August 2016, Fort Harrison, Russel Ground

I had a VA appointment at Fort Harrison and since it's over 500 miles round trip we spent a couple of nights at the Russel Gates Memorial camp ground on MT Hwy 200.  It's along the Blackfoot River and was an absolutely gorgeous place to stay.  Rates varied a bunch from $12.00 for non residents down to $3.50 for residents with a valid MT fishing license and over 62.  Here are a few pictures:

The Blackfoot River

We chose this site due to it's location near the pit toilet and it was nice and level.

Our picnic table and fire ring.

Always check out the river first. This is one of the better fly fishing rivers in Montana.  There were a fair number of people floating it and launching at the camp ground.  I tried some fishing and had one small one hit and one pretty nice fish hit.  I saw the small one but he got off the hook.  The big one I never saw but he nearly pulled the rod from my hands.  

Water is at a hand pump in a central location.

Our ever present portable solar panels to keep phones, tablets, etc. charged.  This one is a RAV 15.  We have three of them.  They are reasonably priced and put out plenty of power.

We took a ride up to Clearwater Junction to visit the convenience store there on the second afternoon.  It was a nice ride.  The map says it's 3.9 miles each way although it didn't seem that far.

Scott was having fun skewering a box to put it on the fire.

We got a good fire going right off.

And of course the purpose of a fire is to toast marshmallows.  Scott grew tired of doing just two at a time so he loaded the fork up when it was his turn.

There's a string of lakes on the Swan Highway.  Most have private in-holdings along the lakes but they still have lots of public access.

Another lake on the way home.

And Swan Lake, the last one before we got to Bigfork.

My appointment was to have an "anomaly" on the back of my neck checked.  They took a sample and informed me later that it was nothing to worry about.