yes, it really is this cold in montana right now.

A man who I had chatted with earlier walked past me on a trail yesterday evening as I was admiring the view from the shore of Bowman Lake in Glacier NP. "It's a lot like Brooklyn," he jokingly mused. "Yeah," I laughed. "Jesus fucking christ," I thought to myself, "Look at how different everything in my life is compared to a mere four months ago. I'm in freaking Montana fer crissake." But then again, some things are not so different. Later I was multitasking by the campfire; writing in my journal, reading a magazine, and checking my next route on a map, when a family of deer came very close to where I was sitting. "Deer," I said as I tossed a rock at them, "I'm sorry but you're bothering me and I've got a lot of work to do." As if a nosy roommate had been haranguing me or something! Ah, the trials and tribulations of a city-turned-mountain lady.



On the city-gal tip: it seems like every place I've visited lately someone has told me "oh you came here at the wrong time or year." When I was in Moab it was very hot and everyone told me that I should have come in September. When I was in Jackson it was very cold and rainy and everyone told me that I should have come in July. People, it's not like I'm on a pleasure cruise here. I get somewhere when I get somewhere and I deal with the weather as is, like it or lump it. It's all new and enjoyable to a city-lady anyways!

Bowman Lake is about as far away as one can get from the city in America, at least it feels that way. There are two ways to get here: 40 miles down a mostly dirt, partially paved road, or 36 miles down a single lane all dirt road. I tried both ways, the all dirt road is more scenic but it's really curvy so you feel like a truck is going to plow you down from the opposite direction the whole time. Fun! On the partially paved road there are not one but two places where you can pay to take a shower, and we all know how much I enjoy bathing. Especially here in grizzly country, where it's best to keep yourself as odorless as possible.

9:32 AM;

Like a drifter i was born to walk alone...