Rambling RV Rat: Touring Montana Via Some Stays at Harvest Hosts

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.

Just 2 of the friendly felines who welcomed us.

Some of Mark's cattle herd.

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.

We were treated to a beautiful sunset at Holmes Farm.

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.

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.

Grave markers dot the landscape...

..representing the lost lives of Indians (red) and U.S. Cavalry (white).

The Memorial for the U.S. Cavalry on Last Stand Hill.

The Indian Memorial at the Battlefield.

The wisdom of the Indians is engraved on the Memorial Wall: "In order to heal grandmother earth, we must unify through peace."

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.

I took this photo of Pompey's Pillar as we drove along I-90, hence it is a bit fuzzy.

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...

...and a visit to Hyalite Lake.

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!

We enjoyed a delicious dinner one evening at Bozeman's Urban Kitchen.

And we hosted dinner at the campground one night...

...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.

Most of the Harvest Host parking areas contained mud, ruts, and sinkholes.

So, we parked along the exit road next to the cows.

Storms were brewing one day...

...while the next night offered clear skies and a hint of the Northern Lights.

A luncheon with friend Stephanie. Good times!

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.

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.