Montana - September '24

Two weeks in Big Sky country was not enough, we’re already thinking about our next trip here, but created so many incredible natural visuals. The land is truly awe inspiring with towering peaks, vast meadows, rushing rivers, icy lakes. Reading Undaunted Courage along the way, the epic story of Lewis and Clark’s (inspired and directed by President Thomas Jefferson) expedition to find a waterway to the Pacific and the mouth of the Columbia River (where we have camped many times), has been a real treat. We’ve been able to see this part of the American West unfold as they saw it back in the day - wild, awesome and pristinely stunning. This included a boat tour through "Gates of the Mountains" (dubbed by Lewis) as the Missouri River winds through 1,200 foot 350 million year old Limestone cliffs and canyons, with 1,500 year old picographs still in tact today.

First up was Whitefish, a pretty and lively town where we were thrilled to play and visit with friends on Whitefish Lake, also trying wake surfing! In Glacier National Park, we rode bikes, hiked many miles over passes, swam in brisk lakes and rivers everyday (who needs a shower?), drove the iconic Going To The Sun Road, nail biting across the park, and saw bighorn sheep, pronghorn, white tailed deer, mountain goats, eagles, hawks, falcons, pika, ptarmigan, and 3 wolves. To date we have not seen grizzly or black bear, just lots of scat, though many around us have (maybe in Yellowstone?). After 9 days in the park, we had a special visit with Stace’s Aunt on her beautiful vast ranch, homesteaded back in 1895. It is a magical place, with a sunset like no other, and brimming with such history, stories and voluminous artifacts used to work the land over the centuries. We took a day to explore Helena, had a fun meet-up with a Cousin, and in Bozeman visiting a former work colleague of Josh's. So meaningful to connect with our extended family and friends on their turf and seeing their worlds - making this adventure all the more poignant. We look forward to doing more of that as our journey unfolds. Onwards to Wyoming!