We got a parking spot at Logan Pass and did the hike to Hidden Lake Overlook with my parents. This was their first (and probably only time) at Logan Pass, so we wanted to make it special for them.
After we finished our hike we made our way into Two Medicine and snagged a campground as people were packing up, their 3 day weekend just about over. We set up camp and then relaxed in the campground, by the lake, and my parents paid for a boat tour on Two Medicine Lake. When that was over we returned to camp to make dinner, play some games, enjoy a campfire, and then finally head off to bed.
The next morning I woke up to the sound of splashing water. In my groggy state it sounded like water splashing onto the ground out of somebody's camper nearby. However the sound continued off and on for quite a while. Finally, when my parents were the first one to get up, I heard, "There's a moose out here!" I hastily put on my close and stepped outside the tent. Sure enough, right in the pond next to our campground was a female moose having breakfast in the cool morning fog. She had been making the noise all morning.
The moose attracted a lot of attention from other campers for the next hour, and we kept a close eye on her until she wandered off away from camp. Then we packed up camp and began the drive home, stopping briefly at the East Glacier Lodge & Goat Lick Overlook. We unloaded, and then Amber and I reloaded our car for the next leg of our journey through Southwest Montana.
Wednesday morning we weren't up as early, and we set off with my parents in two different cars. We traveled down the Seeley-Swan Highway. Our end goal for the day would be Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks, MT, but we made a stop at Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site first, in Deer Lodge.
Johnny Grant had started the cattle ranch in the 1860's, being one of the first settlers in the Deer Lodge Valley. Later on Conrad Kohrs bought the ranch. The site tells the stories of the individuals, families, and the daily life of workers on the ranch. It gave good perspectives on what life on the Montana ranch was like. We wandered through buildings, exhibits, and got a tour of the ranch house.
By the end of the tour, everyone was getting hangry. So we found a dilapidated picnic table at a "city park" in Deer Lodge to eat at. Then after stocking up on some more groceries we continued on our way.
As we neared Butte, MT, we saw a pretty massive fire burning in the mountains. When we crossed the Continental Divide we got some glimpses of how large it seemed to be. The high winds and dry conditions had probably just recently started the fire.
Early in the evening we finally reached Missouri Headwaters State Park. Amber and I had reserved a tipi, and my parents camped in a spot right across from us. We set up camp, and relaxed. Amber actually got my dad to play a couple games, and then we cooked dinner.
As we ate dinner light ash rained on us from the fire near Butte. About 1/3 of the sky, to the North, was hazy, and we were pretty confident that by morning the whole area would be choked with smoke. The bit of smoke did help create a spectacular sunset, however. We quickly washed dishes and then we all hiked down a grass trail to the banks of the Madison River to enjoy the waning light.
After heading back to camp, we built a campfire, roasted some s'mores, and visited & told stories until we headed to bed...
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