With finals week approaching and my trip overseas drawing nearer and nearer, I find myself not sleeping, for lack of serious time of day (if you are saying then get off here and do you work, I say poo this is my first breather of the week) and for lack of better words, brain farted. Its a cranium full of gas, hot hair, stinkyness and gag me. Therefore, tonight I sleep whether or not my Greek homework is done.

Have you ever found yourself frustrated with yourself, what you have accomplished or what you haven't yet accomplished but need to. I feel as if I should be further ahead, have to be doing better. Now that I feel better this semester I should be able to handle what has been placed before me.

I don't.

What has happened to me? I try, I struggle, I work, but I feel less and less successful, less and less worthy, less and less able.

My Apology...

http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1163


If you have a min, or more like 59 min, please listen to this story. If you have a soul Act 1 will move you, maybe change the way you view or nation and some American Christians.


‘Shouting Across the Divide,’ especially Act 1, really upset me. It is not that I have been ignorant to the fact that 9/11 has changed drastically some ‘white’ American’s attitudes towards Muslims, and that many Xians spend a lot of energy trying to make Muslims into these horrid terrorists, their story brought me to tears though. Although I think it is wrong too, but it is one thing to look at Middle East Muslims and blame them from 9/11 but too look at those within your own community, who you have lived with and formed some sort of relationship with, suddenly with the same hatred really makes me wonder what our American idea of freedom is, is this really a free country. Maybe I don’t know what it is like to be the teacher of a Muslim child, or live on the same block as a Muslim family but I do know very well a Muslim and I ache for the thought of prejudices that have been placed on her because of 9/11 when she had nothing to do with the hate crimes. I hear the voice of the girl in the radio and I think of what her teacher did and how as a vulnerable child that shit would have affected me and I ache for her. Her dad, what he experienced in West Bank and then seeing what was happening to his daughter, I ache for him too. At the heart of the Christian and Muslim faith is a vast amount of persons, individuals and when showing anger toward a group your aren’t just targeting the mass but singling out souls. Teachers have a powerful impact in the molding of young minds, in their attitudes toward those they teach, in learning who and what is right, they help create prejudices and that’s what the girls teacher did. Maybe it is impossible to love a single person without loving the whole. Maybe America is sole a free Xian country and the only free people here should be Xians because their faith is truth and the only truth and if we are going to hate on Muslims why don’t we widen the picture and continue hating on the Native Americas and Buddhist, Hindus and Atheists too. Why don’t we go even further and figure out which group of Xians are the right one and hate the others too. I mean isn’t that what America is about religious freedom.


I am not always proud to be an American and I am sorry for the hearts of some.

im not sure really what to say. im being challenged and streached this year beyond belief. somedays im good, able to push though, but others i feel as if im aching, unsure, miserable.

no god but God cont...

Sometimes I think we put too much importance in Christianizing the nations that we forget what it is that God called us to do. I say that because I look at the Crusades, or even now, and we desire to bring Christianity to nations that perhaps thank that they don’t need it because what they have ‘true’ and the amount of pressure we put on converting makes people more mad than accepting. When looking at Medieval Europe during the time on Constantine and his ‘massive-forced-conversion’ I wonder how many people cared about becoming Christian or if it was a way to unite his world. I do acknowledge that he cared to save souls but his conversion is troubling. Many town conversions because people do not know what they are getting into or don’t really understand what exactly they are trying to believe, therefore resulting in a European Christendom’s filled with many micro-Christendom’s. Christians went into war with Muslims to conquer them, save the Holy Land from the ‘enemies’ and perhaps turn what areas they conquer into Christian territories.
From my little historical brief I then find myself drawn into Aslan’s discussion of the creation of a democratic Islamic society and if it is really possible. “Islam has been invoked to legitimize and overturn governments, to promote republicanism and defend authoritarianism, to justify monarchies, autocracies, oligarchies, and theocracies, and to promote terrorism, factionalism and hostility. Can Islam now be used to establish a generally liberal democracy in the Middle East? Can a modern Islamic state reconcile reason and Revelation to create a democratic society based on the ethical ideals established by the Prophet Muhammad in Medina nearly fifteen centuries ago?”[1] What I think we forget though, especially now as our frustration with the U.S. government increases, that as Aslan suggests, this is something that must be done. However, to change a very historically bounding and controlling government that has in place for centuries will take more than some 7 or so years. In order for them to change, they have to find ways around leaders who don’t want this change, find stable ground, stable leaders, in a way a common and united ground. It “cannot be imported, it must be nurtured.”[2] Sometimes I get discouraged with the fact that people discourage the work that we are doing overseas. Yes, I agree that there is a lot being done that isn’t helping, perhaps making things worse, our economy’s having problems, but nurturing them and helping them become successful is why we went over, and by leaving them now, we won’t do anything other than hurt them more. I think that it if we continue helping them, it will be rewarding to be a part of and see the product of their national identity.

