Month: October 2023

While in Buffalo WY, nestled in the Bighorn Mountains there was an opportunity to find a decent hike. Our boots were in need of a little exercise.

We were not looking for anything to strenuous but hoping for something interesting. Crazy Woman Canyon was a strong contender…but unfortunately the trail had been closed after some flood damage. So, we plumped for Mosiers Gulch. The reviews were promising, and the elevation was tamer than many we have done (this was still in August…so it was hot..!!)

To sweeten the deal, it was a short drive from the campground. Did I mention the campground in Buffalo? We stayed at Indian Campground a good choice…It has gravel, level pull through sites and huge old, old cottonwoods which shade the sites beautifully. Clean, tidy and well kept. We would highly recommend this campground for anyone stopping in the area.

Anyway..Mosiers Gulch.

The trailhead was easy to find and although there were other cars in the parking area, we met very few people along the actual trail and most of them were dog walking near the beginning.

The trail follows Clear Creek up the valley, which was another reason for choosing this trail as it tends to be a little cooler next to water.

The trail is well marked and easy to follow but still rough enough to be glad of hiking boots…….and it was a day to be carrying lots of extra water.

The path takes you up to an old hydro electric power plant….

…and then winding on up the valley following the creek …….

….up through the Ponderosa pines and choke cherries……there were many moments where I was certainly tempted to take my boots off and soak my feet….but it was hot, and it just seemed like too much effort…LOL

The trail came out of the tree cover and across a meadow……so when we found ‘Joes Trail’ back along the creek bank…….we took it….

Its a very pretty little trail and the musical tinkling of the water makes it feel cooler and fresher …I am sure….!!!

Then we came back up onto what I think must be a logging road. The road was clear enough to follow….but we were quickly in to waist high prairie grasses…..

With the occasional deer leaping out as we disturbed them….but moving way too quick to get pictures of them….so you will just have to believe me… 😁

When you are walking out in the full sun its amazing how much steeper the path seems to be…….even though it looks flat….LOL…

The end point of the trail for us on this day was the dam. The trail does carry on up into the mountains…. It looked like an interesting path….maybe for another day…

We lingered around the dam for a bit…..hydrated a little more before heading back to base.

We had a look around….enough to be quite sure we need to come back and do a bit more of this trail.

On the way back…….it turns out that we had been going uphill for quite a bit of this path……….as we (almost) trotted back down the meadow section…..

I was still sorely tempted by how cool and fresh that water looked……but the probability of ending up with sand in my socks cured that thought.

It was a beautiful landscape and a welcome stretching of the legs…….. happy to be sweaty and dusty….and looking forward to that hot shower……(and maybe a beer…..always have to test the local stuff..!!)

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Another bonus of being home was the opportunity to witness the master of the baler at work ….Andrew…our neighbour. It’s a fascinating process ….and even somewhat balletic watching someone who really knows what he is doing operating that big equipment.

Scott went out at first light to catch this event happening…..

Now that Scott has his Canadian passport (new Canadian…woohoo..!!) we could plan a trip that he had wanted to do down to Hot Springs, South Dakota for their annual Hot Air Balloon Festival ( upcoming post.. 😁)

Its 12 hours of regular driving to Hot Springs from home (plus 15 minutes per hour of ‘trailer time’) so we did a couple of hops on the way….an overnight just outside Helena, which is the capital city of Montana.

Next stop was a Harvest Host, Canyon Creek brewing in Billings MT. I had found an article the night before on Montana’s Fordhenge….an homage to the Cadillac Ranch on Route 66….it was 30 minutes out of our way….so of course we had to go….

Big bonus…it is in the tiny town of Edgar, Montana……so we had to take extra pictures for our friends who share the name…LOL…

It’s quite the thing……we pulled the airstream into this tiny, tiny town with one paved road running through it….

…and there it is…..

…and I have to say….I have never seen the Cadillac version…..but it is actually pretty cool……!!!!

…we were tempted to test out the local bar……..but we had somewhere to be…..so we had a wander around the town of Edgar……..

…and then back on the road through the Bighorn Mountains with the next stop being Buffalo Wyoming. For anyone who knows us, you will remember how much we have loved our travels to Buffalo NY over the years….so this just seemed like a must see stopover on the trip.

Buffalo Wyoming…what a great little town where the presence of ‘Longmire’ was a surprise to us. Buffalo WY was apparently the town that inspired the author, Craig Johnson, to create the fictional town of Durant that is featured in the series.

There is lots of art in the town itself, much like Buffalo NY. The downtown has a collection of great little independent stores.

Big bonus for the yarn addict ….there is a wool mill…..Mountain Meadow Wool Mill….and it has a shop…!!!

If you do the self-guided tour through the mill, they give you a 10percent discount on purchases…… 😁. Scott fell in love with this bison wool hat, fortunately Bison shed their winter coat so no shearing required…..

I’m not going to pretend that I did not buy a couple of skeins of wool……well I had to…!!!

Buffalo also presented us with an opportunity to get a hike in…..but that’s another story…… 😁

This one ends with us arriving at one of our favourite campgrounds, Broken Arrow Horsecamp in Custer, South Dakota.

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We have had such great experiences with the Patricia Rodeo, it just seemed all too convenient to pop along to our local rodeo at Writing-on-Stone on August 5th 6th and 7th…the 55th year of this unique and beautiful rodeo. The largest amateur rodeo in Canada this year and the only rodeo held in a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Writing-on-Stone is a unique and beautiful Badlands landscape just 25 minutes east of the spot we now call home. There have been previous notable visits to the park. Our first visit in Sept 2022,(click). The second visit in snow cover in November 2022 (click) , and then a return visit with Emily in January 2023 (click)

An amateur rodeo, if you can find one, is totally worth the visit. It’s always a treat to watch the skill of the people and the animals.

First a bit of roping……

Then some broncs……

Sometimes…..in less than eight seconds……it goes from looking pretty good…….to all coming unglued……!!

…and then those terrific pick-up guys are there to do their thing and make sure no people or animals are hurt…….

……..there is always something strangely compelling about watching someone go face first in the dirt……then pick themselves up and be all ready to do it again.

As the light started to fade, they started the barrels races……not for the faint of heart…. those guys move fast….

The additional draw this year was ostrich racing…….now who can resist a bit of ostrich racing…..really…!!! Herding them proved more than a little trying for the pick-up guys more used to four legged participants.

Unfortunately they were mostly too far away to get shots of the people actually riding the ostriches……suffice to say…it was ‘gripping’……LOL…

The added adventure to the day happened as we were leaving to head out to the rodeo. As we approached the end of the driveway we found this poor fellow hanging on the fence.

He is a juvenile Swainsons Hawk, completely trapped on the barbed wire with a barb of the wire fence buried in his shoulder. We could not leave him there, but we had neither the equipment nor knowledge to help him…..after a quick turnaround and speedy drive over to the neighbours for help….

Andrew has had experience with injured birds in the past…..and more importantly he had welding gloves….!!!

After a bit of surgery with wire cutters, forceps and a bit of determination….he was, as gently as possible, removed from his entanglement. Isn’t he magnificent…!!!

Carefully wrapped and put into a box to protect and keep him calm, we arranged for the Birds of Prey Sanctuary in Coaldale to take him and.. hoped…..allow him to heal and be released.

Unfortunately, his wing turned out to be too badly damaged……so he will remain at the sanctuary and live out his life there.

Birds of Prey in Coaldale (click), just slightly east of Lethbridge is a truly wonderful place. When we took the bird up the next morning, they took him in and let us have a visit through the facility. The bald eagles flight demonstration was absolutely incredible…these birds are amazing creatures. We had the opportunity to hold some burrowing owls. Such sweet little beasties……and it’s like having a tiny piece of fluff on your hand (with big talons..!!)…they weigh almost nothing….

This sanctuary for injured raptors receives no government funding, so if any of you out there are looking for a worthy cause to make a donation to these guys have a sponsor a bird program as well as other ways to support the centre. Definitely a recommendation if you are in the area looking for an amazing experience, open Victoria Day to Labour Day.

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Continuing on a theme of more sedentary activities. After a great visit to Blairmore and the Crowsnest Pass……and some larger-than-life adventures up scary mountains……a trip home was in order.

There were chores to do and grass to cut.

….and some noxious weeds to poison……

We have an invasion of Babies Breath……a pretty floral decoration…but not native and out of control here…..and it makes huge tumbleweeds in the fall cleverly spreading thousands of seeds as it rolls along in the wind and gathers along the fence lines. Me and my backpack sprayer are on a mission.

My garlic was nicely cured so it was time to bring it in…..I was very pleased with it…. All will be returned to the soil in the fall then next year we’ll have a crop large enough to replant and add to the winter larder.

Oh…and I missed a side trip we did to visit another couple of great people we met on the road……they bought some bricks and sticks in a small village northeast of Calgary and have made a home in this lovely little community. The bird is named ‘Pumpkin’…she was rescued by one of their neighbours….funny little thing that she is…..

These guys are fellow Airstreamers…so it was kinda cool to have the two trailers side by side…..and it’s a very pretty little village they have chosen.

We spent a day out with them in some of the neighbouring towns…Big Valley is another spot that used to be a bigger town in the days of the railroad. Laterally it has been a tourist destination and is another place that was hit hard by the ‘pandemic’ shut down.

But….more importantly …we had to come home because the New Canadian in the house had to pick up his shiny new passport…… (Yay..!!)

This meant we could cross the border again (until it’s my turn…!!) so we eagerly picked out a State Fair to go visit….

Montana State Fair, Great Falls Montana.

This was a lovely day. One of the great things (in my opinion) about fall fairs is the pride in the livestock. Chickens, bunnies, cows, pigs and goats. That and the 4H stuff. We attended the Erie County fair in Hamburg NY a couple of years ago and were delighted to see how much involvement there is of the next generation of young farmers. It was evident here in Montana also, even though this was a much smaller affair than in Hamburg.

I think all of the pigs and cows being washed and blow dried for show were being handled by kids.

Montana cow pies….I can attest to their yummieness…….a brilliant idea for fair food. (it’s a cross between a grilled cheese and a burger, pressed in a pie shape, sealed around the edges and then deep fried..!!)

…and when we stop travelling and fill our fields with animals…..I have to have not just ordinary goats……but spotty goats……

Back home again we had a major storm warning. On the prairie you can see this thing form as it comes off the Rockies.

…as it swept towards us the light and the power of the sky above was incredible (at this point we were still standing outside)

We watched in awe as that hook of cloud swirled down looking very much like it was going to touch…

….then the sky darkened forty shades and the wind picked up…….time to go inside.

There are no pictures of the next bit….because there was nothing visible ..LOL…the rain hit us like Niagara Falls coming sideways…. 2 inches of rain came down in 15 minutes of pounding and wind before it swept on east. The lightning was visible to the east for a couple of hours…..

After the storm….these next pictures have not been retouched in any way.