Montana

[MojaveGeek]

I spent 2 1/2 weeks in Montana in July, hiking out of Bozeman, which is between the Gallatin and Bridger ranges.   So many mountains in Montana!   It got hot and fairly smoky over time - you could always see the nearby peaks in your range but not the distant ranges one usually sees.   At altitude the flowers were great, courtesy of some late spring snow.   Even though I know the area well, I was always able to find new places to go!   Here's a few pix.







That looks like an old red road.   It isn't.   It is a red stratum in the rock, where the strata are tilted vertically and that's just how it has eroded down.

[netllama]

wow, that looks so amazing up there

[TacoLand]

Good stuff up yonder. 2.5 weeks to explore an area sounds great, hope you had a great time. Any interesting wildlife encounters?

[MojaveGeek]

Good stuff up yonder. 2.5 weeks to explore an area sounds great, hope you had a great time. Any interesting wildlife encounters?

Yes longer stays is my style these days.   Just did the same in the Sierra.   Plus I've been going to Bozeman for a decade or so - time to really get to know a place, and work out some cross country routes to get to less used places.

The most fun wildlife encounter was seeing a herd of 100 (we counted) elk on a grassy hillside above tree line.  They initially came even closer to us (we were above them, on a ridge) but the one spooked and they trotted off in a long line, with some stragglers.   One of the elk was white / pale.  Hard to tell at a distance but looking at our zoomed in photos suggests not an albino, just a light coat.   They are pretty unusual.