Traveling America By Van: Missoula
By: John Kumiski
One of the side effects of the Covid-19 pandemic is that domestic travel skyrocketed in 2021. After staying home during all of 2020, people wanted to get out. For the most part, international trips were off the table. So finding campsites on Saturday and Sunday was a never-ending chore for us, one that was often unsuccessful.
On this weekend, we ended up at an RV park in Missoula. As a rule, we avoid RV parks. More expensive than campgrounds, most are tightly packed with obese vehicles. Our mini-van feels so out of place in an RV park. But they had space for us, and no campgrounds did, so we took it.
During our visit to town, we perused art galleries in town. Missoula has world class art- check out the website of David Frederick Riley, https://www.frederickfineart.artneart.art. At another gallery we had a long conversation about our trip with the curator. She told us, "You need to visit the bison range." We were there that afternoon. Fantastic!
A bison-less scene at the bison range.
The Bison Range, operated by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation since 2020, has two wildlife drives. We took the shorter one, seven miles long, which takes about 45 minutes. Unless, that is, you see animals. Then you can stop and watch, or photograph.
Although we only saw bison (Only! HA!), you might also see antelope, deer, elk, and bears. The dozens of bison approached our van, crossing the road within ten feet of us! It was like an African safari! The ten dollar entrance fee seemed exceptionally reasonable.
This bison, what was he doing?
We were there late in the afternoon. The light was diffused by wildfire smoke, making for wonderful photography. After photographing the bison, I played around making images of the teasel that was growing there.
The smoke from western wildfires turned the sky red as the sun neared a ridgeline near Missoula.
On the way back to Missoula, we passed a sign for the Jocko River Campground in Arlee. I called, and they had open sites. We were there the next evening.
Behind our campground ran a stream- the aforementioned Jocko River. It was the final day on my fishing license. I was stringing up a fly rod, full of anticipation, when the gentleman camped next to us saw me and walked over. "Did you know you need a reservation permit to fish here?" I did not, nor did I have one. Somewhat disappointed, I put the rod away.
I watched some small trout rising for a while as the day wound down, then turned around to walk back to the van. A doe deer (whitetail? muley?) was walking between the campsites, right through the middle of all of us. It was a beautiful note on which to end the day.
Upon checking my phone, I had a text from Dean Altenhofen. He was staying in Polson, an hour away, and wanted to know if we wanted to join him and his wife for an excursion to Glacier National Park in two days. Heck, yes! I told him we'd be there around 8:30.
Susan in an abandoned building at Garnet Ghost Town.
About 30 miles east of Missoula you'll find an abandoned gold mining town called Garnet- the Garnet Ghost Town. I was expecting tumbleweeds and hitching posts. Silly me! Montana doesn't have tumbleweeds!
We and many other folks were touring the town, which happens on foot. There were plenty of old buildings, mining utensils, household goods, and etc., all fascinating. We spent the better part of a day there, during which time I tried to find and eat as many raspberries as I could. I love berries!
The following morning, we pulled up to Dean's Airstream at 8:40. He and Sunday, his bride, were waiting for us. We all climbed into Dean's truck and initiated the launch sequence.
Glacier National Park was simultaneously spectacular, crowded, and full of smoke. I hardly bothered taking pictures in a place where ordinarily I would go crazy. The air was that dirty. In spite of that, Dean spotted a mountain goat high on a cliff along the Going to the Sun Road. He stopped, and we all watched until it disappeared.
One of the more beautiful streams we encountered, in Glacier National Park.
It was the only mountain goat we saw on our entire trip, only the second I'd ever seen.
The rugged mountains and cliffs, the lakes, the meadows, the scenery- all amazing. Amazing! Because it was a drive-by, we had no time to take any hikes, which was too bad. To really get the flavor of a place like that, some on-the-ground time is needed. As it was, it was still a long day in the truck, with another hour of driving after we got back to Polson.
During the day Dean and I discussed fishing the next day. He showed up at our campsite at 9:00. We drove to Missoula to get fishing licenses and reservation permits, then went back to Arlee to actually fish the Jocko.
Dean fishing the hole that produced the best fish of the day.
It's a beautiful little stream. The gravel was a colorful mix of white, gray, red, and orange, just lovely. The fish were just as pretty. Although I got a few trout on nymphs, and the largest of the day came on a wooly bugger, we mostly fished dry flies. Because it's a small stream, most of the fish were small, but they were quite eager. Bites came fast.
With the hook barbs pressed down it was easy to release the fish and get back to casting. I only got cutthroats, but Dean got a brook trout as well. As always happens when enjoying good fishing with good company, the day went by much too fast. I'd promised Susan I'd be back by 5 PM.
Dean Altenhofen with the best fish of our day, a fat cutthroat trout that took a black wooly bugger.
I thanked Dean for the day, advising him to fish the Jocko near the bison range. Then I turned my attention to Susan, and dinner, and preparing to move. We'd be on the road again come morning.
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