mtnmollie
10-19-2008, 01:13 PM
Howard Camp - 2006 - on the Lolo Trail
( to see the Lolo Trail in Pictures go to the I wonder thread.
Howard Camp- is where Howard did not Camp, in the 1877 war; but it is an old camp on the Lolo Trail, used forever. Howard Camp moves on Forest Service maps, so no one knows for sure where it is or isn't. Well, now we know the army camped at Bald Mountain, (37 mile marker) moved 7 miles to about 44 mile marker, or 43.5 Indian Grave Camp, next day they travled 16 miles to the 60 mile marker at Spring Mountain. So Spring Mountain is really where Howard Camped.
Dennis Baird located Wood's jouranl, from the 1877 War, published it in the book, In Nez Perce Country, and Spring Mountain matches the war jouranl discription of camping on the side of a steep mountain; and also matches the miles. Truth can be found, if you keep digging and hunting and searching.
Sunny did not like the rocks on the road, but he did not limp, as we rode barefoot in 2006. Last time I had him on that road, he limped, and I told him adversity would make him tough. It did because this time he was not limping on rock, my good tough barefoot horse with 3 white feet.
I got lost, as I always do on the Lolo Trail. I rode south on a sidehill trail to the Ashpile divide, and south to Highway 12, on Ashpile divide ridge. Turn around head north on same divide and get totally freaking lost in those dang wild mountains. I found the Indian trail on Ashpile, I have looked for twice before and missed. I am headed down Ashpile divide ridge to Highway 12 South but don't know it yet.
Now how can you head south, then head north, because of a 180 turn,but really be headed south? These mountains will turn you or me around for sure. So when I was talking to myself to calm down, reminding myself of my faith, I got bold again and turned around and headed back the other way on the Indian trail I found, I looked out the ridge and viewed way far off the Lolo road on the Lolo Divide ridge, and knew where I had to go to be found. I got back to camp in good time, around 3;30 or so.
I have gotten lost, and found what I was looking for before. Ok so now it's over and all is well, but golly gee are these wild lost mountains or what? The compass says I am headed N ~ S ~ E ...
it is as confused as me, but the sun is where it is in the sky, and I put my arm out from my body and my shadow says I am headed whatever direction I am headed consistantly. So I was scared. Figured I would spend the night in the woods. But it all worked out.
We were surrounded by wolves. The wolf tracking truck went by. They don't talk to you, but their presence is a bad sign. My dogs look into the forest and growl. The wolf is near. I had a bad feel, time to go home,so when I rode out of camp, the dogs were left behind, in my horse trailer. Gene sees a wolf the third day, crossing the road two miles from camp. He is big, he is too big, the Canadian wolves don't belong here. ( This is why they are called non- essential, experemental, because the Feds who brought the wolves know we have a smaller Idaho wolf.)
My dogs are safe, my horses are safe, Gene and I are safe. Anytime you visit these mountains you or your horse can die. And the dogs are at risk...but then we can all die driveing and we all drive. So what is life if you don't live it?
Gene found the Indian trail that crosses Gravy Creek that has been lost for 200 years. The old trail is a ditch, from past heavy horse traffic. It was logged in the 1970's. The trail matches Indian trail charateristics, and the journals of Lewis and Clark. Cool hughn? Gene is writing a book this winter - so hope its out by spring, on the trail location. Why the Lewis and Clark Trail is where it be, and why or how it matches the journals of Lewis and Clark.
I rode my horse, Gene did a lot of walking, and we meet together in camp in the afternoon. I found pieces of the old Lolo Trail that I had not found before, my summer of 2006 on the old Lolo trail. The side trails off the Lolo Trail were so wild, so cool, so awesome. They answered questions I had about Indian trails. We found two places on the Lolo Trail where tight little s curve switchbacks were found. It's Indian trail charater-istic, because I found some s curves below the old Weir Creek lookout, on Indian trail that looked like a goat- path. We have some of the wildest country I have ever seen anywhere in the US. Awesome place. We have wild trails too, that lead you places you'd never find without them wild anchient paths.
