Big Timber, Montana

We heard about Big Timber from the local couple at the Waterhole Saloon where we had dinner in Reed Point.

They described a scenic area south of town where the movie "Horse Whisperer" was filmed.

Our trip took us close to the Crazy Mountains...seemed fitting.

 First some pretty hills.

 And then some views of the snow covered mountains.

 Hills with rock formations,

Snow-covered mountains.

The road follows the Boulder River.

 Where this man was dressing to go fly-fishing from his kayak.

We saw some wildlife. This is a marmot.

 Harrier catching his dinner.

 Hawks and crows. (Or ravens, not sure)

 I think these were mule deer.

 But we saw white-tailed deer too.

 And a lonely sand hill crane.

 More deer.

There are many nice ranches along this road.

 Tom Brokaw, Michael Keaton, and Whoopi Goldberg all have ranches in Big Timber.

 No way of knowing who owns which ranch.

 Doubt if this is one of them.

 This is the farmhouse that was used in the movie, "Horse Whisperer."

 And the view from there.

 Another large complex of home and guest houses.

Back to the scenery

 We decided not to eat lunch here.

 The valley

 THis rock formation is called the Lion's Head. It will be featured in several of the following pictures at the Natural Bridge Recreation Area.

We only went as far as the falls. I hope to come back some day and explore the rest of this scenic drive.

The Main Boulder River forms a canyon and waterfall here.

The natural bridge collapsed some years ago.

The walkway to a bridge over the river.

Looking one way from the bridge.

Looking the other way. This is where the natural bridge used to be.

Close up of where the water goes under the rock.

The water is swift.

Tina following the path to a viewpoint.

Can you tell it is cold?

THis is what she's taking a picture of. You can see the trail and viewpoint on the other side.

Birdie taking a picture of us. The bridge is behind her.

Swift, powerful water flows under the bridge.

Want to see and hear it? Click on the video.

Hard to imagine the sea in these mountains.

From another viewpoint.

Looking down

I told you you'd see the Lion's Head again....and again.

Mitch taking a picture of Birdie at a viewpoint. Be sure to check out the other blogs for their great pics and comments too.

Birdie and Mitch.

Lichen on rocks.

Mitch reading one of the interpretive signs.

Photo of the natural bridge before it collapsed.

Nan on the steps down.

The waterfall

On the other side is a muddy path that goes down to the pool beneath the falls. Those dots are people trying to negotiate the path down or up....not an easy feat on a wet day. We didn't do that.

A view down the canyon below the falls.

Mitch having a "Wow" moment.

Not sure if this guy is retrieving a dropped camera from the water or trying to take a picture....but of what?

THe canyon walls are higher than the treetops.

About the river flowing underground.

A couple was there with 3 unleashed Black Labs. THey are running down the slippery slope to the water.

We were worried because one had trouble getting out of the swift cold current. He eventually made it.

Nan took the high road, and Tina the low road back to the parking area.

Back in the town of Big Timber, this mural of a herd of sheep depicts the history of the area.

No time to shop, but thought this sign fit our group.

The ladies dragged me into another old saloon for lunch.

And of course there was the obligatory picture of the food. Left to right: Tina, Nan, Birdie, and Mitch.

On a sad note, you notice that Carol is not there. She became very sick in Wyoming, a cold that quickly turned to pneumonia. She is hospitalized and her family is making arrangements to be with her and help her return to Glenn's when she is released. She will not be able to continue the trip to Alaska this year. Please pray for a speedy recovery for her. I will spend a couple days with her this week before we leave the lower 48.