Montana, of course! Tues-Sat, 7/19-7/23

Briefly, we left Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Park Tuesday morning in a thunderstorm, and drove to Forsyth, Montana, where we set up and braved yet another bigger, stronger thunderstorm! Smartie, our bicycles, and Tergel are covered in dust, dirt, and road grime like never before. The day was a cooker by the time we stopped at a small campground in Forsyth, which is in eastern Montana. We had a lunch date in Billings with friends on Wednesday before continuing on to to Livingston by late afternoon, and it all worked out splendidly.

Eastern Montana is ranch land, open ranges and the occasional abandoned cabin.

Killer view of the Yellowstone River in Eastern Montana.

If you recognize this sign, then you know we're in Livingston, Montana! Though we couldn't camp at our favorite place (Rock Canyon RV Park) because they closed their doors after 43 years, we wangled two nights at Osen's. We loved staying at Rock Canyon -- right on the river, close to town, and on the bike trail. Really sorry they're no longer in business. But, we love coming to Livingston -- it feels like a second hometown.

 

At Osen's, we closed our shades and got the A/C going -- it was H.O.T. We were happy that we arrived on Wednesday afternoon, because by 4:30 we were at the Wednesday market, buying eggs, Flathead cherries, lettuces ... and an apple pie. Another favorite of ours ... the market, that is. 

It just stared at me, unafraid, and didn't move, even tho I moved closer and closer.

Thursday found us on our bikes, as we usually do in Livingston, pedaling to Carter's Bridge (above), and back into town. We dropped in at our friend, Kim's, shop (below) -- Copper Moose Oil and Vinegar, and even bought a couple of goodies. Man, I tasted some fantastic oils and vinegars! Following this, we bought a sandwich at The Pickle Barrel and had a nice visit with the owner. Easy biking in Livingston.

And we pedaled past Livingston's Carnegie Library (circa 1903), but didn't venture in today.

Along the trail ....

I figured out this is a win/win for horses.  Not only does the swish of a tail brush flies off your own backside, but it takes care of your friend's face.  We've seen lots of horses standing nose-to-tail like this.

Thursday evening after dinner, we took our fishing poles and a small container of night crawlers to the Yellowstone at Rock Canyon to try our luck.  The river was down, but what really thwarted us were swimmers and dogs and two swimming muskrats near where we throw in our lines.  Obviously we didn't catch any fish, but the evening was so fine, beautiful really, and our friends greeted us with warmth.  After a bit we gave up the fishing and simply sat on the bench to appreciate our great good fortune to be where we were. 

As we drove to Osen's, we gasped when we saw the western fire-in-the-sky! The sunset was so vividly red, it looked like a forest fire, but it was nature's way of bidding us goodnight.

Friday morning, we broke camp early and hit the road. From Livingston to Bozeman and south toward Idaho. We made it all the way to Cactus Pete's in Jackpot, Nevada -- 430 miles. Long day. You know we were grateful to have W/E, so we could use the A/C.

Saturday morning we were on the road before 9am again. From Jackpot to I-80 and then we just kept going, changing drivers every couple of hours. Sometimes we chatter away, sometimes we're quiet, but the tires keep rolling. A brief stop for a lunch of yogurt and granola and we were on our way again. Our aim was Battle Mountain, but we gained an hour when we entered Pacific time, so it was too early to stop; next was Winnemucca, but there were many hours of daylight left. We tried to stay in Lovelock, but couldn't find a campground, and returned to I-80, towards Reno. At that point, we knew we were only two hours from Nevada City, so ... we drove home. 492 miles today.

Two days from Livingston to home: 922 miles. We were dog tired when we walked in the door, happy to be home, somewhat daunted as to what had to be done, but we had no time frame and could pace ourselves. (Jimmy and I both have medical appt's this upcoming week.) 10 weeks on the road and all of it good, tho we had bips and bumps. We'd never traveled the northern tier of the US in summer, and didn't much care for the weather, but wet days didn't deter us. My brother's heart problem was a real bump, but the best news is he was released to go home on Tuesday (7/19).

My sister asked me what "events" we had next planned. After getting everything squared away, we'll take some short hops hither, tither or yon. Hope to be in the mountains some to escape the heat, but we're happy to be home.

Playing! Fishing! Sunday/Monday - July 21st and 22nd

River otters are the cutest critters!  Splashing, playing, diving, they do it all, and they look like they're having a great time, too!  But ... when fishermen are present with their lines in the water, the otters need to play elsewhere!  They scatter the fish.  We see these otters - Mom and three young - frequently at Rock Canyon RV Park.  This morning we watched them frolicking in the shallow waters on the opposite bank of the Yellowstone.  Play-time went on and on.  Then, they swam close - their den is to the right in the photo below. 

 Two of the three youngsters popped their heads up to look at me,

as if to say, "What's up, dude?"  They're already good-sized.

All three popped up just below where Jimmy was fishing.  He pitched a small light-weight stick at them.  They dove and disappeared into their den just to the right of the point.  A short time later, Mom appeared - with a fish in her mouth - and swam into the den.  I tippy-toed across the boulders above the den and could hear fish bones crunching as she and/or the kids consumed the fish!

