Neil and Melinda Suits
   

Here are some pix of camping we’ve done this summer. In June when we were in ID and WY. It was very wet and warm weather had not yet set in. Consequently, it was impossible to get very high up because the snow had not yet melted.

Now the weather is wonderful, so the past few weeks we have camped on the Boulder River/Creek, south of Big Timber, MT and the Stillwater River, south of Columbus, MT. The former is a lovely valley known only to Montanans, the latter is world-renowned for whitewater kayaking and trout fishing.

It was the backdrop for the film, A River Runs Through It, although the actual river in the book was the Blackfoot in NW MT.

Neil - Summer 2011

   
   
   

The Stillwater River

Misnamed the Stillwater River, it has huge amounts of whitewater, large drops, tons of rocks and a very swift current. It is anything but still.

The river begins high in the mountains of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area. The river flows for more than twenty miles through the wilderness area before leaving the mountains behind and spilling out into the rolling prairie and canyons that lie outside the wilderness area. Once it leaves the wilderness area, the Stillwater River flows for another 45 miles through a mix of canyons, prairie and forest until meeting up with the Yellowstone River near the town of Columbus, Montana - which is about 45 miles from Billings, MT.
   
   

Sioux Charley Lake – Stillwater River, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness – looking south. This trail climbs slowly along the Stillwater River, ending about a 5-6 day horse ride in Cooke City, WY, at the NE gate to Yellowstone.
Sioux Charley Lake – Stillwater River, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness –Looking north towards the gorge. The gorge is the boundary between the National Forest and the A-B wilderness.
   
   
Melinda drawing while sitting ON a Bear Trail in Yellowstone Park. This is a companion to the picture ‘Does a bear shit in the woods’. The bear sign was all over: both fresh and old bear scat and scratched trees, not to mention the well-worn path. This was one of the sunny times during the day.

Lunch at Sioux Charley Lake – Stillwater River, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
   
   
Class 4-5 rapids in the gorge of the Stillwater River just south of Woodbine campground. I don’t know if that is their actual classification, but these rapids are likely death for all but expert kayakers.

Class 5 rapids in the gorge of the Stillwater River just south of Woodbine campground. These rapids are also likely death for all but expert kayakers.
   
   

Cottonwod Canyon – Bridger National Forest, about 100 miles south of Yellowstone. First week of June at about 7000 feet elevation. Heavy winter snow and a cool wet spring means that many high places are still unreachable. My Subaru, which is normally a tank in snow, got hopelessly stuck here [notice the deep ruts]. It was high with the tires spinning in the snow. Kind locals in their pickup pulled us out.

One reason that we were pulled out of the snow bank so quickly is that several locals in pickup trucks were coming up the road to see if it was clear of snow yet. The first truck couldn’t get us out, but the second was larger and could. Nice people. No vehicles made it up the road, but a ‘100-miler’ marathon runner did pass by or camp as we were having our coffee the next morning; a wiry gray-haired coot accompanied by the happiest dog I’ve ever seen. We saw his tracks up at the lake. Don’t know how far he went.
   
   
Moose in Cottonwood Canyon
Same Moose in Cottonwood Canyon
   
   
Looking south across Sioux Charley Lake on the Stillwater at the gorge
   
   
The Campground at Cottonwood Lake. (7500 feet) 1st week, June 2011. It would have been a wonderful place to camp, fish and kayak, but alas the snow had not yet melted. We had to hike about a couple of miles up the road to get here.
Cottonwood Lake
   
   
Cottonwood Lake.
Lunch at Cottonwood Lake
   
   
Bear Scratches on the Tree
Bear Scat in Yellowstone Park
   
   
Boulder River Sinkhole Input
Boulder River Sinkhole Outflow
   
   
Boulder River cutting though limestone
Horsehead -Tongue River, Cheyenne
Reservation. Lame Deer. MT
Home of the northern Cheyenne tribe of native Americans
   
   

Teepees where we slept on the Cheyenne reservation
Wild Flowers in the meadow
above the Boulder River
   
   
Fishing in the Boulder River in
southern Montana
   
   

Old Town extra lightweight wood and canvas canoe.
Purchased in 1971 for $350, the retail now for about $7600, but this kind is no longer available. Now all OT canoes, even wood and canvas ones, are also covered with fiberglass. This is the only way to go. I’m doing the same, but without the canvas layer.

Hail damaged this already worn out canoe, so I am pulling the canvas, refinishing the canoe and will cover it with fiberglass and epoxy. More pictures to come. I hope to be able to get it into the water before the end of the season.