National Buffalo Refuge, MT

​I got a glimpse of smoke on the mountain as I headed towards the Buffalo Refuge. I wondered why I saw US forest service authorized vehicles parked around. Obviously, they are keeping an eye on this as there was a fire warnings north of this area. I entered the National Buffalo refuge at about 9:30 and they mentioned a 2 hour drive, which I took. However, it lasted more than four hours as I took my sweet time, keeping a careful eye towards the animals as well as taking a half mile hike and having a picnic lunch.  I saw plenty of buffalo, some very close up, and at the end at least eight antelope. I also spotted a black bear along another trail, which I decided not to take. One of the roads warned of a 10% grade as we climbed up then down a mountain to get these ultimate views. Boy, they weren’t kidding as I had it in first gear, and was riding the brakes for most of that decline. It was rather challenging only because the road was quite narrow, loose gravel, and switchbacks. My leg actually started to ache so I pulled over to take a break. I traveled for a bit beyond Missoula, looking for a camp spot which I found on Swartz Creek Road. However, as I traveled down the road, there was very little option to pull over, as the road was narrow, one lane, yet fairly level and free of potholes. Yeah! I finally found a large pull out, which I grabbed. there were ATV, motor bikes, and trucks driving by fairly quickly, kicking up dust everywhere, so I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to stay. However, it was already a long day, and I stayed for mostly a quiet night with only occasional drivers going past. There was one motorcycle that seem to rev up the minute he passed my RV and I wondered if he was trying to kick up rocks to intimidate me. I have heard of this sort of thing happening when they see a vehicle from out of state. One can only hope that everyone welcomes tourists and visitors to share in our national forests for camping and recreation. At least that’s what my mind likes to think. Certainly in Arizona we have almost the whole world coming to our national forests to camp and enjoy time and the escape of winter. Hopefully we can still work together to share in our public lands!













Comments

  1. freebird26_2September 4, 2023 at 8:26 PM

    So that last photo...is that bison poo? 🤔🤭Way to do up Montana at your own sweet pace! Love your campsites and those hot springs from the day before!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SylviaSeptember 5, 2023 at 11:43 AM

      Yes, most definitely it was bison. Poo. A bit dried up as I saw plenty of fresh stuff. Along with the bison, I saw antelope, and a black bear!

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