Category Archives: Camping

Silence and Solitude Once Again: December in Yellowstone

Posted on December 18, 2013 by westerner54

Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone National Park.  December, 2013.  Once again we’re all alone for two cold nights in Mammoth Campground.   Yellowstone in winter – especially before the Mammoth Hotel is open – can be harsh and cold, but there’s a stark beauty that’s worth a … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , , | 28 Comments

What’s The Best Campsite in Natural Bridges National Monument?

Posted on October 30, 2013 by westerner54

I know this has been a burning question for thousands of you out there. Well, fret no more.  I have the answer. Campsite Number 4. Here it is: The best part?  The view! There are only 13 sites at Natural Bridges, … Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Hiking, Nature, Southwest hikes, Travel | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

What Do You Get When you Cross a Cantaloupe and a Chokecherry?

Posted on September 18, 2013 by westerner54

Well, you get a bear.   This bear, actually. If you’re from western Montana you know that August and September is Dixon melon time, and if you’re smart you head to the farmers’ market each Saturday to pick up your cantaloupes … Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 20 Comments

An Hour Out My Back Door to the Top of the World

Posted on July 17, 2013 by westerner54

I just love that we can leave our house in the middle of downtown Helena, drive an easy hour into the mountains northwest of town and arrive here, at this beautiful meadow below Granite Butte.    It’s a gorgeous drive, too. Granite … Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Prairie, Lake and Sky: Solitude at Freezout Lake

Posted on May 28, 2013 by westerner54

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , | 10 Comments

The Most Lovable Turkey in the World

Posted on November 21, 2012 by westerner54

I’m not a fan of poultry.   I know folks who keep chickens, and they love the little buggers.   But really, they’re not cute.  And turkeys…well turkeys definitely fall in the not cute category as well. But there was this one turkey…. … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Camping, Montana, Nature, Outdoors | Tagged , | 12 Comments

Johnny Gulch in the Elkhorn Mountains

Posted on September 4, 2012 by westerner54

Even a small mountain range like the Elkhorns in western Montana is chock full of wonderful backroads that are just begging to be explored.     Recently we loaded up the camper and headed out to see what we could find.  Can’t get … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Montana, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Monument Peak Lookout

Posted on August 29, 2012 by westerner54

There’s something magical about coming up on “your” lookout on the top of a mountain.    Sometimes you can see the lookout in the distance as you’re hiking, and it slowly, slowly, gets closer. But other times, particularly if you can drive to … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Montana, Travel | Tagged , , | 27 Comments

Road Trip to the Back of Beyond: Bannack Ghost Town to the Centennial Valley

Posted on July 10, 2012 by westerner54

I do believe that the back of beyond is my favorite spot on earth.   And one of the swell things about Montana is that you can get to the back of beyond on a road trip – you don’t have to … Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Montana, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

The Indispensables

Posted on May 21, 2012 by westerner54

Those first couple of miles of the first backpack of the season are always tough, aren’t they? Hiking without a pack never prepares me for the shock of suddenly hauling all that extra weight, and my hips and shoulders are … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments