Day 250 - Charlie Russell Country (Part 2)

Day 250 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Choteau

Well, I don’t know where the time went today. By the time I reached Glacier National Park, about 150 miles away from my starting point, it was nearly 4 pm, and I can’t say I have much to show for it.

My first stop was at Choteau, the home of novelist A.B. Guthrie, Jr. who is the author of The Big Sky. Choteau is known for its abundant wheat and barley harvests evidenced by the rolling fields of yellow and black (grain and fallow soil). The town’s courthouse, on the south end of town, required a $40,000 bond issue which
was very controversial, though it passed by about 50 votes. All I can think is…inflation!

Egg Mountain

Outside of town, is Egg Mountain which has yielded the largest cache of dinosaur eggs, embryos, and baby skeletons found in the Western Hemisphere. The site has also yielded one of the largest concentrations of adult dinosaur skeletons found in the world. The mass accumulation of Maiasaura (a duck-billed dinosaur) led scientists to believe they died from a catastrophic event like a volcanic eruption or hurricane.

Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area

I actually found Egg Mountain by mistakenly turning down the wrong road…I was trying to find Pine Butte Swamp Preserve. When I didn’t find the turn a second time, I kept going to Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area. This posed a slight challenge as well. It wasn’t in my GPS and the road didn’t exist on my paper map. Since the town of Bynum had about six buildings, I took a gamble and turned on the biggest dirt road around. It was the right one…I eventually found a sign to Blackleaf WMA.

VANilla had to bounce along 17 miles of rocky road before reaching the WMA and then she had to keep bouncing through stunted trees to Blackleaf Canyon. The canyon was beautiful, and I probably should have hiked, but I was truly in the middle of nowhere. I was concerned just about getting a flat tire, much less hiking through bear country. We turned around and bounced another hour back to the main road. It was quite a long scenic drive!

Glacier National Park

Eventually I made it to Glacier National Park where I took an evening drive on the eastern side. I was hoping to spot some wildlife, but was unsuccessful. I did, however, enjoy some fantastic views and a very short hike.

Triple Divide Peak

First, I stopped at Triple Divide Peak. From a distance it looks like any other peak and it looked like the shortest one of the bunch as well. Due to its three-sided pyramid shape, the rain and snowmelt flows to three oceans as opposed to the normal two. Water goes to the Atlantic, the Pacific, and to the Arctic through Canada.

Wild Goose Island Overlook

Next we stopped at Wild Goose Island Overlook for a spectacular view of St. Mary’s Lake and its surrounding peaks. The small island poking through the lake’s surface was named Wild Goose Island for geese that once nested on its shores.

Sunrift Gorge

My final stop before returning to camp was at Sunrift Gorge. It was beautiful. Sky blue water tumbled down the rocky creek between narrow cliffs patched in moss. Definitely serene! ETB