Montana Wheatland

Heading out at 5:30 we went down 89 and then took the straight Hwy 2 over to I15. Route 89 was mountainous but nice in the early light. Route 2 was flat and straight with grassland and some wheat. With the boys still asleep we rolled smoothly down I15 through big-time wheat land. There were interesting wide strip patterns where they were apparently doing some kind of rotation with the wheat. We saw combines in the field and on the road.

The wheat land persisted through Great Falls but then we got rolling forested hills and started down the valley of the Missouri River. August 21, 1982.

Middle Montana Hill Country

In middle Montana we rolled smoothly down I15 through big-time wheat land. There were interesting wide strip patterns where they were apparently doing some kind of rotation with the wheat. We saw combines in the field and on the road.

The wheat land persisted through Great Falls but then we got rolling forested hills and started down the valley of the Missouri River. August 21, 1982.

The Missouri River Valley

The wheat land persisted through Great Falls but then we got rolling forested hills and started down the valley of the Missouri River. August 21, 1982.

Roadside View, Montana

The white wooden church seemed to highlight the open hill country in southern Montana along Hwy 69. August 21, 1982.

Hay Country Further South

Montana along Hwy 69.

We dropped off the I15 at Boulder and had lunch at a small park. After that stop the new starter wouldn't crank us! We rolled it off and headed out, planning to take 69 across to I90. Having had some bad road experiences, we stopped and hailed a guy doing some work on a house and asked him about 69. He said all the truckers went that way, and the I15 toward Butte was torn up, with construction stops.

Highway 69 followed the river valley, but it was not a serpentine river track like some of that in Idaho. It was a wide open fast road in view of the small river. There was open pasture and hay land and the rising hills - beautiful country.

back to Logan Pass toward Paradise Valley