Tuesday, August 21, 2012

RoadTrip: Heading for Glacier NP

Heading for Glacier NP
1PM 8/21/2012
all,
Heading for Glacier NP ...in sandy's car. My car left at Sandy's friend Bob at Iron Creek rd in Stanley Idaho. Hope to update details soon.
Gary

4PM 8/21/2012
all,
...so actually, sudden change in plans, looks like Sandy and I will be going separately on our own steam... and schedule/itinerary.  will update as soon as I'm re-sorted...
Gary

noon 8/22/2012
Hey Gar,
 I'm heading up to Glacier now (Wed). My friends in Garden Valley aren't going to be available until next week. Let me give you their # in case you want to call them late next week to see if I arrived: David and Lois  (208)...
Maybe see ya in Glacier.
Sandy

9AM 8/23/2012
Hi Sandy,
I'm also headed to Glacier. I'm in Salmon now, will follow 93 thru Missoula, etc.
Gary

Saturday, August 18, 2012

RoadTrip: enjoying... fires in the Sawtooth Mts of Idaho

1PM 8/18/2012
I guess it's been a while since I've updated you-all.

Taking a day-off today after a nice hike yesterday on the Iron Creek trail to Sawtooth Lake just west of Stanley, ID.  Real spectacular scenery in the Sawtooth Mts. Every bit as spectacular as the Tetons in my opinion, though some of my photo's are back-dropped by smoke from fires all around. Inversions kept the smoke at lower elevations so we did enjoy healthier air and sun, though we started and ended the hike in smoke.

 There's a big fire-fighting camp here in town, a fire very near to the northeast and another a dozen or so miles west of here. I drove here from Montana two days ago, along & down the North-Fork Salmon then up the Salmon past the South-fork, encountering smoke so thick the sun was a dark-orange cinder - the thickest smoke I've ever experienced (though unfortunately the sun was still too bright relative to the rest of the scene for my camera to properly capture - I'll have to manually "fix" the color...)

Staying for the next few days at the house Sandy's former landlord in Michigan is building here. We may do another overnight cross-country scramble up a nearby Mt this weekend.  Then Sandy & I plan to head west passing by Hells Canyon at the border with Oregon before heading northeast to Glacier.  We may do that in her car, returning here before she heads west and I east.
Gary

Thursday, August 16, 2012

RoadTrip: CNPS: web site fix, trip update

WE had a meeting last night about the web-site and about recruiting new Board members.  The web-site is going very slowly, but I am using it in the newer advertising for the plant sale.  However, the old site is in a lot of advertising so I appreciate your help with the up-date.  I saw that the date had been changed.  Thank you.  Also thanks for the up-date on your travels.  Sounds like you are really enjoying yourself.  I will let others know about your exciting travels.  The picnic is Sunday at Pat Sesser's house.  We will miss you.
Liz P
On Aug 16, 2012, at 2:58 PM, Gary Hundt wrote:
Hi Liz,
Just to let you know I just got this msg and will make the plant sale date updates now while I have web access.  
Since you're probably curious and I haven't been updating Facebook with this as I "should":

I'm in the library in Salmon, Id. Very smoky from fires today, as it has been off&on wherever I happen to be in Wyoming, Montana, & Idaho over the last few weeks. After leaving the group of CNPSers at the Ruby Mts, I headed north from Elko, exploring the Jarbage Mts for a few days then passing thru Twin Falls, ID, stopping in Craters of the Moon NP abt 2 days en route to the Tetons where I met Sandy and her friend Peter. We wnadered around there a few days getting in some good hikes and wildlife photo-ops before moving on to Yellowstone where we spent about a week doing most of the standard attractions - felt like Disneyland must feel to a kid!  I think I took more video clips than still photos there!  Peter then headed home while Sandy & I were planning on caravanning to Bozeman, MT  to take care of some car-maint errands, then head to Stanley, ID where Sandy had some friends. But we got separated in Bozeman, with her cell phone not working in this area. I assume she's already there, and I'm just taking my time getting there, thinking she might eventually get some email access or something....   Anyway, after that I'm planning to go to Glacier NP and the Canadian side as well - with or without her... then she's headed west into Washington/Oregon while I plan to head south to Colorado, probably doing a 2nd take of Yellowstone & the Tetons on my way there. By end of Sept I should be heading generally east by way of the Great Lakes - poking around my old neighborhood in Cleveland where I grew up, before arriving at my Sister's in Connecticut mid-October. So is the plan... 

