My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

I thought for sure that we'd see tracks from wild animals here along the shoreline but again we came up empty handed.....the only footprints to be seen were ours.....




At the upper end of the first lake we had to make our way back to the well troddened path.....there was just too much downfall from the pines to make bushwacking worth our while.....



At the upper lake we found a single, quite small, wooden bench which is where we chose to have a late lunch and to allow the dogs to have their well deserved swim.....




I'd guess that it couldn't have been more than 40 degrees when we rested there on that bench. An intermittent light rain began to fall as the clouds were a mix of white, blue, grey and black.....it was so eerily quite & incredibly beautiful there. Finally I decided that it was time to head back to the rig.....

I had actually hoped to climb a nearby peak on this hike but the peak, surrounded by clouds, just wouldn't be possible on that day. Instead, on the way back, with a pause in the rain, we took a short detour in our hike to admire the Big Timber Falls.....




We ended that day back at the fairgrounds once again camped away from any possible upcoming activities.....and from what I saw when we pulled through the fairgrounds gate, I knew that there must have been some weekend activities planned.....

 

[Kingsize24]

That's absolutely georgous! I'd love to go there on one of our trips. Very very nice location.

 

[Foy]

The first full week of August was seriously chilly while we were in Rock Creek, just east of Missoula. Wet, also. We had morning temp in the 30s on/about 5th or 6th, and probably an inch of rain over a couple of days, too. Where we were, the canyon is only 4,300' elevation, too, so it was cold down low.
A week or so later, we drove US 191 from Harlowton down to Big Timber when leaving the Little Belts headed for Belgrade to store the truck and camper, a first for us (both the segment of 191 and storing the truck/camper for a month). The Crazies are awesome from any vantage point, and there is definitely an abundance of Big Sky east of them. From Big Timber to Livingston, we took Convict Grade Rd in order to see the monstrosity being built at Hunter Hot Springs and get a glimpse at the Crazy Mountain Ranch property on the Livingston end of the road. Best get out there and enjoy it while you can--the big money is coming in fast!
Foy

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Kingsize24.....if you're a hiker, love the backcountry, and enjoy solitude, then you'll love exploring in this mountain chain.....

Foy.....you're so right. The ultra wealthy have discovered this place and they're out to make it their private playground as much as they possibly can. I was just watching a video about the Goldman Sachs executive that owns a massive amount of land on the eastern side of the mountain range who recently built a cabin on / near Twin Lakes. I didn't see the cabin myself while I was there but it's clearly visible from the shoreline in the video. It's the first dwelling that's been constructed there. Then there's all the craziness with the Crazy Mountain Ranch, the golf course, the stealing of water, etc. Times are a changing.....the ultra wealthy are no longer satisfied with owning the land that surrounds the mountains.....now they want the whole thing.....



A beautiful sky with the Crazy Mountains as the backdrop.....as seen from our campsite that night.....



I awoke the following morning.....a bit sore from hiking nine miles and gaining nearly 2,000' of elevation the previous day.....



So I wasn't looking to do much that day.....I was in no hurry to leave.....so fortunately for us, entertainment came right to our back door.....



It turned out that the cowboys were having a roping contest at the fairgrounds that weekend so of course we attended (mostly me).....





Cowboys came here from many of the western U.S. states (based on their license plates).....I saw Canadian license plates too. I recall seeing license plates from Montana (of course), Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, North & South Dakota, and Alberta, Canada.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

These poor guys.....




.....must hate roping contests.....



But the horses.....I think that's a different story. In my opinion, they were loving it.....




People here came in many shapes and sizes.....




But let's be honest.....this sport is overwhelming dominated by white males over twenty years of age.....that's what I saw.....that's what I think that I know.....



We spent the entire day here.....we'd go on long walks and afterwards the dogs would rest in the camper while I hung out with the cowboys.....



Later that evening.....an hour before sunset.....I said goodbye to my cowboy friends and headed home. The thoughts of a hot shower were just too much to ignore.....