A Winter Outing

Since moving to Montana, Tim and I have grown a fondness for wispy, wild-harvest, Christmas trees. While some might call them (as several members of our family have) Charlie Brown trees, our love of them grows every year and their tree farm counterparts have begun to seem a bit overdone. I mean no slight on those tree-lot types as I've spent a good many cheery Christmases huddled around them, its just to say that our sensibilities have migrated during our years in the west. When we lived in Arlee, Tim and I would walk out our back gate and slip into the hills behind our house to trim a small scraggly bit of fir. We never knew whose land it was and never once saw another person tramping around back there.

Since we've been in Missoula, we've just selected a tree from one of the many tree-kiosks that spring to life in parking lots across town. The boys and I have waited coldly stamping our feet and blowing into our hands, while Tim has stood up one tree after another for our appraisal. This year, however, we decided to do it right.

On Thursday, the boys and I drove to the Lolo National Forest headquarters to buy a permit ($5) which entitled us to cut one tree (under twelve feet) from anywhere in the forest, save designated recreation or wilderness areas. Today, the four of us, met up with our good friends the Earnests, and bundled off to the Lee Creek drainage just beyond Lolo Hot Springs. The year has been remarkable for its lack of snow and unseasonably warm temperatures. Our friends have a tradition of harvesting their Christmas tree up Lee Creek and usually have to snowshoe in some distance beyond where the road is closed, but as there was no snow this year we drove up, parked to one side of the narrow two-track, and jumped across the small creek. Ally and I set up a winter picnic: oranges, pumpkin pie and almonds, hot chocolate and peppermint tea. The kids got down to the business of munching and climbing over logs while the dads scouted out trees. In a few minutes each family had a beautiful fir and plenty of extra greenery for door swags. The sky pitched gloriously blue above the ridge and we sat enjoying the sunshine, the winter light, the sound of the creek shuttling by. I have loved every Christmas tree that has ever graced my life, but this one stands alone for its memorable retrieval.

Winter Picnic

The boys


Corin, Seth, Ella, Margaux


Lindsay and Ally


Ice on Lee Creek