Day 142 – July 30 – They Just Keep on Coming

We departed Saint Mary this morning and drove south towards Helena, Montana.  After climbing a very long grade we saw cars on the side of the road and people standing outside their vehicles.  There was a horse standing on the side of the road and the people were taking pictures of it.  We drove past and I noticed there was a small herd of horses in the trees just past the one out in the open.  There wasn’t a good place to stop, so we had to drive on.

A little farther down the road we rounded a curve and there was a young horse crossing the road.  This time we got a picture.  This is an open range area and we have drove through them before and seen cows on the road, but never horses.

We stopped at an overview of a canyon that Lewis and Clark had traveled when they were following the Missouri River.  Off in the distance you could see the river and an old highway bridge crossing the narrow Missouri.  

On down the road we drove beside the river for several miles, as it kept trading sides of the road.  There were several people out on the river, some fishing from drift boats and others on air floats of one type or another.  The river is very clear here in Montana.

The mountains and sky were beautiful again today and Dorrie took a couple of photos as we drove.

About 12 or 15 miles outside of Helena the bluffs and roadside turned to a red stone.  Your eyes have a Christmas treat seeing the deep red of the stones combined with the green pine (or spruce, not sure which) trees.  I bet it is breath taking in the winter with the trees and rocks wrapped in the white snow.  Montana has been on its best behavior for us with the blue sky and sunshine.  It is warmer than we are accustomed to after our northern trip, but I guess we are going to get even hotter weather from now on.

We are in Helena for the night.