Southwestern Montana Oddesey

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My California friends, Andrew and Pilar came with me on a trek through southwestern Montana for our "weekend." Our weekend is Tuesday and Wednesday. We left the park through the west entrance and headed out to Virgina City home to the infamous vigilantes who hanged 20 "road agents" (outlaws) and buried them on the original "Boot Hill." Read more about it at http://www.virginiacity.com/vigil.htm
The we continued on to Nevada City to annoy each other with calliopes in the music hall. They're really pretty cool. You put in your nickle and this 20 or so foot long contraption springs to life playing horns, pianos, drums and stringed instruments. What's even more impressive is that these things have been driving people nuts since the 1800s!

After the music hall we motored on into Bozeman and went on a shopping spree. Pilar bought a mandolin, Andrew a guitar and I a 0 degree sleeping bag that packs up the size of a football for backpacking. We were so engrossed in our shopping (this happens when you come down out of "the sticks") that before we knew it, it was 10 pm and we were racing against nightfall to find a camping site in Gallatian National Forest. Gallatian is the most poorly marked national forest in the country. About 2 hours and 20 miles later (40 miles if you count the wrong turns) we pulled into Battle Ridge campground only to find a sign reading "Closed to Public Use." I parked the truck in front of the sign and the three of us piled into the back for the night. The 0 degree bag was nice and toasty!