*Sorry for the brief history section in the first part. I heart history…and we are getting ready to talk about the Crusades and I am really stoked about that, cause it’s sooooo good, or perhaps interesting to me. Nonetheless, I like history as much as you like puns. History + philosophical history=Hannah’s happiness.



[1] Aslan. No god but God. Pg 253
[2] Ibid. Pg 254.

no god but God cont...

I found ‘In the Footsteps of Martyrs’ as a very interesting chapter, mainly because it pokes at something that I am extremely interested in and the reason why I am a history major. Throughout the last long time, I have been drawn to the question of morality, and why we do what we do; I strongly believe that our actions are a result of what we have been taught, and are done for a reason, purpose, and I think for most (unconsciously or consciously) for a higher power or being, in our case God or Allah. I find the Karbala very interesting because Azlan says that it “became Shi’ism’s Garden of Eden, with humanity’s original sin being not disobedience to God, but unfaithfulness to God’s moral principles.”[1] What I like about this besides the words ‘moral principles’ is that when I read the creation story and the ‘first sin’ I am drawn to the idea that perhaps when we look at what we call sin, it is to us unfaithfulness to moral principles, which we learn what morality is through the teachings of man but also through the stories of the Old and New Testaments. I guess it just plays with my thoughts on if man can be moral without a ‘god’ figure to provide reason or rewards.

This book is really hard to me to read. I hate and love it. I’m not sure why exactly it bother me, but at times I get really frustrated with theology, for the fact that we need it to interpret the Bible, parables, Jesus, God. I often wonder how Christianity would be different or if it could exist without the Bible. How would we know what is good, wrong, how do we know who God is without it translated for us, is it possible to know him on our own. I just find it hard to phantom that man needs others to translate for them their faith. Maybe it’s good, but I don’t know. The thought that the Karan cannot in its original form be read by man does bother me some.

I think that the Sufi’s idea of the annihilation of the ego, and pushing away from “worldly trappings”[2] is something that we all strive for. The way that they approach this by being concerned with the outer and with society is something I think that Christians miss or forget. I think that we become some focused on with fixing our inner self that we forget about the world around us and I am not sure why, but I do like the idea of a communal religion, I know we try to get this from the church, but it needs to reach father than the church.

This week, I am stoked, full heartedly for Oman. Oh, yes, lets go…
[1] Pg. 179.
[2] Pg 200.

no god but God cont...

What struck me first of all in the reading was the discussion the image that we give Muslims: “Islamic terrorist, strapped with explosives, ready to be martyred for Allah, eager to take as many innocent people with him as possible. […] What has not changed, however, is the notion that Islam is a religion whose adherents have been embroiled in a perpetual state of holy war, or jihad, from the time of Muhammad to this very day.”[1] I am not sure where I want to go with this thought, but I guess something that bothers me is that human nature tends to place blame on the whole rather than the single. What I mean by that is that since Muslim’s are to blame for 9/11 all of them, in the whole world are bad. Since a few Catholic priests raped some children there is something wrong with all Catholics. One of the things I feel most uncomfortable, or perhaps do not understand, is what is exactly meant by a holy war. Perhaps our misconception is that the Jihad is not an act against a non-Muslim but one that is launched against acts of villainy in order to preserve “moral order”. When I look at Islam as a whole, I have seen it as a religion and state are unified or work as one. Then as Aslan went on to discuss how Buddhism and once Xianity in the Holy Roman Empire, were “enforcers” I felt dumb. A few weeks ago in the catholic group some were discussing how we should vote in the election-if it was morally right for us vote democratic since Obama is not 100% against abortion. I find myself now wondering if for Xian’s especially, do we really have a separation of Church and state here when we are looking back on our Christian morals to figure out how to vote. While I don’t find this completely wrong, I am not sure if it is completely right.

One thing I find really beautiful about Islam are the 5 Pillars. I am not sure why, but meaning and tradition behind it, and the emphasis put on Allah through it makes me wish we had something this sweet. I think it would be totally tight to have a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, like seriously totally wicked cool. I once tried to fast during Ramadan and got really hungry, so it failed. What if Christianity was less about objects, and more about experiences-in prayer, fasting, tithing? Sometimes I think we lost these, or lost the meanings behind them. And then I wonder too if some Muslims do this only out obligation of how serious most of them are about it. Xians are serious about things they want to be, sometimes extremely serious about them, and then lax or don’t give a turd about others. How would Xianity change if we were obligated to tithe, put as much emphasis on prayer and fasting, or had a Jesus walk.
[1] Reza Aslan. No god but God. Pg 79.

no god but God-Aslan

for my Oman (preperation for xmas trip) we are reading Aslan's No god but God...here were my weeks thought on it...

I really enjoy this book. No god but God really helped “point out” some of the “historical” aspects of Islam, which I find completely fascinating, and it reminds me over and over how religions have developed and that historically the evolution of Xianity is no different or better than Islam. What I find really difficult about this though is that I begin rattling with the notion of what truth really is, and why, and how “truth” can be so vastly different to people. In this though the challenge of truth tares so many people and groups apart that it seems to me to be more of a hindrance than importance. After reading this book I find myself becoming more angry with “Xians” than I worry about what is wrong with Islams. I don’t understand how we can call ourselves “followers of Christ” when we argue with each other’s theology more than care to live in peace then we throw stones at those who are struggling with the same problems, perhaps in different ways, but in the end in the same way we are. I am not saying that there should be one complete Xian or Islamic theology, but I wish that although we might not agree and although we might fight, we could realize and be more understanding in what Muslims are facing and why there is conflict, or perhaps just admit to ourselves that we are in conflict too. Christians persecuted Muslims more than they did us. It seems to me, that throughout history we were the first to dismiss them, while they tried to live in peace among us.
More than anyone will ever know, I am excited for this trip. At the same time I am scared shitless. I am scared of what I will learn, I am scared of how much more my faith can be challenged before it becomes torn to screeds. I feel like a sheet of paper that has many tares but I am not completely ripped yet. I thrive on being challenged and seeing and learning about people, their stories, walks of life, but I wonder how far and how much I can learn before I completely lose what all I have left.

arab minds

im reading Arab Minds which Craig suggested to me. it makes me excited for my adventure to Oman over christmas, but at the same time im terrified. i know i will leave and come back changed. it will help mold my complicated, scattered faith, and challenge me like i haven't been before. i am not sure i can handle this. as much as i want it. i don't see how our gods alone are different, and i don't know if its important. i want to care and worship god with this person. to pray like them, and mean it. i don't know how to want my god like this, but i want it.

there are storms again tonight. the sky is red, purple and orange.

nasty nate showed up (bear).

im not even sure...

im not sure i can stay catholic. im not even sure if i am really catholic. its starting to frustrate me, this faith thing. i find myself not caring about some of the 'little things' that end up making a 'big thing'. as i learn more about these i don't believe or agree. i don't cherish them. feel them. want them. i don't find them wrong, but not important or meaningful to my worship. but what really is faith to me, i don't even know that anymore.

i don't know how to care about the bible. its not the WORD of god, and i cannot allow myself to call it that. i recieve a picture of who god is, was and will be. its not his words but examples of his teachings. like my dear plato and socrates.