But now back to work.  If you see this within the next hour or so you can probably squeeze in a few specific plant-list updates - and I'm "sure" I'll have more opportunities to do updates before the plant sale.

Curious how the new web site design process is going.

Gary   

On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 11:14 AM, [Liz] <...> wrote:
If you get this message before the plant sale, I would appreciate it if you would up date the plant sale information in the old web site.
The date is now October 13, 2012 and  and there is a list of plants that is headed with the date 2011, could you change that to 2012.  If you know of any other places that the date of the plant sale occurs, could you change that too.  A lot of our information has that old web-site, so I would like to get the information correct, but you are the only one who can change it apparently.  On the flyer for the sale I will put up the new one web-address.

noon 8/18/2012
Liz,
Hopefully not quite as slow-going as the last few years ....  (The layout looks good - maybe an additional page under conservation discussing invasives?) If you do have a poster you could send me I can probably post it within the next few days.

For some reason I've missed the last few picnics anyway...  Wish I could be in more places at once.  

Maybe I can get some picts up today that you-all can look at.  Saw an interesting Calocortus yesterday on a nice hike to Sawtooth lake - real spectacular scenery though some of the photo's are backdroped by smoke from fires all around. Inversions kept the smoke at lower elevations so we did enjoy healthier air and sun at higher elevations, though we started and ended the hike in smoke.

I'm still in Stanley, will be for the next few days.  There's a big firefighing camp here in town, a fire very near to the northeast and another a dozen or so miles west of here.  Sandy I I plan to head west passing by Hells Canyon at the border with Oregon before heading northeast to Glacier.
Gary 

Monday, August 13, 2012

RoadTrip: chasing Sandy somewhere between Bozeman and Stanley

[After Peter had to head back to Moss Beach, Sandy & I planned to head to ID to visit her friend in Stanley, but first, she needed to check out a mechanical issue with her car in Bozeman, while I wanted to linger longer in Yellowstone, before catching up with her at a Co-Op in Bozeman that she said she would be at.]

3PM 8/13/2012
Hi Sandy,
Just in case we don't find each other before you see this...
I looked for you at & around the two coops on Main St...

So I got my check-engine code read (some kind of emission/efficiency issue that I'll just ignore for now) and an oil change etc, had lunch at Subways, went back to the library where I'm at now, in the lobby, and may stay til it closes at 8pm.   I'll try to identify some reasonable campsites in the area but won't "book" anything yet.

If we don't find each other ...  I'll probably head a little way toward Stanley along the route you described, and maybe I'll call whatshisname and lv msg or see whats up...  
Gary

6PM 8/13/2012
so it's a bit after 6pm and I'm getting a bit anxious about finding a campsite, so I think I will head west on hwy 84 then south on 287 and if I haven't found a reasonably inexpensive campsite by the time I get to Ennis I'll try heading east on backroads out of Ennis into the National Forest there.
Gary

6PM 8/14/2012
Hi Sandy,
 It occurred to me that you may have left a msg somehwhere at the Coop, so after camping on the Madison River about half-way to Norris last night I decided to do a small "loop" hitting some of the State Parks in the area, including Lewis & Clark Caves, Missouri Headwaters, and Buffalo Jump, before heading back to Bozeman to check at the Coop for any msgs - didn't see any on the outside bulletin board and asked a clerk who knew of no other msgs left there, so stopped at the Rocky Mt Museum - browsed the bookstore, checked out the Montana State U campus a bit, and now checked for msgs at the city library and checked my email & phone for msgs - one mysterious attempted call two hrs ago, tried to return that call - no answer.

