Across the Country...a journey begins

 March 9 2014:
A Journey Begins...

The mists obscured the rugged Bridger Mountains as a damp drizzle fell onto Gallatin Valley, a gathering storm descending as spring and winter battle in conflict of raging nature.  I too am conflicted as I set out into the great unknown, stepping into a new adventure, traveling across the country, leaving Bozeman Montana for uncharted territory.  The change in the weather reminding me that life is a dance, we move in the motion of the wind and the steadfast surety of the earth's foundation.  It is an ebb and flow, a travail and triumph through wilderness wanderings, lost in the sanctuary of the restless beauty of life.  This journey is stepping out in faith, breathing in the scenery mile by mile. 

Goodbye is bittersweet. I have lived in the shadow and light of this wild wonderland of open country  for four and a half years.  Montana and the Yellowstone Country is the keeper of my heart, able to ignite a resilient fire, a deep connection to the land and its history.  So as the wheels rolled down Main Street Bozeman for the last time I soaked in the ambiance, sad to leave the aura of Yellowstone Country, but excited for the next chapter, the freedom and hope of the future, anticipation of the changing of the guard as we cross the the mountains of past trials to new exploration of distant lands, pioneering the open highway, back roads and God's grand creation.  On this move from Bozeman MT to my home state of North Carolina, my mom and I will have the opportunity to hike remote backcountry, tour bustling cities, learn about the history and culture of America.  Like any wilderness journey, we will be met with obstacles and frustrations, doubts and desperation, but I know in uncertain times faith grows stronger and I find inspiration in resilient beauty of the canyons and mountains, prairies and plains that weather the brunt of snow, ice, rain, heat and wind and are sculpted into awe-inspiring beauty.

For the next two months I will be blogging about the adventures my mom and I take on a 4000 mile journey through 11 states, 5 national parks and countless Americana from kitschy hometown diners to wide open untouched wonder and everything in between.

Step into the great unknown...

~
My mom (Laura) and I had planned on leaving Bozeman on March 10th 2014, but after hearing a late night weather forecast on KBZK by Adam Bell, forecasting extreme flooding and heavy precipitation on Monday we scrambled to move on Sunday.  For twelve hours we moved at a helter-skelter pace, packing up over four years of our life into our Nissan Versa and leaving what we could not fit behind.

We finally left Bozeman just after two o'clock p.m.  The storm clouds hovering with an ominous stare forecasting the impending blizzard, while the persistent sun radiated hope through the cracked clouds.


We drove west on MT-84 towards Norris. The drive bends and breaks through the wide open farm and ranch country of Montana into the Bear Trap Canyon.  The canyon is cut by the mighty Madison River, arguably the premier blue ribbon trout stream in the world (and one of the three forks of the Missouri River).  In the summer, this section of the river is covered in rafts and intrepid tubers, enjoying the sun as they amble down the river surrounded by sheer rock cliffs and big sky. 

Forty minutes into our journey, the Bear Trap Canyon and Madison River open up into a sweeping valley surrounded by several mountain ranges. We made a right turn onto Highway 287, at Norris, a farming community anchored by the namesake Norris Hot Springs.  Norris Hot Springs (not to be confused by the scalding hot thermal basin in Yellowstone National Park) is the 'Water of the Gods,' pristine, soothing hot springs perfect for relaxing sore muscles after a day of hiking, skiing or rafting.  Norris Hot Springs is home to the 40 mile grill - which serves organic food locally sourced within a radius of forty miles of Norris.  NHS is also a watering hole for amazing music from the beat sounds of Montana funk to roots/Americana. 

 The rugged wide open country of Montana dazzles even in the cold damp, the spires of the Rocky Mountains (Tobacco Root, Madison Range and valley after vast valley...) stood as beacons, covered in thick snow.  Ironic that these monoliths of stone that have brought men to their knees, can be obscured, veiled into the invisibility cloak of something as flimsy and unpredictable as vaporous fog.

