Since the last entry, we have driven from Salt Lake City to Rexburg, ID to West Yellowstone to Big Sky Montana to Bozeman to Park City, just outside Billings, MT. There has been so much new and yet, so much memory on this portion of the trip.
Rexburg is beautiful. It's in the middle of the volcanic area where Craters of the Moon National Monument is located. This promptly became a destination for another trip to return and visit this unique landscape and geology.
As we neared Rexburg, I saw a gravel truck entering the highway, so promptly moved over as I did not want to be driving behind that truck for fear of rock chips on the windshield. Well, we don't move real fast and the other cars were backing up behind me so finally I decided I had to move over. I was not even halfway back into the lane behind the truck when a rock hit the windshield on Muggy's side and put a nice chip and crack in the windshield. Rats!!
But, as always, God's provision is plentiful. We were three miles from our stopping place for the evening and then two more miles from Ard's Glass in Rexburg and the owner was able to fix it right up and we were on our way.
We turned north from West Yellowstone (probably needing to be part of another trip too!) and headed up the Gallatin Canyon. When I was 19 years old, I had an opportunity to move to the Gallatin Canyon. I was offered a job at a place called Karst Guest Ranch (for more info just google "Pete Karst"). I had just quit college for the second time and said, "Hey, this is the adventure I've been looking for", so, I loaded up everything I owned in a 1961 Plymouth Valiant and moved to Karst, going to work as the chief cook and bottle washer.
It was an amazing time. Big Sky Resort was being built in the early 70's and a lot of the workers stayed in the cabins at the guest ranch. There are wonderful memories of that time. Then, in June 1973 when Muggy graduated from high school, she came out to work at the ranch too. It was an amazing time in both of our lives. We spent the summer working, riding horses and exploring the mountains and the canyon.
So, it was very exciting to us to find the location where Karst stood and to see that some of the cabins are still there. The restaurant is gone and there is quite a bit more development there now, but the beauty remains. There's a white water rafting business there now and we spoke with the owner. He was ecstatic to hear that we had been there long ago and had pictures. He's building a small museum and we will share our pictures from that part of Karst's history with him for the museum.
 |
| A Karst Guest Ranch original cabin |
We motored on into Bozeman. Much memory for me in this area. I lived in Bozeman when I was very young (4 and 5 years old) and have a wonderful memories of my family's time there. I also lived in Bozeman after the guest ranch job when I worked at another restaurant.
We left Bozeman and headed east through some very beautiful country along the valley of the Yellowstone River. Magnificent mountain vistas almost everywhere you turn along this drive. Our destination was Park City where my niece and her husband and two boys live. They have an idyllic life out here, living in some of the most interesting and beautiful country you've ever seen.
 |
| With the Bullers by the Yellowstone River |
They took us into Billings for some errands on Saturday and more nostalgia for me. Billings, MT is the earliest memories of my life as my family lived here also when I was 3-4. There is a certain dark memory about Billings also as my best friend from growing up was killed in a motorcycle accident in Billings many years ago.
Then, for the rest of the day, we headed up toward Red Lodge and eventually to 10,947 feet at the top of the Beartooth Pass! What incredible beauty!! Last week the road was still closed as there was fresh snow up there!
 |
| Praises for the beauty of His creation! |
Today we begin the trek across North Dakota. We will see the area of the Bakken Oil Boom in western North Dakota.
No comments:
Post a Comment