ARKOUDI IN THE MTNS

OK - I apologize to anyone who may be tired of reading my blogs about hiking, fishing, and backpacking. Scroll down a little and you get to Melanie's blogs about birthdays, etc. And hey, at least I'm not showing off pictures of me dressed in hunter orange or camo kneeling down next to a "trophy" buck or bull, holding up the head showing off its rack. I'm just showing off pictures of some amazingly beautiful locations that we have been to this summer.

About two weeks ago I had the chance to take Sam and Noah and my good friend Brett Harrison (who traveled all the way from Las Vegas) back to Heart Lake.

This is a view of our camp from the other side of the lake. And yes that orangish tent is the one that almost cost me my eternal happiness - well worth the two days of the silent treatment.

Noah and Sam fishing. They were as determined to catch a fish as any two first time fishermen.

One of the nice cutthroats that Brett caught.


Bad picture but a beautiful fish.

Sam's turn.

But what was the highlight of the trip happened just before dark on our last night there. As I mentioned, Noah fished religiously for two days with no luck. Everytime someone else caught a fish he would run over to see and then walking away he would say "OK, now it's my turn to catch a fish." Well after I caught the one in the picture above I saw Noah a ways down the lake out about knee deep in water casting and reeling in. I then had an impression to go and fish with him so I made the short walk to where he was. I saw that he wasn't able to cast very far so I offered to cast for him and he could reel it in. So we spent the next 30 minutes with me casting and then quickly handing it to Noah to reel in. We watched about 4 or 5 fish follow the spinner in to shore but wouldn't take it. Finally, as it is starting to get dark, Noah says to me "Dad, can I cast now?" So I hand him the pole and he starts to cast and reel again. On the third cast he starts reeling it in and then stops. I asked him if he was snagged and he says "No, I have something." Well his small little reel doesnt' have the right drag for the fish he's caught so the fish starts taking out line and he can't reel it in. So I grab the line and both of us start to pull in the fish. About the time we get the fish to shore I'm yelling for Sam to bring the camera. Noah and I pull the fish out of the water and all Noah can do is smile and ask if he can hold the fish. Meanwhile Sam is running to take a picture but about halfway to us the fish flips, spits the hook and lands in the water. So, sorry, no picture. But it didn't matter to Noah - he was just happy to have finally caught his first fish - a very nice and very big 20" cutthroat trout.

The end of the trip with Noah showing how big the fish was (only slightly exaggerated).



Our next day trip happened on Labor Day just below Gibson Reservoir - this time with the whole family. There wasn't much to the short hike but kids always love to get their backpacks, camelbacks, and pocketknives out.

But the highlight of this trip was the two Bighorn Sheep that I saw while everyone else was off picking chokecherries. Emma and I were sitting on some rocks next to the river when I hear a huge crash. I looked up and saw this ram swimming in the fast moving river. He came out and I took this picture of him at about 20 yards. I then looked across the river and saw the second one do the same thing - jump into the river and swim across. When Melanie and the kids came back they were pretty disappointed that they didn't get to see the sheep. Fortunately, when we were walking back to the trailhead we came up on three rams at a salt lick in a meadow so everyone got to see something new.

If any of you come to visit please, please, please make us take you up to Gibson Reservoir along the Sun River. By far it has been the most beautiful place I have been to in Montana.

RJA