Bridger - Missoula - Glacier NP

BATTLE RIDGE CABIN

Snowshoeing

GRIZZLY BEARS BOZEMAN

Maxwell 8 feet tall.

Bella

NORTH YELLOWSTONE 

Another visit to YNP. The great thing about the park, as you know, is access and being able to see everything from your car. The landscape, mountains, geothermal and wildlife.

Compared to Fiordland NZ, a World Heritage Site 50% larger than YNP,  access is so limited few people ever get to see it.

Yellowstone is unique in this regard. Theodore Roosevelt was well ahead of his time, in 1872 declaring a National Park. A world first.

Red Fox 

Bighorn Sheep. These are very rare to see.

Elk

Bison

Pronghorn Antelope 

Chico Hot Springs - Paradise Valley

No Sulphur smell, water crystal clear not filtered. 39°c. A peaceful way to end the day on our return to Bozeman.

Bridger Bowl Ski 

Shop Notice

The checkout chick obviously had received grief from some 'gripper'. Must have really pissed her off.

WINCO Supermarket 

Maybe a female only store in Bozeman???

Prickly Pear Cactus on special $2.78/lb

Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, lived on these.  Edible when peeled, apparently. 

Missoula 

The Golden Spike

On the road to Missoula stopped at the spot where, the Northern Pacific Transcontinental Railway line, east meets west and the, golden spike was hammered home. This is at the confluence of  Independence Creek and the Clark Fork River. This line linked Seattle to Minneapolis.

From this point the Clark Fork River joins the Blackfoot River and eventually, via the Pend Oreille River, flows to the Columbia River, the last leg to the Pacific Ocean.

Econo Hotel note: zoom in.

Carousel 

I have not seen one of these since the AMP shows in Auckland around the late 1950s. Met Jeff, who explained all the workings, he liked our accents! The original electric, 10 HP, motor has been going strong for 110 years.  When cranked it hits speeds of eight miles an hour making it necessary for the outside riders be strapped on. The horses are carved from Bass timber . 

Dragon Hollow play ground next to the carousel.

Recycling cans into the Dragon. Great to be a kid again.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Nearby, beaver activity in town.

An interesting place. Met Wayne, the manager who gave us the low down on Wapiti/Elk. 

Garden of a 1000 Buddhas

On the way north to Flathead Lake from Missoula.

Strange to find this scale out in the sticks in the middle of nowhere on an Indian Reservation.

Flathead Lake- Goose Island Point, Lakeside Town, Polson. 

Flathead Reservation is home to three different tribes. 5,000 square kms with a population of 30,000. The area was well farmed, lots of activity.

Kalispell/ Columbia Falls, the gateway to West Glacier National Park. The town used to be similar in size to Mt Maunganui but has had massive growth in the last years. 20,000 people. Freeways developed. It is no longer the backwater that we drove through eight years ago.

Spring Meadows Resort/Golf Club. We were the only guests. Similar to Millbrook in Queenstown. Condos very swanky, good with shoulder rates.

Someone's got to do it!

Glacier NP

Lake MacDonald West Glacier.

Going to the Sun Road closed as was all the access from the East. The Sun Road is similar to the Beartooth Pass near Yellowstone. Both are open for only a few months a year.

Swan River Valley (South)

Hemmed between the Mission and the Swan Mountain ranges. A beautiful drive. Iconic Montana scenery with rivers and lakes.

Passed Cow corner.

The locals have been using it for target practice, hence it is now on wheels. What's the brand W mark?

Stony the Bull (at cow corner)

Garnet Ghost Town.

Ducked around the Road Closed sign.

Very steep four mile climb going up 3000'. Had to turn back as the snow was over 18". Chains ineffective. Another vehicle following with 4WD, also flagged it. We still had another seven miles to go. Nah, not this time.

BOZEMAN Rodeo visit canceled due to Craig arriving home from NM with covid.