Pintler Scenic Drive

June 19

We drove the rest of Pintler Scenic Drive today. We did the first half when we got off the I90 at Hwy.1 at Anaconda to travel to Philipsburg. The second half is from Philipsburg to Drummond, where I90 is accessible. (Westbound on I90 from Drummond will take you right back to Hwy.1 Anaconda) Pretty drive. Took us through some lovely countryside that has great views of the surrounding mountains and the many horse & cattle ranches that line the road. Just outside Philipsburg we spotted the Flint River. Running very high with no public access. The sky is busy again with clouds scuttling across overhead. Thick, dark clouds sometimes, then the sun manages to shine brightly through for quite awhile. Drummond has a history of being a shipping center for agriculture products, ore, and whatever else needed shipping in the early days of settlement in the area. Whatever boom was happening in the mines of the days gone by, Drummond shipped it out. Supplies needed by the residents of Philipsburg & other mining towns were shipped into Drummond & then carried by wagons to their destination. With the mines shut down, Drummond has had a rough time of it. It appears downtrodden. Aging buildings & dusty streets under the bright, blue Montana skies make it look like no one cares anymore. Two newer gas stations at one end of the main street cater to the freeway traffic. We stop a time or two to enjoy watching colts or calves cavorting in their green, green pastures, while nearby, mommas watch over them.


	The Flint River zig-zags its way alongside Hwy.1 outside of Philipsburg. on our way to Drummond.


	What can I say?


	Drummond seems to be going through a rough patch. Their sense of humor is not.


	Two very young colts nap while one mom is on duty. The little white stallion appears to be a yearling and had quite a strut when he walked about the pasture.


	We saw lots of modern equipment & buildings & appropriate fencing to keep the animals healthy & safe on the ranches we passed by today. We also saw the ways of the past. They are still upright, but for how much longer? The winters are pretty tough on these old wood structures.


	As we return to Philipsburg, a nice view of those ever-present mountains, the Flint River and, of course, the clouds.


	Another relic of the past, a very tired, old barn. With virtually no roof, it still manages to shelter some ranch thingys in its side buildings.


	The angus beef-on-the-hoof are munching happily behind the old barn.


	Stopped for a picnic lunch in a national forest campground. As we drove in there was a sign that campers need to be prepared to leave quickly if they hear the warning horn that blasts when the water goes over its edge. We ate quickly & got out of there! It had been raining & I did NOT want to hear their horn.


	We ended up eating in the car as the picnic tables were standing in water. This piece of road is an example of what we saw often when driving through the park.


	Okay, for days I’ve struggled with ‘which way is north’. The whole time we ate lunch, I knew!


	A tiny wildflower, about the size of a nickel, pops its head up bravely, searching for some sun. These flowers are very late blooming.


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