Last Day In Montana

We spent a busy last day in Missoula.  After breakfast, we went to town to walk the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area, a system of trails that extends through a 32, 976 acre area just four miles from the heart of town.  We then ate another lunch at a popular restaurant called Five on Black, a Brazilian cafe that features delicious but economical food.  We toured downtown after lunch, looking at some of the popular venues and driving through the University District where Matt lived when he first moved to Missoula.  All in all, we have spent a fabulous vacation in Montana and are already looking forward to our next visit!

Beautiful buck behind Matt's house

Another buck bedding down behind Matt's house

Jennifer in Baby's Room

Matt and Jennifer on Rattlesnake Trail

Five on Black poster

Wild Roses were common along trail

Jennifer Returns!

Wednesday got off to a typical start with a nice walk down the long driveway, then onto Bear Creek Road and toward Hwy 200.  The morning chores consisted of more work on the wood shed and cutting and stacking more beetle-killed Ponderosa pines.  After lunch Matt checked his texts and learned that Jenn was to arrive ahead of schedule--in about an hour in fact!  We had anticipated having the entire afternoon to leisurely get the place tidied up for her homecoming, but we suddenly shifted into high gear: brooms and vacuums and dust rags were employed with gusto.  After about an hour, things looked pretty decent. With a somewhat ironic twist, Matt realized he had overestimated Jenn's ETA by about three hours!  Well, the work was done anyhow, so what else to do but start the cocktail hour early!  It was great to see Jenn drive up at about five looking amazingly healthy and happy and, yes, quite pregnant.  Thirty weeks to be exact.

Hard-working ranch hand

Boys and their toys--1972 Ford 250 and 2013 Ford 250

Shed taking shape

Our impressive log deck

One of the many critters on the ranch

Building Projects Winding Down

Spent most of the day finishing up projects: staircase, wood shed, tree culling.  Then, after an epsom salt soak in an outdoor tub and a brief siesta--these amenities are included with the Dude Ranch "Z" ticket--we went to town again for a few errands.  It seems there is always some essential item that has to be returned or a part that is missing, etc.  We were also treated to a fabulous barbecue dinner by our host at Famous Dave's Barbecue.  Afterwards we drove along the beautiful Blackfoot River and back to our cozy bunks.  Jennifer is coming home Wednesday, a day early, so we will be busy tomorrow removing the construction debris, cleaning the house and putting things back in order.

Doesn't get too much better

Wildflowers continue to proliferate

Paula...ahhhh

Culling Trees / Building a Shed

Monday was another productive day.  Matt continued to cull trees that had been invaded by beetles.  These would then find their way to the wood pile to warm the house during Montana winters, which typically hover in the single digits.  And with all the culled wood there needed to be a wood shed to keep it dry.  So I started the preliminary framing of a small shed on the south side of the garage, to be completed in the next couple days.  Paula has been engrossed in the latest Elizabeth George Inspector Lynley novel, but did manage to break away long enough to create a tasty chili relleno casserole.  But it's not all work and no play on the ranch; we found time to shoot Matt's compund bow and practice with the 22 pistol and Gamo pellet rifle.  I'll have to do some serious upper body strengthening before I can be a contender with that bow.

Serious woodsman

Embryonic shed

Gamo Rifle and Compound Bow

Mt. Sentinel

Today we hiked to the famous "M" on the west flank of Mt. Sentinel, a small mountain to the east of the University of Montana.  Mt. Sentinel has an elevation of 5,158 feet and rises about 1,900 feet from Misssoula.  The trail switchbacks up the face with several benches for weary hikers to contemplate the majestic views of the city and campus below.  The "M" itself was first made in 1906 out of rocks, but in 1968 it was constructed of cement which is about 8 to 10 inches thick.  After our hike, we completed a number of other errands and then had a nice lunch at The Iron Horse Bar and Grill, followed by the required stop at the Big Dipper, Missoula's finest ice cream venue.