So I'm going to go back to the place I camped at last night along the river.  Expect it to be raining tomorrow and may just lay low a while before heading slowly towards Stanley.
Hope to talk to you soon...
Gary

to me,
Mt 287 n for 43 mi. LT my 41 s for 27 mi.   Rt i15 bus n. I15 s for 20 mi. Xit44 Clark cyn reservoir.  Rt mt324 for 34 mi gravel. Ctu id29s rr cyn rd 13mi. Gravel. Rt id28n 45mi paved. LT us93s 60mi. Rt id75s 55mi. Rt hwy21 Eva falls Ave. In Stanley.
Gary

1PM 8/15/2012 [from Ennis]
Hi Sandy,
Got your phone msg from Bob's in Stanley.  Tried calling that # but someone answered who didn't seem to know you or why I would be calling.  Will also try calling your cell phone before I leave Ennis in a few minutes.
Looking at google directions I will take a shot at the route involving a few tens of miles of gravel roads. Expect it to take me all day, so should arrive around 8 or 9pm this evening, or else I'll have overnighted somewhere along the way.  See you soon.
Gary

4PM 8/16/2012
Hi Sandy,
I'm still on my way to Stanley, will probably try calling you and/or Bob later this afternoon when I get done here with some cnps website update chores, and hopefully a few email updates to family etc.
hope to see you soon - still plan to arrive early this evening...
Gary

5PM 8/16/2012
Hi Sandy,
OK, I'm done here at the Salmon Library and will head down to Stanley.  Will ask about closures first... sure is smokey here...
OK, from www.155.idaho.gov I see that hwy 75 between us 93&Stanley has reduced visibility due to smoke.
Not sure I will get there before the library in Stanley closes. Um... looks like it already closed. so you'll probably not get this msg til too late.
oh well, will try calling...
Gary

5PM 8/16/20112
I left you a written message at the desk at the Bozeman co-op (the  larger one outside of downtown) and waited there until 4:30pm
I'm in Stanley now.
Sandy

5PM 8/16/2012
I found a nice free place in Virginia City, MT to camp the night by a creek. But you are in Salmon now.
Sandy

Monday, August 6, 2012

RoadTrip: billing for Ruby Mts CG fee. Update from Coulter Bay, WY

7PM 8/2/2012
So are you all OK with Peter's idea just to dun everyone for $32? If not, speak now or forever hold your peace pipe.
ML

1PM 8/6/2012
OK by me - Thanks for all the footwork to make this great outing happen!
I've made out a check but need to find an envelope and a post office...

I'm Currently in Coulter Bay in the Tetons doing my laundry - heading to Yellowstone after a hike-filled several days in the Tetons with Sandy & friend.  Need to find campsite asap between here & YP while they're still available.
Gary

3PM 8/6/2012
When you get a chance, tell me about the Tetons experience. I didn't get a chance to talk to you about your PCT time either.
ML

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

RoadTrip: update after Craters of the Moon. Where was Becca's Sage Grouse project?

noon 8/1/2012
Hi Rebecca and all,
First an update. I spent yesterday and surrounding nights at the Craters of the Moon NM in Idaho. [After Leaving the Ruby Mts, I spent a few wonderful days in the Jarbidge Mts north of Ely NV on my way into ID, stopping briefly in Twin Falls before continuing northeast to Craters of the Moon.]

Currently I'm in a little library in Arco, ID, expect to spend this afternoon & maybe tomorrow along the Snake River upstream of Idaho Falls before moving on into the Tetons where I'll meet up with Sandy & Peter initially at the Gros Ventre CG south of Jackson.   I'll be tagging around with them through Yellowstone then back into Idaho before heading off on my own again when they decide to head west into Oregon.

