Falling into It

It has been awhile, but we have done a lot.

We traveled to Hardin, MT last Monday.  We planned that stop to see the Little Big Horn Battlefield.  While I brought the camera, I forgot to get my card out of the computer.  It was going to be a hot day with temps around the 100 deg mark.  The campground, Grand View RV Park, has the driving tour CD's for checkout to drive the battlefield.  The CD cost $16.95 and was welcome.  It only takes about 1 1/2 hours to drive it and that was with stops to observe the terrain.

Regardless of individual feelings of the battle, Custer basically lost the battle because of lack of communication  between the elements which caused confusion among the troops and a break down of organization.

When we finished the drive it was 99 deg.  I was going to walk maybe 200 yds to the final marker.  It was uphill and about 2/3ds of the way I had to stop and catch my breath.  We left shortly after and went back to the MH and tried to stay cool.  Later that afternoon the breaker on my pole tripped 5 times.  Did I say it was HOT.

While there there were two harvest crews in the park.  Talking with one owner he told me he had 7 combines and all equipment necessary to go from field to field and harvest and take it to the market.  The farmer just pays him.  He doesn't make to the South because of the average size of the fields.  He said the biggest field he has been in was in North Dakota and was 11,000 acres.  Now that is a big field by anybody's standards.

We had met some people in Cedar Key, FL back in February and stopped in Big Timber, MT on Wednesday to say hi to Mike and Janna.  They are good folks and although we have only seen them twice now, it seems we are old friends. 

Now Big Timber did not look very big and I thought it would be a quick stop, but we were mistaken.  We stayed at Spring Creek RV Park and it was a pleasant surprise.  Although they did not have what was reserved we regrouped and had to move once, but we got our three days.  The site.

The Boulder River runs by the park and it really moves.  Mike says it drops 5000' from the top of the mountains to where it enters another river. 

At the edge of the Gallatin National Forest is the Natural Bridge.  The water runs out of the mountains there and had cut a bridge in the rock.  It has collapsed, but still goes underground and emerges downstream.  When there is a large run off it runs over the collapsed  bridge as there is too much water to go underground.

We had to move to another site in order to stay another night and have dinner with Mike and Jana.  They took us around the area to see some wildlife and scenery and we were not dismayed by either. This is some amazing country.

Dinner with Mike and Janna was great and the scenery was wonderful.  I kept my eye out for some of the bears they have seen lately, but did not see any.  Not really sure I really wanted to. :) Since it doesn't get dark until about 10 PM the evening crept away to soon.  We left with a nice picture of our friends.

We left Saturday and landed at exit 126 on I90, about 5 miles east of Clinton, MT.  Wanted to go to Missoula, MT about 20 miles away, but they didn't have room.  We are at Ekstroms Stage Station, Rock Creek, MT.  It is alright with 50 amp and sewer and I can get sat TV.  Everybody was walking around with fly fishing attire on.  I took a nap and then we drove up Rock Creek Road into the forest.  I had looked and saw that this road went all the way through and we could circle around Phillipsburg and back.  The road ran beside to creek for almost the whole way, 40 miles.  There were people fishing in a lot of spots.  When I got back, I went to the local mercantile to check it out.  I was informed that Rock Creek is one of the US Blue Ribbon Trout Fishing Streams. 

Now it has been a dream to catch a trout out of a mountain stream.  So, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to see if that could happen.  I now have a license, rod, reel, flys, and desire.  My neighbor in the park used to live here about 30 miles away and has come  back with family to do some fishing.  They went out last night and caught three in about 2 hours.  I'm ready and as you can see can get into the water.

Stay tuned for progress. :)