as i sit listening to the creek.

i hear the voice of nature echoing.

i find myself here alone.

without the simplest of pleasures.

im learning that its not all me.

it cannot be all me.

i have to let things go.

before i drown in the rapids.

the chill of the water on my feet.

its the same chill within my heart.

i find myself angry.

without the littlest love or forgiveness.

it wasn't all me.

i wish that they could see.

before i drown in her rapids.

pandora's box

today was tough.

im trying to open myself up. to be honest. open. i need to know me.

i took a peak into my box. contemplating relationships, how hard they have been for me. what do they mean. it takes two-effort of both and i feel like i have given my all, but to some i feel like im giving but not recieving. people don't want me, and i keep giving myself to them. perhaps, i need to give up. to realize that god has better for me.

Well, I just realized that I haven't written in quite a long time and quite a lot has happened. Following the KMG trip we had our first group of 'real' quests which was by far the most fun I've had in awhile. They were a hoot. One quest ended up deciding the trip wasn't for her. Another lady asked why there were cooks and not hot dogs, and said that her meal was the best meal she has ever eaten. She said that she isn't able to eat like this at home. And I learned that one man got hit in the face twice by a fish within a ten minute time span. Some of his stories we questionable, but he was pure entertainment for the night. These guests are middle to lower class folks, and they are often chosen from bars to come to this. Things they experience during this trip, kayaking, motocross, zip, repelling, aren't things they are able to do at home which to me makes my loneliness in the woods worth it. On day/night three (the big drinking night) I go to camp 3 for dinner and it was great talking once more to the guests to hear what all they did, saw and how they will never experience anything like this again. Its beautiful.

Well I had a sweet encounter during this 3 day trip that I would like to share. I was about 12ish feet from an adult black bear. No joke. On night 2 I walked out of the food and beverage tent (10pm and the only light I had was my headlamp) and low and behold there he was on the road. We looked at each other in fright and then he ran of. Totally the scariest night since I have been there.

Following that break there was a 6 day break in which I just hung out at camp, did some odds and ends and spent some quality time with my co-tender Dave at camp 3. It was nice having company, chillaxing, and enjoying conversation about life, nature, God, frustrations. Also, it was nice know that I wasn't the only one who gets lonely out here, and while we recognize the beauty and importantness of our job, it is honestly hard being alone so much. So that was nice. Real nice.

And then now to the last 4 days. This morning our second group of guests left, they were really cool too, very thankful which was very nice to hear. Nothing too exciting happened, but last night I was down by Falls Creek at camp 3 thinking and I got caught observing mosquito's flying or rather resting above the same location of the rapids. It reminded me of surfing and watching these huge waves come towards you, and how to me these rapid were small but to them I can hardly imagine their intensity. These little bugs I love killing, reminded me of how small I am to this vast universe, and just the beauty of God's creation. How little mosquito's can put me back in my place, can be bigger than me.

The last three days have been full of thunder, lightening, hail and rain, but from that beautiful rainbows and sky...

What I am learning from nature...

-After so many days your back doesnt appreciate cots.
-I have allergies to something out here and I hate moths! Therefore I got to bed before dark to avoid them at all costs.
-I really miss the people I have grown to love the most:family, friends, dog.
-Love is something I have trouble accepting and I am beginning to understand what it really is, what it means.
-You miss so much in life when you forget to stop and "smell the roses"
*you see God's hand in the world more clearly
*it stops becoming so much about yourself
*you have to learn again or for the first time how to trust God
*without others life is not complete: you have no one to share happiness, wonder, saddness, thoughts.

KMG trip

Yesterday (July 7) was perhaps my favorite day out here yet. I woke up at 7am to drive my car to the staging area and then biked my way back to camp. What a joke that was-I thought I totally had that trip in my pocket, but it killed me. Mountain biking in Montana to completely different than biking in Iowa. Oh my I thought I was gonna die.

