Solitude can be hard to come by on a holiday weekend, even in sparsely populated Montana. But we found it, in the wide open prairie at the edge of the Rocky Mountain Front: Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area. The migratory birds have mostly passed through, but the ponds and lakes of the area are still teeming with life – at least the non-human kind. We were the only people in sight.
The landscape is raw and beautiful, and the weather always takes center stage.
We’re the only campers in a vast landscape:
We watch as a storm rolls in…
while across the lake a sliver of sunlight shines on the valley.
But the clouds – and the sky – still dominate the land.
In the still of the late evening, a lone falcon makes her way along the lake shore.
And a Marbled Godwit stands perfectly still on the shoreline, until I get too close.
And a perfect day ends.
Off the Beaten Path: Hikes, Backpacks, and Travels 
These are stunning photos of what looks like an gorgeous landscape. I feel like I sneaked away with you for this trip 🙂
The clouds and skies in these shots are really beautiful, thanks for sharing your solitude with us.
Thanks. Actually, your last post inspired me to focus on the skies this time, so thanks for that too!
I’ve always wanted to go there. Perhaps some day…
You should!
Wonderful images, with some creatively & artistically cropped horizons. Montana is the greatest!
Thanks! And I agree about Montana, for sure.
Marbled Godwit? What a name. Thanks for sharing some big sky country, definitely living up to the name.
It is the best name, isn’t it? On a birding site recently someone mixed it up and called it a Garbled Modwit, which I just love.
Stunning images, I love seeing the mountains far in the background. Very faint but very powerful
Thanks – I like being able to see the mountains from there as well.