My tentative plans beyond that are to hit Glacier NP, and maybe a bit further north into Canada, then back south into Colorado.  Generally exploring the northern Rockies is the idea, though anything interesting in the area, I'll try to fit in.  Been reading a lot about the geology of the north west.

Rebecca, curious, where was it you were working on that Sage Grouse project?
Gary

9PM 8/1/2012
Central Wyoming. Near Lander.
Rebecca

RoadTrip: trying to accommodate me this Oct-on in Ct

6AM 8/1/2012
Hi Gary,
Hope you are enjoying whatever mountains you are hiking in and time with people you are with. And that the weather is good. It seems the horrible hot weather is still stuck in the middle of the country.

I'm really looking forward to your visit in Oct.
I still need to figure out your space for when you are staying with us. The boys will be coming back from college occasionally and so will not want to give up their rooms. We have no extra bedrooms, so I'm trying to figure out what will work out best for you, either the basement, which is not so nice, or the sunroom, which is not private because my studio overlooks it. Mark spends a lot of time working in the basement so that is not very private either. Or, you can use one of the boys' bedrooms while they are gone, then move into another space when they are here, but that's disruptive to you.
Ann and Bill have a small apartment and no extra space at all. They may even have moved by then if Bill finds a job further south, to be closer to Gretchen's college in Wilmington, SC. Ann ... with her painting business ... I have been hiring to do stuff here at our house.
The airplane should be completely out of the basement and into a hangar very soon, next few weeks, certainly by Oct, so I hope to start reorganizing and cleaning things down there.
I'm really hoping you will be willing to help me with some projects around the house and yard (as long as the weather holds and there is no early snow) while you are here. There are so many things I would love to do that require more physical strength and energy than what I have these days, but Mark and the boys are always too busy with their own projects to help me.
Also I look forward to some day trips and hikes with you.
I generally have all my art stuff (classes, portrait and figure drawing sessions, art support group) going on Mondays and Tuesdays and some Wednesdays, so that gives you time when nobody will be home.
I will try to help you organize your pictures, as you asked, but I may get so confused when faced with too many choices!

So please let me know what you think of these arrangements.
Time flies...see you soon!
Liz

11AM 8/1/2012
Hi Liz,
Thanks for trying to accommodate me...  I think i can be very flexible as far as where I stay - I could even sleep in my car - or even in a tent - I've brought three sleeping bags along (a "summer bag" that I'm using now, a very warm down bag I haven't had a chance to use yet, and another heavy bag I've been using as a quilt back when I had a bed in a room.  Also, I think I'll look at room rentals just in case things begin feeling too crowded or for some reason I decide to stay longer than planned.

I'm currently at a little library in Arco, ID on my way from Craters of the Moon where I spent yesterday and the two surrounding nights, heading towards the Tetons meeting up with Sandy and her friend Peter in a few days, after possibly looking around the Snake River area SE of Idaho Falls this afternoon or tomorrow.

I'll have to remember to exercise my upper body a bit more for the next two months so I won't get too sore the first few times I do some real work around the house & yard. I can probably do some pretty strong kicking, but not boxing, at this point.
Gary

2PM 8/1/2012
Love Craters of the Moon! We saw it a few years ago on our Yellowstone, Teton, Wyoming trip.

I am looking forward to seeing you and your photos, I just did not expect you to stay for so long. Sleeping in your car or a tent in winter is too darn cold and simply not necessary.
Wish we had an extra bedroom. The house is roomy it's just that every space is being used. The sunroom is really the nicest space but a pass-through and  below my studio, so not very private. Maybe we can put up some curtains or privacy screens.
I want us all to be comfortable esp since it's for so long. We'll figure something out.

But if you do stay a while, I'll take advantage and put you to work! So get those arms strong, cause we'll be cutting trees, hauling rocks and building stone walls and patios, etc. Maybe I'll have you cooking too...gee what else can I have you do...I hate cleaning...I better start that list...hmmm
Have a great time with your friends. Watch out for bears in the Tetons and Yellowstone!
Liz