New Stories
early notes from a Montana book tour
Dear reader,
After seven years and hundreds of hours listening to Smoke’s stories, I thought I heard them all. But at our many events the last two weeks - the lunch-time book signing at The Barn, our Mules on the Oval event at the University of Montana, podcast interviews (link coming soon), and our packed reading in Hamilton last Thursday - I realized, we are making new stories every day.
(above) Smoke’s favorite camp spot in the Danaher Valley.
Right at noon in The Barn on a cold spring Thursday in western Montana, Smoke and I sat by the warm stove, the wood fire crackling, just like we had done so many times to record stories that are now our book “Hush of the Land”. A group of women came in, books in hand. Welcomed by a warm embrace, the stories started flowing. They were friends, former guests - for the Elser family their clients were always guests, never ‘dudes’. Smoke immediately remembered their trip in the Bob Marshall Wilderness some forty years ago, up Monture Creek, over Limestone Pass, and on to the Danaher Valley, one of his favorite places (pictured above). He recalled the weather, flowers, the moose in the meadows one morning, and then pointed to the top of the door frame. The guests turned around and read the name of the horses that had taken them deep into the mountains. Then the room went silent. Next to the dozens of names and a few worn out horse shoes, Smoke noted each horse and mule’s date of death. “They are all buried right here,” Smoke said and hugged each of the guests, smiling. And I decided to write the new stories from our Montana book tour down in my notebook, and share some with you in this newsletter. Sharing all might become another book entirely!
I started the Mules on the Oval event at the University of Montana four years ago because I wanted to have a picture of mules on campus. As you can read in “Hush of the Land”, Smoke was the first to bring packed mules to UM and ON the Dennison Theater stage for a Forester’s Ball long ago, but I couldn’t find a picture anywhere in the archives. I also wanted to spread the word about my Wilderness Policy and Packing summer classes I started teaching around the same time at Smoke’s barn. My idea quickly morphed into a larger event, with UM Summer, and the USFS Ninemile Pack String jumping in. Having these seasoned and parade safe mules and horses was a relief - I didn’t want my animals to step on anybody. Last week, we had a few hundred students and visitors stop by the Oval in bright sunshine, get a cookie or coffee, cuddle with some mules, and some wanted to get their books signed. Dozens UM Summer classes and non-profit organizations - Wild Montana, Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, Missoula Back Country Horsemen and many others - showcased their work. The sun was shining and people were excited to be there. It made me proud to see how far an idea can travel and make new stories.
(below) Wilderness Pack trip students riding into the Danaher.
Before I end, I want to share one more short story about Smoke seeing a dead man at our reading last week. It was raining hard last Thursday when Smoke and drove to Hamilton for our reading at the Ravalli County Museum. As an unspoken rule, we like to be early, but delayed by the weather only got there 15min before we were supposed to start. Just as we walk in the room packed to the rim with people, an older man in a white t-shirt comes up, his right big hand reaching out toward us. Smoke stops in his tracks and grows a few inches. His eyes stay firmly focused on the man’s face as he lowers his cowboy hat and holds it to his chest. A few quiet words were spoken. For over 30 years, Smoke had assumed the man he now talked to, was dead. They promised to catch up at the barn sometime, because they could.
(above) Smoke and I after our reading/storytelling event in Hamilton, MT.
I am sure I forgot to mention a few things I wanted to share, but I need to get going.
THANK YOU for reading and coming to our reading/storytelling events. Below is our April schedule. Please don’t forget to follow us on Facebook or Instagram @HushoftheLand
Enjoy the ride and Auf bald,
Eva
