Glorious sunshine, blue sky, temperatures around 68 F.
Fantastic !
Todays drive is if one takes the direct way only a 2 ½ hours drive. I took a long detour. According to my GPS 5 h but it took
me much longer, not because of the longer distance but because of the sights.
It started with a gentle climb into the Idaho mountains on I-15. The (I)interstates ate comparable with our motorways and if
one wants to see something not necessarily the right road. But not in my case. First of all there was hardly any traffic and
secondly the scenery was fantastic. Mile-long cattle farmland on both sides and high mountains, some with snow covered
peaks on sometimes both sides as well and above all that the blue sky and the sun. Not that we do not have fantastic scenery
in England as well, no, but its the sheer size of everything which makes it simply overwhelming.
At the Monida Pass ( 6833 feet ) I crossed from Idaho into Montana and followed the road until I reached the Dillon exit.
Leaving the Interstate behind me the drive continued on a normal country road. Cattle farming and horse breeding for miles
along the road. Alongside the road very x-number of miles just the entry to a race with interesting names above the typical
arch: Blue Creek Farm, Moonshine Farm etc.etc. “Ruby Range” how this land is called is almost flat.
Having reached “Virginia City” one has to stop and explore. This whole town is a former gold town and now an open air museum.
Read here for more details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_City,_Montana
People are still living in Virgina City, just about 200, but all buildings along the main road are the museum. Fascinating.
Heading on a steep climb around a bend followed and one is presented with an breathtaking view: the Madison Valley with
the snow peaked Madison Range. The range extends 80 miles (130 km) from West Yellowstone, Montana to
Bozeman, Montana and is flanked by the Madison River on the west and the Gallatin River to the east. The highest point
in the range is Hilgard Peak at 11,316 ft (3,449 m).
I took several pictures ( one is below ) and absorbed this fantastic view for a long time for heading on. At Ennis I left the road
and headed Route 247 in a southernly direction through the Madison Valley. Cattle and sheep farms every now and then on
both sides of the road with the Madison Rage on the left and the smaller Gravely Range to my right. The road: like drawn with
a ruler.
The road went into the Madison River Canyon and the Earthquake Lake. Back 1959 a very powerful earthquake made almost
a whole mountain slide into the canyon. The landslide created a dam, the Madison River couldn’t flow anymore hence the lake
created. One can still see where all that happened.
The road follows the river and and then finally my today’s destination the town of West Yellowstone is reached.
My motel, the “Three Bear Lodge” was quickly found. For two full days I will be staying here to ex[lore the Yellowstone Park.
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