After all that commotion, Jimmy caught this nice brown trout.  One of several trout he caught this last day at Rock Canyon.

Serenity.

* * * * *

Monday morning we pulled out after one month (plus a few days) heading to Billings, which is approx 115 miles east.  We didn't get away early because friends kept coming over to bid us a fond farewell.  Made our hearts feel happy, but heavy at the same time having to leave our friends.  We enjoyed our stay at Rock Canyon very much this year.  Farewell, dear people, till we meet again!  Safe travels to all....

Beautiful full moon rising over Billings.

Just one more day? Saturday, 7/20/13

Another hot one today!  Donna and I decided to walk from our campsites to a point on the Yellowstone River neither of us had ever been able to access before.  Now that the river flow has changed, we can.  We both waded in water to our ankles in our sneakers and sox, which was no big deal, 'cause the water felt cool and we can rinse shoes and wash sox!  While we hiked over rocks, Jimmy, and Donna's husband, Danny, and his brother Fred were all parked on boulders alongside the river behind the RV park ... fishing!  Jimmy hauled in one trout after another!  O yay!

 

When Donna and I got to the point, this was what we saw!

Boaters and mergansers - they get around!

 

A never-before photo of the RV park (by me, anyway) from the opposite side of the river.  Tergel's dinette side shows up really well (left center) perched on high ground above the boulders.  What a view we have daily of the Absaroka/Beartooth mountains to our south.  The guys (and gals) fish from these huge boulders (riprap).

How about this for a fine day's catch?  The biggest fish (brown trout) measured 18".  Really nice eating.  They're all in the freezer.  Not much room for anything else in that freezer, either (but we don't care)!

 

Saturday evening, Donna, Danny, and Fred hosted a fish dinner at Donna's RV.  Those fellas have been fishing fools - look at all the trout!  Their freezers are full, too.  The guys provided the fish and the rest of us brought a dish to share.  Oh my goodness, we ate well.  And we had a wonderful time!

I didn't get everybody in the picture.  Standing extreme left is Tom, followed by Robbie, Bob, Fred and Jimmy.  Right, rear is Donna, with Susan in the foreground.  Danny must be at the grill.  And me, I'm taking the picture.  Wish we could've gotten a photo of everyone toasting another fun-filled month, another good year at Rock Canyon RV Park (but we were busy, eating!).

Beating the Hot Summer Heat - Friday, 7/19/13

Friday looked to be a hot one in Livingston, Montana.  Perfect day for kayaking down the Yellowstone, this time from Mallard's Rest to Carter's Bridge, a road distance of about eight miles.  River miles would be more, 'cause that ol' river doesn't follow a straight line!  Today - unlike the last time - was full of sun!  Jimmy and I took our tandem inflatable Sea Eagle kayak.  Tom and Susan rented one from Rubber Ducky.  

Wednesday afternoon and evening spawned some terrific thunderstorms with torrential downpours in south-western Montana, altho we at Rock Canyon RV Park caught only a tail-end of one storm.  South of here (and just north of Gardiner, which is the north entrance to Yellowstone Nat'l Park), a nasty landslide of mud and rock closed Hwy 89, the only road in/out of that north entrance.  Thursday we stood at the river's edge in the campground and watched - aghast - as that muddy water crept its way downstream, overtaking the aqua-blue water with something that looked like cafe au lait.  The historic ghost town of Bannack MT, founded in 1862, where we camped a month ago, was all but destroyed by a flash flood... from the same storm system. 

By Friday, however, the river had cleared up, for which we were grateful.  Who wants to float in a muddy river?  Here we are below, ready to launch at Mallard's Rest on the west side of the Yellowstone River.

Jimmy near our kayak, Tom and Susan by their rented kayak.

Fishing didn't go so well, as the water was up and exuberant!

Off we go!

Parts of the river are lined with rock cliffs, other areas are nearly flat, but chock full of rocks. Susan and Tom are paddling toward us!

Much of the water today looked like this, some even more so, probably due to Wednesday's rain.  We literally rocketed (and bumped) toward Carter's Bridge.

Yay!  Successfully navigated another patch of white water!  We were all pretty wet by the end of the paddle, but we enjoyed the whole outing immensely.

Some cliff banks were pocked with swallow nests.  Near the center of this picture, you can see two little guys peeking out at us from their nest hole.  Swallows flit everywhere over the water.

We stopped briefly along the way to eat a bit of lunch, and then continued on our way.  Carter's Bridge is seen in the distance, our take-out point on the east side, and along about here is when the headwind blasted us and we had to pull hard to get to the other side of the bridge.  None of us can pinpoint exactly how long we were on the water - several hours we all agree, of a thrilling river excursion!

Back "home" in Rock Canyon, with everybody showered and dinner finished, we cooled off as we relaxed on the benches at river's edge.  We were tuckered out from our excellent adventure.  The temp was way down from a high of 93, thank goodness.  We watched the sun set on yonder cliff in glorious Technicolor.

