Saturday, July 16, 2011

4th Of July In Montana, Part 4. Where The Buffalo Roam.

On the 4th itself, O and Josie went hunting for wild sage and I went hunting for photos.

I drove south on the main highway for about half an hour, then turned west to explore some
inviting back roads.

I soon found myself on a raised dike overlooking Ninepipes reservoir in the middle of 
a tranquil stretch of countryside.

 Reflections!
I decided that this would be a great place to return to at different times of the day
in order to take advantage of the changing light.

 Continuing my meandering journey, I came upon the National Bison Refuge. 
It was only $5.00 for a day pass, so I decided to check out the refugees.
I was glad I did. The Refuge is a lare tract of rolling hills and valley with a dirt road 
snaking through it. The signs warn you not to leave your car, since the bison
are understandably pissed at the way they've been treated over the years.

The first hill had a great view of the Flathead River.

 In the valleys, tiny tributary creeks fed lush growth of wildflowers and grasses. 
Signs warned that the abundant berry bushes were frequented by bears.

At the 4,700 foot summit, there was a panoramic view of the valley with 
the Mission Mountains pointing to Flathead Lake in the far distance.

 And the beautiful valley around St. Ignatius.
 Heading down the eastern slope, I found the bison herd and a sign marking the highest level 
of the former Lake MIssoula, over 3,500 feet above the current valley floor!

 It was exciting getting so close to these huge beasts, even from the safety of the car.

 There were a few calves scampering around.

 On the east side of the Refuge, the meadows were filled with wildflowers.
And wildlife.

 Pronghorns!

 They were a bit skittish, but when you're thirsty, you're thirsty.

 On the way back to Josie's, I stopped at Ninepipes again for some more reflections.

The sisters returned with bags of the best white sage just before I got back. We had a little dinner and got ready to drive up to Polson to watch the fireworks show over the lake.

P.

1 comment:

Steve said...

Gorgeous, Peter, just gorgeous.