Montana Adventure

Where do I start? Its been a busy few days. Jenny & I took off for Montana this past Friday after work. Our flight out of Memphis was delayed so we missed the flight from Minneapolis to Helena. Delta was good enough to spring for food and a hotel. Unfortunately, its one of the worst hotels I've stayed in that still bears a brand name. Just in case you're looking for a hotel near the Mall of America, do yourself a favor and avoid the Ramada.

We adjusted our flight schedule to fly right into Missoula, MT since we lost a little time with the flight delays. Missoula is a great little town. We rumbled through a farmer's / craft market downtown and browsed a few stores.

Jenny in downtown Missoula



One thing that really stands out in Montana is the lack of chains. Some of them are there but they're usually on the edge of town and they haven't choked out the locally owned stores.

Jenny & Me Enjoying a cool morning in Hamilton


That evening we drove to see our friends in Hamilton, MT. Dayln and Lisa live there and were nice enough to take the bulk of their Sunday to entertain us. After grabbing a great brunch we floated the Bitterroot River.

Lisa, Jenny & Me enjoying a break on the Bitterroot


Looking downstream


Westslope Cutthroat trout - the Montana state fish

Me and Jenny in front of the Skalkaho Falls.


We drove to Helena, MT the next day (Monday). The drive from Missoula to Helena was very interesting with lots of great views. We rented bikes after arriving and rode around town to enjoy the architecture in the downtown area. Helena was one of the richest towns in the US during the local gold rush. The homes there resulting from the gold boom are gorgeous. Apparently deer are everywhere in Montana - including downtown Helena.



Tuesday was my last day in Montana. I intended to ride Helena Rim Trail... I was only partially successful. I managed to get lost on the multitude of trails outside of town. The bad news is that I never completed the HRT. The good news is that I still had a blast.

The trails look landscaped!


Big Sky


I think this is part of the trail that wasn't officially bike trail... who knows... who cares


More Montana Single Track