Grey Gloom of Bozeman, by Brian: We're in the grey gloom of Bozeman, trying to find a few sunbreaks to get out and take some winter photos. Today we made a short loop north of Bozeman, out toward the Springhill area where my uncle Pete had a ranch for fifty years (now subdivisions) and north of Belgrade on some of the remaining country roads. Be sure to zoom in on the trip map to see the best route detail.
Sometimes the most interesting vignettes were right at road's edge.
The Bridger Range is always stunning when snow-coated and illuminated in the low winter light.
Critters were out enjoying the sun although it was 5 above zero.
The iconic Mt. Baldy, which we used to call "Old Baldy" when we were kids, was one of those scenic spots that etched into your brain when you were growing up in Bozeman. In winter, with its white cap of snow on a one of those rare blue-sky days, it looks like it's been cut out of paper and tacked on a blue horizon.
When we grew up in the Gallatin Valley, there wasn't much time for monkey business -- especially if you were a farmer or rancher. In all the years I helped my uncle Pete on his small spread outside town, there was never perfect weather for planting or harvesting, and you could set your watch by the blizzard that hit every time he was about to calve. So nobody had time to do much dinking around. But obviously, they do now.
A few scattered remnants of the old Gallatin Valley buildings remain.
Uncle Pete's ranch spanned the East Gallatin river, and the old outbuilding in the photo below is one of the last remaining buildings on the ranch with the exception of the old farmhouse that you access off Springhill Road on the other side of the river.
As the afternoon progressed, the sun started to sink toward the Tobacco Root Range in the west, and the Gallatin Valley began to turn a shade of Alpenglow pink.
As we headed for home, the Bridgers turned a pinkish purple with a classic Montana Alpenglow. It's funny ... the day before we had been in the Costco parking lot when the Alpenglow hit, and people were just standing, staring at the Bridgers, going "ooooo" and "ahhhhh". That was one impetus for us driving out of town today -- hoping that the Alpenglow would happen again -- and it did.
A Weed at Ditch Edge in Long Winter Light
Old Jack Leg Fence and the Bridger Range
Snow-White Dogs in Snow
Cat in the Pasture Hunts Mice Where Horses Cleared the Snow
Bedded White Tail Deer in a Snow Nest
Fluffed Pheasant Keeping Warm
Blonde Horse Finds a Morsel in a Snowy Pasture
Old Baldy Framed by Twin Cottonwoods
Motorcycle Ape Sculpture by Jim Dolan
Holey Barn Roof and a Bridger Peak
Uncle Pete's Old Outbuilding and Ross's Peak
Late Sun Spotlights a Fence Corner
Late Sun Lights Fenceline Grasses
Sunset Pink Barn and Mt Baldy
Alpenglow on the Bridger Range
Text and Photos by Brian. All text and photos copyright 2010 Goin Mobyle, LLC.