Page Updated: August 22, 2023
Southwest Montana
Montana… miles and miles of sky. You can rest easy knowing the state’s moniker is accurate. Driving I-90 east through Lookout Pass the mountains eventually give way to a wide expanse of rolling hills covered in dry grass. Once the thick forests of conifers fade out and the sky stretches out forever, the scene resembles a gently tousled fleece blanket. Around St. Regis, I-90 crosses over the Clark Fork River. For the next 100+ miles the road and river wind together and cross one another more than a dozen times. I got tired of counting.
With the exception of a few smokey days Oregon, we escaped much of the early summer wildfire drama of the west. Once we made it east of Garrison, MT on travel day, things changed. The sky gucked up and turned ugly. At a rest stop near the Anaconda Smelter Stack, there was a stench in the air and curiosity had me google air quality. Turns out there’s an app for that. Maps indicated we were under multiple plumes from multiple fires burning in multiple states. The smoke shifted with the winds, and pics of the leg don’t accurately convey the smoke’s thickness. If it’s a hazy pic, it’s actually twice as bad as it appears.
Our Montana rental was so far out from civilization I was surprised we had power - it was glorious! A great place to hang out and decompress after several busy weekends in the Seattle area.
The house had a hunting cabin vibe – minus the forest… because that’s where my brain puts cabins. We arrived late evening and spooked a small herd of pronghorn grazing out front. But they quickly forgave us and joined us several evenings while we spent time porch rockin’, wine sippin’, and watching the dusk settle in.
Base camp for our three week leg was in Ennis — which, with the exception of a hydraulic rock breaker working post holes for a neighboring fence for about a week (can’t make this stuff up), sounds of a tractor cutting it's field across the river, and waking to choking smoke in the middle of the night, was pretty great. The location gave us a chance to relax away from the city, hit some caverns, drop by a ghost town, visit two national parks, and most importantly, hang out with nearby family.
THE LOCAL GRUB
Filet w
Mashed Potatoes
After a day of hiking with family, we dropped into Copper on E Main St in Bozeman for cocktails and an early dinner. Since it was early, we were able to get a table without a reservation. The food was great and the cocktails exceeded the expectation.
Breakfast w Frybread
A charming spot in the heart of Ennis, Yesterday’s Soda Fountain and Restaurant serves overly large portions of hearty meals. Inexpensive and delicious. Great Place for breakfast.
The menu for the Montana Club in Butte is beyond extensive. So many choices. Soups, salads, burgers. pastas, steaks and seafood… a lot. Lee landed on this burger - complete with Gouda, Cheddar, Bacon, Caramelized Onions, and Jack Daniels Glaze on think Sourdough bread.
Jack Daniel’s Melt
W Cheesy Fries
scenes from the leg!
THE FUN STUFF
09/04/2021
The key attraction in the state park of the same name, Lewis and Clark Caverns features limestone caverns full of helicities, stalactites, stalagmites, and columns…
Lewis and Clark Caverns
09/04/2021
Just a stop along Highway 287. Nothing flashy. Just a spectacular landscape behind a marker indicating its historical significance…
Bozeman Trail
09/06/2021
Located in Bozeman, MT, the Museum of the Rockies — an extension of Montana State University — is dedicated to the education of both the cultural…
Museum of the Rockies
09/07/2021
Great walk in the woods to the 80 ft vertical rock wall of beautiful Palisade Falls. Rated moderate for the incline. Nothing technical about it…
Palisade Falls
09/07/2021
Champagne Falls
Beautifully shaded forest trail running along Hyalite Creek with short side bits to a few falls big and small…
09/08/2021
We had 4 days/3 nights booked for our first trip to Yellowstone National Park. You’d think that would be enough time. It wasn’t…
Yellowstone National Park
09/09/2021
Since it’s so close to Yellowstone, we spent a day in Grand Teton National Park to see of we liked it enough to revisit later in life. We loved it…
Grand Teton National Park
09/18/2021
A national historic landmark, Virginia City, MT is the site of the richest placer gold strike in the Rocky Mountains…