Some friends invited us up to a lookout they'd rented in the Bitterroot Mountains, thirty miles or so outside of Missoula. There are several of these lookouts around here available to rent, equipped with bunks and stoves for cooking and heating. (The cooking stove was a real stove, while the cabin was heated by a wood burning stove.) They offer spectacular views. This one is the West Fork Butte Lookout, in extreme Southwestern Missoula County, nearly in Idaho. 
Melissa is caught in front of the fire explaining to the group how we could never do something like this in California; either there'd be a gigantic waiting list to do it, or it'd be illegal somehow. (I said no such things.) The lookout is around 100sqft and that stove kept it so hot that we left some of the windows open, even though it was windy and snowing outside. It has four bunks, but we opted to sleep in Ludwig. There was actually one spare bunk, but since the bunks were twins I thought it would be silly to sleep in the cabin when we had a full sized bed in Ludwig waiting for us. I mean I like Mitch and all, but seriously...sleeping on a twin together? No thanks!
Ludwig nestled among the pines. The trees kept us out of the wind so we didn't get too cold. In fact, Ludwig stays pretty toasty even in colder weather. Sometimes we even have to sleep with one of the jalousie windows cracked just to keep him from getting too stuffy.
Me, blasting clay pigeons with Beau's (at right) shotgun. I think that in the People's Republic of California, harboring a desire to use firearms recreationally can earn you a court-ordered trip to an anger management counselor for re-education.
While we were out shooting (well, I threw the clays and opted out of shooting this time) we heard ALOT of gunfire. The deer and elk hunting season had recently opened up, so there were many many hunters sharing the mountain with us.
After all the clays were used, we headed back up to the cabin to relax. A snow storm rolled in, and it was the first time Mitch and I witnessed snow falling from the sky since the winter of 2003. It was a perfect way to see snow again; scenery in Montana is truly like a postcard.
2 comments:
I will say I am so jealous! It looks like you guys are really liking it up there. Good for you!
Growing up in the real mountains in California (not these dinky hills in SB that people refer to as mountains, come on) near Tahoe I know the love of the snow & the firing of weapons. It's too bad that most people think negative things about both of those activities and the people that participate in them & enjoy it.
I am also jealous of the fact that you are only a few hours away from my family & we can't make it up there for Christmas this year. Such is life in the rat race of SB.
Chauntel,
It is quite awesome here. I think maybe you're from near here, but in Idaho? We drove through the ID panhandle a little and IT IS AWESOME. It smells so piney fresh, I loved it! The snow and mountains are completely awesome, and not a day goes by where I don't think to myself that we live in an incredibly beautiful place. Winter here really does look like a postcard I think!
Thanks for checking in!
Melissa
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