Category Archives: Travel

Back to My Childhood: Camping in the National Parks

Posted on August 21, 2013 by westerner54

When I was a kid in the 60’s, my favorite time of year was the two weeks when we took our family vacation.  The five of us (or seven if Grandma and Grandpa came) piled into the Dodge station wagon: … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Travel, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , | 21 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

Does This Bear Spray Make Me Look Fat? Accessorizing for Glacier.

Posted on June 13, 2013 by westerner54

I bought a new canister of bear spray this year, since my old one was one we’d found along the trail a few years ago, and I really wasn’t at all sure that it would really work when I needed it.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Yellowstone: The Usual Suspects and a Surprise or Two

Posted on May 13, 2013 by westerner54

This fellow is one of the usual suspects: his name is Scarface, and I’ve seen him before in Yellowstone. He’s over twenty years old, with a mangled right ear, and..yes..a scarred face from too many run-ins with other grizzlies. I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , , , | 36 Comments

Solitude in Zion: Not on Angel’s Landing

Posted on May 1, 2013 by westerner54

The National Parks are certainly not lax about warning the public about the dangers that we will encounter within their borders – even cactus! – and Zion is no exception.  Warnings about falling from cliffs seem to pop up every … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Hiking, Outdoors, Southwest hikes, Travel | Tagged , , | 38 Comments

Winter in Glacier: Skiing to the Sun

Posted on January 22, 2013 by westerner54

The area of Glacier National Park that runs along the North Fork of the Flathead is stunningly beautiful country any time of year, but the stark cold and short days of winter lend a wild edge that isn’t always there in the summer.    The road … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , | 30 Comments

Owl Creek Cabin in the Flathead: Maybe Winter’s OK After All

Posted on January 7, 2013 by westerner54

Feeling like you want to rough it, but just a little?  Not up to hauling everything on your back and skiing miles to get to a cold cabin in the woods?   Want to cook on an electric stove and plug in … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

In Ovando, Montana, Santa Wears Chaps

Posted on November 26, 2012 by westerner54

Here he comes!  See him?  He’s up there, on the highway! There he is!  Wait…that’s not Santa.  It’s his cousin, Cowboy Claus.  He’s helping Santa out. And of course there’s the traditional Christmas shootout: It’s kind of loud, so be … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Life, Montana, Travel | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

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

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