You can’t in or live near Helena, Montana, for more than twenty minutes and not make a trip to either the mountain community of York or Canyon Ferry Lake.
Desiree and I made a loop to see both destinations.
As far as tiny
mountain towns go, York is the real deal.
First, the town supports a bar. In
Montana, a bar is required if a place is trying to qualify as a town. At the same time, York is an unincorporated
community and tiny enough that a google search will not yield a
population. My guess is, no more than a
few dozen people live in the cluster of homes near the bar.
The first
thing we crossed paths with at York was wild turkey strutting alongside the
road.
After a
whirlwind tour of town and a drive to Vigilante Campground, we drove to Canyon
Ferry by way of Jimtown Road. Canyon
Ferry is among the largest lakes in Montana—offering 76 miles of
shoreline. And it come with pleasant
views of the Big Belt Mountains.
After crossing
the dam impounding the reservoir, we stopped to explore the castle-like stacks granite
boulders near Cemetery Island. A quick
hike down a steep trail delivered us to huge monoliths towering over the
water. This is where I learned that
Desiree squeals if confronted by heights.
Desiree held back a little as I clambered on a few boulders for better
views.
I have posted
a few select photographs from our travels.
Hiking at Two
Camps Vista (Near Lakeside)
Cometary
Island and the Big Belt Mountains
Desiree in a Cradle of
Rocks
—Mitchell Hegman
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