That's a fishy story, uh-huh! Wednesday, 7/17/13

Our Montana day began as usual, with Momma Merganser and her kids swimming upstream in the Yellowstone River.  We see them almost every day, morning and evening.  As you see in the picture below, she has a passel of kids!  Maybe she's baby-sitting, too! They look to be well-trained !

Jimmy and I decided to go further afield (or a-stream in this case) to catch some trout, and drove north on Hwy 89 out of Livingston.  We drowned a worm or two in the Shields River with no success.  We did spot this handsome Mule Deer lass on a hill overlooking Shields River.

We turned off 89 onto a completely out-of-the-way gravel road called 16-mile (north of Wilsall).  One of the first things we saw were these stupid-is-as-stupid-does black cows staring at us.  They're on one side of a cattle guard and I'm on the other.  They can't cross it.  I can.  I took two steps closer and they all took off!  The rest of the herd was watching (out of the picture) and probably laughing! 

After a few miles we came to a brook leading into a reservoir.  Jimmy threw his line in and immediately caught a "brookie."   A few minutes later, I hauled in this excellent rainbow trout!  I FINALLY caught a fish!  A nice, big rainbow trout.  Both the brookie and the rainbow put up a fight!  How about that catch?

Biting bugs were plaguing me, so I took a path to get to Smartie (white dot in the distance beyond the reservoir), while Jimmy walked around the reservoir to the willows in the distance.

Jimmy (red arrow) continued to fish for a while, but had no luck.  We took home those two fine fish.  We were alone here and it was very peaceful, very pretty.

We spotted this abandoned homestead on Hwy 89, and it just looked so ... lonesome?  Doncha just wonder, sometimes, who lived here, the whys of and what happened?  I do.

And, wrapping up this day, my beloved fisherman drops a line in the Yellowstone (smooth as glass), thinking maybe one more bite, one more fish.  The evening was a beauty, as you can see, and it was a pleasure just being outside to enjoy it.

Testing the New Bikes on a Monday - 7/15/13

Our friends, Fred, and Donna and Danny, agreed to take us up to the "top" of Mill Creek Road where it intersects with Colley Creek.  They took their fishing gear and our bikes.  All of it and us in Danny's truck.  The elevation where they dropped us off is approx 6700'.  In Sept 2010, we rode part of Mill Creek, but this year we decided to ride all the way to Rock Canyon RV Park - a distance of about 35 miles.  Lots of it downhill - the elevation of our RV park in Livingston is around 4600'.  The new bikes handled well, esp on the gravel.  We still had to dodge potholes and washboarding, and I didn't want to get up too much speed on gravel.  Asphalt begins after roughly 10 miles on Mill Creek Road, and when we hit a steep downhill, we got those bikes up to 30 mph!  Yeehaw!  Stopping to take photos was a problem, as the summer flying insects were a terrible pest.  We stopped twice to visit our fishing friends as they moved downstream and we pedaled downhill.  We had a glorious run down Mill Creek Road.

Enlarging this map helps.  Livingston is on the left, with I-90 running thru it.  We stopped at rural Pine Creek School to fill up our empty water bottles.  There's a well with a blue-handled pump in front that gushes the best thirst-quenching water I've ever tasted!  We were mighty hot by then.  The temp reached 91 degrees today.  Map: (http://itouchmap.com/?d=781509&s=MT&f=stream)

Here we are at the top with our new Cannondale 29'ers, ready to conquer the road!  Bought these fine bikes at Round House Bike Shop in Bozeman MT.  After 11 years of rough use on our old Cannondales, we treated ourselves to new wheels.

The area at our start point was destroyed by wildfire in 2007, but now abounds with wildflowers.  Harebells, sticky geraniums, buttercup, and many more.

 Jimmy rounds the curve in the distance.  Mill Creek rips alongside the road.

Buttercups with a friend.

A few miles downhill, all traces of the burn are gone.  Beautiful scenery surrounds us.

 Still on the gravel, here comes Jimmy.

When I spotted a skull high above the road, we stopped to see if we could fetch it.  Jimmy attempted to climb straight up, which didn't work.  I found a diagonal route and retrieved it where it had been jammed onto a stick.  The skull is a white dot in the greenery above Jimmy's head.

A cow elk head souvenir!
Brought her partially back in a pannier, and Danny took it the rest of the way.

On East River Road, headed north toward Livingston,
we encountered all manner of domestic creatures and deer.

Because of close proximity to the Yellowstone, osprey nest platforms dot the river.  This osprey chirped as I stopped to photograph it (chirp speak for go away, go away!).

Gorgeous field of yellow (dunno what).  Still enough snow on yonder mountain (middle) to see the white X (marks the spot). 

And then, oh heck, when we got to Pine Creek, we ran into this -- literally.  This is where we filled our water bottles @ Pine Creek school.  With eight miles to go, we had to ride on hot, smelly, still-sticky asphalt.  Didn't like this part, although, we had NO traffic!  And we didn't have to follow the pilot car, either!