Craig T. Olson: Exploring Your Mountains & Molehills

I'm 56 today. I'm driving a FX56 Infinity and I was born in '56. Dear God: does this have any significance.

I sit in a little hole in the wall espresso shop in Gardiner MT. I'm chattin with guy who's lived here for 30 years. He doesn't give a name, he works in mental health, he' private, but he would share that he's from St. Paul. Something about this part of the country where everyones friendly but private is "private".

After such a remarkable times out hear the last few years, I never know what to expect, who i'll meet. Who do I get to "try" to be Jesus to. Well it's been pretty quiet this year so far. With the exception of a few hello's and how are ya's, everyones been pretty "private". Even the buffalo aren't talkin to me this year. A herd of them were in my way this morning as the sun was rising and I was leavin Slough Creek for Paradise Valley and Armstrong's Ranch and Spring Creek. Leaving a cloud of morning dust, i came over a hill to be greeted by a bunch a bison 20 or 30 in the road on their way to the river. Brakes.... thank you very much, and I'm again reminded why the speed limit in Yellowstone is 35... They ain't roads, they's critter crossings.

Traffic's slow with Wolf pack and Bear sightings now. Dozens of nature folk lined up in Birkenstocks (or whatever the new version is) with spotting scopes the size of the NFL camera men. At dawn and dusk by the dozens lined up on the roadsides randomly seeing who can spot one first in an area they've been told to look.. Kinda like Area 51 folks to me... without the tinfoil hats.

And the bison, well at 30mph driving on winding dirt roads, this was as good a "out the passenger window drive by" shot as I could get this morning.

Squirrel..
I love buffalo, love to eat them too. Wouldn't mind a pair of boots and a belt as well. Hmmm. next year..

So I must say for the 1,000th time, there is something Godly Magical about this part of the country. My oldest fishing partner and I discuss this all the time.. What is it? Something about feeling like you're in cowboyville or wilderness.. It aint Texas or the Boundary Waters wilderness, so that isn't it.

Yesterday after the rain up in Slough Creek, the smell of sage and rosemary was so overpowering that I told God someone was cooking up my Oyster Stew recipe near by. In the Midwest we love the smell of fresh cut grass or in the farms cut hay, but out here.. a bit of rain and it smells like a kitchen.. and that aint all bad friends, cause you know I love the kitchen.

I love my little REI tent there sitting in Slough. I do however realize now at 56 that getting on my knees to climb in and out of it is not as easy as it was at 26.

But at night with the rain cover off and high 30s for a temp that ole sleeping bag feels really nice, and the 360 view out of a mesh tent is beyond epic. I think it's the one thing I dream about all year besides trout. Staring at the sky at 4AM and seeing something unlike anything I've ever seen before never, never gets old. Getting up at 4AM to wizz does.. It's ok to laugh here my friends.

Today was fishing Armstrong creek. A world class private stretch of water in paradise valley MT.
Now, for most the businesses of the world you get a street address. Armstrong's... nope. If you want us, you'll find us. just turn at the International Harvester.

If you can't remember that, you've not smart enough to fish our waters. And besides, we don't want your money just to trash our property. Kinda nice that this ole working ranch has kept it's charm and character. 1/2 a dozen dogs around. Peacocks, horses and critter and snakes everywhere. I turned this morning to stare a deer in the eye who was taking a drink next to me in the stream. Then there was one of the owners dogs "a beagle" who decided I was his friend today. At one point he came out of the woods and crept up mid stream behind me only to walk right through my excess fly line while I'm casting and catch his legs in it and snap off my leader. I'm still wondering if he knew what he was doing, cause i wouldn't give him any of my breakfast hours earlier from my cook stove on the back of my truck. Either way, like the bears, he lives there and I'm the guest.

Hey, what do you dream about. What do you do that helps take away all the stress in your life albeit for a moment? Well if you don't know, go explore and find out. If you do, don't let life rob you of experiencing it as often as possible.

I come back to Slough as often as possible so I can see just a couple views. This photo is a bend in the river half way through the first meadow. Big trout live in this pool. I usually get one or two, release them and move on. but the view is breathtaking and you don't know at any moment if you'll encounter large wildlife.. (I'll leave it at that). There is a large rock formation to the right of this photo and a few years ago at dust as i was leaving to get out of there before dark, I swore there was a large black bear there watching me. Yup pepper spray was in my hand and I was singing and ringing my bell as i hightailed it out of there. Fear is an intoxicating thing. You hate it, but you love the adrenaline. Like horror movies, I don't like em but I do understand the fear rush some folks get in them.

So it's the end of day two, the Sun's going down in Gardiner, and I have quite a drive to get back to my little tent in the sky.

Gotta get a spoon (forgot one) and look for fire wood on the way home so I can have "dinner by fire" before the evening light show begins after midnight. I'll be back into a small town espresso or (expresso for midwesterners) shop.

So what do have for dinner. Pasta Primavera again, Curry Lentil Soup, Yakisoba, Chardonnay, Zin, Sharp Smoked Cheddar and Grapes, dark chocolate and french press.. Hmmm. two out a three aint bad. Hey did you all really think I was going into the wilderness to each pine cones and trout. Well, God Bless Freeze Dried Foods and a 16oz propane cook stove.

Tonight I sleep in. Tomorrow I spend some quiet time listening and not talking.

Life is full of surprises. The choices we make choose the rides we will ride each day.

For all the good choices we make, we pray to keep pride from killing us.

For all the bad choices we make, we pray for the ability to survive them and win next time.

And then there is reality. Guess what... you'll most likely keep making bad choices more than good ones. And at the end of the day, the cross is there. A reminder that no matter where you find yourself, Mountains or Valleys, He is there... waiting to hear from you and to whisper in your ear.. I love as much today as yesterday.