montanapalooza 2002

“Thanks Navi. I'm feeling a bit more confident w/ that knowledge.”

“I've been waiting to get one of those bike trailers and ride around w/ her. I think she'll feel pretty cool doing that. We go for walks pretty often, but it isn't like I'm carrying any weight on my back. I guess that is what I'm most worried about.”

“Chief- I called about a map and got a recorder. I left a message. we will see. I was thinkin that the map would be available at ones local outfitters and someone could send me one!
Newgirl-areobics,joggin,walkin with a pack on. Sprints. Altitude-dymox tabs.Ask yer doc. And Yes I am picky! Mohaaaaaaaaaa! Yo bear!”

“Thanks for the suggestions Jerbear. I was just giving you a bad time about being picky! Is it appropriate to use a daypack w/ alot of weight in it for now? I don't have an actual pack-pack until the trip, I'm borrowing one from SnowNymph.”

“Yes, use milk jugs with water or mags! Anything will be better than nothin. Backpackin a circut with a group, is like a chain. Only as strong as its weekest link. And we all become, most of us that is, that weak link at some time.We git each of us in we shall git each of us out! Fur sur! Relax and enjoy your preperation. Yo bear!”

“Thanks! Trying not to be noivous! I really want to get into backpacking more, but I admit that this trip is a bit scary for me. I am excited though and pumped to meet everyone and learn some stuff.”

“we all take care of each other-chill, UB fine!”

“K, okay!”

“Chewy -
the days will be low on mileage, and long on sunlight. You'll do fine.

Altitude sickness?
Do you live at or near 6000 ft.? If so, you should be okey-dokey. I mentioned AS waaaaaaay back in the thread. I would be okay with sticking with a splinter group of sick-o's. We could hang at lower elevations to acclimitize, and make a gradual ascent (to the pass?). Then, double back to the starting point. I would be most concerned with flatlanders that fly in, then hit the trail w/o any local acclimitizing...

If all else fails...
"hike high - sleep low"
If we make camp early enough, it would be a good idea to afternoon hike high, then return to camp.

I'm not immune to AS, but haven't had it bad. I copped a little irritability at 12k once, and sleep apnea (?) at about the same elev.”

“Once you get high, you will stay high.

7651' - Cooke City
8036' - Trailhead
8780' - Russell Lake
9900' - Fossil Lake
9190' - Twin Outlets Lake
7670' - Rainbow Lake
6208' - East Rosebud Lake

And I don't know what Red Lodge is.

OK, I called the local sporting goods store and they have the 7.5 minute quads (USGS), 2 maps (Cooke City and Apine) that cover the entire trip. They are $5.00 each. Let me know if you want me to go pick them up and drop in the mail. they don't have the map I have. It is both maps combined onto 1 - 15 minute map. 1 map on each side.”

“That ain't so bad.”

“Ain't bad at all. I liked the Wind Rivers best. Started out at 9400', then up to 11,800', then down to 10,400' for a few days, then back again.”

“I found a place in Red Lodge that does have the map I have (Alpine/Cooke City 15 minute quad) in stock. Price is $7.50 and they will ship it out to you. They didn't say how much it would cost.

Red Lodge Office Supply
(406) 446-3734

You will get a REAL person.”

“Hey Chief - Thanks for the map info. I don't suppose I really need to have one sent out, but I'll definitely want to get one when I arrive in Montana”

“Chief- you'll get a kick out of this: The guy who runs Rocky Mountain surveys (Ralph Saunders) is a retired surveyor here in Billings. He lives just down the street from me and was probably out walking his dog! He runs the business out of his home and that's his home phone number. He annotated and re-surveyed all those trails onto the USGS quads and put in the fisheries data with the species and stocking year on each lake as well. He's really a cool guy; he's always up in the Beartooths working on maps!”

“Maybe you can get a handful of freebies for these guys.

J/K”

“I'll check his garbage can tommorrow!”

“"this trip is a bit scary for me."

newgirl, isn't that why we all go backpacking?
Adventure awaits!!!!”

“Nothing to be worried about newgirl. I have only been on a few TT hikes, but I have to say that the groups that I have been with have been real cool and very patient. Everyone just wants to have a good time, so just relax and enjoy. You'll get hooked on it.”

“What are the dates again? If I fly in, what is the latest possible time to be safe?”

