Montana

            Montana, if you haven’t been, go.  If you have been, go again.  It’s great.  I have had the good fortune to spend a summer in western Montana and it’s an experience I will never forget.  Besides the new friends I’ve made, I’ve seen some of the most beautiful country in the world, “God’s Country.”

            I found myself in Condon Montana in early June to work for the Forest Service.  There, I met a group of talented and diverse people whom I am proud to call friends.  They come from a wide range of backgrounds and locations; all adding to my appreciation of lifestyles and philosophies, of which I was previously aware of, but had not been exposed to; or, maybe stereo-typed in my perception.  Anyway, my friends more than the location, have made for a wonderful experience.

            I, being obsessed with sailing was able to broaden their experiences as well.  This is because, most if not all of my new friends had never been on a sailboat, and due to the fact that I am such a dynamic personality.  On the flip side, I have been introduced to some very rewarding experiences of my own.

            Last weekend, my friend Levi invited Lucas and me to go to Glacier National Park and stay with some friends of his, “Parkys” who live and work there.  They are a bunch of great folks in their own rite.

The Town

            While in Glacier, the entire group of us went to Polebridge, a quaint little community in the middle of nowhere.  It is nestled in the Flathead valley on the west side of the Park and is home to some commanding views.

            The town, if you can call it that, consists of a mercantile and a small café, with many other out buildings and cabins near by.  Upon arrival, it felt as if I had been transported back in time to somewhere in the mid 1800’s.  To put this in perspective, the only bathroom facility was literally an outhouse.  That only added to the charm of this community.  However, it is advisable to hold your breath when using it.

            The Polebridge café made great pizza and sold beer; a winning combination by my standards.  On the south side of the building was a volleyball court and I soon found myself in a pick-up game with my new friends.  In between getting our asses kicked, we would sit on one of the many picnic tables eating pizza and drinking beer.  I had a great time.

The Game

Playing on the Porch

            One of the neatest things about Polebridge were the musicians who hung out on the porch and played bluegrass.  They kept it up the whole time we were there.  Apparently, the people playing were locals and would play at the café whenever the urge hit them.  I was told it was a common occurrence.  How cool is that. 

            After we had our fill, the group headed back to West Glacier and the Park’s employee housing where we would spend the rest of the night.  Out of the eight or nine of us, we managed to kill a lot of beer.  Hard to believe I know.  I think I ended up on the couch sometime around 3:00 AM.

            The next day was a little rough, but Lucas and I were up and gone by nine in the morning.  I had to run into Kalispell to have my brakes worked on and wanted to get it done and over with.  The rest of the weekend was uneventful and found us back in Condon doing what we usually do, drinking beer and listening to music.

            Future weekends will find me back on the lake at least a couple times.  The others are reserved for exploration.  We are planning to hit Glacier for a backpacking trip.  It’s Levi’s back yard so he has picked “the spot."  It should be a fun trip if it doesn’t kill me.