OCR Text |
Show The Salt Lake Tribune TRAVEL Sunday, N ib 1, 1998 Father, Son Find More Than Trout in Montana’s Blackfoot River BY GERRY VOLGENAU KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE BLACKFOOT RIVER, Mon- It had been years since we had traveled together and I could almost hear him thinking: Ohhh, Bill Snoddysaid last week that the planned mine is “very secure.’ The state must decide whether man,here I am on anotheroneof tana — It was not Sate out ex- my father’s trips. to approve the mine based on its own environmental impact stud- wer? floating with a guide down part of the plan. In fact, a lot of this trip wasn’t exact? as I had expected, including the river it- are paid for by the company. At this point, Canyon Resources actly as I had planned. My29-year-old son Chris and I one of Montana’s most-storied troutrivers. The Blackfootis the river Norman Maclean wrote about in A River Runs ThroughIt, the novel- la that later becamea Robert Redford movie. As result, this river, long loved by Montanans, has drawn lovers of fly-fishing from the world’s far reaches. While its history is troubled and its future unsure, the Blackfoot is a wondrous 130 miles of free-flowing waterway.It bulls its way out of the mountains to slap against granite cliffs and then sluice through Montana's rolling ranchlands andforests of white- oa and lodgepole pine and as- Pot a single dam blocks its nonstop flow of rifles, rapids and deep-green pools — a rarity in Montana. “I like all rivers, but this one’s special,” said our guide Dan Paschke, 59. “It’s a jewel. It has remained undeveloped with no lodges along the way.” In our amateurway,Chris and I were fly-fishing — using nearly invisible line to flick out bits of feather and fuzz with odd names like Turk's Tarantula and Woolly Bugger. Wewere trying to gently drop these flies on the river's seams, where the downward rush of water slides along an eddy. For trout, such seams are the equiva- lentofstools in a diner. And we were catching a few. Mostly cutthroat trout, a spotted fish prevalentin the West that has a reddish streak on its lower jaw. That was good. But snow had beenforecast for the mountains that day. The temperature never lifted out of the low 40s. It was raining steadily. Silvery drops jiggled on the brim of my cap. Myfishing jacket was turning dark and sodden. Weweredoing mostof our fish- ing from raft, rather than stand- ing in the river. Chris was up front and his fingers were freezing. “My hand feels like a claw,” he As I said, this weather wasn't ies. Under state law, the studies is $500,000 behind in payments self. Maclean’s book wasset in the 1940s, when the Blackfoot was a pristine stream bellowing out of because the studies are costing more thananticipated, the company said. The nonpayment has stalled the approval process. Will the mine be built? It’s un- the Rockies. By the time Redford released his movie in 1992, the clear. watchdog group American Rivers Environmentalists hopeit will be stopped by passageofstate Initiative No. 137 on Tuesday’s ballot. Aimed specifically at the Blackfoot mine, it would ban any new or expansion of any current had declared the Blackfoot one of the country’s 10 most endangered ivers. It had been badly damaged by logging, ranching and especially mining. So the film shows Brad open-pit mine that uses the cya- Pitt fishing not the Blackfoot but nide heap-leach process in Montana. The mostrecent statewidepoll, a substitute Montanariver — the Gallatin, north of Yellowstone. Since then, the Blackfoot has of 806 registered voters by Lee Newspapers, found that 50 per- been struggling backtolife, principally because ranchers have centare for the initiative, 29 per- kept their cattle from trampling its banks. The water has cleared cent opposed and 21 percent undecided. But even as the battle for the and the mud has been swept away. One of Montana’s most prominent guides, Paul Roos, says that two years ago, for the first time since the mid-1980s, he began catchingfish in the Blackfoot. But a very real danger lies river was