2018-22 Helena to Drummond Montana

2018-22

Helena, State Capitol

Helena Montana, State Capitol building

Helena Montana
Drummond Montana

Campground:  Lewis and Clark County Fairground, Helena Mt.  $21.oo  electric 30 amp.  Water available but not at campsites. I mentioned last week that reservations were advisable as the campground gets full. Come to find out, it was just a full weekend due to a kids baseball tournament. After the weekend, the place emptied out and I”m the only one in the campground for the week.

Louis and Clark Fairgrounds, 30 amp electric

and a cozy view of the inside of my camper:

Campground: Drummond City park/campground. $10 no hookups. $25 50amp electric and water near by. No dump station. On Clark Fork River looks like good fishing. City does not answer their phones or messages left requesting info. I lucked out and got one of the electric sites, but would have taken an no hookup site if that was all that might have been available.

Well I'm close to the playground, Drummond City park

Well it has gotten, as predicted, hot. Like in the mid 95’s most of the week, so glad I switched from boon-docking to a campsite with electric. Though, I’ve had trouble with one of my A/C units not functioning. I have a call into have it fixed (I think it’s a relay switch not working). Hopefully it’ll get fixed in the next couple of days… the One unit is working and keeping me comfortable.

Trolley/train tour, Helena 

nice historic district

pleasant morning for a trolley/train tour

historic millionaires row

very nice historic downtown, Helena Montana

I’m in the state capital of Montana and have toured a few of the local sites. Enjoying my Birthday week, treating myself to a nice carb breakfast (eggs, bacon and half a waffle) and lunch (a turkey sub from Jimmy John’s). I donated a flat screen tv to a Missionary thrift shop and then proceeded to go to the Dollar Tree next door and buy a few “gifts” for my Birthday. A total of $5 worth of stuff. I’m so cheap (laughing and a few chuckles)

Took another trolley/train tour, $8.00. Nice history of the town. Also visited the history museum located next to the train tours. Native Indians were performing out front and selling fry bread/Indian taco’s.

a rare white buffalo born on the Native Indian settlement 

teaching all the various methods of preserving food

Charles Russell Montana's favorite artist

With Helena being the state capitol I did go inside the capitol building. Impressive looking. Their downtown shopping/eating area is very nice, as it’s on the original “last chance” winding road where gold was found on the last day before the miners were to head out and look for gold elsewhere. After the gold played out, people stayed in the area, liking the surroundings. I understand why.

Another day I took the “Gates of the Mountains” tour boat. All in all it was a pleasant two hour tour, beautiful mountain scenery, spotting eagles along the way, a mule deer, some natural caves and learning the history of Clark's exploring this river as Lewis and Clark had split up during this portion of their explorations. Oh and we even saw some Indian pictographs high up on a wall as clear as a bell. Fortunately I had my good Canon zoom camera with me. I noticed that many of the guides on these trolley and boat tours are school teacher. They are excellent as tour guides, our also had quite a bit of humor thrown in making for a fun morning.

“Gates of the Mountains” tour 

Clark of Lewis and Clark explored the area
and named much of it

we spotted two young eagles

white pelican 

native Indian pictographs 

“Gates of the Mountains” 

Distance traveled: 64 miles

To Drummond Montana

Ok so I’m not breaking any land speed records as I travel out west. I’ve arrived at Drummond Montana, along side of hwy 90. The town more than likely got it’s start as a railroad stop, and trains still pass through town and occasionally stop to pick up farm products and cattle by the looks of it.

It’s a two gas station two restaurant town and has one other business that being a fabric store. I stopped in just to see what they have knowing a number of my readers are interested in quilting and such. The shop has lots of fabrics and it’s a local get together place for the gals to do their sewing and socializing. The rest of the town has all vacant store fronts, but I still like a small town like this and I’m staying at the city park along side the Clark Fork River.

Drummond Montana, a town forgotten along hwy 90

Noted for their 149 hamburgers

and next door, the only shop in town

a sewing and gathering place for the local women

most of the downtown is empty and forgotten

Drummond Montana, a forgotten town

trains coming and going through town

Garnet Ghost Town

Garnet Ghost Town

Tomorrow I’ll be heading up into the hills and mountains to the Garnet Ghost Town. About 10 miles of dirt road and of course I just washed the truck a couple of days ago.

What a fun tour.  the drive from Drummond took about 45 minutes.  Once I got onto Bear Gulch Road the tour really began.  Starting with paved road for a couple of miles along the lower gulch floor, then a well maintained dirt road along the river/creek, eventually going up the side of a heavily wooded mountain road that proceeded to get very rough.  At one point I had stopped to take a picture of a mining building on the edge of the road/cliff.  The truck skidded and wouldn't go up the hill.  had to back up and push forward more aggressively to gain traction.  Those last 4 or 5 miles were doable, I just needed to keep my eye on the narrow one lane road.  

a three story hotel and was in operation for many years
the top floor is an open attic type room where the poor
miners could lay their bed rolls

Garnet Ghost Town was originally built starting in 1895 by families with much trade experience so they built substantial homes and businesses rather than just slapping together shacks unlike earlier mining settlements further down the gulch.  After the gold ran out, with many of the mines being  abandoned by 1905 the town had a second resurgence in 1935 when President Roosevelt raised the price of gold from $16 to $35 an ounce.  War would eventually stop all mining in the area. However today one mine is back online producing gold once again.  The town is maintained by the BLM and a camphost couple are on sight opening the buildings and running a visitor center and gift shop.  

one of the bars in town, owners lived on second floor

met this retired geologist and we toured the town together

A perfect day to enjoy a bit of history, great weather, superb scenery and lots of Ghost Town buildings to explore.  All in a rough state of preservation.  

More photos:

Helena Montana

Garnet Ghost Town, Montana