Ok ... today began just cold ... can the adjectives. At 0730 I was in Livingston meeting Norm M. He is a 50-year old marvelously healthy guy who is closely tied to any and all river activity east of the Continental divide in Montana. His wife (Kris) says it stronger - he has his finger on the jugular of river activity east of the Continental divide. Norm and I went for a hearty breakfast and he deposited me at the Bear Canyon interchange. I walked up and over Bozeman Pass, ending at the Ranch Access interchange more than 10 miles later. By dark I was showered, fed and feeling somewhat normal again.
Cold at first, walking alleviated all feelings in that direction and I even began a slight sweat after about a mile. Walking the gravel road along the railroad track, this day has been more unaffected by traffic than any yet experienced ... a pleasant change. Even the trains cooperated; no trains passed for the first 4 miles ... not until I reached the point where the track split in two did a train rumble by. Other than hearing the interstate highway, it is a total non-factor for today.
Stopping at the Grizzly Bear Encounter business at Jackson Creek, I learned that it has been a warmer than usual winter/spring and many Grizzlies have emerged from hibernation. That will be something to consider from Livingston to Billings - after Billings the likelihood of encountering a Grizzly is much lower. Expressing my concern about being eaten by an ornery and hungry bear I was informed that more people have been devoured by humans over the past two centuries than by Grizzly. Oh sure ... now I feel so much better. Obviously I will place all food by the canoe each night and keep the bear spray in my sleeping bag.
Just over Bozeman Pass I passed a gentleman feeding buffalo. ... about twenty cows and calves. I helped him close the gate - heavy gate - and we exchanged pleasantries. I've probably not been so close to buffalo in my life when I also felt so safe. Fences certainly make good neighbors at least between me and buffalo.
Today I saw a golden eagle swoop down along a fence row, talon a meal and lift off. Happy eagle; the meal uttered not a sound.
Upon arriving back at Livingston I drove downstream. Only about a mile out of town folks are engaged with bridge reconstruction. It appears both a highway and a railroad are being reconstructed. I'm not sure about that, but I am sure that nobody is allowed to float through/past that site. The river is closed for eight miles downstream of the site also. So-o-o-o-o ... it is evident that I will walk Thursday and Friday also. Friday I will get to the Highway 89 fishing access, but after eight miles walking I doubt I will be in any mood to load up and paddle away. It looks like now that the canoe will get wet early Saturday.
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