A River Runs Through It, or, I Heart Montana

I always forget how much I love and miss the mountains until I see them again. Don't get me wrong... I love the trees and gently rolling hills of the East Coast, but when I'm in the West, I love the mountains. On Wednesday, Deana met me after work and we rode bikes up Provo Canyon. It was the perfect way to spend a beautiful summer Utah evening... and the perfect push into the mountains of Montana.
On Thursday we drove to Montana for Josh's wedding. We stopped for a picnic at the gas station in Tremonton (my family is a picnicking family--always a picnic wherever we go--it's in the genes), where it must always be super windy. What a drive--through Idaho, past West Yellowstone, up the Gallatin River Valley, with mountains, the perfect river for rafting, incredible pines and aspens, and of course, wildlife. We saw a moose, antelope, deer, all kinds of birds. The sights and smells were invigorating.

Cousin Travis and me along the Gallatin River

We're staying in Bozeman, with a two-hour drive to Billings for the wedding on Friday and another two-hour drive on Saturday in the other direction to Helena for the reception. I think we've gotten a good feel for the state, from the plains to the mountains. We've seen rainbows and incredible sunlight streaming through the clouds. It's all very green right now. And breathtaking. I loved running yesterday morning through the fields with the mountains framing each end of the Bozeman valley. The fresh air and my pounding legs remind me that I'm alive and fills my core. Today we're headed to Glacier National Park for more Montana adventures.
The fresh air, the breathtaking vistas, the clean rain, the open space--I really think they make this God's country for me right now. And I have needed a piece of that.