The land of endless mountains

Unexpectedly, before looking into it first, one late evening me and two grannies crossed the border between Canada and the US. It was my boyfriend's grandma, my grandma and myself. During our trip around Canada we realized we have enough time to visit the States as well, so since we love nature, we decided upon Montana.

Many couldn’t and probably never will understand the combination of such three travel companions. Some are probably already used to me and my granny traveling together, as we’ve been doing it for more than 15 years. But for my boyfriend’s granny this was a first journey and all the more special for it. The biggest surprise we had on the border crossing between Canada and Montana, which we crossed one late evening. It was pitch dark outside.  We drove down the seemingly endless straight road to a small crossing point in a wooden cabin, just like taken out of a movie. There was cold wind blowing outside and the dim light appeared inside the cabin. Nobody in sight, until an officer steps out with a hat o nthe head. He calmly stepped outside and saw us. When he looked at our documents ad realized we were strangers, he told us to park the car and step inside. We didn’t know why, but soon we were subjected to something that resembled an interrogation. We sat one opposite another on uncomfortable wooden chairs and the officer still had a serious face on. As he was looking through our documents and checking something on the computer screen, we were curiously looking around the interior. It was a simple wooden cabin with a few stuffed animals on the walls, but all in all cosy. After some time of checking the computer and passports he started asking questions. First one was about our travelling combination, for he couldn’t understand why a young girl would travel with two grannies. Once I explained our connections he couldn’t understand, how come my boyfriend wasn’t along for the trip. I’ve explained he couldn’t get enough time off from business, he didn’t really comprehend. It was as if he had given up on us and just smiled and wished us a pleasant journey around Montana. A great journey had begun with this unique experience at the border crossing. 

We realized soon after entering Montana that the mountains know no borders. The name of the state itself originates from the mountains that raise from the mid part towards the east of the land. Many of the mountains were covered with glaciers which have melted over the course of eons. The land of many peaks and ridges, covered with many forests, is heaven for nature enthusiasts. Luckily the state also realizes that and has decided to preserve over 2 million hectares of the landscape. Today these are the largest natural parks where people can interfere with only under the most scrutinize rules. We’ve travelled a good part of the highlands of Montana and soaked up to our heart’s content of unspoiled nature, which was wonderfully beautiful despite the rain and snow. Numerous lakes and mountains and endless peaks with mountain roads, rivers and tall forests are just a part of the rich natural beauty of the place. 

Who would have expected the biggest enemies of this unspoiled nature were fires? Lightning can cause wildfires that destroy large patches of forests. In the high planes forests take a long time to regenerate, as the vegetation seasons are fairly short, so you can see damaged areas not recovering for over thirty years. They set up memorial signs for larger fires along the road, where many tourists pass by. It says when there was a fire and usually behind the sign you can see the burned remains of a forest. This is how visitors get to see how much damage was done and how long does it take to heal. The forest is their greatest resource. Most houses are made of wood, only a few in town centres are from concrete. Wooden houses fit perfectly in the natural surroundings and many of them are really beautiful to behold.

Montana is to the north of the States and mostly covered by usually unspoiled nature. The beauty of the mountains, the lakes, rivers and many wooden houses is beyond description. You simply need to experience it.