? so as I searched for the coolest pic I settled on this.

For some reason we were having CNN news syndrome and had to get the hell away from the TV...I was starting to think that maybe it was me going crazy instead of the country. SO, as we drove aimlessly across the desert we decided to go to Mt. Lemon only about 40 miles away. MY goodness ! it is gorgeous and even at Glacier and Denali Parks I don't think I've ever driven to 8,000 ft.  These pics were just when we started up from the desert floor and took in the view of Tuscon.

And then it happened , again . A couple ladies who were sisters about  our age noticed the Montana plates and told us they were from Helena Montana and had graduated in 69  and 72. MP told them she was a 73 grad and I was 71. Then one of the gals said their other sister was a 71 grad and had been married to a guy named Terry Murphy....mmmm.....one of my best friends and I replied "you're Linda's sisters"  and MP said this is Jeff King and they looked real good and laughed " we know you, you're the one that went to Alaska"!!! Here's my old/new friends Dee and Diane Meyer. 

What a wonderful example of life's convergences you meet with an open heart. Diane and Dee are retired snow birding and enjoying RV life in Tuscon. We talked about life's changes and the early days in Helena as we all started to head for adulthood and of course we talked about Linda and Terry ( Buck ) Murphy who we lost at way to young an age...so we're doing it with your spirit Terry, one of the most naturally talented people I've ever known. Dee said he had a certain confidence that made everybody feel safe, warm and welcomed. Thanks for finding us Dee and Diane, it's just what I needed, as I told you I've been feeling a bit anonymous lately...even lonely...I shouldn't moon, I suppose with all things going on a good part of the world feels ....ah....lonely. Love you guys and we hope our trails meet again. 

So after seeing Dee and Diane we spotted something on our next stop. MP said it was the strangest looking Birch bark she had ever seen so I looked closer...It was a message tree and fit exactly how I was feeling at that moment...You see what I see ?

At the top of the mountains is the town of Summer Haven, so I guess it gets a bit hot around these parts. My pics don't do it justice but the views down are awesome.

The rock formations are so unusual. They are called Hoo Doo's and they look like they could fall anytime. You drive under around and even through hundreds of them. If you come to Arizona you MUST go to Mt Lemon. With the exception of maybe the Grand Canyon it's the most beautiful scenery I've been around....but then again in Jeff's world the best is always the one you're doing now 😉