Thursday, May 04, 2006
Mental and Physical Ramblings
I walked today at lunch. I went somewhere I haven't been before. It struck me that this is the 5th time in working for our agency I have been stationed in Anaconda. I have been on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor of our office building. That's 8 jobs in Anaconda from 1972 to 2006 (Social Worker I and III, Elig Sup, Acting County Director, County Director and now Field Manager plus Juvenile Probation in 73-74 and Warm Springs State Hospital in 72)
Anyway, I walked up Birch St. to the top. This is the steepest street in Anaconda. I have been up the street numerous times, but never walked past the last house and up into the gulch. There is a trail that follows the flume that runs from Storm Lake to the Smelter and on to Butte. I had driven the trail years ago, but never climbed the hill on foot. The street is steep, and then the trail becomes even steeper. I believe the south hill at that point is steeper than the north hills above the golf course where there are real walking trails. I have been told the kids used to have keg parties up there as you can see all directions and escape before the police arrive. An associate tells me he missed one party in high school when the police sealed off all the avenues of escape and were able to make numerous arrests. Also in days past kids would ride their sleds and toboggans down the Birch Hill and all the way across Commercial and the BAP tracks. Several years ago a couple of kids floor boarded their car coming down this hill and T’boned a police car on Commercial Ave.
I followed the trail across the “C” hill to Sheep Gulch behind the courthouse. From there the descent becomes gentler. Across the Sheep Gulch road I followed a trail that winds up the hill and parallels road. It is nice being in Anaconda. I am able to walk most days I am here. I also am finding a lot of memories over the last 34 years. I remember working at WSSH and missing our AFSC work party near the end of the summer. I had gone into Anaconda with Johnny Cheek and drove around all afternoon. He was director of the recreation department at Warm Springs. I got back and one of the girls I worked with felt sorry I missed the party. She took me back to Anaconda to have a pizza at the Hofbrau. After a few beers we decided to drive up to the smelter. We went right through the guard station! Security soon caught up to us and turned us around. No other consequences!
I walked today at lunch. I went somewhere I haven't been before. It struck me that this is the 5th time in working for our agency I have been stationed in Anaconda. I have been on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor of our office building. That's 8 jobs in Anaconda from 1972 to 2006 (Social Worker I and III, Elig Sup, Acting County Director, County Director and now Field Manager plus Juvenile Probation in 73-74 and Warm Springs State Hospital in 72)
Anyway, I walked up Birch St. to the top. This is the steepest street in Anaconda. I have been up the street numerous times, but never walked past the last house and up into the gulch. There is a trail that follows the flume that runs from Storm Lake to the Smelter and on to Butte. I had driven the trail years ago, but never climbed the hill on foot. The street is steep, and then the trail becomes even steeper. I believe the south hill at that point is steeper than the north hills above the golf course where there are real walking trails. I have been told the kids used to have keg parties up there as you can see all directions and escape before the police arrive. An associate tells me he missed one party in high school when the police sealed off all the avenues of escape and were able to make numerous arrests. Also in days past kids would ride their sleds and toboggans down the Birch Hill and all the way across Commercial and the BAP tracks. Several years ago a couple of kids floor boarded their car coming down this hill and T’boned a police car on Commercial Ave.
I followed the trail across the “C” hill to Sheep Gulch behind the courthouse. From there the descent becomes gentler. Across the Sheep Gulch road I followed a trail that winds up the hill and parallels road. It is nice being in Anaconda. I am able to walk most days I am here. I also am finding a lot of memories over the last 34 years. I remember working at WSSH and missing our AFSC work party near the end of the summer. I had gone into Anaconda with Johnny Cheek and drove around all afternoon. He was director of the recreation department at Warm Springs. I got back and one of the girls I worked with felt sorry I missed the party. She took me back to Anaconda to have a pizza at the Hofbrau. After a few beers we decided to drive up to the smelter. We went right through the guard station! Security soon caught up to us and turned us around. No other consequences!
