There’s More To Montana Than Mountains
Last week, I visited western Montana, a wonderful place with some spectacular scenery. I rented a small cabin on the upper east side of the Bitterroot Valley. The cabin was very well appointed, but the best part was the large front porch looking out over the valley and up to the spectacular Bitterroot mountains. To my rear were the Sapphire Mountains, which are equally impressive.
I have visited Montana yearly for at least a dozen years or more because my sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and wife live in the expansive valley. The famous Bitterroot River runs through the center of the area, bubbling its way down the mountains. This river is famous for its trout fishing. The Robert Redford movie A River Runs Through It was shot along its shores. Numerous movies and television programs are filmed in the area, whose population is not nearly as large as Cumberland Valley High School.
Now, the area is well-known for the popular Kevin Costner television series, “Yellowstone,” which is filmed all over the area. I’ve driven by the Dutton Ranch many times. It sits high on a hill above the river. At any given time, you will find actors and actresses sitting at the bar or having dinner in Darby, a cool old western town with one main street.
I keep hoping to meet Kelly Reilly, who plays John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) ornery daughter. I figure she would be fun to enjoy a drink with and shoot the bull for a while. Maybe she would get me a part in the series! I’d finally get my big break. I always make sure I look cool when I enter the Sawmill Tavern. (It doesn’t hurt to try).
The mountains of Montana are spectacular, except when they’re not. This is forest fire season, and dozens of fires ravish the area every year. The entire area is shrouded in thick, gray smoke when that happens. Each morning, I sat on the deck in the cool air and looked out for miles at what appeared to be thick fog. It wasn’t. The haze was smoke. Strangely, I liked the aroma because it’s like a wood-burning fireplace. However, saying you like the smell of the smoke is not popular, so I mostly kept it to myself.
One area of about a hundred acres is covered with hundreds of tents. This tent city is filled with firemen from all over the country. Each day and night, they find their way into the forest and work to contain the destructive force. I have great respect for these brave people. They have saved many a home and likely lives as well. Meanwhile, many of them have lost their lives, saving other people they’ve never met.
At this time of year, the valley is many shades of brown, except for dots of bright green. Large fields dotted with cattle and horses look like Ireland. They are kept green with huge watering devices so that fires do not destroy the land. Nearly every home has a bright green yard kept so by elaborate sprinkling systems. Hopefully, if the fire gets into the valley, it will only encroach on what is not well-watered. Generally, the system works well. I watched my neighbors move the sprinklers to a new area every morning, which was a chore for them. But, if it keeps your home safe, one does whatever is necessary to make that happen.
Most locals assume visitors to the area come there to fish, hunt, ski, hike, snowmobile, and ride ATVs up the mountain trails. Several people apologized for the smoke as if they caused it, which they didn’t. Nearly all fires are started by lightning or embers from other fires. I appreciated their concern for me, but apologies were not necessary. I’ve seen those mountains and many other peaks many times. I know of their beauty.
You see, I came to the Bitterroot Valley to “see” something even more beautiful – my family and friends. One evening at dinner, my niece-in-law (I guess that is what you would call her) asked what I would like to do the next day, to which I replied I didn’t know. I told her that I really didn’t care. She kindly replied, “But it’s your vacation, and you should get to do what you want to do.” I told her and the entire table, “I am doing what I want to do. I didn’t come here to see mountains; I came here to see you.”
As much as I love those mountains, I love my friends and family more. They are what makes my vacation worth the trouble. If they did not live there, I would probably have visited once to see the sites, and then moved on to another beautiful area the next year. I’ve seen hundreds of mountains, including the ones I see off of my deck every day, and they are all beautiful – though the ones I see daily are not as spectacular, they are nonetheless beautiful.
One day, a friend I’ve come to know over the years through my relatives arranged to hike with me on her favorite trail. We would see rock walls a thousand feet high. They were impressive! But what made God’s creation so good was that I viewed them with her and my nephew. She even showed me the roots of a medicinal plant that works wonders with diabetes. (Sometimes, small things are equally as impressive as big ones). My friend always told me, “Bigger is not better; better is better.” He is right.
I arrived home late last night after traveling all day. If felt good to drive home in my favorite vehicle and drive into my driveway next to a spectacular flower bed I’ve nurtured all summer. My home was so warm and cozy, as was my bed. Like Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home.” I texted my sister and nephew, ensuring I was home safe and sound.
It would have been nice to view those mountains, but my vacation was wonderful, not because of the sites but because of my family and friends. I’ll return next year, and the mountains will still be there for my enjoyment.
It’s good to recognize and enjoy what’s most important in life. I am blessed. I hope you figure that out, too. If you do, you will enjoy most anywhere you travel, even if it is shrouded in smoke.
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
