Hot Springs - The Rodeo

The Hot Springs Homesteader's Days highlight was the Saturday night rodeo. I know nothing about rodeos, but it was fun and athletic. I rode one of the Alameda's bicycles there and my neighbors in the stands kept me enlightened about what was going on.

It was great to photograph!

Kids having fun

Rodeo Zamboni

This young girl did it all bareback!

Sold!

Wild cow milking

Wild cow milking

Hot Springs, MT - The Town

So. We're hangin' at the Wagon Wheel Motel and Cafe in Drummond wondering what to do next, since we had five days to kill before we can occupy the house we reserved on Flathead lake (outside of Glacier park). 

We had bargained the night clerk/waitress/busgirl down on our room because it supposedly didn't have WiFi. The bargaining was made easier as we kept glancing at the big lighted "Free WiFi" sign under which we were standing. Fist-bumps back at the room for the success.

But in the morning the mood darkened when the day clerk/waitress/busgirl wanted to know why we got a room so cheap. It seemed the owner was curious when she ran the last nights receipts in the morning. The word used, I remember, was "livid". Oops! This should have been one of those crack-of-dawn days. We offered to pay back the difference, but our contrition so shocked the management, that we were allowed to keep the rate, possibly with some awe of how we pulled it off. It certainly wasn't our baby faces . . .

Back to hangin' at the Wagon Wheel Motel & Cafe wondering where to go, what to see and explore next . . .

This is when Paul spots the handbill for the Hot Springs, MT Homesteader's Days and Rodeo. Works for me!

The 60th annual Hot Springs Homesteader's Days turned out to be quite the event. It was small, but as Paul wore the t-shirt he bought during the event, people all over Montana approached us. They were either from there, or often visited there, or family lived there. Amazing for such a small deal! 

We stayed at a Bohemian place called the Alameda. There was a book trade shelf, and bicycles to take whenever we didn't walk the town. The street fair was pretty light, but the live music was fun and he people were interesting.Everyone was super friendly and talkative.

The Alameda (and Massage)

The front entrance

Our unit with bikes parked outside.

Once we arrived, we never started them until we left 2 days later.

Cool yard art

Artwork all over town

Everything you'll need

And more

An original building sandwiched between some newer ones

One man band

Seems everyone had a dog to walk

Car show entrant

Rhino-Liner fenders? 

More car show

Hand-pump vacuum cleaner at the museum

The original jail

Montana Healthcare

There are certainly more scenic things to post than this, but I've been out of internet and phone connectivity for over a week. So I'll give a current update, then get back to the good stuff when things slow down a bit.

I've just ended a five day vacation as an in-patient at St. Luke's hospital, Ronan MT, while Paul is awaiting a shifting pawl to recover his missing second gear.

Paul's spewing Triumph vitriol all over the place. No case split, however, it's a broken tang on a shaft that goes through the cases. Missoula Triumph quoted $800 for the job, but he's found the OEM part from online triumph dealers for $27. The math set him off on another tirade. He's not good company at the moment.

Not that it mattered that much to me. I was released today and rode 50 miles to meet Susan in Missoula. She arrives at 9:00 tonight after a connecting flight in Denver.. The short ride to Missoula about did me in. The plan was to have Susan tag along back home having a dual-vehicle adventure. I was looking forward to it. However, if I'm not feeling any better, the bike will stay here and we'll drive home, the bike return a riding adventure for a later time. The wonderful folks on Flathead Lake have offered a garage several times and Susan has a nephew in Kalispel with a garage and a truck. So I'm blessed with options.

Why Ronan? It was literally as far as I could go last Wednesday on the way back from the BMW service in Missoula. The GPS said "Hospital in three miles", I could barely walk. Fortunately I could pilot the bike three more miles. It was 75 degrees outside and I had full riding gear on, including gaiters, and shivering so badly I could hardly answer the ER questions. Good thing Paul is family; he could answer just about all for me. After being admitted, strapped in with needles, tubes and a good slug of morphine, blood was drawn daily for cultures. Diagnosis: Acute kidney and blood bacterial infection. Go figure! I was assured this wasn't caused by motorcycling, so who knows? I certainly have no history with this sort of thing. I'm happy we were able to enjoy all the great people and places to date, especially Cole's cabin and tubing down the Jefferson with his brother-in-law, Tim. Who knew what the future held? All said, this small hospital had all new equipment and a great healing culture. I doubt I could have received better care for what I needed. Plus, I had a view of snowy peaks from my bed.

I'm going to have to rate the FMR (Fun to Misery Ratio) for this trip on a timeline. Until Wednesday, it was in the high 9's. Remember, there was the helmet-cam malfunction over Beartooth Pass? That cost a couple of points. Perfect weather, scenery, people. From Wednesday on it will have to be around 1 as my rules anchor the bottom of the scale with medical and law enforcement interaction.

In-patient

This is Hick Ups. Seriously. She was one of the CNAs that hovered over me for 5 days. Couldn't have done it without her. She also made up a bed for Paul in my room where he could use my bath and shower. Brought meals, too. In this pix, she had walked me out of the building and submitted to a selfie.

Front of hospital

Interesting wall-art. Much was native Americas since this is on the Flathead Indian Reservation

Lobby, looking out

Obligatory bike shot in front of hospital.

Bison Preserve

Nothing to show except the visitors center. They politely said the motorcycles frightened the bison and often caused them to run amok or charge. Therefore we were not allowed to enter the park and take the scenic drives to see the bison. 

Sorry to say you won't see a single bison photo here. What a tease, huh?

There was a very nice picnic area

And a way-cool antler pile

Road Seen:

Bannack Ghost Town

We've ridden through several ghost towns, but all were on a main drag, had lots of tourists lurking, and gift shops. We found this one way off the path. You had to be going here to get here. As is standard operating practice, we were early and had the place to ourselves for a while. It was the real deal, albeit preserved by the state. Bannack used to be the county seat until the railroad went through and sucked the population away. Oh yeah, all the gold got sucked out of the ground too.

Entrance

Schoolhouse

Inside the schoolhouse

The courthouse, later a hotel

Inside the hotel

Inside the hotel

Stove in the hotel kitchen

Inside the saloon

The church

On the "outskirts" of town

Most were open to explore

Road Seen:

My very first Walmartian. Only he wasn't at a store.

What else to do with your dead trees and skulls?

Yep, Used Cows