Sierra-Cascade Trip: Billings to Reno

Bohard Ranch Cross Country Ski Area

 In the morning I drove past the booming oil city of Billings, Montana. Just driving past was fine with me. Though I wondered about the site of the recent oil spill into the Yellowstone River. Soon I could see the massive snow capped Bear Tooth Mountains to the south (tallest in Montana) as I drove towards the Bridger Mountains. Tucked into the west side of the Bridgers is Bozeman, My second favorite city in Montana.

In Bozeman (home to Montana State) on a I whim headed into the Bridger Mountains east of town to see the Bridge Bowl alpine ski area and Bohart Ranch cross country ski area. Bohart is a major cross

Beaverhead River South of Dillon

country ski area in the west, and I thought it would be fun to compare to the Tech Trails. On the way up, I passed signs warning of bikes on the road, then a peloton, then a second peloton. Bike race. Past Bridge Bowl to Bohart, the lots are full, aid stations in evidence. I pull into Bohart and hear gun fire - pop, pop, pop - in the distance. What the...? Then I see the banner "Summer biathlon (mountain bike and shooting). Montana State Games" Ahah! So I took some fun photos of the folks (experienced and not) standing and prone and spotting as the bikes trickled in. Very cool. Another great outdoors town.

Craters of the Moon NM

From Bozeman it was only a few hours to Dillon, where I spent the afternoon with Mike exploring the fields around their camp along the Beaverhead River, one of the premier trout streams in the country. Always great to spend time with Mike and Jackie and explore the broad, dry valleys, high mountains, and abandoned mining towns in south west Montana.

I continued south the next morning on the interstate to Idaho, then jumped off on state highways to bypass Pocatello and swing by Craters of the Moon National Monument. The flows take many odd forms here, looking like cinders, petrified wood, ropes, all kinds of things. Very odd and desolate. And rugged. I can see why the pioneer trails bypassed this area - it would be hard to walk and impossible for wagons without major road construction.

Then on to the Snake River Canyon in Idaho Falls. The towering arch truss bridge there is on of the premier bungee jumping sites in the country, it's even exciting to stand on, shaking mightily as the semis roll past when you're looking over the rail. Interesting to see homes, fields and golf courses in the bottom - a different ecosystem down there. You can see the progression to agriculture on the Snake River Plain as you near the Snake River - water availability is everything in the dry inter-mountain west. Not scenic like the mountains of Montana and northern Idaho.

Snake River Canyon, Idaho Falls

After a lunch stop at the canyon and getting lost in Idaho Falls, I crossed the Nevada border and entered the Great Basin. Very dry here - no rivers that flow anywhere but into the ground or saline lakes. Treeless mountains and bluffs, dry sage valleys. Beautiful in a stark way, especially at sunset as I approached Reno.

The best part of the Sierra Grand where Ann was staying was the sunset reflected off its bronzed windows. I hate casinos, and of course you had to walk through the slots to get anywhere in the hotel. Incongruous over the top decoration and a threadbare quality of deferred maintenance - we couldn't wait to leave the next morning.

Sunset Outside Reno

Sierra Grand, Reno