I began planning this trip to Montana with Michael around Christmas 2016 when he and Aimee came out to California for the Holidays. Originally, we had planned to visit Montana in July but unforeseen circumstances made us put it off until September of 2017. I made this same trip with my Father forty years ago in the middle of October 1977. This trip was a lot different. I traveled 3685 miles (RT) over 20 days and Michael and I took over 1500+ photographs with four cameras…Here are some of them…
A lot minute pick-up, Patagonia Light Weight Wading Boots with Goat Head Sole Spikes…
Watching the sunrise near Ridgecrest, CA around 6AM on Wednesday, September 13…
The usual stop at Mahogany Smoked Meats in Bishop, CA at 9AM to pick up stuff to snack on while fly fishing…
The good stuff !!! 🙂
Out in the middle of Nowhere, Nevada. I always take back roads when traveling to Montana. There are awe inspiring vistas to be viewed and very little traffic along the roads. The only drawback is those flagmen one ALWAYS encounters where they are doing repair work on some desolate stretch of highway and yer’ stuck there for up to an hour…
MIddlegate Station, Nevada…located on “the loneliest road in America”, Hwy 50 between Fallon and Austin, Nevada. One of the many “saloons” that I was required to stop at on the trip I took with my Father in October, 1977. I was ready to eject him by the time we left Jackpot, NV and entered Idaho…
Yep…it looks like a few things have expired here…
A Nevada roadmap overview that does not show the back roads unless enlarged…
North of Austin, Nevada and some menacing clouds in the distance…
The road that leads to Bewawe, NV and Hwy. 80 East to Wells, NV…
The curse of Nevada Highways…dead stop on Hwy. 93 …North to Jackpot, NV and Idaho Falls…
This is a vintage shot of Cactus Pete’s Casino in Jackpot, NV the last of the places my Dad HAD to get a drink on our way to Yellowstone. There are several new casinos in Jackpot now since they outlawed gambling in Idaho and I would venture to say that Hwy. 93 is one of the most dangerous roads in America – alcohol might be involved…
So I am on the phone with my son Michael, at the dead stop above and he tells me he will find me a place to stay outside of Twin Falls, ID because almost all of the motels/lodgings in that city are dumps (been there and he’s correct). So he tells me about this place called the Hagerman Valley Inn which is 30 miles West of Twin Falls and easy to find. As I progress up Hwy 93 into Idaho, the skies darken, it starts to pour, it is getting dark and semi’s are barreling down the road throwing water all over my windscreen…did I say it was dark and pouring rain ??? All I have to do is find Hwy. 30 and go West…
HWY 93 and Junction with HWY 30…I missed it three times … it is VERY DARK, it’s still pouring and there are MANY trucks…why isn’t the light in front of the sign ???
Hagerman Valley Inn
Michael has called the Inn to tell them I am lost but that I will be there – sometime. I keep driving on this two lane Highway can’t find this place, drop calls with Michael and finally arrive an hour after their restaurant had closed…I am just happy to get a room and go to sleep…
So I am up at 6AM, re-pack the vehicle, head out to Hwy 84, make a wrong turn and drive 30 miles towards Boise instead of Twin Falls and North to Yellowstone…Finally on the right track around Pocatello, Idaho…
Trouthunter in Island Park, ID…stopped here to pick up a few items…
Leaders and tippet material…
Heading towards West Yellowstone on Hwy. 20…
Fly Fishing Shop Nirvana…Blue Ribbon Flies, West Yellowstone Montana…time to get a Montana license and browse…
Almost there…The Madison River below Quake Lake and above Kelly Galloup’s Slide Inn…
The Bridge at the Old Kirby Place and West Fork Cabin Camp…
Setting up the cabin #1…
Setting up the cabin #2…
Wait…what happened to the sun ???…and the it started raining – really raining…
A Virgin Bloody Mary at The Grizzly Bar & Grill about a mile up the road…
..and it was still raining the next morning when I headed through Ennis, MT to Bozeman to pick up Michael at the airport…this is Yesterday’s at the Ennis Pharmacy…best breakfast in Montana…
Sitting here at the airport in Bozeman waiting for Michael’s flight to arrive…outside, it is raining harder…
Michael shoots the Montana landscape from his window seat…it is raining…
Stopped at The River’s Edge West next to the Simms Factory to pick up some new G3’s for Michael and some extra socks and gloves…this is a screen shot…it was raining even harder…
Up the grade from Norris to Ennis, Montana…it is getting real crappy now…
From Ennis up to West Fork Cabin Camp…
Arriving at the bridge…
So, after unpacking, Michael takes a stroll around the Madison River, in the immediate vicinity…
Yep…it’s still snowing…
More and more…
Time for dinner at the nearest joint possible…The Grizzly Bar and Grill again…
IPA for Michael, Virgin Bloody Mary for me…
Went to bed after seeing this…
Woke up Saturday, September 16th. to this…Thanks Michael !!!
…and this…
Michael getting busy with the broom…
Up the road to $3.00 Bridge…
Nobody in the parking lot, wonder why ???
$3.00 Bridge in the snow, in September and it is COLD !
Get out there and fish !!!
Trudging along the Madison River…
I like this spot…
A Rainbow…on a #20 Cream Miracle Midge…
Not entirely for the birds…
Warming up a bit…
I’ll just work this section…
Michael finds a Glossosoma – Short Horned Caddis…
The Trout are drifting in from the heavier current on the outside to the softer current on the inside…
…and they are focused on MIDGES…
As Michael was well aware…
Thawing out in the afternoon…
Back at them tomorrow !
Salad with sausage for dinner at the cabin…
NEXT: More on the Madison…
PT/TB
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