Category Archives: Montana

Small Town Montana: Stops in Anaconda and Deer Lodge

Posted on October 29, 2012 by westerner54

There’s a stark – and wonderful –  contrast between Montana’s open, expansive, wild landscape and the small towns that dot the countryside.  The towns, founded to support hardworking miners, ranchers, farmers, loggers and railroaders, are gritty and rundown; they were … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Life, Montana, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Bear Trap Canyon: After the Burn

Posted on October 22, 2012 by westerner54

Bear Trap Canyon is a swell early or late season hike: it warms up early in the spring, and stays warm longer in the fall than hikes up in the mountains.  The hike follows the Madison River through the Lee … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

What’s the Shortest Distance You Can Hike and Still Be Tough?

Posted on October 16, 2012 by westerner54

Here’s a lesson:  if you suggest a weekend backpack, and remember a beautiful spot that you visited years ago, and you want to impress your tough hiking friends with this swell hike, it might be a good idea to actually check out a map … Continue reading →

Posted in Backpacking, Hiking, Montana, Nature | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Geese in the Eagle’s Nest

Posted on October 10, 2012 by westerner54

Last spring I hiked out to an eagle’s nest high on a cottonwood near the shore of a nearby lake.  The nest had been home to a pair of bald eagles for the past three years, but this year a pair of  Canada geese … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged | 8 Comments

Watching Wildlife in Yellowstone: the Best Places to Hang Out

Posted on September 25, 2012 by westerner54

Conventional Yellowstone Wisdom has it that the best way to find wildlife is to look for a gaggle of folks along the road with really good spotting scopes and long lenses on their cameras.  And it’s true; you will certainly … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , | 9 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

The Panic in Beautiful Places

Posted on August 20, 2012 by westerner54

“How much I missed, simply because I was afraid I was missing it.”  Paulo Coelha There’s a scene in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray, Love where Gilbert and a friend arrive together at a particularly beautiful place.   The friend’s immediate … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Montana, Nature, Outdoors | Tagged , , | 25 Comments

Glacier National Park: Last Minute Reservations at Granite Park Chalet

Posted on August 13, 2012 by westerner54

Glacier’s Granite Park Chalet is a stunning backcountry chalet, accessible only on foot, and only available with a reservation.  But here’s a tip:  if you’re in the Glacier area, and can be flexible, check the Granite Park Chalet reservation website … Continue reading →

Posted in Backpacking, Hiking, Montana, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

Bluegrass, the Blackfoot, and the Crimson Bluffs

Posted on August 3, 2012 by westerner54

Lots of music in Montana in July, and we managed to catch our share of it:  Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Abigail Washburn, Corb Lund, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ben Bullington, Billy … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Montana, Nature, Outdoors | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments