It was cool (58F degrees), rainy, and foggy as we
departed North Dakota. In fact, the fog
was so thick, it was impossible to get decent photos.
Welcome to Big Sky Country!
We overnighted at Holmes Farm, our Harvest Host in Rosebud, Montana. The 2 miles of access roads are gravel, but
they are in excellent condition—better than many of the paved roads on which we
traversed. The parking area is big
enough for us to keep Big Boomer, Suite Retreat, AND my Rambling RV Rat Pack
Rubicon all hitched up AND to make a U-turn for departure. Mark is an excellent host. He is accommodating, and friendly—as is his
dog and all the adorable feral felines (I counted at least 8) who
followed us around as we strolled along the roads to get some exercise. Mark’s wife was out of town, so there was no sourdough bread to
purchase, but we were more than satisfied with making beef purchases, with
which Mom wrangled up a nacho skillet dinner, sending Mark over a plate.
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Just 2 of the friendly felines who welcomed us. |
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Some of Mark's cattle herd. |
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There were lots of animals around. In addition to these two, I spotted deer, a variety of birds, and even a couple of raccoons who were foraging.
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We were treated to a beautiful sunset at Holmes Farm.
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The weather was a bit dismal the next morning, so we were
glad we had a short commute to Canyon Creek Brewing, our Harvest Host in
Billings, Montana.
Since we arrived before the brewery opened,
we decided to unhitch the Jeep and visit Little Big Horn Battlefield National
Monument. The Visitor Center has been demolished,
and a new building is being constructed.
Hence, there was no film available.
Luckily, however, they have a Junior Ranger program, so I was able to
complete my mission of earning another badge.
The Battlefield represents the
conflict of June 25-26, 1876, between the U.S. Cavalry and the united efforts
of several American Indian tribes determined to save their homelands and their
culture. Though the American Indians subsequently
lost their “war”, they were successful in this battle along the banks of the
Little Bighorn River under the leadership of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse (Lakota)
and Lame White Man and Two Moons (Cheyenne). General George Custer, along with the majority of his regiment, was killed in this battle, hence its moniker “Custer’s Last
Stand”. Interestingly, Custer’s final
resting place is at West Point Cemetery.
I find this ironic since his academic record there was pitiful (ranked
last in his graduating class). He
was known to be far more interested in having fun and making mischief than in
studying. This landscape once embodied death and destruction, yet I
look around now and see natural beauty and tranquility.
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How apropos that wild horses roam these lands. To me, they represent the spirit of the American Indian to save their homeland and their culture. |
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Grave markers dot the landscape...
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..representing the lost lives of Indians (red) and U.S. Cavalry (white).
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The Memorial for the U.S. Cavalry on Last Stand Hill. |
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The Indian Memorial at the Battlefield. |
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The wisdom of the Indians is engraved on the Memorial Wall: "In order to heal grandmother earth, we must unify through peace." |
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Custer National Cemetery at Little Bighorn Battlefield includes the graves of scouts and civilians who were killed at frontier forts during the Indian Wars. |
Based on the disgraceful treatment of the Indians by the
U.S. Government, this stuffed Rambling RV Rat is quite perplexed why humans
believe ANYTHING that the government says.
In 1869, Custer smoked a peace pipe with Cheyenne leaders, vowing he
would never kill another Indian. Yet he
did just that. Furthermore, the Indians
were promised reservation lands, from which they were removed immediately after
gold was discovered. My Mom worked with a Lakota
gentleman at Crazy Horse Memorial who wore the shirt “Trust the
Government? Ask an Indian”. ‘Nuff said.
We were going to visit Pompey’s Pillar National
Monument. This rock formation along the
Yellowstone River contains petroglyphs and the signature of William Clark of
the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Clark named the outcropping for Pomp, the son of his guide Sacagawea. But we learned the site is only accessible Thursday
through Saturday. Furthermore, the
Interpretive Center, (a 5,600 square foot building to service 50,000 annual
visitors for a rock formation whose base is only 2 acres, and its height is
only 150 feet!) is only open when adequate staffing is available. Well,
that stinks like a chunk of Limburger cheese!