Once I finally got back to camp I had to start getting ready for the guests to arrive. Although excited, I was nervous because this trip had to be as close to perfect as we could get. I move the "small" wood stack to a different location since the people came and mowed while I was away (they killed all my flowers and I'm sort of sad about it). I set up the amenities, decorated-it was absolutely a blast. After that I did a few odds and ends-it was a hurry up and wait day. Oh, and I got to restack the "large" wood stack with Diana. What another joke. Crap, how the hell do you make a wood stack, a freaking stack of wood look ascetic? Seriously, I think KMG really takes "wild" out of wilderness.

Once guests got there it was checking the Pa Ha Ques (the appropriate word for shitter tents or toilets), keeping the fire going. The guests, some were from my town which was kinda weird, weren't, well most weren't really excited about having to be on this trip which frustrated me. They seemed somewhat nice but you could tell they were watching your every move.

I finally made it to bed at 12:30 and then was back up at 4:45 to start the fire and turn on the lanterns. It was a good trip.

On a deeper note though, throughout the last week I've learned a lot about myself and how I respond to people. When people hurt me or I feel like I have to work hard to please people I tend to do wrong. Not intentionally- but I do. Its mostly about making sure people are happy with me, who I am, or if they are hurting me then they need to back away. I hate feeling like I can't be myself in order to fix my problems with others, and I hope that I can find a new way around things. Thats all folks.

I am heading back to camp tonight. We have the KMG, who puts this all together, coming on the 7th for the training camp which is the most important.

Well day three was kinda lame. We headed up to the moto course where the quests get to ride the motorcycles, but they werent set up enough for us to do it. So, we sat there most of the day doing nothing while the guides had emergency training which was good for them. A helicopter came in and everything. Then we actually went and did the zip line which was sweet, I was able to go through each part (theres two sections that cross Falls Creek) upside down, it was fun. Following that the tenders and food and beverage people went to the camp to set up and we took a little swim in the creek too-totally freezing but worth it. Then it was dinner and music around the campfire. Tomorrow we will finish training and then I am off until the 5th. I cant wait to sleep in a bed. Please pray that my immune system is able to hold up through the summer, my allergies are eating away at it, and I hurt my shoulder somehow.

I had to start early today, about 4:45. Since I am the tender I had to do my tender job-light lanterns, start fire, clean shitters, and keep the fire going. I was told that since they are mostly east-coasters they are awake at 5am, so I should have my stuff done by then. By 8 we were headed to our next location, the river where the campers would do kayaking and rafting down a 9 mile stretch which takes about 4-5 hours including a break for lunch. The mosquito's were horrible, I have 22 bites on my right leg alone. Following that adventure we made it back to camp 2 were we, like the campers, were greeted with Hummers which took us on an off road course. We were all able to drive them for 15 min on parts of the course. That was probably one of the most exciting things I have done in my life. You would go straight down a hill with riding the break, or having your foot on the break, this vehicle totally drives itself, its amazing. Anyways, then we ate lots of food and I headed to bed. It was a long day, and being sick hasn't been helping.

Today was the first day of training. It started at the Bozeman base where we got a pep talk and what was supposed to maybe be inspirational, but yeah it mostly put me to sleep. Following that they took us through what the guests would experience one their frist day. It was and is really cool to see what happens and imagine what is going through their heads since they have no idea what is going on. This whole thing, camping trip seems to be rather exelerating for them. Honestly I am quite jealous. We didnt get to my camp until about 10 in which we finally had dinner around 10:30. It was huge, snacks, appitizers, main course and dessert. We then discussed what would normally happen at night, star talk, and then broke into our groups (pods) and headed to bed.

I've been battling a cold and allergies for the last week. Its really starting to get to me. As long as I can get through training then I'll be okay for a few days.

We finished setting up all the tents which was good. So for the most part I am ready for training to start tomorrow.

Today was rather uneventful but a lot was accomplished. Training starts on Saturday, which is exciting because then we will finally understand what all takes place at this camp.

I went to camp 3 to help Dave set up the tents. That is perhaps one of my favorite camps, by the creek, Falls Creek, stunning. The water is clear and green and perfect for fishing and repelling course. Sometimes I wish I was at that camp, more to do for set up and fishing and repelling. However, I have inset problems and marmots and mice...gross.

