I've read, Dave, that each man ate an average of 11 pounds of meat a day to provide for those 8,000 calories. The equivalent of 11 big steaks. Per day! Yes, those guys were real men.
Gary Meyers > From: "Dave Weitl" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 10:18:27 -0700 > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: RE: Report from Montana > > Add to the Lewis and Clark experience... > > Soles of their shoes were made from the same stuff they were wearing on > their upper bodies, they consumed an average of 8,000 calories a day. > > Sometimes it was easier for them to leave their boats at one river and hike > overland to another river when they had to, and then cut down trees, and > build brand new boats at the next river! All the while another portion of > their party might go out and hunt some elk, carve the meat up to keep up > their 8,000 calorie diet, and make some NEW clothes for the group. > > Now these guys were real men. > > ------------------------------------------------------- > David Weitl mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Program Director > Washington Volleyball Academy > 3380 NE Rova Road > Poulsbo, WA 98370 > (360) 779-3802 > (360) 779-1467 fax > http://wvba.org > > "Much can be accomplished by teamwork when no one is > concerned about who gets credit" > - Coach John Wooden > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Gary Meyers > Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 9:03 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Report from Montana > > > This is being posted from a Helena motel room, where my 15-year-old son and > I are hunkered down while a late winter Montana storm howls outside. > > We drove from Seattle to Missoula Sunday, boat in tow, hoping to hit the > Skawala fishing on the Clark Fork or Bitterroot and then head to the > Yellowstone near Livingston. > > However, it had been raining heavily over much of western Montana on > Saturday and Sunday and the major rivers were high and out of shape. The > Missouri was supposedly the only river that was fishable so we beat feet > over to the Wolf Point/Craig area (between Helena and Great Falls) on Monday > morning. > > We waded a bit on Monday afternoon and pretty much got humbled. This was my > first crack at the 'Mo. It's a very large tailwater river with minimal > structure and current (almost like a bloated spring creek) and from what > I've heard and read has prolific hatches later in the season and fishes > extremely well for large browns and bows. This time of year is a > sub-surface proposition. > > On Tuesday we floated from Holter Dam to Craig. My son was fishing a double > nymph dropper set-up with small pink scuds and brassies. He picked up a half > dozen good sized "Montana Bones" while I stripped large streamers/buggers > with one solitary fish, albeit a nice brown, to show for my efforts. Not > much traffic on the river. Air and water temperature bone-chilling cold. Add > a 15-MPH wind and you know you're in Montana in April. > > Wednesday, we floated a different section; we put in 20 miles or so > downstream from Holter Dam, on the advice �� courtesy of $75 worth of tippet > and flies ;-) �� from a local fly shop. The streamer fishing was good. With > large, size #2 and #4, ugly streamers and buggers with sink tip line. I > stung perhaps 8-10 large browns and fishing-wise was a happy camper. > > However, at about 2pm, it started to rain. It was the kind of rain that if > the air temperature was three degrees colder, it would be snow. And the wind > chimed in, blowing upstream of course. By about 3pm, we were numb and wet > and couldn't take it any longer. We started rowing downriver against the > wind; and let me suffice that it was a long cold pull. I cannot remember too > many other times when I was as glad to see the takeout. > > Side note #1. One of the things I like best about fishing in Montana: You > can be out in the the middle of nowhere, but your chances of finding a bar > at the takeout are pretty good. Beers, burgers, and usually some local > color. > > The rain finally turned to snow and we are taking refuge in Helena until the > weather (hopefully) turns and we'll try to get another float in somewhere > before heading back to Seattle and the ever-present, ever-looming, > ever-constricting dual realities of work and school > > Side note #2: Being somewhat of a Lewis and Clark buff, it occurred to me > that as we were floating down the Missouri in this April storm, almost 200 > years ago the Lewis and Clark expedition was making its way along the same > river in April (albeit further downriver). Whereas we were floating a scant > 8 miles downstream in a lightweight rubber raft, bundled in wool and > neoprene and Goretex and chemical foot warmers, with a big warm Suburban, > and a bar, and a motel room waiting for us at the takeout, Lewis and Clark > and some 30 men were moving UPRIVER (remember, this was before all the > Missouri River dams so you can imagine the strength of the spring flows), > poling and pulling heavy, hand-built pirogues laden with gear, often chest > deep in the bone-frigid river dodging oncoming ice flows and frozen buffalo > carcasses, wearing the same deerskin leggings every single day, making 30 > miles a day on average (30 miles upstream!). Camping at night in grizzly > country, having only a rough idea of where they were or how far away the > Pacific was. On their own in the elements for 2 1/2 years. No gloves, no > sunglasses, no dry clothes, no raingear, no bath, no shower, no mosquito > repellent, no razor, no toothbrush, no flyrods(!). > > Tough stock. > > Sorry for the overly long post. I'm getting anxious to get back out. > > Gary Meyers > Kirkland > >
