Two Weeks on the Road With Aden — Part III- Entering Montana
Day 3. We pulled into the Great State of Montana out of Idaho Falls.
Montana for me is sort of a dream. Big and wide open. Not densely populated. Thanks to some great books by my friend John (Jack) B. Wright https://www.amazon.com/Montana-Ghost-Dance-Essays-Land/dp/0292791208, I am reminded every time I come to Montana of its constant history of extraction and exploitation of its resources. These days places like Bozeman, Butte, and Missoula are seeing upticks in transplants evading all sorts of places for a piece of the west. Although I’m not an alumnus, I did give the University of Montana a semester back in 99', and it gave me a lasting memory (if not a longing); my short history with the state aside from being a tourist.
We’re here for Aden. He picked this as the focal point of the trip. His dream. Or at least the start of it. His third visit to the state. A few years back we did a brisk trip to Glacier and then a stop by the campus at the U of M; a suggestion to a then 7-year-old Aden that he could maybe go to school there and enjoy the state as a teen and early 20 something. Today we will be heading back to Glacier. Can’t wait. Not as prepared as I would like to be. Have not done the research and the plotting on hikes and optimal wildlife sightings. BUT, we’re here in this massive place. And we have time. Time to figure something out. And more importantly time enough not to worry about the lack of an hour-by-hour itinerary.
In the hotel last night I was reading through a southwest Montana tourist rag I had picked up on a business trip to Salt Lake City a few weeks back. I noticed something a few nights back that interested me. A place called the Big Sheep Creek Back Country Byway.
We love Big Horn Sheep. So at first glance, I thought this would be an awesome thing to check out. Then I read a bit further and figured out we did not really have the proper vehicle. And it's not really a sheep viewing area. But it certainly looks like a great addition for a future trip. It's a place of solitude. So maybe it's a place just for me at some point down the line. No stop there, we kept moving up I-15 through places like Dillion (note to self, great future spots to tackle some fly fishing). We don't stop until just south of Helena for gas. Lotta road still ahead for the day. Helena showing some interesting signs of development and growth.
We’re heading to the east side of Glacier; will be on I-15 most of the day. Wolf Creek caught my eye as another spot to come back to. Past Wolf Creek GPS lady tells me it's time to turn northwesterly up US 287. We will drive through some open ag fields, some dry brushy open space beaten up by the wind, and some valleys. Around halfway to our destination we get a break and get to pass through some towns — Augusta (cool spot), Choteau — and get a small break from the wind blasts to the RV and slower speeds.
Soon (in Montana terms that is about what seems 100 miles) after we pass through Choteau we are rolling through Blackfoot Indian Native land. We stop at a welcome point where I get to explain to Aden that this is one of many nations in Montana. This one stretches into Canada, hence the tribal nation flag alongside the American, Canadian, and Montana flags. Browning will be our next stopping point. A larger tribal town we are assuming has a grocery store and some gas. We stop for some provisions. I do my best to explain to Aden that although they have some things that look similar to what we may see in our town, and that the town is more developed than some of the tribal towns in Arizona we’ve seen, the area struggles. It is not seeing the benefits of some of the nearby amenities of the National Park or the past oil and gas booms.
We’re close now. Close to the KOA near the St. Mary River and that entrance to Glacier Park. A long day of driving. As we get outside of Browning we start to see the massive mountains of the park shooting up. We’re in awe. Aden is in the front seat with me. What an awesome sight. My instinct is to stop and take picture after picture. But we’re ready to spend our first night in the RV and relax from the road. What a gorgeous drive. A real payoff after the day.
At the KOA we get set up. First time connecting any of the utilities. I realize that out of all of the stuff we brought there was an oversight. Some basic tools, all of which I have back in our Chandler garage. Fortunately, the KOA has some vice grips so we can better connect the water. They also have an adapter and some duct tape that I can use to fashion a waste cap that did not come with the RV. Finally hooked up, time to make some dinner.
For this first night, we decide to make sesame black bean linguine (pasta made from beans) and vegetables. One of a few vegan meals we will have until someone in this story later discovers steak. Like I am an expert at home, I over-boil the water and make a huge mess to clean up in our tiny kitchen which is basically a Coleman camp stove inset into a countertop.
Aden has done a fine job chopping up the peppers and mushrooms to mix in. No real disasters to speak of. Dinner time! Not bad. I bought that linguine a year ago when I was considering going plant-based after watching a Netflix movie and reading Rich Roll’s Finding Ultra https://www.richroll.com/finding-ultra/. Tasted pretty good. Not ready for veganism.
After dinner, we do some recordings of our trip so far. Aden wants to capture us talking about the highlights of the trip. He’s also making a movie. We get some ice cream from the KOA. Aden retreats to his iPad and I take my seat outside the RV to watch the sunset around 9:30 pm before turning in. Tomorrow getting up early to head to the park.
