Exploring and Hanging Out

We spent Monday and Tuesday exploring the town of Red Lodge, hanging out at the Gilchrist's and hiking nearby trails.  The town is so easy to get around and has plenty of places to sit and enjoy being outdoors.  While the sun is intense and can be quite hot, the air is cool and there's usually a nice breeze.  The weather really couldn't be any nicer.  

Yesterday, the boys and I played a game of Risk on a picnic table under the town's gazebo.  In today's video- and electronics-centric world, it's so nice to do something "old-fashioned" like a play a board game, especially outdoors.  The town is very kid-friendly, with skate-parks, a swimming pool, basketballs and tennis courts, and several playgrounds. 

Later in the day, we hiked up a portion of the Silver Run trail.  Most of the trail is still closed because of the fire, which is contained but still burning.  You can see clearly the many firebreak lines the Forest Service bulldozed throughout the canyon.  It was extremely fortunate the fire didn't spread down the canyon; it's filled with very dry downed trees and has few natural fire breaks. All the trails in this area may not re-open until late fall or winter.  But even on the short stretch that we hiked, there were many great views.  Andrew told us that the exposed rocks on the tops of the mountains are some of the oldest exposed earth in the world.  Pretty amazing.

Today, we're off to Cody, Wyoming for a little "western" culture, including a gunfight and a rodeo.  We'll let you know what happens!