being waged, I was drawn to the Blackfoot because Maclean's bookdealt with the relations of fathers and sons. IF YOU Go fishing rod since I was 10. I used to go with my dad sometimes. But I was young and thoughtsitting in a rowboat was dull. In fact, I thought rowing the boat was more interesting than watching an unmoving casting rod. But the idea of fishing with Chris appealed to me. And after all, I thought, most busy families use vacations to reconnect. Going ontrips or to the family cottage, they seek out a space of a few days uninterrupted by PTO meetings, business calls, high school basketball games, soccer practice and homework. Wemet in the Salt Lake City airport and flew up to Helena together on a late flight, slept six hoursin a bed-and-breakfast, got up at 6:30 a.m. and drove 1% hours to the fishing lodge neartne hamlet of Ovando. Wewere exhausted, the weath- er was lousy and we'd missed breakfast. It really was starting out like one of mytrips. But ultimately, it turned out OK. We caught some fish. I caught one morethan he did. He foot River, which gained fame ofthat name, youwill probably want to fly into Missoula or 858-3497 or 1-406-793-5046. Prices generally run about $300 a day for a guide with a boat. Heorshewill supply any To get to Montana’s Blackfrom Norman Maclean's novella A River Runs Through It and the Robert Redford movie Helena. Getting There: From Missoula, drive east on Mont. 200 toward Lincoln, From Helena, A mining companycalled Canyon Resources Corp. of Golden, Colo., wants to put one of the nation’s largest cyanide heap-leach gold mines near the headwaters of the Blackfoot, about eight missed seeing him. When he was a teen-ager, we used to go on canoetrips in northern Ontario and backpack expeditions deep into the Colorado Rockies. Admittedly, some of these trips were beset with foul weather, lousy freeze-dried food and occasional injuries. miles from the town ofLincoln. Opponents say the 100-year-old cyanide technology has a history of leaks andspills. “Since 1982, 135 million gallons of cyanide have been re- of that, though I never did. and groundwater,” reported the anti-mine group Montana Envi- he becamea world-class shot putter. He got his master’s in busi- THE ronmental Information Center, based _on documents from the ness administration and later a demanding job in Dallas. He was busy. Very busy, talking state Environmental Quality Department. The cyanide releases, the report said, “resulted in contaminated community drinking water supplies, polluted groundwater wells, destruction of private property values and livestock and to Youcan get list of lodgings, ~ _ to ease the transition. And Chris said he didn’t mind. even though I hadn't touched a ena Independent Record MIO 1NLI29 ‘619 ‘699° 699° 719° ‘199° *1L,9° Buenaventura <> MAZATLAN Oceano Palace Includes $100 beverage credit per room. persty! | | ‘629° | Plaza Las Glorias @® ae 12 & under eat FREE! Children 12 & under eat FREE! ILUUSEWEES echoes al eds, beerages move! 11/22 & 11/20 6 DAYS 8 BUFFETS $85) $60! "899° Westin Regina Puerto Vallarta > Paradise Vil Valid for 7 Ne nonstop Sat depts. 1/2-3/20/99. Bach esort a. PR 539° ‘959° wet Wer llarta Ce Rates valid for 7 Nt nonstop Sat. depex. 1/2-3720/99, ‘4 eRe 12/17, Bp. Fork, 018 with dinner 12/21 Bolt Loke, @15 with dinner Dec.28. 7 DAYS $516 Dinner Crujee, Knotts, Tijuana, Universal ‘879% a= BEFORE GUNS, FALCONS WERE THE Royal WEAPON! B39" Come to Falcon’s Ledge and hunt with shotgun andfalcon. Enjoy premium pheasanthunting,luxury accommodations,fine dining, and Las Perlas the sport of kings... falconry. 049° ‘1169” gerbes ee aS FALCcon’s LEDGE Utah's only Orvis® endorsed Yynane Lodge Visit our website at www.faloonsledge. muraA70)| Depart December 3, 10 0r 15, 1998. DUEL §499 = ‘WESTIE REGINA RESORT Depart December 8, 1996. ee hd (ROTEL PLATA MRAZATLA Deenb, 1998. Fiesta Inn San Jose Del Cabo <> Howard Johnson Plaza Suite Hotel & Resort«> Plaza Las Glorias Cabo San Lucas <® Villa Del Palmar Cabo Beach Resort & Spa @ depts. 