Yeti GOBOX Collection

Interesting Year for Drives

JMG

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MONTANA
Three weeks ago, I was headed north to Chinook/Havre area. As I was driving up towards the Missouri River I decided to take the Auto-tour road. It had snowed the day before, but it had since melted. I turned off the highway and traveled along the river. As I turned away for the "Elk viewing area" I headed up the hill and as I topped out I noticed legs in the road. The legs were sticking out towards the center of the roadway, but the animals body was along the side of the road. I thought to myself . . . . its a dead mountain lion. As I drove up, I get to where the mountain lion is literally outside my drivers door . . . . and again I'm thinking I will/should call this in to FWP. All of a sudden this mountain lion jumps up runs about 10 -15 yards stops, looks back at me like how dare I wake it from it nap in the sun. First time I have ever seen a mountain lion in the wild in all the years I have been out in the field (backpacking-camping-hunting-skiing, etc). By the time I got a camera, the cat had slowly run off to the bushes.

Two weeks later (last week), I was again up in the Bear Paw Mountains and noticed that the McClelland Ferry sign said it was open. So, I decided instead of driving all the way around, I will take the McClelland Ferry to shorten the distance traveled (its about the same time driving as driving all the way around). I board the ferry and ask the guy when the ferry opened and he says I'm was the 2nd person this year. I exit the ferry and head up the road toward Winifred. I was headed up and coming around a corner and thought I spotted deer in the road. Nope - it was a bachelor group of Big Horn Sheep. Pretty cool stuff.

Then last week, my family and I are headed up a road in the National Forest and we spot a really nice Cinnimon black bear. We used my wife's cell phone, so no photos available, yet.
 

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It's always a nice change of pace to see critters from the comfort of a vehicle.

Bingo...I remember stopping between Creede and Lake City Colorado one summer and watching a herd of elk my wife spotted feed in a drainage some 6-800 yards from the pullout. Pulled out the binos and watched for a good 20 minutes.

..thoughtful share JMG.
 
Congrats! I was asleep in the backseat while driving home from Moab once and my wife and her friend said a moutain lion was walking down the shoulder of the highway! When asked why they didn't wake me, they said they didn't think it was that big of a deal...

Love the look at of that country. Just wish it wasn't a 20+ hour drive away. :(
 

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