This past week was spent mostly sightseeing near Big Sky and then later in the week exploring Red Lodge, Montana. After parting company with my fishing partners and picking up my wife, Christine, in Bozeman, we drove to our accommodations in Big Sky. On our first day we hiked the Spanish Creek trail near Ted Turner’s spectacular Flying D Ranch and the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. The 113,613-acre ranch operates as a working ranch managed for the production of bison and wildlife. The ranch is home to established populations of mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, and the Rocky Mountain grey wolf, to name just a few of the native populations of wildlife the ranch protects. The Lee Metcalf Wilderness adjacent to the ranch was named after the late Montana congressman who was instrumental in the creation of the Wilderness Act. The day was a bit smoky from wildfires to the west but the hike still offered impressive views of the Spanish Peaks, the vast Flying D ranch and sparkling Spanish creek.
On our second day, we traveled south towards Hebgen Lake, an impoundment on the Madison River, and Quake Lake, the location of the tragic 1959 earthquake and landslide that killed 28 unsuspecting campers. The 190-foot deep, 6-mile long Quake Lake was created when the landslide dammed the Madison below Hebgen Lake. The views along the lake are spectacular and only surpassed by the incredible sight of the landslide very much in evidence today. On the outing, I visited Kelly Galloup’s Slide Inn Fly Shop, one of the west’s most famous fly shops. I got some local intel from the shop and purchased some flies they recommended for the nearby Gallatin River. I spent only a couple of hours on the Gallatin the next day and although I got only a couple of looks from the trout, the spectacular views were the highlife of my time on the river.
We traveled to Red Lodge, Montana from Big Sky on Wednesday and settled into our cabin on Rock Creek about four miles from town on the Beartooth Highway. We spent the next few days exploring the area and spent Friday driving the Beartooth Highway to Cooke City and the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The Beartooth Highway was described by the late Charles Kuralt as “The most beautiful drive in America,” and was the reason we decided to stay here. Our experience validated that description and we were awed by the scenery at every turn. I did manage to fish two days on Rock Creek and on my first day managed to land a beautiful 14” rainbow trout behind the cabin. Rock Creek is a crystal clear stream that flows extremely fast and is difficult to fish, so I was pleased at catching a rather small trout that fought fiercely and sported beautiful colors. On our next hike the following day, our trail followed the west fork of Rock Creek and featured much more manageable waters that I plan to return to next week. Stay tuned for the final installment and hopefully some fish pictures!
