Pompeys Pillar and Mountain Country

Route

Tuesday, October 20th. Last night we settled into a campground in Miles City, MT. Of course, it's next to an industrial railyard, with train horns erupting what feels like every 30 to 45 minutes. But it didn't matter. We were so exhausted that we slept straight through from 10:30pm to 4:30am.

We had breakfast at the Ugly Mug in town. A small-town delight of a spot that even has a little drive-through window. I love it. The Midwestern charm was turned up this morning; everyone was very welcoming. Their premade quiches to go are apparently the local favorite. I ordered a spinach-and-mushroom one for me and a sausage one for Rhea. They eat them here with sour cream and salsa, so I tried it a shot. Can't say it was my favorite, but it wasn't half bad.

We pulled over at the town park by the water tower so Rhea could run around and chase some squirrels before we devoured our quiches in the truck. Right next to the park is a bone-dry swimming hole with lifeguard towers, swim ladders, the works. They must flood it in the summer to keep cool and drain it for the winter. Super cool. The park is littered with cottonwood trees. Their bark is similar to a redwood's, with thick vertical stripes, yet with the color of an oak. Their golden leaves shimmer in the autumn breeze. A sight to behold.

It's funny, getting back on the highway from a small town like this, you have two choices. West or east. That's it.

Continuing west, had a great stop at Pompeys Pillar National Monument. On July 25, 1806, floating down the Yellowstone on the way home, William Clark carved his name and the date into the sandstone. His signature is believed to be the only physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition still visible on the trail. He named the rock "Pompy's Tower" after Sacagawea's baby son, Jean Baptiste, whom he nicknamed Pomp. The monument was closed for the season, so we parked outside and did a quick mile-and-a-half walk in and back. Rhea isn't allowed on the boardwalk, so I climbed the steps myself and left her at the bottom for a few minutes to fend for herself.

It was a beautiful walk through the Montana grasslands to get to the pillar. Chilly in the shade, and delightfully warm in the sun. It feels like a 20-degree difference between the two. Which is what happens on the plains with so little moisture in the air.

Back at the truck, we cooked up eggs and toast with peanut butter and honey for a second breakfast. I laid out her mat in the sun, and we both ate and took a late-morning snooze in the Montana sunshine. Rhea was out cold; I just closed my eyes. The stargazer chair I got from REI really came in clutch here. I reclined, propped my feet up on the tailgate, and soaked up the sun.

A little before 12pm, we were back in the truck and on our way to the Toyota dealership in Billings for an oil change and tire rotation. We also checked on a safety recall for the shocks that Toyota just notified us about, with a remedy still in the works. Got to make sure they aren't leaking or corroding and that the truck is up for the rest of the 10,000 miles left to go!

Montana towns operate at a different speed entirely. On the main strip in Billings, no one goes more than 5 mph over the speed limit, max. People aren't in a rush, and I'm sure you'd get a ticket if you went much faster. Very different from the Long Island Expressway, where everyone cruises 10 to 15 mph over, easy. There's also a massive oil refinery right in town, the Phillips 66 facility by the look of it. Steinbeck wrote, "In Billings I bought a hat." We got an oil change.

If you need anything, Joey in the service department at the Toyota dealership in Billings will take care of you. Super nice guy. He's Sicilian and instantly picked up on the Cane Corso in Rhea. He'd wanted to get two Corsos, but his wife got them a Frenchie instead, which he now loves. Everyone at that dealership was super friendly, and I don't just mean the people who work there.

The farther west we drove through Montana, the greener it got. There must be more rainfall here. About 100 miles east of Bozeman on I-90, we started gaining elevation. It reminded me of leaving Lone Pine, CA, and driving up to Mammoth Mountain. You come out of grassy nothingness and slowly climb into rocky terrain with pines that get denser and denser. We weren't quite there yet, and we dropped back down into the Yellowstone River valley amongst the cottonwoods. The Yellowstone is the longest undammed river in the lower 48, running about 670 miles from Wyoming to the Missouri in North Dakota with no reservoir along the way. This is also where you start to see the Bridger Range, sharp, jagged peaks forcing their way out of the grasslands. A welcome sight. All I've seen for the last few days are rolling hills and prairies.

About 15 miles out of Bozeman, a FedEx pickup truck passed us on the highway, with a cab on the back for packages. I guess in Montana you need some real four-wheel drive to deliver to the mountainside homes in the winter.

Ten miles out, we left the Yellowstone and followed Rocky Creek up over Bozeman Pass, with towering pines on both sides. On July 15, 1806, ten days before Pompeys Pillar, Sacagawea guided Clark's party over this same pass. We're in mountain country now. You cross a cattle guard at a lot of the Montana exits, which keeps the cattle, and I'd guess the elk, off the highway.

We found our Airbnb outside of town, checked in, showered, and took a little nap. Rhea and I were both pooped. Then we ventured five minutes into town for an elk burger, a Caesar salad, and a beer at the local watering hole. That elk burger was one of the best burgers I've ever had. I don't think I've ever had true local elk, ever. They didn't even ask how I wanted it cooked, and it came out perfectly rare. And that Caesar salad, man. Delicious.

We got an Airbnb in Bozeman because tomorrow I fly to Atlanta for work for 48 hours. My mom is flying in tomorrow too, to watch Rhea. When I get back on Friday, we'll head down into the Yellowstone Valley for a couple of days of exploring for her early 70th birthday. She's never been to this part of the country, so I'm excited to show her around, even though I've only been to Yellowstone once myself.

I have a feeling we're going to get a very good night's sleep tonight. It's tranquil, with a stream running down below. Peace and quiet. We do have to cross the rail line yet again to get here, but hopefully the whistles aren't too loud. Our luck with train whistles on this trip is comical at this point. We might as well have taken the train across the country.

Rhea

We always seem to wake up around 4:30am. It's the coldest part of the night, right before sunrise, and I wake up wanting to make sure she's covered. So I put the extra fleece blanket on top of her to snuggle her in, but she seems warm enough as is.

She wouldn't eat her kibble this morning, which is why we went out for breakfast. I wanted to make sure she got some food in her stomach. The sausage quiche did the trick. She's so spoiled.

At the dealership, Rhea was a head-turner again, with everyone wanting to pet her and asking how old she was, what kind of dog she was, and how she was so well-behaved. She's a real conversation starter, and she's making this trip so much better in so many different ways. She curled up next to me on the lawn while I did a little work in front of the Toyota dealership. She's such a good girl. She's my heart.