1/41/2599, teaGLUNETa) Kes packet tontade RECHT OR ant 2 MEETS ROTEL lamas crise inckcstod, plusManica groundbalan end 53) scrumPighhind don bemearediors aed etormaton eentect te TesiAparterevasiceWatNocrtaretll (BUTE. BORADO PREHICE Ms ‘5ou” 4M. MS. ay $§79% 4 ‘6rk” 919" Ui ‘Raves valid for 3 Nt. Fri, depes. 1/1-1/29, 4 Ne Mon. depts. 1/41/25 & 7 Nt Mon. & Fri depes. 1/1, 1/8-1/29/99. la Levee LMT ae Oceano Palace Riviera Beach Resort Mazatlan ® Royal Villas Resort <> GA Castilla Beach Hotel <@ 3, us. 14S. 319° 309° 399" 139° 479" 539" | 5499 499° 52h" [Rates val for 3. Ne. Fri. dapes. 1/11 Mon. dapas. 14-1725 and 7 Ne Mon. & Fri depes 1/1178, 1/15, 122 2 17979 vad for 4 Ne does II/1887 Naps1S99. Valid for 7 Nec depes. 1/11/15, 12099. For FREE brochures on destinations call toll free ty ‘Pred is fram Sof Lado Cyhetsrnstiena’ liport, Camino Real Cancer Rates valid for 6 Ne Sun.depes 1/3221,Gitano. 377-3 umhee Call (435) 454-3737 meusostismetoem feMabis Rapatal PUERTO VALLARTA Iguana Marina Resort @ Westin Regi Puerto Vallarta > Sg 599° hg” Six Star Steal! Every Day & Night 11/18 3 DAYS (2 Buffers) (CA, REE Ort intscha» greatvecuion putomay sions? No. Wejust hungoutfor a few days in a beautiful piace. And at the end, Chris said, ‘Hey, let's do this again.” “To ME Xreo! a 9115) MEXico Did Chris and I settle any important matters? No. Did we have earnest father-and-son discus- The sky turned blue. The sun emerged and we pulled off our jackets and just grinned. Brett let merow theboat for a while — just CANCUN Calinda Beach Resort tin @ Continental Villa Plaza Cancun opportunity for a get-together 12/13 B DAYS SUPER OS, caught morefish thanI did. Then the next day, we went out on the Missouri River with Brett French,outdooreditorof the Hel- OLIDAYBVILIs: SAVE UP TO ‘1180 PER COUPLE! But over that time, he’d also 2/16 7 DAYS, Indigo, B. Diego, Voges $409) AMERICAWESTVACATIONS” er travel details from Travel .; Montana. Call 1-800-847-4868. breakfasts at the Barrister Bed FUNJET VACATIONS1S YOUR HOMETOWN OPERATOR! WE OFFER THE BEST PRICE, SERVICE G VALUE FORYOUR VACATION >HE MOST OPTIONS TOMEXICO! squeezed in somefly-fishing and liked it. OK,I thought, this might be an Nov. 10 $18 614 Cash Beck 14 ony eovate (aaaory$88TORONTO CALL FOR EMERGENCY FARES DEST CAL US! outfitters, restaurants and oth- Drices..a great choice of destinations and very good service. nee Tre eleinion from my clients going on a Funjet vacation, Heid, Travel With Me, (801) 546-4896 things. Canyon Resources spokesman a Everyone has to start some- Lodging, Outfitters: We had a fine stay and wonderful WAY into cell phones, riding in jet planes, doing lunch, running wildlife fatalities.” The Map:Thestateis it’s OK if you are a beginner. time. BL TO COMPARE He moved on. Whilein college, 1gFGToa mie Minnesota. Look for Knife River on the lower right. if you wantit, plus lunch. And FunjetVacations is understandably wearied leased into Montanasoil, surface DO point you to wherethetrout are hiding. There's also instruction _ 12 to Avon,then north on Mont. 141 until it connects with Mont. THLW/AL Dakota. gear you might need and will you would drive west on U.S.- @ Answers al Historic Site is in North na, Mont. 59601. Call 1-800- Though neither of us willed it, Chris and I had drifted apart. He simply grew up and got busy. We talk almost ee by phone, but I aheadfortheriver. said. The Photo:Knife River Indian Villages Nation- and Breakfast, 416 N. Ewing > , Helena, Mont. 59601, Call "406.443-7330. Room prices start at $85 a night. Our guide service was Paul Roos Outfitters, Box 621, Hele- 1 800 44 MEXICO rors OS ee504 ome LatenentsGot “engSriYaCeoeePpHa pet epemrtasenneotape:Foyefoon eas 6ateacon expotond a0 brocheres which art pvsintic ire ste reve! Vacation melons: ocala eo mg ces WANA TO TPEWALA Prices may vary and Yah os theafecae ‘policies may sence omy 296 1 cera 2™ whet 8 angewit voter Scie eet date pee no ee rn ‘Charter ae service peotor sad ye hut ba espn wt pret ot Cred e paca a tae selected Weehend hots! and hefday surcharges app ‘May apely to hokdaypece event Caper. ene Tow mentee SNe |