Mallard's Rest

Mallard's Rest is a fishing access site south of us on US 89 with a good number of campsites. Being just off the road there's a fair amount of noise, and being an FAS it's really more about fishing boats than camping, but it's easy as hell to get to and there are actually a few pretty decent sites. It's a good place to just go and laze and throw rocks into a river. And it's fantastic place for observing alpenglow (not pictured).

Longtime readers of this blog may recognize Mallard's Rest as the campground where I (Mitch) lived during the week for three months during the summer of 2015. (Long story.) On this recent weekend the Smaller One and I picked my favorite site. It was just us.

Again: a good place to laze, throw rocks in a river, and have a campfire.

Except sometimes in fall it's pretty windy and when one gets up from one's campchair the wind blows it into the fire and melts it. Bye bye, campchair, and thank you for your decades of service.

Weekend in the Castles

We camped at Grasshopper Campground, east of White Sulphur Springs in the Castle Mountains, with another VW family. It's a bit less than two hours away. 

Lots of sitting around the fire b.s.ing, not many pictures. Sorry! 

Halfmoon in the Ominous Mountains

We drove about an hour and-a-half to Halfmoon Campground, in the Awaxaawippíia ("Ominous Mountains", aka the Crazy Mountains or just "The Crazies") north of Big Timber. It was pretty close to our anniversary so this counted as our (mostly) annual anniversary camping trip.

Our site was perched on the edge of a densely-wooded ravine.

Big Timber Peak 10,759 ft / 3,279 m

There was a short hike through vegetation to a waterfall. You can keep walking and find more waterfalls. 

Aspen fleabane Erigeron speciosus

Hemlock Water Parsnip, maybe?

Beebalm Monarda fistulosa

some species of Indian Paintbrush

Orange Hawkweed Hieracium aurantiacum (non-native)

Upper Big Timber Falls

The older child came along too (see first picture) but she was shy about being in photos. Hey, so was I!

It rained a little bit on the way home.

Tom Miner Once Again

The girls and I met another family at Tom Miner for a one-nighter. Ludwig was running poorly so my brain was distracted, plus it was a little rainy. But it was good to meet with friends nonetheless. 

 

Anniversaire XXII

For our 22nd anniversary we camped a couple nights at Pine Creek Campground, about 40 minutes from our house. The ladies took Ludwig but I had to leave later so I drove Gertrude.

E baked a cake in that Dutch oven.