Pony, Montana, United States
With nice weather again I figured it was time to take another
hike and drive day trip in my area to check out a few new spots. In early May
hiking is possible around Bozeman, but unless you want to trudge through snow
that’s still very deep at high elevations or a good amount of mud somewhat
lower, it’s better to stay in some lower spots.
Missouri Headwaters State Park is about as low as it gets in
my area. Situated at the confluence of southwest Montana’s three rivers –
Madison, Gallatin, and Jefferson – it is considered to be the spot where the
Missouri River begins. It’s mostly open
plains with a few rocky uplands and bluffs along the rivers and is very scenic
its own very western sort of way. I went there once last June but didn’t hike
too extensively. This time I covered most of the park’s trails in a few hours.
Coincidentally, a very small town named Willow Creek along
my planned route for the day made national news headlines as having one of the
first schools in the country to open after lockdown/stay-at-home later in the
week.
The school supposedly has 56 students in all its grades for a town of under
300 people. However, when I got there I couldn’t help wonder where all those
300 people were. If you told me 60 people lived in the town, I’d easily believe
it. Although only about 35 miles from Bozeman and located in the same county,
it feels remotely distant.
The dirt roads northwest from town back toward the highway
meander through ranch land and over a very scenic crossing of the Jefferson
River at single-lane wide Williamsbridge, extremely quaint with wood planking.
I’m not much of a twitcher, but the birdlife along the river is amazing,
including Sandhill Cranes and a soaring Bald Eagle.
The last stop on my loop was a town named Pony. A former mining town that once had as many as
5,000 people in its hayday, the hilly village on the east flack of the Tobacco
Root mountains about five miles down a dead-end side road has somewhat of an end-of-the-world
feel. A Facebook acquaintance of mine
who lives in Washington state described it as the place he wants to retreat to
when it’s finally time for him to say “Eff the World!” Maybe this would be a good time for it.
Despite some nice buildings, Pony feels almost deserted, the only people I saw
downtown being a few old guys sitting in front of a saloon drinking beer and playing
cards. I’m sure I’ll be back, though, since
the road through Pony continues into the national forest to the trailheads for
several hikes I’d like to do.
2025-05-23