A Different Era

     Until he was nine years old, Steve Welch lived in a house with Spring Creek in his front yard and the entire Blackfoot Valley for his backyard.  “We didn’t go on ‘hikes’ really.  Being outside is just what we did. We played outside, drank out of creeks, and hunted for gophers.  We were always outside.”  

     When Steve was nine, his parents bought a house in Lincoln. The new house had the advantage of having indoor plumbing and being within a quarter mile of the Blackfoot River.

      Living in the pristine Lincoln area taught Steve and his siblings respect and reverence for the land.  “We had the run of the entire Blackfoot valley. We just knew we should respect the land.  We knew we should respect other people’s property. There was only one posted “No Trespassing” sign in the whole valley.  We live in a different era now.  There are two reasons for that: 1) there are a lot of people moving here from out of state and buying land.  2)  There are too many people who abuse other people’s property.  They litter and don’t show respect in other ways.  I don’t blame people for closing off land when that happens.”  He says there are more people and more pressure on the land now.

      Steve has had some great adventures living the outdoor life. At age twelve he remembers riding bikes with a friend into Heart Lake to spend the night.  Heart Lake is located in what was called, at that time, the Lincoln back country.  The area is now the Scapegoat Wilderness.  Apparently, they picked the wrong time of year for a trip to the lake.  The mosquitoes were so bad that he and his friend gave it up and rode their bikes out in the dark.  The trail into Heart Lake is seven miles long.

     Steve has seen a fair amount of wildlife during his outdoor adventures, including bears, moose, a wolverine and many others.  Once while hunting up the Buffalo Horn in the Gallatin, Steve jumped a bull elk.  The elk spotted Steve and sped away.  After its departure, Steve noticed a mountain lion that was about 40 feet away, calmly observing him.   Possibly the lion decided Steve wasn’t a very tasty morsel because it strolled off after a few minutes.

     Another time, the Welch’s were canoeing on the Clearwater River when they spotted a bear out for an afternoon swim.  “He was diving into the water, floating, rolling over, and playing.  He had a big smile on his face,” recounts Steve.  His experience in the wild has led him to the conclusion that animals have unique personalities.  

     It was a pleasure to talk with Steve and learn of a few of his experiences and perspectives on the Great Outdoors.