Strawberry Creek/Continental Divided Trail in Montana

My daughter Carolan, her co-leader Adam, and their crew are now in the Strawberry Creek area of the Flathead National Forest (Great Bear Wilderness/Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex). She is there working for the Montana Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps. This is one of the wildest places in the continental United States. Carolan, Adam, and her crew will be doing trail building and maintenance--I think on the Continental Divide Trail, which runs near Strawberry Creek in this part of Montana.

Last year or the year before, a local fellow, Shane Wohlken of Burton, Ohio (Geauga County), walked the trail from Canada to Mexico--an astonishing accomplishment. He has given me permission to post some of the photos taken by him or his hiking companion. The three photos above were taken near this Strawberry Creek/Continental Divide Trail. Thanks Shane!

Daughter to Live in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex

My middle daughter, CC, goes into the great Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex tonight in the next phase of her work with the Montana Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps. Tonight she'll be near the Spotted Bear Forest Service cabin, in the Great Bear Wilderness (part of Flathead National Forest). If there is a wilder place in the contiguous United State, I'd like to know what it is! This area has the largest population of grizzly bears in the lower 48, even more black bears, and many other kinds of large mammals--elk, moose, mountain goats and sheep, wolves, and the like. I think there are even mountain lions in the area.

Very soon, Carolan will move on to the Schafer Meadows Ranger Station, which is a day's walk (a long, hard day's walk!) from a road. But even that's not her final destination. From there, she goes even further into the wild--a 20-mile hike to the Strawberry Creek area, where a segment of the Continental Divide Trail is located. CC will be building and maintaining that trail, along with her fellow crew leader Adam and her crew (3 guys and a girl).

I greatly admire CC and her colleagues--so brave, adventurous. So full of strength, energy, and hope. Hurray for the Montana Conservation Corps! Hurray for AmeriCorps!