SLEEPING BUFFALO (it’s not what you’d think).
Day 344 – Nothing broke yesterday – compared to recent days, a milestone! Today we woke up to the sounds of Canada Geese. In front of the RV on the Lake, we had the Geese, Sea Gulls, various Ducks, and on the distant island, White Pelicans. And when the neighboring Golden Eagle flew over, they scattered noisily. We love it.
We left around 10:30 a.m. to take a drive, first north a little ways around the Lake, then taking Route 2 west into town. At the junction of the 2 and Route 243 there was a pull-out near a sign for a historic marker. We stopped to check it out. It was Sleeping Buffalo, a really old rock (and its rock-friend, Medicine Rock) from back when the Native Americans roamed the plains.
In town, Malta, we looked for a place to get sandwiches to go. We were going to Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge and knew we’d need lunch. Every place that Google told us to go was permanently closed. We didn’t pack a lunch because we were out of bread. We finally found a convenience store/coffee place and stopped there. They could make us an Espresso if we wanted one, and yes, they could make us a sandwich to go. What kind of meat would we like? They were out of Pastrami and Pork Butts. Yum. The place sold every kind of meat you can imagine, packaged from local ranches and fresh. Hmmm. We got cheese sandwiches. I’m sure they were disappointed.
Off to the NWR, we stopped at the Visitor’s Center to ask our questions. The lack of water: Where is it? Unfortunately, they are in the third year of a drought. They do have the capability, like most Wildlife Refuges, to move water in and out dependent on the season and when the birds are there. In the past, they got the water from Glacier National Park. But this year, their request was refused – there was just not enough water left to go around. The Grasshoppers/Locusts: Do they usually have so many? Yes, and this is nothing; they are usually worse than this. Are they Grasshoppers or Locusts? (I hadn’t gotten around to looking it up on the internet.) The answer: Grasshoppers. Locusts are bigger. The Grasshoppers completely destroy the crops. They will die when winter comes. The birds eat the Grasshoppers.
From the brochure regarding Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge: “Established in 1936 to preserve and enhance resting and breeding habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, Lake Bowdoin attracts migrating waterfowl by the tens of thousands. With more than 260 species, Bowdoin has been designated a Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site. The refuge is also home to more than 26 species of mammals and several species of reptiles and amphibians.”
Without water, what will happen?
We drove the auto tour again, and we saw two herds of Antelope. The huge Cows were, of course, still there. We didn’t see a lot like we would have if there was a Lake, but in one of the small ponds, we did see some birds. The scenery was great. The weather was very nice, no haze, the sky was beautiful with billowing clouds. We ate our lunch at the end of a boat ramp overlooking the dry lake.
In the evening we relaxed at the RV. We like this campground; there is hardly anyone here. But tomorrow we have to leave for a one-night stay in a private campground in Malta. We need hook-ups for filling with fresh drinking water, and emptying the other two tanks. Then we’re heading a little south, hoping to get a campsite at the viewing area for the Elk, Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area. But from what we’ve been told, there’s 200 to 500 elk and it’s mating (rutting) season. It’s a spectacle that many people turn up to see. Fingers crossed. It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. We’ll give it a try.
For more detailed information about Nelson Reservoir Recreation Area, Malta, MT, click here.