As we neared Ennis Montana the mountains peeked in and out of the clouds and fog.  Near Ennis the valley is largely untouched by snow, the moisture evaporated by the sun in last week's 'warm up' to 49 degree temps.  The volatility of this cold snow colliding with warm weather back to cold snow blizzard conditions seesaws, flooding and freezing.  You can not fully trust the moods of the weather here.  It is ever-changing, something we would quickly be immersed in.

We stopped briefly in Ennis.  This quaint historic town is known as the 'Fly-Fishing Capital of the World' and for good reason.  The Madison River powers through Ennis, allowing fishermen to fish in town, Ennis also has ready access to the Jefferson Rivers and is only 70 odd miles from Yellowstone National Park.  Ennis is one of my favorite spots in Montana and I will do a feature on it in a future blog post once I am settled on the east coast.

As we left Ennis the area I refer to as 'The wide-rugged mountain country' takes hold of your soul, with expansive virgin vistas - ambling plains of sagebrush and prairie grasses, cattle and sheep, mule deer and elk set below a ceaseless sky, cradled by mountains in every direction.  This is the sort of country you can get lost in.  In the summer it is hot, torrid and dry, the wind, idea for cross country skiing...as we neared Madison Canyon (a narrow beautiful canyon carved by Madison river and geologic forces of volcanism, earthquakes and erosion; Madison Canyon earthquake of 1959 - I will do a post on this in the future).  Given the increasingly violent weather - heavy snow blanketing the landscape into whiteout conditions we used the 287 detour to Island Park Idaho, bypassing West Yellowstone.

The Gravelly and Madison Mountain Ranges peered through the clouds as snow pounded the ground with Jack Frost's breath.  Whiteout conditions forced me to drive with extreme caution.Crossing into Idaho, I left Montana with a piece of my heart for safe keeping and memories to last a lifetime.  We reached the mountain resort area of Island Park just before four o'clock.  Island Park holds a special connection in our western journey.  It was August 17 2002 that my mom and I landed in Bozeman and drove to Island Park Idaho to stay a week.  It was during this trip (I was attending Montana State - 2300 miles west from my hometown of Raleigh), that I first became enamored with Yellowstone and this far country.  That trip still holds thousands of picture memories in my mind, from the elk rut and getting lost in the Tetons...I know many more memories await us on this voyage.

I was astonished to find Henry's Fork Caldera completely frozen over as we entered Idaho, covered in thick snow.  This Lake is the remnant of the Yellowstone Volcano's Henry's Fork eruption.  In fact this entire area of Idaho is lined with calderas from past eruptions, a reminder that even a volatile past can yield a beautiful resplendent, even if rugged future.  The whiteout conditions continued until Ashton - one of the potato capitals of the world (got to love a good Idaho potato) - the rich volcanic soil in Idaho makes it the ideal spot for agriculture, particularly potatoes! 

The mountains leveled out into the Snake River Basin - a large plateau of cease plains dotted with distant snow capped mountains - this is the heart of agriculture - seeing the work that goes into producing our food and the care and dedication these farmers have to their craft gives you a deeper understand of the inter-connectivity of life and our reliance on quality organic farming/sustainable practices.  It reminds you our food does not magically appear on grocery store shelves - farmers work is the food that feeds the world...it is very humbling. 

We arrived at Idaho Falls just after dusk.  The town of 56,000 garners its name from the rambling falls of the Snake River in the heart of downtown.  Idaho Falls is an industrial town, not particularly pretty, but full of hardworking Americans and farmers.  It is the largest city in the area, servicing 100 miles of farming/ranching communities.  It is one gateway to Yellowstone (although I recommend flying into Bozeman - prettier way into the park); Idaho Falls is only 90 minutes from the otherworldly Craters of the Moon National Park and only a few hours away from the remote and spectacular beauty of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains.

Onward to Salt Lake City...