September 2 Smoky Sunset

We left Yellowstone heading to Glacier National Park. Prewett Creek RV Park, eight miles outside Cascade, Montana, was our overnight stop along the way. I checked the satellite view and told Jane, “It’s a dinky place in the middle of nowhere. I think we’ll either love it or hate it.”

If there is such a thing as a lonely stretch of interstate highway, this was it. The landscape along Interstate  15 was stark but beautiful. The smoke was becoming more obvious as we traveled northward. It was very hot, in the high nineties. Jane said, “I thought it would get colder as we got close to the glaciers.” I also was surprised by how hot it was.

We have a Garmin that is especially for RV’s. It knows the height, length, and weight of our rig and is supposed avoid low bridges, tunnels, U-turns, and other hazards. It’s the latest model, and the software and maps are the latest available. I don’t trust it. The first time we used it, we programmed it for Mistletoe State Park near Augusta, Georgia. When we turned off Interstate 20 onto a nicely paved wide state highway, it flashed a warning that the road was of unknown suitability for an RV. As soon as we get off the interstate highway, according to Garmin, we maybe shouldn’t be there at all. Thanks, Garmin, how useful for campers.

So now I have both Google Maps, Garmin, and my live navigator giving me directions. Sometimes they agree. Nearing our destination, Google said to get off the next exit. Garmin said to go 4 miles further before leaving the highway. Since I am skeptical of the Garmin, and it has messed us up at least once, I went with the nearer exit. This time, Garmin was right. There are no houses, businesses, even no ranches visible here. The ever-present Missouri River is here, the interstate highway, Old Highway 91, and a railroad track all follow the river. A minute after exiting the interstate, we found ourselves approaching an old metal one lane bridge. A sharp curve at the other side of the bridge prevented a view of oncoming traffic. No one was going to be able to enter the bridge from that end at any speed, though, due to the sharp turn. Fortunately there was no other vehicle in sight.

After crossing the bridge on Old Highway 91, we saw the entrance to the campground. There was a closed up motel and a little store sharing the driveway. A railroad track was on the opposite side of the old highway. There were a few houses on the dirt road that crossed the railroad track. The owner of the park directed us to our site. She said that big horn sheep had been hanging around there for several days. The place was surrounded by craggy hills that looked like sheep belonged on them. It is funny that we did not see any big horn sheep in Yellowstone. We didn’t have any idea what to expect from Prewett Creek campground, but it was unexpectedly pleasant. Even despite the smoky air.

When we walked across the road to look for sheep, we saw that the houses were on the river and they were pretty nice houses. A woman drove out of her driveway near us, her late model Audi looking out of place in this dusty, remote place. She stopped to talk to the strangers. She had returned to the house on the river where her parents had once lived. She said she was just going down the road a couple of miles and if she saw the sheep she would come back and tell us where they were. As soon as she drove away, they appeared. Some were grazing in the small green yards of the houses along the river.

We noticed the road went to the riverbank. There was a public fishing area. Apparently, campers were allowed to park there, no facilities.

The river was beautiful. These locals definitely know how to have fun on the river.

We found the setting sun and landscape beautiful. The smoky air creates a different dimension to the sunset.