Dave's PhotoJournal for June 5th, Part 4 of 4

Left Glacier National Park. The original plan had been to then take Highway 89 to Highway 49, to Highway 2, going around the southern border of the park, back to Highway 93, which would take me back south to I-90. However, since I was way behind what my original schedule had been, I decided that I would take Highway 89 south to where Highway 287 split off, and follow that south to where it intersected with I-15, then take that south to Boulder, then take the Highway 69 cutoff to I-90, which would mean I would skip the entire length of I-90 between 60 miles before Missoula to 30 miles past Butte. (About 220 miles total.)

The whole way down 89 was very beautiful. It travelled through grasslands and small rocky hills, all the while with the Flathead range looming to the west.

It was getting dark when I got to Boulder, so I decided to stop for the night, at the Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine and RV Park. Based on what the weather was when I woke up, I would decide if I wanted to follow the original (pre-Glacier National Park) plan, and go south through Yellowsone and Grand Teton National Parks, or, to conserve time, and get to my parents' house in time to hang out with them over the weekend by taking I-90 west through Montana, following it as it bends south into Wyoming, then following I-25 as it splits off, the rest of the way south along the front range, down to Colorado Springs.

At the RV park, I pitched my tent in the gravel lot that passed for the RV park, and went to bed. However, bad weather began rolling in, with high, gusty winds. Since the ground was really hard and I was unable to stake my tent down very well, and the gusty winds were loudly flapping the sides of my tent, I decided to just throw everything in the back seat of my car, recline my driver's seat, and sleep there.

Highway 89 in Montana, somewhere inside the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, after getting out of the foothills of the Flathead Range.

Almost got my car up to 100, which would mark the first time I had done so, along highway 89. (I was following a white pickup truck, which I never did catch up to, to give you an idea of the typical speeds on these roads..)

Shortly after, I was able to read the century mark.

Open range along the road.

Near Choteau, MT, saw this sign pointing to Teton Pass Ski Area. I was very tempted, but again, due to time, I didn't want to take the 56 mile round trip detour.

Flathead range to the west, and some riverbed type stuff.

Same view, exposed differently, so you can see the foreground.

Split off of Highway 89, and took 287 the rest of the way down to I-15. This is typical of the scenery along that route. Beautiful drive.

On I-15 at last. I was so excited to take a picture of I-15 that I didn't care that everything was in shadow so you couldn't see it anyway.

Hills along I-15.

More I-15, a little north of Helena.

Descending into Helena.

My car parked in the gravelly lot of the RV park.

Some of the view from the RV park.

View over the town of Boulder from the RV park.

The office.

My dinner, cream style corn, and Hearty Bean n Ham soup, which made the time spent alone with myself sleeping in the car quite enjoyable.

Getting ready to warm up my dinner on the coleman stove.

Me getting ready to sleep in my tent.

Bought this "puzzle letter" from a gas station near the exit of Glacier Park. You write on the back, like a postcard, then break it into pieces, stuff it in the envelope that comes with it, and mail it. Fun fun!

Me writing to Julie on the back of the puzzle card.

Me in my car, with the tent and everything stuffed in behind me. I just wanted to get to sleep, and the wind was pretty ferocious, so I decided to roll up the tent and put it away properly tomorrow morning.

My semi fetal position that I slept in in the car. Shortly after this, I realized I was cold, and dug out a blanket from the tent.

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