Travel day to Harlowton, MT to Chief Joseph Park

Liz and Mitch headed out to Billings early this morning, about 6:45 a.m. for rig repairs. It'll happen you know. They both had leaks at the hot water heater. Checked to see if that was catching...it wasn't....yet. They both got hair cuts! Both look great. Looked in the mirror - well that's not catching either. Oh well.

Nan left a little before Tina and I did. We all stopped in Big Timber for gas as it appeared to be a bit cheaper there than in Harlowton. I managed two transactions one for 18.817 gallons and one for 6.940 gallons. A total of 25.757 gallons at 3.759 pg. Will sit down and calculate out the last few fill ups and costs and miles in a bit.

From Big Timber to Harlowton it was about 43 miles. It was a steady climb all the way with a few valleys to roll around in. Mountains in the distance of at least two different ranges. It was a two lane road, so I didn't get a chance to shoot pics at all.

Was having a problem with my right mirror so i stopped and asked Tina if she would stop and help me get it adjusted a little bit. We got it adjusted pretty good. When I got back on the road, I noticed a great improvement, but it wasn't quite right yet. Tina says it is a geometry question. I did get out and mess around with it and found a good angle...I think. So you might ask what caused the problem? Well when I was pulling into Custer's last stand battlefield park, I got too close to the gate and popped it quite good. I did get it turned a little at Reed Point, but it wasn't enough to really work well for me. I couldn't believe I did that as I can normally thread a needle. I think that I wasn't paying attention to that and was reaching for my Golden Age Pass. Tomorrow will be the big test for did I get it right.

My friends from western Montana, Diane and Bryon will be meeting up with me in Great Falls on Thursday and we will go birding for the day. That will be fun. Haven't seen them since last Spring when they came to Texas and we did a Central Texas down to the Valley sweep to pick up birds for them. This should be a lot of fun. Need to see what birds I can pick up while out with them.

We know how much you like to see the parks in which we stay. So here are some pix from today.

Chief Joseph park entry

Liz and Nan are set up

Birdie, Tina and Liz

The whole group, Birdie, Tina, Liz, Nan and Mitch looks like she is leaving. She moved into a mud puddle later.

The park "love birds" and empty spots in the grass.

The fairground behind the camping spots.

Nice long drive to other buildings and fishing pond. Has bull frogs now.

Thru the playground toward the camping area.

Thru the picnic area toward the campground.

Looking up behind the pond a little yellow church.

The steps to the fishing pond, but no swimming allowed. I just wonder how many people have fallen on those steps?

Butterbutt.

Yep it could come again tonight.

They'd like you to come back again, hear, Ya'll!

South of Big Timber and the Horse Whisperer filming

Did you know that the film, The Horse Whisperer was filmed around Big Timber, MT? We were told that tidbit by some locals one evening while eating at the Waterhole Saloon. So we put that on our list of things to do while here at Reed Point. Those folks, as well as my friends Diane and Bryon, also told us about the big water fall and the river around the Natural Bridge area. So today, we loaded up in Herbie and took off West for Big Timber and Highway 298 south. Well you won't find Highway 298 south leading off I-90 as you might suspect, if you didn't look at the map - you can go down the road about 5 miles and take an exit and turn around and come back into Big Timber. We did that and stopped at the Visitor Information Center and we got all sorts of great information, a couple of maps and off we went.

Absolutely stunning!

Road leads to the Crazy Mountains.

Reminds me of some of the ski spots in Colorado.

The chevrons are interesting.

The snow was falling farther up in the mountains and more was in the forecast.

Lots of valley, and layers of mountains both bare and snow covered.

A snow covered peak in the Crazy Mountains 

I am facinated by rock formations.

The river flowing nicely. It's got trout in it!

Liz and Mitch taking photos.

Sandhill Crane, just kept on eating. This is an immature bird. It wouldn't stand up for me.

The main house of the Horse Whisperer film.

The Log Cabin.

Here we are! We were seeking - we have found - let's go!

What a crew!!!

The water rushing down the stream bed under the rock and comes out farther down the canyon.

A gnarly conifer tree.

Spring is here though it didn't feel like it. Temps in the upper 40's.

Home is where you make it!

The river rushing down to meet you! Listen you can hear it roaring!

It is really quite swift, so don't fall in looking at it!

If the falls were flowing those people would not be there! Well, yes, some of them probably would go down there with all the signs warning them not. They were slipping and sliding trying to get up the falls to come back around to the parking lot.

The river flows on out down the it's path of hundreds of years.

Ah, Tina, there you are!

After all this sight seeeing a photoing we were hungry! Off to find a place to eat. We had stopped at the Road Kill Restaurant on the way in but they weren't ready to start serving. After we stood outside for a few minutes, we decided they were rude making us stand outside in the cold wind and temps - besides we weren't impressed with their menu either. So we left. Now on the way back we drove right past and kept on toward Big Timber. We found a "Bar and Grill" and stopped there. We were so hungry that we all said the food was good, but.... My deli ham was tasty, the slaw (huh?) that came with it was tired, the brocolli and cheese soup was one cup divided up three ways something added to it and split between Nan, Liz and I. In other words thin and tasteless. But it looks good. Liz had the turkey sandwich and Nan had, what did Nan have? Tina did the BLT. Mitch did the Campfire Burger - made with jalepenos.

So we departed and came home to the puppies. They all were ready to hand out puppy kisses and go pee!

Tomorrow Tina, Nan and I head out for Harlowton while Mitch and Liz go have work done to their rigs in Billings. We wish them well and a speedy journey.

This was such a fun day. I am tired!

Reed Point, MT a Western Town

This is a very nice small western town. Photos from a walk during Saturday morning.

The Old West RV Park from the back to the office and front area of the park.

The sites where we are parked which is to the right of the shot above.

Railway signs

Town sign and information.

Some of the unique buildings in the town.

It used to be a bank!

The Library

Formerly the Hotel

Formerly Wild Horse Saloon

Building under updating.

Flour Mill and Silo

Cabooses

Stuart got really excited with the swift moving water.

Loved the island in the mist.

Blackbilled Magpie

A long coal train blowing through town! 

Resting at my place with my new friend Abby.