What to do after Livingston? First wk in October ...

We drove west to Pioneer Moutains Scenic Byway, thru Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, south of Wise River.  Granite peaks of the Pioneer range to the east top 10,000 feet, and gentler, more forested terrain prevails to the west.

Lodgepole pine forests mixed with golden Aspen, mountain meadows and broad willow bottoms created such a glorious panorama that we couldn’t stop oohing and aahing.  Such a stellar drive.

This is also open range and ranchers pay the Forest Service about $5/head per month to graze their cows and first-year calves. Tis a beautiful unfenced byway, but we had to dodge juicy cow floppers – bovines seem to think it is great sport to evacuate their bowels on the road!  Poop alert!

We aimed for Crystal Park, a unique area set aside for recreational mineral collecting: Digging for quartz crystals.  Though we’d seen photos online, we weren’t quite prepared for what we saw -- a mountain pockmarked by deep holes and huge dirt mounds, like a bombed out war zone with trees uprooted and tilting crazily … all done by eager folks looking for “the mother lode” of crystals. 

 

Acres and acres (a whole mountain!) to dig for crystals!

We took our rock hammers, a new folding shovel, and joined right in! We didn’t quite find the mother lode, but our RV weighs a bit more today than it did yesterday. We found some lovely, small crystal clusters.

A mile or two further down the road in a Lodgepole pine forest we discovered Price Creek C/G operated by the Forest Service. At 7,800’, it’s officially closed for the season, but it's open to campers for free till the snows come. Totally empty, we moved in. No hookups to be had, but we got along fine thanx to solar panels, large holding tanks, and our trusty catalytic propane heater. 

 

Here we sit surrounded by forest (not people!).

Comfortable!

Operable water pump (bring muscles).

After dark we turned out our lights, and went outside to look at the heavens. Picture this: No moon, no clouds, no wind, no lights and profound quiet (except for the occasional bawling of a cow … like a foghorn).  Ohmigosh, brilliant stars and a luminous Milky Way, a planet or two, even two shooting stars – we stood reverently for long minutes taking it all in.  Wow, is all I can say!

On Sunday we drove a few miles and then hiked in to Coolidge Ghost Town/Elkhorn Mine.  Enlarge the map of town for a better look.

Cans were thrown behind the houses.

Dessicated cow patty umbrella!

We entered a falling-down ghost town ....

 

 

One house remained standing.

Another couple wandered by and took our pic.

Around the turn of the century, Elkhorn Mine was a successful silver mine and Coolidge was a thriving community on Elkhorn Creek. When the mine was no longer profitable, it closed and the town followed suit. Today all that remains are falling down wooden structures and a mine that was disabled and is now unfathomable to imagine.  An interesting hike through time, trying to piece the town and mill together like a zigsaw puzzle with missing pieces -- impossible to do.  But it was fun trying.

Fallen in.

What's left of 2-acre Elkhorn Mine Mill.

Overview of huge mine structure.

Hah!  And on our way back to the RV, we stopped one more time at Crystal Park. The “mother lode” beckoned…!