September 17
Today we drove through much of the state of Montana, from Columbia Falls to Gardiner. A looonnnnnnggggggg drive, but we took a very scenic route. We can now assure you it’s as big and beautiful as advertised. We felt like we had the whole state to ourselves as we drove. The terrain changed often, starting with forests lined with Aspen, Douglas Fir and Spruce trees. Soon we were seeing rolling hills and Ponderosa Pines, Larches and Tamaracks. Eventually farm fields, cattle ranches, and open prairie.
We went by Swan Lake, an enormous body of water, shrouded in fog, where we didn’t see a single swan. But the nickname “big sky country” is well-earned.
A note about wildlife- this is our tenth day of this trip and we’ve been shocked by how little of the animal kingdom we’ve seen out here in the wilderness. Yes we saw a few elk, the moose, and the bear yesterday was a highlight. But with all the water we’ve seen, the only birds we’ve seen since day 1 when we saw so many eagles have been our friends the crows.
Today we saw a large group(flock? gaggle?) of wild turkeys right next to the road, a few deer, possibly some sleeping buffalo, and a herd of elk, but the only other birds we saw were crows, an occasional magpie and turkey vultures. Lucky for the wild turkeys, the turkey vultures we saw much later in the day, in a distant territory. Back at home we see so many other types of birds and waterfowl, so it’s been a surprise that there have been so few along they way. While there’s been plenty of livestock, the wildlife is mostly hiding, and probably in plain sight!
On the approach to Gardiner we followed along the striking Yellowstone River, which meandered for many miles – tantalizing us about our upcoming adventures in the park. We pulled up to our next home away from home just in time for dinner, and as we walked around town afterwards, we saw several more elk and deer, grazing in yards, unbothered by the humans all around.
Excited for tomorrow when we head into Yellowstone’s north gate for the first day of exploring there. Stay tuned!
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