Wednesday, August 28. 8:00 a.m. Middle Fork Little Sheep Creek trailhead, S. of Dillon

Winter comes early in Montana. In fact, cold weather never seems far away. This morning Paul pointed out new snow on the mountain peaks north of camp. The tops of the pine trees surrounding our camp had “rime ice,” similar to hoarfrost, according to Charlie. Hoarfrost can be delicate, though, and there seems to be nothing delicate about Montana weather. “Rimed ice” is more serious stuff, wind-driven and hard. Mornings have been at least chilly since we began, now nearly a month ago, and some have been downright cold. Today is one of those cold starts.
A heavy dew covers everything, including, of course, my tent. As today is my turn to join the trekkers, I’m hoping the sun will dry the tent before I have to pack it away. Today is to be a 16-mile outfitted horse trip, so I have changed from the relatively warm-weather nylon pants and cotton shirt to jeans, polypropylene shirt, fleece jacket, vest, and insulated raincoat. I’m wearing a stocking cap and fleece gloves, sitting inside the RV, and I’m still cold. My internal clock/thermometer tells me that the people back home in southern Illinois are still using air conditioning, enjoying the pool, and slipping on shorts and t-shirts to greet the new day. Dave warns us that we can expect decreasing temperatures, particularly in the high country we frequent.
But if the clouds move on, the sun will quickly warm the Montana earth and its inhabitants, so we will peel off layers of clothing to achieve a comfort level. Adapting to the weather is a challenge. I think I’d like to experience all the Montana seasons—maybe only once—to more fully appreciate the place. Just as I’ve made some adjustments in the way I think about the Montana people, public lands, the Forest Service, etc., I believe experiencing the full impact of the weather would contribute to further understanding the character of Montana.
Yesterday I visited Bannack, which boomed into being in 1862 with a gold rush, became Montana’s first territorial capitol, then petered out as the gold became harder and more expensive to mine. Now it is a ghost town turned into a museum by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Numerous buildings have been preserved, including the school, hotel, Methodist church, and a number of stores and houses.