Clifford on the "M"

University of Montana campus map: Matt teaches in Bldg 19

The "M" from downtown

Top of the "M" with campus below

University with downtown Missoula

University and Hwy 90 on the right

Home of the "Grizz""

Weary hikers

Another day in paradise

Saturday dawned with nary a cloud in the sky.  We continue to enjoy our morning hikes along Bear Creek Road down to Hwy 200, the main artery that connects Bonner/Missoula with Matt's property.  There are several large ranches in the vicinity with small herds of cows, goats and sheep.  Then, to the south, there are roughly forty families that live in a wooded area, each with a rustic home and anywhere from 10 to 200 acres--and usually two to three large dogs!  Matt continued to do finishing work on the staircase.  Paula and I helped when and where we could.  In the afternoon Matt and I loaded his 1975  Ford 250 snowplow truck with Ponderosa pines that had been culled because of a beetle infestation.  There's always plenty to do on a ranch! Then Matt treated us to a scrumptious venison steak barbecue from a deer that his wife Jennifer had shot last year.  We're looking forward to Jennifer's return on Thursday from her month-long art residency in Sheridan, WY.

Venison steaks

The Master Chef

Looking better and better

The Butte Connection

Paula and I took our morning jaunt down the road, enjoying the local scenery and delicious smells of the fresh country air. Then, when hiking back to the house, we heard the bugling sound of a male elk coming from the top of the hill behind Matt's property.  I decided to hike up there with camera but to no avail.  I saw only the rear end of a very large female elk disappear through the trees before I could get the camera set up to shoot.  I'll listen again tomorrow for that wonderful, haunting sound. In the afternoon we drove to Butte along Hwy 90, the main artery running west to east through central Montana.  Butte is about two hours east of Missoula.  It's the city of copper mining fame that was once described as the biggest city west of Chicago, where there were more brothels than churches.  The famous "red light district" was the biggest in the U.S. during the 1920's where miners from all over the world worked in the miles of mine shafts below the city that had a population of 60,000.  Today it has hit hard economic times.  Matt taught here at the Montana Technological University for three years and returned for a showing of his photography during the monthly Friday night "Arts Alive" event.

Dainty dancing daisies

The "headframe" that lowered miners to tunnels below the city

A sign of the times

On right coffee shop for Matt's showing

Appropriate sign on back of coffee shop!

"Fire Proof" was a great ad in a city that saw numerous fires

Sunset as we returned to Matt's house

Thursday the 6th

Paula and I took a nice three-mile hike this morning.  We took a trail from Matt's place, but ended up having to hike through someone's property.  They came out on their porch and greeted us very cordially.  We continued working on the staircase after breakfast, and then went to town to get a few more supplies.  On the way, we took pictures of an eagle's nest on the Blackfoot River, about two miles from Matt's house.  Unfortunately, earlier this morning, Matt had to dispatch another marmot.  They seem to be well entrenched in the area and, as I mentioned before, are a very real menace to automobile engines.

Juvenile eagle on left with parent

Other parent perched below nest

More wildflowers

Paula calls these "Dr. Seuss flowers"

The Master Builder planing the stringers

Wednesday on the Ranch

Today we continued to work around Matt's place.  We managed to install the new stringers, with Matt doing the bulk of the heavy lifting!  I alternately served as his "go-fer" and pulled weeds in front of the house which proliferate this time of the year.  Paula kept busy with painting, knitting a sweatshirt for the baby, and cooking wonderful meals. The weather today was amazing: warming up to the mid-seventies, mild breeze in the afternoon, brilliantly blue skies with a few cumulous clouds to ad a touch of contrast.  Looking out at the valley scene as we lay on the chaise lounges enjoying a beer after our day's work, I was calculating the ways to make this permanently possible.  Vacations are wonderful!

Paula coping with noise of construction

Active Robin's nest on top of hoe!

Another view of the ranch

Wild flowers are popping up

It came from outer space!

Progress

Tuesday in Potomac

We spent the morning returning to Home Depot since the 2X12 planks we purchased were actually 2X10. After the exchange, we returned home and spent the rest of the day working hard on the staircase.  Paula and I took a brief break after lunch to check out the wildflowers

View from Matt's house

Matt's house

Please help us ID

Another view of Potomac Valley

The staircase project

on Matt's property.  Matt also had to dispatch a marmot which was encroaching on the property and threatening to do more damage to car hoses, etc.  They are pretty animals, but, unfortunately, they have acquired the very irksome habit of chewing on car engine parts.