Tonight is rather windy, however there was a beautiful sunset, the first I have stayed up for.

Today was rather great. I had company at my camp almost all day. Human interaction, yes please! We got the washrooms set up, they look sweet.

and then we organized the kitchen area....had the head base and location (camp) cook come talk about whatever kitchen stuff they thought was important. Then again, I was left to myself with the knowledge that there was bear shit on the road coming into camp. Oh goodness. But I'm alive for now.

Last night, the thunderstorms, was insane. It went from being pretty calm to out right scary. There were to distinct sets of storms. The first brought rain and and hit the hills to the east and west of camp. The second set hit the meadow, the lightening hit the meadow, right outside my tent. This light up my white canvas tent and the 'boom!' afterwards freaked me out. I thought I was going to be baked. No matter how hard I tried to sleep, how loud I turned up the music, I just couldn't. I was scared shitless. It was during this time that my body decided that it had to pee like 20 times, well 3, and so I exited my tent once it was safe enough. It was somewhat beautiful to see it in the distance, but the rain and hail brought me back inside.





Today some guys bought some goods to me. Rugs, tent stakes, non-alcoholic better (I guess they dont trust me with the real stuff). They require their staff to be 21 and then leave me with n-a beer which would take 8 to give you a little buzz but you would probably have a headache before that even came.


I weededed and cleaned deodorant bars for the guest. They better appreciate it every time they place that bar on their arm pit. Besides that I cooked my first meal, Cheddar-broccoli rice which tasted alright but took up time nonetheless. They day went by fast which is nice, I cannot wait for the quests to start arriving, cause right now this is sort of getting to me. Loneliness eats at my soul. So please pray for me, now until July 7.

So back out at camp, alone with my thoughts. It really frightens me, having time to think about things that really bother and upset me. Though accelerating, makes me uncomfortable, but I know that in the end, once I understand myself and who God is to me, I will, in a sense be set free.

Today in Sunday school, we discussed rewards, that God promises to reward us for what we do on earth. This frustrates me because I dont want to be a part of a Christianity that is based on rewards, but thats what makes it attractive. That is whats behind our actions. If Xianity didnt offer the notion of heaven and eternal life and hell, and even in Hinduism, recarnation, religions have nothing to offer. It reminds me of little kids, doing chores for money or some treat, and even students who study for an A but dont look consider what is being taught. It makes me wonder how many love and care for others because they want and care and how many do it because they want to receive recognition. When working at the nursing home, and even the hospital, I found myself angry at the way nurses and aides treated the patients. They did their job for the money but the respect they had for this generation of people, and even those who were still young but couldnt take care of themselves makes me ache. It was in that time, working there that I really began to understand unselfish love. A love that cared, that listened, that laughed, that sat in silence, that cried. They taught me what it meant to love without rewards. I dont want to become a person who loves for a good name, I want to love out of respect and understanding and because thats what God through Christ did for me.

Christ in his time on earth and suffering demonstrated to us how to love. He showed love by suffering with man, giving and receiving. The love he showed for man seemed lass selfish and demanding than that showed by his time.

Maybe because of experience and history, I want to believe in a God, to an extent, like that of Bonhoeffer's. I want be believe in a God whose love is revealed through suffering. I wan to believe that the Church is only the Church when it is for the people: it suffers with those who are suffering and relies on the people to survive. I want to believe in a Xian who loves because God loves, not for external or heavenly rewards. I want a Xian to be united with God as Christ through suffering, hardships but most importantly love for mankind. I want a humble, suffering Xianity.

Okay, now for camp update. Some sweet things happened at camp today. When I got back and opened my tent door there was a hummingbird, Black-Chinned (Archilochus Alexandri) to be exact (I looked it up) flying inside my tent trying to get out. The poor thing spent a long time trying to find freedom and finally made it. It sort of taught me a lesson, just watching the bird struggle, but Ill write about that some other day.

