(Warning--Photo heavy!)
The clouds had lifted by morning showing fresh snow on the Bitteroot Mountains and I began the drive south towards one of my favorite places in Montana. Down hight way 93 past Lolo to Hamilton, where I stopped for a bookstore and a flat white at the coffee place. Yet another book added to the box! It's Sunday so not much was open so I went south again through the little tow of Darby where the TV series "Yellowstone" was filmed. I didn't stop, not much open, not much to see. Up the mountains to Lost Trail Pass where I stopped to admire the snow (and got snowed on!)
Once I'd gotten cold I crossed the highway to route 43 East to the Big Hole, the first of my favorite drives! I stopped in again at the Visitors Center for, Big Hole National Battlefield mostly to ask about the forest fire whose remains could be seen for miles on the left of the highway. I was told that they had removed all the artifacts and the staff thinking the very close fire was likely to engulf them as well but it stopped on the hill opposite them! So all was well. The snow had turned to light rain so after a peanut butter sandwich I continued on.
I'm going to let the pictures tell about the Big Hole!
I've never been in the Big Hole in the spring so the green was amazing!
This is cattle country made up of family ranches.
They still use the
beaver slide to make gigantic piles of hay, I didn't see either the piles or the slide so the cows much have eaten it all!
There is only one very small town in the Big Hole, Wisdom. When I say small, I mean TINY!
I once said that I thought I'd like to live there and was told that it was very cold and snowy there!
I finished the day off in Butte for two nights. I can't imagine why I did that I don't like Butte! There aren't any quilt shops of book stores-that I could find-and the mountain behind the town is still being mined for copper and the slag or whatever they call it is UGLY!
Once on the road again I drove up the Interstate to Deer Lodge. There is a lovely quilt shop there that I have visited every time I've been in Montana. I added yet more fat quarters to my stash! Then it was on to Helena, the state capital. I had debated and debated about whether I was going to go up there or not. My cousin lives there and I hadn't seen him since 2016, I wanted to see him but I didn't have a phone number to arrange a time so I was unsure about it. It's a short but lovely drive up and somehow my route took me past two very nice quilt shops! You guessed it more fabric added to the stash! There was a snafu with the hotel but I got settled in before dinner, luckily there was a lovely place for dinner next door. (That hardly happens!) The next morning I got up found Starbucks and after some debate I plugged my cousin's address into Apple maps and drove up. Once we recognized one another we had a lovely chat. He is losing all his memories (that's the way he put it.) After agreeing to meet for dinner I headed out to check out another quilt shop-I didn't buy anything! We had a nice dinner at a good Mexican place before we parted. It is unlikely that I will ever see them again-we are all getting OLD and it's a four day drive from Greenwood to Helena.
The next day, I left Helena for the next of my favorite Montana drives. Down Interstate 15 to Wise River and the
Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway Again, I'll let the Pictures tell the story!
Another long lovely drive never before seen in the spring!
I ended the day in Dillon.
The next day I went shopping! Bought yarn for a jacket, another glass ball, and several books in the downtown. Then I got ready for the drive out of Montana. Getting closer to home.
