Oh man oh man oh man, I leave for the airport in less than 36 hours.
Flying SW metal.
So I'm going to be in Denver 'paking and doing Denver'y things with former KSU rugby elites and other friends through Saturday night (June 8) and then I hop in my rental car and crank up Whitesnake 'cuz here I go again on my own. I will then have exactly ten days to explore before I have to be back in Denver the night of June 18th. (Future Mrs. SB is flying in to meet up with me and some friends and Red Rocks will be involved.)
So. Ten days to explore. How should I divide my time? This is the nagging question. I know I want to spend AT LEAST two days in both Yellowstone and Glacier National Park...but should I really instead budget three in each? Two in one and three in the other? Looking specifically from people who have done both. And which parts of Yellowstone are the best, btw? Because it's stretched over, like, three different states.
Also. Porky Morgan. Let's get drunk. I'll probably PM you a few days from now when I have a better idea of when I'll be in Missoula--but know that I'm planning on spending at least one day/night in that area and would love to 'pak if you're available. You are of course under no obligation and can totally bail last minute with an excuse if you get nervous about meeting up with an internet bud.
I'll definitely take a crapton of pictures and post them in this thread, but I'm guessing I won't be BBS'n very much during the trip, because, you know, nature (Goulet).
Finally, a friend of mine who spent some time in Montana (park ranger or something) sent me this. Thoughts from any of you Montana people?
I can only give you good advice on Montana. Personally, if I were going up there right now, I'd have a hook in the water. Most of the spawn restriction should be lifted by then, so small stream fishing is open. If you are of that persuasion, I can give you hints on lures, flies, and locations.
As for places you have to see, I think you would be missing out if you didn't go to Glacier NP. Awesome hikes, chance for a lot of wildlife viewing, and you get to see the glaciers while they still are there. Camping can be expensive and hard to find in the park, but there is a lot on National Forest land near West Glacier near Hungry Horse Reservoir that's free or cheap.
If you have to hit any "big" cities in Montana, you have to do Missoula. Tons of camping sites within driving distance of town in all directions. I'd suggest toward the Lolo Pass area down the Bitterroot Valley or in the Blackfoot River Corridor (Russell Gates Memorial) on MT 200. Missoula is like Austin, but fewer people, surrounded by mountains, and very close to anything and everything outdoors. The music scene is awesome. Hit Rockin' Rudy's near the UM campus, they are the box office and central hub for all things music in Missoula. If you like craft beer, Missoula has 3 breweries ranging from standard German lagers to over the top imperials. You can’t go wrong with Bozeman or Butte, but Missoula is an awesome town.
Depending on the weekend in June you are in Montana, you HAVE to go to Summer Celebration in Fort Benton, MT. This was the town I lived in when I was up there. It is about 2 hours off the Front Range of the Rockies and on the shores of the Missouri River. It is definitely a small town festival, but it would be worth stopping and going to if possible. Space is hard to come by in the town, so if you are interested I can contact a couple of friends in town to see if they have room for you to pitch a tent. One of them is from Abilene, KS with a ton of ties to K-State, so I’m sure it wouldn’t take too much coaxing to get him to let you crash there.
I think that is a good start.
