July 22,
2001. West Yellowstone to Ennis, Montana. (75 mi.) Mile 3138
Big
Sky Country
Once again, I am typing this
journal while our clothes are churning in the washing machine in another
campground Laundromat. Mike rode to the grocery store and came back with odds
and ends for dinner, which we are eating in the Laundromat too.
This time we are at the Ennis
Village RV Park, brand new and squeaky clean. Ennis is another quaint town that plays up the Western
tourist theme with rustic buildings and cowboy saloons. We have lost elevation
steadily since leaving Yellowstone, which has made for fast and relatively
easy riding despite a slight head wind and the challenge of avoiding the
rumble bumps that can rattle your kidneys and loosen your teeth.
We're now in the aptly named Big
Sky Country of Montana, continuing to follow the Madison River
Valley, a wide
open space that rivals that of Colorado's South Park. Montana is familiar to
us, as I have lived in Missoula before, and we have come to Montana for
vacations. It's a great state, and feels even closer to home.
1) 
2) 
3) 
4)
1)
The route followed the shores of Hedgen Lake for many miles.
2) Earthquake Lake was formed when
a landslide, indicated by the scar in the distance, dammed up the Madison
River in 1959.
3) We consume a big bag of chips
with cheese dip during a lunch break overlooking the Madison River.
4) Our tent site at another RV
park. The small green tent behind ours belongs to Jen Saks, who is also going our
way and has ended up in the same campground for several evenings. She is one
of the few women we've met traveling solo.