Then, as I am reading at the fire pit ( I started my first fire of the trip) a deer walked over, slowly creeping up to me. It was almost an arms lenght away before it scurried off.

But to end the night, I was provided with some entertainment by thunderstorms.

night one

so tonight i am stuck at home throwing up, but heres to my first night at camp.

i drove into camp, anxiously and exited for the days that laid ahead. wondering what this really meant for me, was i really okay with being in solitude.

as i sat there on the cot thinking about weither or not i would be able to sleep, would all i be thinking about was the possibility of bears coming into camp. but as i went to bed, earlier, a lot earlier, than normal, i found myself dwelling on the sounds around me-wind, birds (esp. owls), wind, grass, insects-and then it had to come to an end. i had to sleep. although the cot poked into my sides and i forgot some of my blankets at home and got a little cold, i haven't woken up so well rested in my life.

today i found myself reading. doing inventory of items. a little hiking and exploring. setting up the washrooms. reading. cooking.

it is so peaceful out there. knowing that there is no schedule, no obligations (except getting the little work i have to do done). there are clusters of blue, yellow and white everywhere. forget-me-nots (my favorite flower), shooitng -stars (atleast thats the Alaska term), lupines, wild yellow daises, and the names of the other one i havent learned yet.

Into the Wild

On Thursday, June 19, 2008 I will officially spend the first night in camp. I'm am now heading into the Crazies.


Some random information about the Crazy Mountians

The Crazy Mountains, often called the Crazies, are a mountain range in the northern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana. Spanning a distance of 40 miles (64 km), the Crazy Mountains are located between the Musselshell and Yellowstone rivers. The highest peak is Crazy Peak at 11,209 feet (3,417 m). Rising over 6,000 feet (1,830 m) above the Great plains to the east, the Crazies dominate their surroundings and are plainly visible just north of Interstate 90.The Crazy Mountains form an isolated island range east of the Continental Divide. Others include the Castle Mountains, Little Belt Mountains, Big Snowy Mountains, Little Snowy Mountains, Sweet Grass Hills, Bull Mountains and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka, the Long Pines and Short Pines.

Due to the eastern location, these mountains are drier and less densely forested than other mountain ranges in Montana and consequently, there are also only about 15 lakes found in the mountain range. The Crazy Mountains sit in both Gallatin National Forest and Lewis and Clark National Forest. The Crazies support a healthy herd of mountain goats and the occasional elusive wolverine.

Geological features of the Crazy Mountains include:Shields River South Fork Musselshell River Big Timber Creek Sweet Grass Creek Crazy Peak

The Crazies are almost completely surrounded by private lands making access into the mountains somewhat difficult, especially in the southern section where the highest peaks are located. The name Crazy Mountains is said to be a shortened form of the name "Crazy Woman Mountains" given them, in compliment to their original Crow name, after a woman who went insane and lived in them after her family was killed in the westward settlement movement.

Sad Update...

Due to the horrible weather-snow and rain-that has covered and ruined the roads to the camps, I will not be able to move into camp for another week. I am quite sad and disappointed, but am praying that God will bring some great weather to this lowly state, dry the roads and get me out in the wilderness soon.

Well I begin working tomorrow morning at 8:am in which we will begin by discussing the week's goals and then begin setting up the campsites. Pray that no more snow comes to the valley, because from what I am told right now there is snow at the area in which the zip-line will be set up and is finally melting around the area where my camp will be.

I will officially be moving into the mountains on Saturday night...which I am stoked about, I just hope that the weather decides it is time for summer. I'll keep you posted.

Intro...

This summer I will be working about 60 minutes, or 30 something miles west of Clyde Park, MT. I will be a camp tender at camp 1. What this entitles is that I will be cleaning and babysitting the camp, cleaning toilets (Rubbermaid container with a trash bag), enjoying the hopefully beautiful weather and God's creation.


I will be staying in the mountains everyday, even when I do not have campers, besides my two, four day vacations. On the forth day of each camp I will be able to go home and do laundry, which is good, therefore my stench will not attract the bears :D. I will keep this update whenever I am able.