Sula, MT

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Andi, Tory, Aden and I left Three Forks, MT Thursday morning, and set out for our destination in Sula, MT. Three-and-a-half more hours to go on our 22-hour long trip. The trek from Wisconsin to western Montana is not short, but it’s so worth it. The farther across Montana we drove, the prettier the scenery became.

Around 2:00 pm, we arrived in Sula. Andi’s friend invited us to park our RV next to the cabin he’s been staying in out there. Rich wasn’t there when we arrived, so we made ourselves at home by plugging in our RV to power and washing off the very dirty Jeep that trailed behind the RV the whole way here.

Rich returned a short time later with his son, Noah, and Noah’s girlfriend Carley. Together, the seven of us went for a walk in the woods and then made dinner at the cabin. Andi grilled tri-tip for everyone, and we served it with mashed potatoes, asparagus, and bread. After dinner, Andi, Tory, Aden, and I took the cabin’s ATVs for a spin. We drove through a neighboring subdivision and the woods around the area. June 1st — I coulnd’t believe it was so chilly. The weather is near perfect during the afternoon but quickly cools down into the 40s and 50s in the evening.

Later, we roasted s’mores around the campfire and enjoyed visiting with one another. It was a really fun, low-key evening.

Thursday, June 2

Thursday was our day to adventure around Sula. First, we started by Jeeping through the national forest land trails. There are thousands of miles of trails around Sula — we could’ve driven forever! The views at the higher elevation was breathtaking!

After Jeeping, we decided to hike the East Fork trail near Sula. It was an easy 3-mile hike through the wilderness so there was relatively little complaining from the kids. The path was beautiful following the river with the mountains in the background. We didn’t see another person on the trail our entire time there!

After our hike, we drove to the nearby town of Darby for lunch. It was so charming and felt exactly like stepping into an old western town. Andi chose a restaurant called Big Cat Cafe for lunch. The food was good, but there was nothing “small town” about their prices — yikes! The television series, Yellowstone, is currently filming in and around Darby, and it felt like they doubled the price of everything on their menu while the cast & crew are visiting.

After lunch, we walked along Main Street in Darby, stopping at the Old West Antiques and Candy Store. Andi told Tory and Aden they could each pick out six pieces of candy, so they spent entirely too much time wandering the aisles selecting the pieces they each wanted. Meanwhile, I ordered myself a huckleberry ice cream cone which hit the spot! Wild huckleberries grow in this part of the country, though I doubt the ice cream was homemade. Tory and Aden thought the ice cream tasted like a mix of blueberry and strawberry.

Next, we drove to nearby Lake Como just north of Darby. The scenery here was spectacular — maybe one of the best spots in all of the Bitterroot Valley with views that, in my opinion, rival Glacier National Park. Gorgeous!

Rich and his kids conquered the seven-mile hike around Lake Como that day, but that’s a little too far for Tory and Aden to walk. Maybe someday!

We returned to the cabin in Sula and made dinner. Tonight, I warmed up some pulled chicken we purchased at Sam’s Club and made BBQ chicken sliders with corn, green beans and salad for everyone. We sat around the fire again and talked until bedtime.

Tomorrow, it’s already time to say goodbye to Montana and head back to Wisconsin. Just a quick week-long trip out here this time. I’m hoping to stop in the Black Hills along the way. Stay tuned…