My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Thanks Ashton.....

Once again I found myself unable to leave Montana, to head west as I had once again planned. I jumped onto Interstate 90 and drove east.....there's just something about these mountains that make it so difficult to leave. I know once I do, I won't return for another year.....

So driving east along the interstate I decided on a route that I've never driven in the past....the 64 mile long Anaconda-Pintler Scenic Highway. As the name clearly states it's quite scenic as you initially pass through miles and miles of Montana ranches, then a steep grade up and into the mountains where you pass by a beautiful mountain lake. My first stop would be in the small town of Philipsburg.....kind of a touristy little place.....



It was a Friday afternoon and the brewery was packed.....



Parked at the Montana Law Enforcement Museum (who would have guessed that existed ?).....



A shot of the beautiful mountain lake (Georgetown Lake) near the mountain summit.....



Camped not too far from the summit and spotted 3 moose.....always great to spot the wildlife.....





And the next day we hung out in Anaconda, Montana.....



Tons of super cool buildings in this town.....





.....which has the largest (585' tall) smelter stack (check out that massive pile of coal in the foreground).....



Left Anaconda and continued east into the heart of southwest Montana.....

 

[Foy]

Now THAT's the Philipsburg my wife and I enjoy so much! We have two nights booked at the Broadway Hotel coming up soon, and chances are good we'll be hanging out on the sidewalk for a little while, too. Thanks for posting!

We've had the pleasure of visiting the Montana Law Enforcement Museum. Remember "3-7-77"!

I can't wait to see where else you visit in the heart of Southwestern Montana!

Foy

 

[longhorn1]

Jerry we visited that same area in 2016, beautiful drive on the byeway. In Philipsburg walked down the street and picked up some BBQ and returned to the brewery. Most of the recommendations came from the official Montana Historian, FOY. Didn't knwt about the police law enforcement museum jd

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

JD / Foy.....I was amazed at the size of the crowd in that little town.....basically in the middle of nowhere. I was thinking they must brew some damn good beer.....

So I just finished reading this book.....it's a really good book for the adventure loving souls.....



I also wanted to share a great spot to get spring water just west of Anaconda, Montana. (Check it out Foy). When you see this sign along the Anaconda-Pintler Scenic Highway, pull over.....it appears that all the locals come here.....



The water here was fantastic.....and they're 3 additional spigots (not shown) for filling your jugs.....





I actually camped here one night.....and it's where we saw the 3 moose.....



I enjoyed this area quite a bit and on my evening and morning walks saw tons of cool cabins.....



Anyhow, after Anaconda, I got another invitation to hang out at my friend's little ranch so that would be our next stop. I dropped the camper from the truck for the first time since purchasing it in February, 2018.....



And I pretty much been mowing all week long.....

 

[the deputy]

It only seems fitting that Tanner would enjoy that rope swing, he seems like quite the character. Beautiful pictures and commentary, as usual. Been loving your adventure from the start.

Brian.

 

[the deputy]

And agreed...that doesn't look like art...more of a waste of time and materials to me. Strange how some folks think building some ridiculous looking thing(s) like that...enhance the already surrounding beauty.

Brian.

 

[Foy]

I've no objection to boxing in a spring with some decidedly non-industrial facing. I've been by that site on MT-1 at least 30 times since 1978 and never knew there was a boxed spring/spigots there. Well intended and wholly functional goes a long way for me individually. And I know where I'll be stopping for a cool drink of water on the way to P'burg soon. Thanks for the tip, Jerry!

By the way, the "big pile of coal" at the smelter smokestack site is in fact some 26 million tons of smelter slag covering some 130 acres. As the copper mines in Butte developed and consolidated, the Anaconda smelter was conceived, built, and operated for decades. The slag is considered possible raw material for production of roofing granules and proppant for hydraulic fracturing among other proposed uses. It was used for the bunkers (sand traps) at the nearby Jack Nicklaus-designed Old Works golf course producing a striking appearance so different from the white or buff sand used everywhere else.

Foy

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Thank you Brian. Yes, Tanner definitely is "quite the character" and I'm so thankful to have him along for the ride. I try not to post so many Tanner pictures, but try as I may.....





Foy.....thanks for pointing that out. I have to admit that it struck me funny that there would be this massive pile of coal stored there. The spring I mentioned is behind the sign, down the hillside, on the side road that parallels Highway 1.....

I guess you could say that I'm proud of the way I manage and store my trash and recyclables while on the road. Sometimes it's not so simple, and sometimes it can be downright difficult to recycle. On the ranch, I'm not very careful.....so it really didn't seem like a big deal to leave my recyclables on the camper porch at night. Well, I woke up on the last day at the ranch to find this wild cat with his head stuck in my soup can. He was barely breathing and needless to say, I felt horrible. A lesson learned.....



