Back at the end of September my dad and I decided to head out to Montana to do a little camping. The plan was to visit Halfmoon campground in the Crazy mountains for a day or two and venture south to a different camp. Well, we ended up liking Halfmoon so much we extended our stay and didn't make it south. Below are a few pictures from the trip, will try to give some comments on each but the extent of the trip was hiking, camping and fishing.
The drive into the Crazies was a slow and long process. Turning off pavement, the last 15 miles are rocky, rutted, windy and something to respect. The 15 miles took us 45 minutes as the rocks were very sharp and being in the middle of no where we wanted to avoid a flat tire. We took our time and enjoyed the view in front of us. We setup camp in nice quiet tucked away site with the river running 30 yards away, this made it easy for collecting and boiling water. The water was cold, clear and fast enough we probably didn't need to boil, but if you have the means to boil, better safe than sorry. Originally we planned on hiking to a camp farther up the mountain but were informed that a family of bears had moved in and were feeding in the area.
The river next to our camp site was just a few yards down a well developed trail, this is where my dad spent most of the trip fly fishing. He was able to catch a few trout which were cooked and enjoyed. Nothing fresher or better than trout caught by hand and roasted over an open fire.
After a good nights sleep with stomachs full of fresh trout, potatoes and beer, we decided to get out and do some hiking. Walking the river bank allowed us to enjoy how drastically the flow and rock formations changed. Finding different pools under tiny water falls, dad would take out the fly rod and whip a few flies to see if anything would bite. Farther up we ran into bigger water falls, powerful as they are at the end of the winter melt, I can't image what they would look like early in the spring.
There is something peaceful about getting out of the city and back into the wilderness. The smell of the cedar and campfire smoke filled air is all you need to forget about the life you left hours before. My only complaint is that I don't live close enough to this place to visit more often. Until the next adventure, keep exploring.
