MN to MT

We decide to change cars...

The road thru North Dakota was not as long we feared. We stopped in Fargo for lunch just because it was Fargo, after all, but we were aided in our drive thru North Dakota, by Salem Sue.

latte, anyone?

She pointed the way to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which would have been our campsite were it not raining. Salem Sue was not the only pointer of "the way". We were reminded of "the way forward" when we saw these church and abortion signs, a frequent sight on our trip. Lord have mercy.

After spending the night near T Roosevelt Park, we made our way into Montana. One of the rest stops provided a little history of Jedidiah Smith, major figure of national renown, who Ken decided must have been the real life Jeremiah Johnson, from the Robert Redford movie (one of his favorites).

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

When we left Georgetown we did not think we were leaving politics behind, but we did think we might slowly fall away from the primary season. But it turns out, that the Montana primaries are here the same time we are. And the day we pulled into Billings, Hillary was speaking in Billings at the Metrapark, a little ways away from our hotel, where Hillary was also staying. Her commentary was no different here than elsewhere. Her stump speech which she delivered before 1500 people got a lot of play.


Montana horizon..on...and...on....

did Monet ever visit Montana??

Heading out of Billings, we drove past Big Timber, birthplace of our friend Ron Stief, who made us promise to remember him to this place, where his parents still live. Rev. Ron Stief, who now works at Faith in Public Life, is a member in good standing of our wine group, affectionately and officially known as the Brotherhood of the Grape and Grain (BOGG). He, and his wife Sandee Yarlott, also a minister, do much to counter the messages of the church signs we are passing each day.

Approaching Yellowstone...first sign of snow

We dipped south in our route to spend the night in Mammoth Hot Springs, the northwestern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. We were welcomed by a herd of Elk pronking around the grounds. Shortly thereafter, we realized we could not get by without buying "Scat and Tracks", the local best seller which increased our vocabulary (incl. pronk) and understanding of our surroundings. Speaking of vocabulary, our first scrabble game was held in Yellowstone that evening during a rain shower. Micheline won even though the altitude had deprived her brain of oxygen. But Ken had several drinks. So the cards, or tiles we might say, are still out.

Next day in Yellowstone...

uh-oh, spotted by a bison.......

getting closer.....

surrounding our car!

The Norris Geyser Basin - largest display of geysers and hottest hot springs (boiling) in the Park

clouds of sulphurous steam

Steamboat Geyser is the world's largest active geyser - it can reach 300-400 feet....for us it does 40 feet, still pretty impressive

the Blue Mud Geyser

miles of Anselm Kiefer landscape

the thermal pools are all shades of green, blue, yellow....this is the Pearl Basin

here trees are stuck in the travertine deposits that form giant terraces

When we arrived in Whitefish, Montana the next day, just outside of Glacier National Park, Obama was preparing to speak in Great Falls. The front page had pictures of people waiting in line out the door and around the block for tickets. We also have seen a lot of large Ron Paul signs .

Glacier National Park is majestic. The Going to the Sun Road was closed less than half way up because of record snowfall, so we hiked from the road closure up to Avalanche Lake, a 4 and a half mile trail, our first of the trip.

Avalanche Lake



enchanted cedar forests

waterfalls

surging whitewater

a rainbow in the rapids

The Spirits of Creation, Weather and Knowledge are said to reside in these mountains.