Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 14 is a delicacy. David commented that by the time they were able to head to town in the spring he went from a dedicated carnivore to a hard- core vegetarian for a couple of weeks. "We kind of had it down to a science by the end," David said. Protecting food from animals has always been an issue for those living in remote ar- eas. Many early pioneers stored what they needed in tall caches to prevent bears from reaching it. For the Wilsons, their nemesis was mice. "One mouse could destroy a third of your winter food," he said, but with a couple of effective cats and well-sealed totes, they kept their rice, lentils, flour, sugar, and other dry goods safe. HARSH LESSON Daily life developed a type of rhythm, yet David experienced a jarring wake-up call at work during their first season. One day while he was working in the shop, completely wrapped up in his project, he lost track of time. When he finally looked outside, it was dark. The walk from the shop to the chalet is only a few hundred yards; it's an absolutely lovely stroll during the summertime. But in the winter, it's surreal. Howling wind and utter blackness make finding the path daunting. David said he focused on the light of the chalet to navigate around the nine-foot-high snow- drifts as best as he could. Despite having walked this route hundreds of times, he said, "I veered off. I had a good lan- tern, but I walked out onto the lake a little bit." The lake was frozen, but he unknowingly ventured onto soft ice near the waterfall, falling through to his knees. Fortunately, he quickly extricated himself and scrambled to solid ground. "It was a terrible, terrible mistake. It could have cost me my life," he said. "I was terrified." It proved a valuable learning experi- ence: A misstep in these circumstanc- es can spell death. LIVING THEIR BEST LIFE Although David had a lengthy list of projects keeping him busy, he and Rebecca took advantage of the extraordinary opportunity to have the area to themselves when the weather cooperated. On relatively calm days, they grabbed their skis or snowboards to see the area as others rarely experience. David said early in the season, before the snow was too deep, they hiked to Grin- nell Glacier, yet as the snow increased, they limited their range. David said they tried to stay out in the open. "You don't get too close to the mountains because of avalanche danger." Once the lakes were frozen, they often skied across Josephine Lake, around Swiftcurrent Lake, or even climbed up the open slope of Mount Atlyn for a unique perspective on their wintertime home. The Wilsons also enjoyed the entertaining company of the local wildlife. The bighorn sheep were fairly consistent residents Spending five mons geer IN THIS REMOTE, HARSH ENVIRONMENT IS AS MUCH OF A MENTAL CHALLENGE AS ANYTHING PHYSICAL

• Cover