Yellowstone to Missoula

7/3/2019

Awake at 0515, I quietly asked Beth if she wanted to go out wolf spotting. There was no response. I waited until 0600 to ask if she wanted the heat on. By 0726 we were caffeinated, fed, and off exploring again.

By 0739 we pulled over at the Calcite Springs Overlook where we caught one last look at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone as the steep slopes give way to an open valley.  Pullouts like this one are well worth stopping for. Sulphuric steam rose from the river giving the scene an other worldly ambiance.

Stopped in traffic at 0815, we were caught in a "bear jam" as all the traffic stopped to view a bear foraging by the side of the road.

Fifteen minutes later we pulled over for a short hike to  view Undine Falls. Lava Creek cascades sixty feet here on its way to meet the Yellowstone. 

Looking back towards out campground, hot springs gave the impression that the forest was on fire.

I, to this day, will say Yosemite when I mean Yellowstone as I mix up the two national parks that begin with the same letter. This view in Yellowstone actually looks a little like Yosemite.

We exited the park through the north gate in Gardner, Montana.  Yellowstone is a huge and amazing park. It two visits this year we barely scratched the surface of all the park has to offer.

The road going north from Gardner is a beautiful drive. 

Spending a little time on the freeway wasn't bad.  Our stops were at 1040 in Bozeman for fuel at Costco,

1144 stocking up on bakery treats again at Wheat Montana in Three Forks, and 1238 in Butte at the Visitor Center to make lunch.

Since we stopped for lunch in Butte, we had to see a little of the city. Mine head frames, like this one, dotted the hillside where copper was once mined underground. A huge open pit  mine replaced these, but even that has since closed, and is now a massive superfund site.

An electric box locomotive sat waiting to be restored near the mine shaft. The World Museum of Mining looked interesting, but we decided to save it for another time.

Downtown Butte had some interesting buildings in their historic district including this Jewish temple built in 1904. A plaque mentioned that the jewish population split into three different congregations, but reunited in this building back in 1969.

Reading that there were two of my favorite things, trains and ice cream, in Deer Lodge we decided that would be a good stop for an afternoon treat. We parked adjacent to preserved engines and enjoyed generously sized scoops of ice cream.

Big streamlined diesels like this one replaced the steam and electric engines for pulling passenger trains through the area. We learned, from plaques, that the Great Northern Railway reached completion near here in 1883 connecting the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean with steel tracks.

This huge GE EP-4 electric locomotive was made in 1950 for the Soviet Union. This 5,530 horsepower engine distributing 586,000 pounds over twelve axels. Cold war tensions kept them from being exported, but the Milwaukee Road bought several for use on their electric line. Dubbed Little Joe's, they derived the name because they had been ordered by Joseph Stalin.

Just down the street the Old Montana Prison is open to the public where you can tour the prison and see collections of historic automobiles and toys. We didn't take a tour, but decided to continue westward.

Just before rush hour we reached the city of Missoula where we checked out Big Sky Brewing. 

Big Sky is a Harvest Hosts* site and we talked with a couple of other travelers who were planning to spend the night. 

* If you are interested in joining Harvest Hosts, please click on this referral link to save 15% on your membership. We receive a small incentive. 

I sampled some of the creatively named brews while Beth waited patiently. My favorite was "Slow Elk."  Not needing a place to stay tonight we followed the Bitterroot River south out of town.

  

Beth found the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge as a place to make and enjoy dinner. We didn't see many birds, but it was a peaceful place to relax.

By 1900 we reached our destination of the day where we met old neighbor's of Beth's family who were kind enough to let us boondock in their yard. More about adventures with them tomorrow.