big sky country

On the drive through southwest Montana, we started to see hints of the Rockies--needless to say, it made us pretty excited to get to Yellowstone!

I was blown away by the beauty of the mountains (a common feeling during this entire trip). It wasn't just because I'm a Midwestern girl used to rolling hills. I have seen the Matterhorn and been among the Colorado part of the Rockies, and I have visited my boyfriend's hometown nestled in the Alleghenies--and don't get me wrong, all of the aforementioned are wonderful. But this area was so untouched. There was the highway. There were farmhouses every few miles. A few power lines stretched through.  But traffic was sparse, the farms were small, and the power lines had specific destinations.  When we pulled over to snap some photos, we were engulfed by silence (or, that kind of "nature's silence" that seems so quiet at first. Once you get used to it, you hear the bubbling stream, the tweeting birds, and the chirping crickets and realize it's a different kind of silence that is simply devoid of the expected human noises).

I love these spontaneous photo ops. The national parks can be a bit crowded, so it's nice to have a "scenic overlook" area to pull over and take photos. I also was appreciative of the large, flat rocks that held my camera so I could set the self-timer--although, this one was far enough away that I had to sprint to get in the picture. Because of the combination of the wind & my mad dash, I had to keep a tight hold on my hat.