It's like one huge golf course...

And I mean huge !  That right there is a typical windshield view of North Eastern Montana. You see me and MPeasy have a map of our new State that we highlight the roads we've traveled with a goal of seeing the entire State.  So, in between rain storms we did a 3 day 1,000 mile adventure to hike at Makoshika State Park in Glendive Montana ( I saw this stunning geography on Sunday morning television )  and then up to Fort Peck Reservoir to see the country that MP's grandparents homesteaded on and lost to the government when the Lake was flooded in the early 1930's and get a feel for how they lived, what they saw and who what their neighbors might have been like. And then we wanted to drive Highway 2 from Wolf Point to Havre with a stop at Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs near Malta. 

The rock formations at Makoshika are amazing. Of course it was raining and the lady at the check in station told us to use our poles as the rattle snakes were the worst ever...yikes.... I didn't much like that part. But we got our hike in with me grumbling along about snakes. Then we retreated to Glendive as MP perused the 2nd hand store I walked into a music store .

What a surprise and the highlight of the trip for retired guide 003. This place had a as many guitars as any Guitar Center Franchise I've ever been in, for a music hound like me this was huge...but MP finally found me and we discovered the second room with a full sized Tyrannosaurus rex replica . We were astounded . This place is the coolest ever so stop and see it, buy a  t shirt. Guitars, comics, candy....AND as I talked with the owner about how he ended up in Glendive Montana and he showed me the new PRS SE with an acoustic Piezo pickup with two output jacks a guy walks in and says hi who is depicted on the shirt, it was Ron Thral who plays the double neck guitar for Guns and Roses . .The two of them were searching for a slower life so I congratulated them and off we went with a wonderful brush with stardom. 

With the record rains Montana has experienced everywhere it is incredibly green. Fort Peck is gorgeous and huge . MP chatted with some other descendants of the area as I took pictures. The two brothers were city folks who came up for a cousins reunion. There grandfather had worked on the Dam and they shared stories as we gazed on the project from a viewpoint that had a memorial for the dozens of men killed in construction. I loved the story of MP's relative swimming the mail across the river before construction.....I guess I'm just not a good enough writer to tell you how we felt as we drove off but I can tell you it was unusually long and quiet for me and MP.

All over the ' High Line ' as they call it you come across scenes like these. Most of the little towns once active main streets are shuttered and I wondered why, where'd the people go ? Why ? How does one town have a vital commercial are, small but successful and the next town is all shut down ?....How does that happen.  Here's Saco .

I guess every town starts out with big dreams....it's going to be a city someday .  Towns have these 100 year old buildings like this Bank in Big Sandy that now looks a bit out of place and  has a Real Estate office in it....The Visitor and Cultural center reminds me of a Pawn Shop in the inner city somewhere, strange .

Half way to Alaska on the Alcan highway is Laird River Hot Springs . I tell people it's like the lord put it there for car sore travelers. Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs outside of Malta is no different. Don't drive by without stopping. It's 3 pools are hot, clean and the friendliest staff ever , they're glad to see you and we're glad to see them.

And seeings how I'm passing out endorsements like I was making money from it I gotta give a nod to Ma's World Famous Diner is Loma .  It's owned by a Mexican Lady from Hermisillo so I had authentic Rancheros . Amongst all the cool fish mounts and memorabilia I spot this fish . Yup, and honest to goodness Kenai King Salmon right here in the heart of Montana....I'm feeling connected like I often do. We spotted their billboard up the road around Box Elder and when it said World Famous we agreed we were stopping. As we chatted in the cafe I told them you can't be world famous unless you think you are....

Now you've read through this so far and thank you....but you're probably wondering where the rest of the fish are....Well, I found them at yet again another fantastic State Park in Great Falls called The Giant Springs. Cold clear water creates the worlds shortest river as it merges with the mighty MO. The fish Hatchery has these huge Rainbows that I assumedare the Brood stock as  I know a little bit about old slimey. Well I'm told they're ' show fish '....So you got a place with 20 miles of riverside trails, birds and wildlife and Show Fish...did I mention it's all free ?....what a place.

I can't help but notice that Mile 14 has hit a milestone , 1/4 of a million reads . Wow, all I can say is mucho gracias for letting me share this trip around the sun with you. I'll keep the faith and as I said earlier I see it evolving like most things in life to something it didn't start out to be...the natural order of things at work here at Mile 14....

Humbled

 

Yup, I'm humbled by the fishing here in Mooontana. It's bad enough that ol slimey is way harder to catch than I had thought but the rules and regs are about as confusing as it is on the world famous.  I've always, well mostly always , been a rules guy so you can imagine my heart rate the other day when I had this conversation with a Park Ranger while putting the boat on the trailer....you know how I feel about Park Rangers.....

Him....well do I have to get my ticket book out ?

Me...I doubt it, we only caught a couple Walleyes but that darn lake is chuck full of Perch .

Him...You didn't keep any Perch did you ?

( Now this guy must have not have done so well in the interrogation class at the academy because he kinda showed  his  hand and I had the feeling ) sooo I said....

Me....keep them, why would anybody keep them when they're the size of the Angel Fish in my aquarium ?

Him...Well that's a good thing because this is the only Lake you can't keep them until July 1st. 

mmmmmm....well with June 1 right around the corner and having promised some new Team Xers that we'd have an all you can eat Walleye feed before that date and figuring nobody could tell the difference we had some gorgeous Perch....Yikes....and we still don't have enough for the much awaited Walleye feed. Here's pic of MPeasy with her first ever Walleye, may the fish gods grant you more and larger baby.

At one point I was busy trying to tie this new fangled invisible line that I've been told to use and I glance up an MP's rod is hammered down with a Walleye bottom bouncer rig on it . Of course it got off but we now know the big uns exist . She kinda knows there's more to the trip than catching, after all we're the poster kids for  ' the joy is in the pursuit ' movement. She saw a Taniger and although that ain't a Grizzly Bear or a Mountain Lion it's a pretty big deal.

So she's looking in the trees.  Me, I'm looking at boats and fisherman. I'm wondering why this guy is in the middle of the Lake and how fast he's trolling and what's he towing and at what depth. And of course a boat in the high country of Montana is a beautiful thing even if he is running an old smokey two stroke.

So, I got the right depth . I can see the targets . I'm up early . Got nice fresh leeches , my first experience with those babies and they're about half disgusting, really slimey...AND  the rod goes off ! It feels like a...dare I think a large Wally finally ?.....nope, just another normal trout . Ain't know way this helps. It's absolutely impossible for even the most convincing expert pescador to succeed in telling people it's a red meat Walleye....kinda like the fabled White King...I could of  came through in the clutch if I'd offered an all you can eat trout fry.  But who wants to go to that ?

So any of you that were waiting on the Fish fry, it's been rescheduled for August 1st . If we need to we'll import some semi fresh salmon which will be a substitute people will like and I'll of course have crow on the menu for myself.  And to my buddy and mentor that told me " find the Perch and you'll find the Walleye " all I can say is thank you so much for damn near getting me my first and only ever fishing violation .