Moments in Montana (& Idaho): Summer Heat

Tthis blog post was supposed to go out on Friday, July 2nd, but the fact that it’s a few days late just goes to show how hectic this year has gotten. Things have been crazy lately as we have passed the halfway point of this year and the marker for nearly halfway through summer! I can’t believe how fast the time has gotten by (and I know how stereotypical it sounds) but it really is true that time seems to move faster the older you get.

This past week for work I was over in Idaho, helping out with a survey project in the Nez Perce wilderness. It was incredible to visit an entirely different habitat type and get to see a vast variety of plants, especially some really cool ferns that I definitely geeked out over.

We got to see a bear, elk, owl, and a ton of butterflies. There were also a bunch of sparrows and other birds at camp or in the woods which were really fun to see. Thankfully there was a creek nearby, especially since our coolest day with a high of 98°F, and the warm mist was around 110°F.

A lot of the survey work was pretty tricky access, as there were few roads in the wilderness and the old logging roads were mostly covered in fallen trees or completely collapsed from erosion. At some points it got so steep that I literally sat on my butt and slid down to try not to fall to my death…I did manage to see some pretty cool plants on the way.

This past weekend, I was able to visit a friend down in Bozeman which was really fun! We went on a few trail runs together and explored downtown a bit. We also managed to connect with some other Vermont students who are in Montana for the summer which was so lovely. I’ve really missed meeting new people and making random connections like that.

I also got to see my first live music concert since the pandemic started which was such a weird but wonderful experience. It was outdoors and the band was Steep Canyon Rangers. They were a really good bluegrass band and it was so fun to just dance and laugh and hang out with other people! (even if it was raining and there was lightning in the background)

Today hasn’t been the best day to be honest. I stayed up way too late last night and my sleep has been kind of terrible lately as I’ve been thrown off my sleep schedule between time zone changes, traveling, and just staying up way past my bedtime. I’m also having some car trouble‘s and am concerned about that...hopefully everything will resolve itself this week.

Anyways, I had Monday off for the holiday so I’ve just taken today to chill, read a book, and do tasks around the camper. I really do love hiking, exploring and doing all of the things—I want to make the most of my summer out in Montana (and life in general). But I often forget how important it is to take a rest day, not just for my body but also my mind. I sometimes...okay often...feel guilty for taking any sort of break in any area of life, but it really is important to take time to decompress, relax, and recharge.