Have Wagon, Will Paddle: Our Epic Day to Montana
- Shasta Brown
- Jun 17
- 3 min read
Trail Dust & Kayaks: The Great Push to Montana
We left Cheyenne at the crack of dawn with the spirit of pioneers and the caffeine of modern convenience stores. By sundown, we’d crossed into southeastern Idaho. We stayed the night, then pushed on through to Spokane and rolled into Lakeside, Montana, like weary settlers in a Mazda. No broken axles, but let’s just say our legs were more jelly than jam by the end.
After a hard day’s wagoning (read: driving through three states), we slept in like queens and then rented kayaks to splash around in Flathead Lake—aka the perfect blue jewel of Montana. The water? Cold. The views? Next-level. We stayed in a luxury cottage perched just above the lake, the kind of place that makes you want to knit a sweater while staring pensively into the distance.
Then we made the obligatory pilgrimage to Glacier National Park... where there was, in fact, no glacier. Cue the sad trombone. Global warming is real, folks. In early spring, you might still catch a peek of one, but in May? Not so much. Still stunning, just less icy drama than expected.
After a weekend of lakeside lounging and forest wandering, it was time to head back to southeastern Idaho. But the adventure wasn’t over yet—because later that night, I drove to West Yellowstone. Why? For a sunrise rendezvous with a friend, and let me tell you, West Yellowstone National Park is the real deal. Steam vents. Bison. Morning light that cuts through the pine. I half expected a moose to deliver me a latte.
I spent all day driving through Yellowstone National Park. I saw no less than 35 bison, 0 bears, a few moose, and rivers that I really wanted to swim in, but I didn't because it was freezing and fast-moving.
I drove to different parts of the park where the tourists aren't. I know people say it's extremely busy and they hate it. There are only 5 entrances, and with over 12,500 vehicles visiting each day, yes, it will be busy at first. Yellowstone National Park is also about 2.2 million acres. That is about the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Now, that is a lot of park, and I can guarantee most people haven't seen more than 1% of it. Yes, there are a lot of cool features to see that everyone else wants to see, but keep driving. I promise you will find a remote spot to set up a hammock and take a nap. Just do so safely. You don't want to wake up to a bison herd adopting you as a hammock mate.
Until next time, Mountain West, you have my heart like always. You are stunning. And I do love the mountains.
Next time, we will pack more snacks, and maybe a glacier just for the show. Oh, and as a reminder, DON'T PET THE BISON. They aren't friendly at all, even if they do look like you can pet them and hug them. I promise they are tempermental suckers, and they won't be thrilled you are taking up their space. Kind of like women in perimenopause can be.
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