Free Weekend Road Trip

Dropped the dog at the kennel last night, and took off at 0'dark:30 and headed out of town. Because I could not check in until 2:00, I spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon at the Bison Range. There had been reports of a couple of bears with cubs that have been seen on a regular basis, but it was not in the cards for me today.

Pauling Creek

My first photos were of Pauline Creek, a favorite spot for bears year round, but mostly in the fall, when the many chokecherry and service berry bushes provide hoards of berries for the bears to fatten up on for winter. Unfortunately I saw no bears.

American Badger

I did however, cross paths with a young badger!  She came out of the grass just as I rounded a bend in the road, but scurried back into the grass when she saw me. I stopped the car and shut off the engine, so as not to spook her, and sure enough, she came back out. She stood and stared at me for a few minutes before deciding it was safe to cross. Looking at her much closer in the photos, it was evident that she had kits somewhere. I sure wish she would have had them with her!

Bison Bull

Not much else out this morning, but as the road continued upward toward the top of the mountain, there were several very large and impressive bull bison, grazing alongside the road. I drove very slowly, passing most of them, but had to stop and wait for one large bull to decide he needed - or wanted - to get out of my way. He was facing away from me and at one point turned his head back to me as if to say, "What?"  I respected his space and waited for him to bide his time and slowly move off the road.
 

Chipmunk

Almost to the top of the drive I noticed a tiny chipmunk, feasting on dandelion seeds, and spent probably around 20 minutes just photographing it. Don't laugh, chipmunks are wildlife too!

Where the Forest turns to Prairie

Just past the the trees where the bison and chipmunk were feeding, there is a small swale with just a few pine trees, where the terrain begins to change from woodland to prairie. I don't know why, but this particular spot is one of my favorites, and I finally captured it in just the right light.

Going down the other side, there is a steep grade for about 100 yards. Use the lowest gear you have and don't ride your brakes!  Pumping them slowly keeps your car at a good pace for this hill.  You'll also see a sign that reads; "Lake Missoula at its highest point". Lake Missoula is an entirely different post. Stay tuned.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Teasel

The downhill side of the mountain road is a series of switchbacks, where you can see numerous wildflowers, dominated again by the Arrowleaf Balsamroot. Another very common plant is the Teasel, which was introduced to the US, and cultivated for the textile industry. Like many other introduced species, it spread quickly and is now considered an invasive species. Native Americans, being very adaptive, quickly took advantage of the hard, dried seed head of this plant for combing their hair! I've tried it, and it does work fairly well. But don't pick it here, everything on national refuges is protected under federal law! 

Western Meadowlark

The Western Meadowlarks were everywhere in this location, singing loudly to proclaim territories and attract a mate. I took many photos of them, and finally got the photo I've been after for what feels like years! 

At the bottom of the hill, the switchbacks end, and there is a turnout where the winter road stops. From this point on it's two way traffic. This is one of my favorite spots to stop, shut off the engine and get out to stretch my legs. There are a number of large rocks/boulders there, and they make a great place to sit and take in the absolute quiet of the prairie. From this spot you can just sit and listen to the silence. All you'll hear is the breeze blowing through the prairie grass and sagebrush, birds singing, and an occasional cow mooing from a neighboring ranch. No cars, no radios, nothing but pure peace and quiet. I could sit at this spot for hours. But keep a sharp eye out; and don't go wandering out into the grass. This is also badger territory, and you don't want to run into one of these critters. There has never been a reported incident of a badger attacking a human, and seriously they'd rather avoid you, but if they feel threatened they can get quite nasty, and it's better to be safe than sorry. You don't want to be the first victim!

Blue Copper Butterfly

While sitting here I also noticed some small, blue butterflies. I've always known them as Mountain Butterflies, but officially they are called Blue Coppers. I watched them as they "Puddled"; butterflies take in nourishment from mud. Really! All butterflies do this; there are many minerals in the soil that they need to sustain themselves, and today this spot was a good feeding ground.  

At this time of the year, the wildflowers are in bloom all over the range. Right now it's mostly Arrowleaf Balsamroot, and the hillsides are covered with them. There is also Shooting Stars, Wild Hyacinth, Monkshood, a few Scarlet Paintbrush, among others that I can't identify..

Pronghorn Doe

I saw a few Pronghorn on this side, mostly does, none with fawns that I could see. But if they did have fawns, they are most likely staying hidden and safe. I must say that I was a little disappointed with what was, or was not there today, but such is wildlife photography. You just never know what will show itself for photos. At around 2:30 I headed off the range and toward the lodge. I was ready to relax for a while!

The Patio at My Room

The Ninepipes Lodge is a small, locally owned hotel, with a restaurant, clean and comfortable rooms, and the best service anywhere!  The food is exceptional, and a lot of locals go there just for dinner. My room had a back door with a semi-private patio, and a view of the Mission Mountains that was unbeatable!  The restaurant overlooks a small pond and the Missions, and has an outdoor dining area, although it had been raining for some time and it was a bit too wet to eat outside. But I spent a considerable amount of time in the evenings, just standing by the pond, photographing the birds that were there, along with a few turtles that were resting on the logs placed in the water just for them.

Cow Elk

 At about 5:30 or so I headed back up to the range, but only took the short winter road. The gates at the range close promptly at 9:00, and I knew I would not be off the mountain by then!  But I was not disappointed, for about a mile or so into the winter road, there was a herd of about 30 elk, grazing in the late afternoon sun! Mostly cows, with a few young spike bulls tossed in for good measure. I got a ton of photos of them before heading back to the lodge, where I spent the late afternoon and early evening, just sitting by the pond and enjoying the view. 

The View from My Room