Friday my brother-in-law decided it would be a great evening to drive through the National Bison Range at Moiese, Montana. He and my sister have lived here for over 40 years, so they have made that excursion many times and know the best times of day to go. The longer and steeper Red Sleep Mountain Drive will soon close for the season, and he wanted to make that loop one more time this year. We left their house shortly after 5:00 p.m. and were starting up that scenic drive by 5:30. A sign informed us we should start no later than 6:30 p.m. in order to be out again by dark, but we barely made it out by dark, anyway.
The weather was unseasonably cold on Tuesday and Wednesday, and higher elevations in the region received some snow, including higher areas of the Bison Range. It still lingered on north-facing slopes and heavily-shaded areas.
One lone bison obligingly stood close enough to the road to be photographed from the safety of the car. Farther along the loop we saw at least three large herds far off in the distance. Had I tried to get a photo of them, they would have looked like specks in the fields.
I love the layered look of the hills in the distance.
We parked here, with the intention of walking out to the viewpoint. However....
Finally, we reached the summit of Red Sleep Mountain, where we were rewarded with the following views of the Mission Mountain Range. Now those are real mountains!
The late evening shadows are covering the bottom of the near trees, and stretching across the valley below.
We had just started the steep, winding descent back into the valley when we stopped so I could take this panoramic photo of the Mission Mountains.
The setting sun turned the snowcapped peaks a delicate pink. You can see why Montana is called the Big Sky Country!
Just a little farther down the road, we saw two cow elk and a calf standing in the creek. We also saw several deer, but I didn't bother to take a picture of them because we see deer in the yard all the time. We saw and/or heard some birds, too, including a grouse, robins, juncos, and a kingfisher. Close to the end of the drive, my sister turned around and saw the moon rising over the majestic Mission Mountains. The camera in my phone made it look like broad daylight, and if I ever figure out how to correct it in photoshop or some similar program, I will post that picture separately.
I hope you have enjoyed your virtual tour of the National Bison Range!
All photos taken on my Android phone.
