Something was missing in the Hamilton, MT area. If you follow my posts, you know I spend a lot of time in wetlands. There are some nice public wetlands in the Bitterroot Valley, about 23 miles north of Hamilton, on the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. But there is limited access to the wetlands, and they frown on floating blinds. I was quite discouraged.
After spending the first three weeks of May in the Hamilton area, I headed north of Missoula and rented a cabin near Charlo. I was only 4.7 miles away from the Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area and the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge. There were plenty of wetlands and there were mountains in the background. While I did not use my floating blind on either the state or the federal property, I did find numerous locations where I could lay on the ground, right at the water’s edge, to get that low-level photo perspective that I love. I spent my early morning and late evening hours photographing waterfowl. The mid-day hours were spent exploring areas around Flathead Lake, Thompson Falls, and the National Bison Range.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Mission Valley wetlands and I love the nearby Mission Mountains. It is a beautiful place. More to come…