The past few weeks have frankly SUCKED  both at home and work so today I twisted my friend Robin's arm and we headed to Bozeman to pick up some dog food.   As an alternate I also had a couple supposed camping spots I wanted to check out so we detoured down to Norris and cut across from there to Bozeman.  A road neither of us had been on.  However, first a right turn to go see Pony, MT.  Robin had been up there but I hadn't and there is a NFS campground 8 miles up in the mountains so hey, why not break in the new truck right!

I will admit I broke my own rule on the way up.  There were some great photos to take especially of wildflowers with the macro  lens and I didn't stop.  Of course on the way home, the wind had picked up so no luck there.

We did get up to the campground.  Interesting and the road up there is a banger for sure.....not somewhere I'd haul up for a weekend and as the locals showed, send up a scout to be sure you can get a spot.  There is a big open area at the entrance filled with well, "group camper ATV people".  No thanks, farther in there were a couple spots that I probably "could" get my trailer in but would have to unhook and it would be tight.   It was all but full with two spots open way in the back.  So after 60 minutes driving up we decided to let the pups out for a potty, a sniff and stretch our legs.   (Robin gets credit for some of the dog photos while I wrangled which is why there are also "out takes").

Coming back out took 1/2 as long (you can see the pot holes better going down apparently, or I didn't care as much hard to say).

Pony is a totally cute little town up a mountain gully (think old mining town me thinks).   Definitely would like to go cruise some more of the back roads up there, a nice day trip to do!

Back to the highway and the cutacross to Bozeman.   This highway cuts through the BearTrap area and I'd heard there was some great camping spots along the river.  Well OMG - even with the weather predicted to be bad today, the sun was out and so were the people from the Bozeman valley!  Cripes!  The parking lot at the first put in for the river was parked full, the second was not as bad but the camping there was way off the river.  Of course every "official"  camping spot along the river was full plus some and honestly, the South area I wouldn't drive my trailer down either.   Especially since you have no idea if there will be a spot or not.  The North area is smokin nice and there are 8 spots all perfect and all parked full of course.  Some looking like  they'd been there a while.  Again, I have issue with my limited time off "hoping" a good spot will be open when they can park in them for 16 days at a pop!    You'd want a scout and hope that they could get cell service to tell you if it is open or not.  Still  -- primo spots.   Remember though, right now we are in PRIME camping season and this whole area is just I think, too darned close to Bozeman (which has very limited spots close where camping is available).   The river was FULL of floaters in every floaty thing they could find (and we saw a yellow duck that was just as big as this flamingo!).

Yes we did make it to Bozeman, ate our lunch in the parking lot where I got food and there was shade and then high tailed it home before it thawed.  Our 200 mile normal trip turned into more like 300+ but it was totally worth it and fun.   I love these kind of day trips and so much more fun with a good friend and co-pilot!   As I write this the bad weather has indeed come in and the temps have dropped dramatically and the thunder is booming.  No rain here yet but we can hope!     Hoping tomorrow is decent so I can get some yard chores done!