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Fruits and mercy
“For centuries, highways had been deceiving us. We were like that queen who determined to move among her subjects so that she might learn for herself whether or not they rejoiced in her reign. Her courtiers took advantage of her innocence to garland the road she traveled and set dancers in her path. Led forward…
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The National Bison Range
If you happen to be in Montana, driving between Kalispell and Missoula or vice versa, I recommend you take a few hours and swing by the National Bison Range. Encompassing a low range of grassy mountains at the south end of the Mission Valley, the bison range is a beautiful place. It has been managed…
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Bring bison back
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is currently soliciting public comments on Bison conservation and management, in what is the latest step in a protracted yet inexorable step towards reintroducing Bison into more parts of the Montana landscape. The debate promises to be a fierce one, for reasons I’ll summarize below, and the cultural stakes are…
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The 2015 Bob Marshall Wilderness Open report
Photo by Sam Haraldson. The 2015 Open, from the Owl Creek TH at Holland Lake to the Swift Reservoir TH, set a record for attendance with 16 starters. Under sunny and warm skies on Saturday morning the various hikers fanned out into five different drainages above Upper Holland Lake, taking diverse routes down to the…
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Thoughts for new hunters
This post is partly for Phillip, partly for other readers like him who are in the contemplation stage of hunting, and partly for my own reference as there will be some point in the near future when I’ll start to forget all the things I used to not know. Beginners mind is a perishable thing,…
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Bob Open gear talk
For the most part, the gear I used to cross the Bob this year worked well. This is the sixth trip in as many years I’ve done through similar terrain around this time of year, so if I haven’t yet found a good system yet I’m just not paying attention. The same basic complement of…
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My 2015 Bob Open
Preparation comes before success, and a few weeks before the Bob Open I knew that I wouldn’t have the legs to really push things. I’ve had other priorities this spring, and like everywhere else there are no honest shortcuts in the wilderness. Last year complications put me behind schedule and strongly suggested an early exit,…
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Packing for the 2015 Bob Open
The weather forecast is good, even a little excessively warm. The rivers aren’t high. The snow will be minimal. Attendance at the start promises to be the highest ever, possibly by a lot. The Bob Open should be a good time. I’m taking a more relaxed approach this year, with a bit of extra time…
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My rifle, the Kimber Montana
Back on my first real elk hunt in Montana Dick and I got to talking about a lighter rifle for the backcountry. Many ideas were thrown around, but after some consideration it was decided that a new Kimber Montana in .308 would be the best, most versatile option. Shortly after he headed back to Ohio…
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Dean Potter
It is probable that you know about Dean Potter’s death this past weekend; flying into a cliff while wingsuit flying in Yosemite. Like most attentive climbers in the 90s, I first heard the name Dean Potter in a tiny Wild Things ad in either Climbing or Rock and Ice, showing the above photo (or one…
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Bedrock & Paradox 
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