AUGUST 17 - SATURDAY

Last night slept out in the middle of a field in a grazing alottment - so had to select carefully where I placed my tent. We had been warned of possible high winds and very low temperatures. But, wanted so bad to sleep out in the open as many of the previous nights had been forest areas. Charlotte and Rob also slept in the field but without a tent so that they could see the stars. No wind but it was COLD. Both woke up with sheets of ice on their sleeping bags. Glad that I was a wooze and slept in my tent.

Kind of a fun and easy day - 12 miles by 4-wheel drive (in our Honda Pilots)followed by an 8 mile hike along the Continental Divide Trail. Since parts of the trail cross public land we had to bushwhack three times. The first one across one of the checkboard square corners so common in our Western States where every other section is private. Actually climbed over the corner post of the barbed wire boundary fence (all got over without one scratch)and jumped out and down to land between the corners of the private sections. The second detour was just up and over a grassy knoll, and the third a little more challenging with a climb and hike through lodgepole pines. For those not familiar with lodgepole pine think of thickets of very long Lincoln Logs or standing-on-end pickup sticks. Then imagine an equal number laying criss-cross all over the ground. Litterly a maze of logs.

Considering the general intelligence of our Team, our high-tech equipment, maps, and the land management guides we've had one would think that finding our way would be no big deal. Unfortunately it is! I think that what we're experiencing is a good example of the importance of maps, signs, education, and interpretive information. So much of our public land conflict is created by the public not knowing what is expected of them or of knowing where they can and cannot go. How can they be expected to know without the necessary tools? And, how can landmanagers provide these tools when funding continues to decrease?

Tonight we are on a hillside somewhere west of Helena, Montana. We have a huge three-quarter moon so bright that the stars are dim. Just at dark a heliocopter flew over not more than 300' above us. Hummm, maybe someone is wondering about all this email communication going out from this tiny little white trailer (six computers stuffed inside each with a Trek or Support Team member busily typing away) with its rooftop satelite disc and weird florescent blue light parked out on a barren hilltop. Getting a tad cold, it's 10:15, and we have another hike tomorrow so think that I will head out to the field and my sleeping bag. Charlotte and Rob have talked me into sleeping without a tent - actally they threatened to send me to the South Team if I didn't. From the Journey - dana