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7/28
As we leave Missoula, we reflect on our time here and recall what wonderful Montana residents we have met. Kind & nice & always welcoming us to their state. Housewives, clerks, whoever it happens to be, tell us they hope we have a great time. John heard from a native that the town is known as the working class city. That did seem to be accurate from our perspective. Anyway, we totally enjoyed the experience of friendly folks & their sweet children.
The Hub of the Bitterroot River Valley is what they call Hamilton. Only 50 miles from Missoula, we arrived around noon after passing through several smaller towns. It probably is the hub as it has most services, such as a Safeway & gasoline stations & the stores that people need for their everyday life. The scenery on the short journey was lovely. The Bitterroot Valley is a wide, flat valley with mountains, the Saphire & the Bitterroot Range, on both sides. Agriculture, of course, is the main thing happening with some emphasis on horse ranches & some cattle. There are several log home builders along this route, too. We are staying at Angler’s Roost, a campground just south of the town. We have a wonderful site that is a few feet from the Bitterroot River, with tall trees to protect us from the sweltering afternoon sun. There is also public access thru the campground to allow day anglers and those inner tube floaters to access the river from here. The campground is old & if you need to use their restrooms or their laundry, you might consider staying somewhere else. We had been here about 2 hours when Gary got in his fishing uniform & took off for the river. After whipping that little faux-fly around for about 3 hours, he returned with that smile & said, ‘got some nibbles.’ We met a couple staying next to us who had also just arrived. They have a 2-man inflatable fishing boat and they are both going out in the morning. But Guido wanted to go with a guide. So, Gary & Guido have arranged for a 7-hour float trip for Wednesday. It is now dark & with no campground lights, it is really dark. So quiet, so very quiet. Sleep will come easy this night.
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We assume this is a ski area near the town of Florence. No signage to help us figure this out, but it is not mining. This sort of looks like a multi-strand necklace.
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Really nice view as one does their shopping.
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We saw more glacial activity in these mountains than at Glacier Nat’l. Park. Just so beautiful.
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There was several miles of this on our way to Hamilton. Very, very bumpy. But, a 4 lane road will be the outcome of the construction. It is currently 2 lanes. Very necessary work due to increased population throughout the area.
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More of the glacier topped mountains. We are getting very close to Hamilton at this point.
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A place along the highway called ‘Cowboy Troy’s’. I usually think of Cowboy Hank or Cowboy Bud or Cowboy Joe. Troy sounds a little too Santa Monica to me. Just kinda tickled my funny bone.
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Not long after Cowboy Troy’s, we ran into the Houston Space Center. I have NO idea what’s up with that.
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They’re building log homes here. They take the plans, cut, fit & put everything together in their yard, number everything, take it apart & ship it to its new site, where, following the numbers, they build your log home. Everything from cabins to lodges are built this way. Custom homes the assembly line way.
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Just a couple more views of the spectacular mountains. The colors are richer than you see here. The humidity is high here, and when my zoom is in use, the moisture in the air really messes with the color.
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People that we have met in Montana have great pride in their state. This sign seems to highlight that pride.
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This just caught my eye as we drove through town. Just reading the four large red words.....well, it just seemed silly.
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Being good at your job is a good thing, but I’m not sure I’d want my name in ‘lights’ for this accomplishment.
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Thought these 2 street signs went together like peanut butter & jelly.
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Near our campground, I saw this beautiful, well-maintained barn. When I downloaded the camera, all I could see was a cartoon face. Top windows-eyes. Loft door-nose. The open barn doors-mouth. The two lower windows-cheeks.
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Angler’s Roost is much more than a campground. Fly shop, raft rentals, t-shirts, souvenirs, dvd rentals, convenience store & gas station, ammunition, scopes...........
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Gary’s at it again!
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