Realizing the odds were not in our favor of gaining access, we nixed the
idea of visiting.
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I took this photo of Pompey's Pillar as we drove along I-90, hence it is a bit fuzzy.
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We returned to Canyon Creek Brewing where we found 3 more
Harvest Host guests had arrived for overnight parking. We indulged in a few craft beers and called
it a night.
It was a glorious day with temps in the low 60s when we
arrived at Bear Canyon Campground in Bozeman, Montana. It is a lovely campground, complete with a sparkling
clean pool, tidy laundry, landscaped gardens, and wonderous vistas. It comes with 2 drawbacks—tons of campers
packed in tightly and a hefty price tag ($92/night). But it put us within 5 minutes of the
reason for our visit: getting together with Quartzsite friends Chrissy, George,
and Barbara. Bozeman has expanded
considerably since our last visit to the area in 2006. But Chrissy was a wonderful “tour guide”. We so enjoyed our time
together, and we feel blessed to have such wonderful friendships.




 | Our tour of Bozeman included a hike to Palisade Falls in Custer Gallatin National Forest...
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 | ...and a visit to Hyalite Lake.
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 | We witnessed magnificent panoramas as Chrissy showed us the sights. |
 | We had fun perusing the shops... |
 | ...visiting the local Farmers' Market, and strolling along Bozeman's Main Street. |
 | The Pickle Barrel, where "the locals" go for lunch!
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We enjoyed a delicious dinner one evening at Bozeman's Urban Kitchen. |
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And we hosted dinner at the campground one night... |
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...as a thank you to Chrissy, George, and Barbara for an absolutely wonderful visit together! |
Now that we pumped, dumped, and did laundry, we looked
forward to boondocking again. This time
at Wild Rye Ranch, a Harvest Host in Deer Lodge, Montana. Before arrival, Maggie the Host sent us a
note apologizing for being too busy to greet us. But she indicated we could park anywhere we
felt comfortable. Good thing, because
many of the areas designated for Harvest Host parking had sinkholes, ruts, and
tight access--not suitable for a set-up of our size. We ended up parking along the exit road,
right next to the Mama cows and their offspring. There were plenty of goods here from which to
make our obligatory purchases—meats, honey, sundry items, and eggs. Maggie graciously granted our request to stay
a second night, which cost $30 in either cash, check, or Venmo. Personally, I think it is a bit steep for no
hookups, but my parents paid the fee to facilitate getting together with friends
who are work-camping in the Butte area. We enjoyed our visits with Stephanie and Sylvia, and we wished them well in their summer endeavors.
Despite the lack of amenities and the less-than-stellar parking conditions, Wild Rye Ranch comes with some magnificent views of Mt. Evans. Furthermore, it is only 12 miles from Anaconda, an old mining town that has changed little in 125+ years. We stopped to see the smokestack to Anaconda smelter. Said to be the tallest surviving masonry structure in the world, it stands at 585 feet.
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Most of the Harvest Host parking areas contained mud, ruts, and sinkholes. |
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So, we parked along the exit road next to the cows. |
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Storms were brewing one day... |
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...while the next night offered clear skies and a hint of the Northern Lights. |
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A luncheon with friend Stephanie. Good times! |
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After a luncheon at our place, friend Sylvia joined us for a tour of Anaconda.


 | This smelter smokestack looks tiny in this photo, but it stands 585 feet high.
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We departed Deer Lodge via an easy drive along I-90 and
US-93. We arrived at East Shore BBQ in
Poulson, Montana, a terrific Harvest Host near Flathead Lake. It has a huge, dry field, and it is easy to
access/exit. It has a rustic cabin
atmosphere, a varied menu with reasonable prices, and, most importantly,
outstanding food.
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Some REALLY BIG bunnies live on the property. |
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The cherries are coming soon! |
Well, it is time for me to sign off. Tomorrow, we begin our visit to Glacier
National Park. I’ll talk to you again
soon!