Next up.....Bozeman, Montana.....Tanner needed his shots and the Jeep needed some work. There's both a great vet and a great mechanic in Bozeman (and after that Mexican "mechanic" this past winter I sure needed a great mechanic). Now, over the years I've posted enough pictures of beautiful downtown Bozeman, so this time all I've got to show are these pictures of a homemade motorhome I saw while walking the streets. Amazing.....





After Bozeman, I continued east to Livingston, Montana, and then drove south on Highway 93 towards Yellowstone National Park. I camped at one of my favorite spots along the Yellowstone River.....



This guy was my neighbor last night. This easily could be one of the most disgusting people alive. That's trash in the back of that truck. And I actually saw this same guy about 10 days ago in Butte, Montana with the same load of garbage.....



This is what his site looked like when he left. Of course I picked up after him. I would imagine Voyager3's head would explode if he'd seen this (as mine almost did).....



Last night snow fell in the higher mountains of Montana and more will fall tonight. There's a certain crispness in the air.....I'm seeing small signs of summer ending here.....a shrub with the leaves turning yellow, the snow up high.....it won't be long before we move on.....



Last night's sky above the Yellowstone River.....

 

[the deputy]

I've enjoyed your journey, mainly, because there are those here...where they simply go so they can look at something...and then there are those that are looking for something.

You found the true definition of a "garbage" man.

Brian.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Yes Brian.....he is undoubtedly the Garbage Man.....

Typically I don't post back to back days, but I thought it might be interesting this morning. For some unknown reason, Tanner was up and about at 4:00 a.m. The nearly full moon was setting so I fired up the coffee and began to take a progression of shots. This is my morning starting at 4:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. .....













We took an early morning hike up the gravel road to the west. From the high point I photographed Paradise Valley, which is situated just to the north of Yellowstone National Park.....



The clouds were moving east and revealing the recently fallen snow. It was 39 degrees this morning, cool with the added winds that this valley is well known for.....much like the Jomsom Valley in Nepal.....it's almost constant.....



Looking to, and possibly into, Yellowstone National Park.....



Here we walk.....



The antelope were grazing in the fields. An osprey flew overhead, an unsuspecting rodent hanging from it's talons. What an amazing place to start one's day.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Before leaving Paradise Valley I really wanted us to get in at least one nice hike into the mountains. I'd been told that the Passage Creek Trail would be a nice hike.....not too demanding and not all that long (we logged 6 miles total including our off trail excursions).....both important factors as I wanted to take Yukon along.....



The trail parallels Passage Creek as it slowly ascends into the canyon.....



Obviously the entire canyon had been engulfed in a forest fire not so long ago.....



The trail ended at the Passage Creek Waterfalls.....they were also fantastic.....





The dogs swam in the pool of ice water teeming with small trout.....



We wandered a bit above and beyond the waterfalls for an awesome view of Mount Wallace (10,697').....



The scenery was fantastic.....we saw one lone deer walking along the creek.....and the hike was easy, just as we were told it would be.....



Late afternoon we loaded up our gear and drove west, returning to Paradise Valley...what a beautiful ranch on the way out.....tucked away in the mountains.....



We followed Mills Creek out of the canyon.....it's definitly time to head west once again.....

 

[Ace Brown]

We are in your neighborhood. Passed the Virginia and Nevada City’s a while bock and did not even stop. Now up in Copperhead / Deer Lodge NF. If you’re heading west we may cross paths soon. Our final destination where we meet and begin our Retired Ol’ Farts Trip is St Regis on Tuesday.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

I think I missed you Ace.....I've left Montana so maybe another time in another place. Hope you guys enjoy your time there. Be safe.....

And it was finally time to put the Yellowstone River and Paradise Valley behind us. We stopped one last time to take in the majestic mountains and the sweet river before heading west yet one more time.....







We passed thru Livingston, Montana and then stopped in Bozeman, Montana for a quick meal.....



We were back on the interstate until Whitehall, Montana.....



It's always a must stop as nobody has cheaper fuel than the service stations in Whitehall. While fueling up, I chatted with this guy from North Carolina transporting a 1950 Spartan trailer to Seattle. Damn that thing was cool.....







Then we were back on the interstate.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

.....until we reached Homestake Lake in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, just to the east of Butte, Montana. This is my go to spot to spend a night or two when driving this stretch of highway. This particular area is heavily used.....you'll see free range cattle, stock horses, ATV's, dirt bikes, mountain bikes, hikers.....what's left ? Anyhow, it'd been too long since I made a serious effort at trash pickup so I went to work.....



We had a beautiful sunset the first night.....



Tanner and I hiked on the Continental Divide Trail the following morning.....







We had some nice views of the southern portion of Butte, Montana once we got up high.....



This entire mountain chain is made up of large boulders.....



And then we cleaned the forest and picked up more trash.....



I've done this many times over the years without ever thinking about the weight, but recently I was reading Voyager3's blog and he weighed the trash he picked up, so I did as well.....42 pounds removed.....always feels good.....



After a few nights we moved on.....further west.....

 

[Riversdad]

Have loved your report from the beginning. Great job picking up the a##holes trash.