( to see the Lolo Trail in Pictures go to the I wonder thread.
Howard Camp- is where Howard did not Camp, in the 1877 war; but it is an old camp on the Lolo Trail, used forever. Howard Camp moves on Forest Service maps, so no one knows for sure where it is or isn't. Well, now we know the army camped at Bald Mountain, (37 mile marker) moved 7 miles to about 44 mile marker, or 43.5 Indian Grave Camp, next day they travled 16 miles to the 60 mile marker at Spring Mountain. So Spring Mountain is really where Howard Camped.
Dennis Baird located Wood's jouranl, from the 1877 War, published it in the book, In Nez Perce Country, and Spring Mountain matches the war jouranl discription of camping on the side of a steep mountain; and also matches the miles. Truth can be found, if you keep digging and hunting and searching.
Sunny did not like the rocks on the road, but he did not limp, as we rode barefoot in 2006. Last time I had him on that road, he limped, and I told him adversity would make him tough. It did because this time he was not limping on rock, my good tough barefoot horse with 3 white feet.
I got lost, as I always do on the Lolo Trail. I rode south on a sidehill trail to the Ashpile divide, and south to Highway 12, on Ashpile divide ridge. Turn around head north on same divide and get totally freaking lost in those dang wild mountains. I found the Indian trail on Ashpile, I have looked for twice before and missed. I am headed down Ashpile divide ridge to Highway 12 South but don't know it yet.
Now how can you head south, then head north, because of a 180 turn,but really be headed south? These mountains will turn you or me around for sure. So when I was talking to myself to calm down, reminding myself of my faith, I got bold again and turned around and headed back the other way on the Indian trail I found, I looked out the ridge and viewed way far off the Lolo road on the Lolo Divide ridge, and knew where I had to go to be found. I got back to camp in good time, around 3;30 or so.
I have gotten lost, and found what I was looking for before. Ok so now it's over and all is well, but golly gee are these wild lost mountains or what? The compass says I am headed N ~ S ~ E ...
it is as confused as me, but the sun is where it is in the sky, and I put my arm out from my body and my shadow says I am headed whatever direction I am headed consistantly. So I was scared. Figured I would spend the night in the woods. But it all worked out.
We were surrounded by wolves. The wolf tracking truck went by. They don't talk to you, but their presence is a bad sign. My dogs look into the forest and growl. The wolf is near. I had a bad feel, time to go home,so when I rode out of camp, the dogs were left behind, in my horse trailer. Gene sees a wolf the third day, crossing the road two miles from camp. He is big, he is too big, the Canadian wolves don't belong here. ( This is why they are called non- essential, experemental, because the Feds who brought the wolves know we have a smaller Idaho wolf.)
My dogs are safe, my horses are safe, Gene and I are safe. Anytime you visit these mountains you or your horse can die. And the dogs are at risk...but then we can all die driveing and we all drive. So what is life if you don't live it?
Gene found the Indian trail that crosses Gravy Creek that has been lost for 200 years. The old trail is a ditch, from past heavy horse traffic. It was logged in the 1970's. The trail matches Indian trail charateristics, and the journals of Lewis and Clark. Cool hughn? Gene is writing a book this winter - so hope its out by spring, on the trail location. Why the Lewis and Clark Trail is where it be, and why or how it matches the journals of Lewis and Clark.
I rode my horse, Gene did a lot of walking, and we meet together in camp in the afternoon. I found pieces of the old Lolo Trail that I had not found before, my summer of 2006 on the old Lolo trail. The side trails off the Lolo Trail were so wild, so cool, so awesome. They answered questions I had about Indian trails. We found two places on the Lolo Trail where tight little s curve switchbacks were found. It's Indian trail charater-istic, because I found some s curves below the old Weir Creek lookout, on Indian trail that looked like a goat- path. We have some of the wildest country I have ever seen anywhere in the US. Awesome place. We have wild trails too, that lead you places you'd never find without them wild anchient paths.