Montana trip

[Wildlife]

Next trip west will be grand Teton or yellowstone.

Try to hit the snake river for a raft trip, it's the only way to really enjoy what's happening at the base of the Tetons. Awesome area to spend days for outdoor lovers.

Northwestern parts of Yellowstone area in Wyoming. 'The Grand Teton Mountains' & 'The Sake River' are in the background attached taken 23 years ago. I have some good friends that have a beautiful ranch just outside of Jackson Hole.

The big belt mountains in Montana is where I'm most interested in settling if my dream was to come true, just outside of Helena.

 

[RedCloud]

Try to hit the snake river for a raft trip, it's the only way to really enjoy what's happening at the base of the Tetons. Awesome area to spend days for outdoor lovers.

Northwestern parts of Yellowstone area in Wyoming. 'The Grand Teton Mountains' & 'The Sake River' are in the background attached taken 23 years ago. I have some good friends that have a beautiful ranch just outside of Jackson Hole.

This big belt mountains in Montana is where I'm most interested in settling if my dream was to come true, just outside of Helena.

Libby, Whitefish, or Columbia Falls would be my short list of places to live out there.

 

[Clay Showalter]

Figure we will do late October. Summer crowd should be back to early spring levels by then. I've seen twin lakes near Hamilton frozen over in mid June. Crazy stuff for sure lol

you will see snow starting in October, would make for some beautiful scenery

 

[RedCloud]

you will snow starting in October, would make for some beautiful scenery

That's what I'm hoping for. It'll be a bonus to hear the bull elk bugle in the valleys

 

[Wildlife]

Libby, Whitefish, or Columbia Falls would be my short list of places to live out there.

My last year living in Montana,was in 1990, I was offered a job in Libby to do high voltage underground distribution work and I turned it down. Libby gets blasted with snow every year because they're on the west side of the continental, which they used to get some real harsh winters back then. There's been many of times where I felt like kicking myself in the ass for not taking that job, but if I did, I would've probably never met all you good folks

 

[RedCloud]

My last year living in Montana,was in 1990, I was offered a job in Libby to do high voltage underground distribution work and I turned it down. Libby gets blasted with snow every year because they're on the west side of the continental, which they used to get some real harsh winters back then. There's been many of times where I felt like kicking myself in the ass for not taking that job, but if I did, I would've probably never met all you good folks

If I would have had a job offer right out of guide school I would have stayed out there and been in the same boat. Life has many roads and things all happen for a reason.

 

[finelyshedded]

Beautiful pictures Adam! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Isaacorps]

Awesome trip, Adam! Glad you got some well deserved R&R

 

[giles]

Just don't pet the bears

Looks like a good trip!

 

[Mickey Merrie]

Next trip west will be grand Teton or yellowstone.

Both excellent choices, but drive over the Big Horn Mountains on your way there! The Teton's were my favorite place until I saw the Big Horn's

 

[Clay Showalter]

Both excellent choices, but drive over the Big Horn Mountains on your way there! The Teton's were my favorite place until I saw the Big Horn's

Agreed

 

[Mickey Merrie]

Agreed

Clay, I think you would agree that they should actually drive up and over the Big Horns on their way to the East Gate of Yellowstone.
We ran 14 from 90 from Ranchester to Grey Bull then through Cody to East Gate all on 14. Beautiful! I will be back and will run every road on The Big Horns next time!

 

[RedCloud]

Best thing I did on this trip was while eating breakfast one morning. Wife and I went to the condo clubhouse to grab a quick breakfast so we could get out and explore for the day. I asked the waitress who was a little older lady "what do the locals like to do for fun" I don't think this lady has ever had a visitor ask her for her thoughts of what to do. She looked at me with a blank face. I said sure, I could walk out to the lobby and pull every brochure that's out there but I'm not going to. I told her I wanted some fun stuff to do that wasn't going to break the bank. That lady lit up and just started rambling on and on about places to go and things to do. She said her parents use to take them up to the expansion bridge, drive up the N. Fork to a little place called Polebridge and get some pastries, horseback ride at Swan Mountain Outfitters. We did all the things this lady recommended and had a blast doing it. I think I'll keep asking locals the same question everywhere we go.

 

[RedCloud]

Just incase anybody wants to bitch about orange barrels around here for road construction... this is what they do out west when they decide to redo roads. They rip up every bit of asphalt and put down base and have cones to mark the edges of the road

 

[Mickey Merrie]

View attachment 182784
View attachment 182785
Just incase anybody wants to bitch about orange barrels around here for road construction... this is what they do out west when they decide to redo roads. They rip up every bit of asphalt and put down base and have cones to mark the edges of the road

That is the state flower here in Pennsylvania!

 

[Clay Showalter]

Clay, I think you would agree that they should actually drive up and over the Big Horns on their way to the East Gate of Yellowstone.
We ran 14 from 90 from Ranchester to Grey Bull then through Cody to East Gate all on 14. Beautiful! I will be back and will run every road on The Big Horns next time!

We left buffalo on 16, stayed at middle fork campground then took 16 across the mountains down to Ten Sleep then up 20 to Grey Bull on to Cody and East Gate and I agree the Big Horn mountains are more impressive to drive through than the Grand Tetons, the cool part of them is the fact that you can stand at the base and see a peak 6,000 feet higher than where you are looking from.

All that being said, we will explore more of the Big Horn mountains when we go back. Sounds like you did the northern part and we did the southern part.

 

[Mickey Merrie]

We left buffalo on 16, stayed at middle fork campground then took 16 across the mountains down to Ten Sleep then up 20 to Grey Bull on to Cody and East Gate and I agree the Big Horn mountains are more impressive to drive through than the Grand Tetons, the cool part of them is the fact that you can stand at the base and see a peak 6,000 feet higher than where you are looking from.

All that being said, we will explore more of the Big Horn mountains when we go back. Sounds like you did the northern part and we did the southern part.

More the middle part. 14 splits up on the top and so there is a more northern section called 14A, then there is the more northern area in the Crow Reservation of Montana.

After your description, I have to go back!

 

[Mickey Merrie]

Things to do in Bighorn National Forest: Tips for visiting Bighorn Mountains

Driving from Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore you will be amazed by the beauty of the Bighorn National Forest. Let's find out its attractions

www.travelinusa.us

Directions - Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

My wife, who thinks camping involves a Hilton, loved this area ans wants to return there. Through most of Yellowstone and the Tetons she looked for outlet malls. The strange thing is she is 1/4th First Nation and her father worked out there with the CCC's back in the 30's. Her parents were from Kentucky and her grandparents were hold outs who didn't get rounded up in the Trail of Tears... She remembers her mom talking about relatives coming down from the mountains and pitching Tee Pees in her grandparents yard each summer.

With our daughter, son in law and grandchildren living just west of Omaha I think a trip is in order next year when the kids get out of school next May/June.