“Do you own a bike or know someone who would loan you theirs regularly? I was in the best shape I've ever been in for backpacking when I was bikin' it around town with 20-30lbs of college textbooks in my backpack. Just a suggestion. Different things work better for different people.”

“Gojo, I'm not quite that high, but I'm not a flatlander either. I spend about 1 wkend a month in a city at just below 6,000, so maybe I shouldn't worry. I don't know that much about it, so I thought I should ask.”

“I think you ticked jerbear off cuz he up and left.

Are you north, south, east or west of Billings?”

“So just how bad are the mosquitos going to be????”

“Chief, I'm at 3,226 and N. of Billings. I spend 1 wkend or more a month in Butte though, which is at 5,549. I also looked up Red Lodge, which is at 5,553.”

“Depends on the moisture. I'm guessing they won't be as bad as when I was there, but come prepared. As dry as the winter has been, we have a winter advisory for tonight. Calling for 6 to 12 inches of snow on the eastern side of the mountains.

WE NEED IT!”

“pepper,
my experience (one trip) was that the mosquitos could get pretty thick around dusk. Not always, but probably half of our campsites--particularly at the "lower" elevations (which still aren't all that low). The Montana skeeters would bite, but the welts did not itch and swell nearly as bad as the skeeters I'm used to in the deep south (Alabama; Louisiana).

We rarely had problems with them during days on the trail, but there were exceptions.

Nothing a head net and some deet won't fix.”

“no no I am here and thanks for the map info. u online”

“The more I read about this trip the more excited I get!!!!!

8)”

“Oh, good. I thought I pissed yaz' off. LOL!”

“Just spoke to Ralph. Told him to come hike with us. He sounded excited that we found hin as a map resource.Small world eh!”

“newgirl....
what jerbear said........you can count on it....
relax....we is ALL connected~~~~~~~~~

put newergirl in a baby backpack if you have one and go to your local high school stadium and do some "stadiums" couple of days a week......learning to breathe properly is also helpful.
also....what is this about a film festival? what day is that?is it like cowboy movies and stuff? :)”

“Om, I had one of those small front carrier packs, but she is too big for that now. The film festival is this wkend, but I don't know what kind of films. Have to ask Aero.”

“Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Most of all thanks for allowing me to express my doubts a little w/out nailing me for it.”

“Newgirl, get one of those baby carrier packs with a frame and walk with Newergirl on your back. That will help you get used to carrying weight, plus you can spend time with Newergirl too. You can work your way up to steeper stuff as you get stronger. If you can get to higher altitudes, carry her up there too.

A few years ago I walked during lunch with a 32 lb pack up and down the stairs at work to prepare for a 14er, which was my first trip of the year. Got a lot of strange looks.

You'll be fine out there!”

“Thanks everybody. I'll get a little workout going soon.”

“For me a good workout is being able to go backpacking every weekend!

And working very hard at work!

8)”

“i know this has been covered back in this thread, but forgive me for being too lazy to look....

will we be camping above treeline at any point?

I am going to try the GPV G4 this trip and would like to carry the hennessey hammock....
Chief..Aero...what say you about tree availability at the proposed campsites?
y'all have a beauty of a day
jaigurudevom~~~~~~~~”

“You should have trees everywhere. The only tough spot might be at Fossil Lake, assuming you stay there, but there are trees around. Just none really high enough to hang food.”

“thanks chief”

“You should do this to kick off your training. They have a2 mile and a 5 mile. It's mostly walkers and you could push newergirl in a stroller. They have a special section roped off at the start for strollers. They usually get 4,000 women downtown for it. And, best of all, I get to help pull race tags at the finish!!

Montana Women's Run”

“Me on the right, on the drainage divide between Mermaid and Fossil Lakes. Hope it works.

”

“

If it doesn't work this time I'm going to shoot myself.”

“Lookout, here they come!”

“THe truck is what I will be using to shuttle people. My pack is on the tailgate.

”

“Here is my shuttle vehicle for the Montanpalooza at the trailhead. My pack is on the tailgate.

”

“Here is my shuttle vehicle for the Montanpalooza at the trailhead. My pack is on the tailgate.

”

“Here is a pic of my hiking companion just below Russel Lake. There are a lot of these cascading streams throughout the trip.

”

“Here we are filtering water for the day. Notice the body coverage for mosquitos.

”