8.21.2015

Smokey August •


There are wildfires raging throughout the western states… Montana, Idaho, Washington, California, etc. In MT we've had bad fires close to home, & lots of smelly smoke from Idaho has been blowing in - it's been obscuring the mountain views for days…

Tonight I took a drive (with visiting family) up into the Beartooth Mountains to try & escape the smoke - it turns out it's just as thick at 10,000'ft as it is down in the valley. Normally (as I'm sure you've noticed if you've even been in high country) mountain air is the coolest, purest & clearest there is. So it was disappointing that there was so much smoke in the atmosphere… . but it made the sunset look pretty awesome.

If you haven't driven over the Beartooth Highway - you NEED to put it on your bucket list! It's been dubbed "America's most scenic highway" - & I vouch  for it 100%. I've driven the highway 7 or 8 times this summer, & will probably be up a few more times before it closes for the season, usually in October, when the snow starts falling…

 al•pen•glow 
'alpen, glo/
noun
"the rosy light of the setting or rising sun seen on high mountains" 


Pictured above left: feeding the chipmunks! On the way up to the top, there is a lovely vista point / road side pull off - & there are LOTS of greedy little rodents who beg for food. right: my 6yr old cousin, & my 11yr old brother dancing (on the edge of a cliff). Love these weirdos.

I had fun exploring — I'm up in these mountains so often, but I always talk lots of pictures whenever I'm there. It was extra special tonight, because my family went! We spent the afternoon in Red Lodge, ate a Bogarts, drove the Beartooth Highway, stopped at Beartooth Basin, went to the "top of the world" store & visited the fire tower… From the firepower we could see Pilot & Index peaks & a herd of elk down below… The views are AMAZING. I'm so thankful for & blessed by family. Thankful that we can talk, laugh, live & explore together for a few days.

ALSO - very thankful that "my" mountains aren't burning up, that the smoke is from elsewhere - & very thankful for all the hard working firemen & women who have fought hard, & are still fighting to preserve our wild lands!
-GB 

No comments:

Post a Comment