Road Trip Scenes from The Big Empty
I'm wrapping up a week's hiatus from magazine work, which gave me the chance to go visit some family in North Dakota.
Even though it's a pretty long run, I like to get there by driving. It's a trip of over 1,100 miles, and this time, I covered quite a lot of it by getting off the interstate system and out into two-lane country, farther north.
Which, in eastern Montana/western North Dakota, translates pretty much to The Big Empty. Think "Lonesome Dove," when Gus and the boys finally make it up to northeastern Montana. Those scenes could have been shot just about anywhere up here.
Not only is there hardly anyone living out here, but, as I can attest from the traffic (lack thereof), hardly anyone ventures out to drive across these parts much anymore, either.
Yesterday morning, going west on Highways 2 and 200 toward Lewistown, the only "oncoming" I encountered in 3 hours' time was a set of cowboys, rounding up cattle that had escaped a barbed-wire fence. They were going right down the middle of the blacktop and were as surprised to see my car as I was to see them. (It doesn't take long to assume aloneness out in most of the The Big Empty.)
Sharing here a few on-personal-safari photos that I took while crossing a little-seen place of great American vastness.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 9:56 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
If it wasn't so cold up there, that's EXACTLY where I'd be. It looks so beautiful and desolate. Love that you got out on the backroads. Best place to be.
You should have stopped those cowboys and said "Hey, I'm the editor at H&R, mind if I take your picture?" It would have made their day :)
Wow, I don't know where you went through, but you have sorely misrepresented and talked down the people and the beauty of Western ND.
As you might have guessed, I live in Western ND. I can step off my porch and look at the lake with the beginning of the badlands behind it. It is a place of great beauty and the best people in the country. I escaped California 9 years ago and you could never make me leave Western ND...not Eastern where I have also lived, but Western ND.
This is a wild and wonderful place. You need to only close your eyes in some places, open them again and you can launch yourself right back to the 1800's. Disregard a road and telephone phones and not much has changed.
You neglected to mention at all the vibrancy that is in this part of the state...the wildness of the land and the people. Instead you made a point to make ND seem like a vast wasteland w/o a person in site...uh, Bismarck? Medora? Williston? Dickinson? Sitting in a boat in the middle of Lake Sakakawea with the bluffs and the pelicans? Thedore Roosevelt National park, both the North Unit near my home, or the South Unit? Both possessing incredible beauty.
You picked the parts of ND that are full of big ranches, that would indeed make things "empty" but didn't mention a word about any towns, even towns you know are out here, but never passed, nor the people.
:( I invite you to come to my home. I will show you around the "real" western ND
Hey, Anon, it's not my intention to "talk down" this part of the world at all. If I didn't love it myself for all the reasons you outline, I wouldn't have been out there enjoying all its unique beauty, or taking pictures of places that surely have their own great stories. And I'm from these northern prairies. It's ultimately home to me, as it is to you.
Those cowboys were not in the mood to have their day made by anyone driving along. Just on past them, one of their mother cows lay dead and dragged off to the side of the road. It had obviously been hit by a vehicle. And they were wrangling the survivors.
But, you're right, it is beautiful and desolate--meaning that in a good way. I was out of camera battery by the time I got to any towns, but I did get to stop in places like Circle, Jordan, and Roundup. Met some interesting folks in all.
I too love to take those long trips across this great land basically on back roads. You can't really see America any other way. Interstates may be faster, but you miss seeing the real America on them.
I also love the "Big Empty". As someone once said, the place of time and thought.
I have a question... How many people have branded horses? Are you for or against it? I'm wondering if I should brand my ranch horse, I would hate to have him stolen.
WOW! It's great up there! Love the empty old house and the bus! If it didn't snow there- I'd be there too- but alas I think the word Montana is derived from the old greek word- Mont- which means freeze and Anna which means Ass...so you get Freeze your ass...
Sorry I just watched Big Fat Greek Wedding....
Hey Julie that long flat road definitely looks like you could be driving from Fargo to the west. Flat. I was born and raised in ND. It has it's good points - the people are great - less crime - but the weather is just not good. There are very pretty parts - mostly in the Badlands - but other places are nice also. I live in MN 40 miles from Fargo and on top of a hill! The back roads are truly the way to go if you are not in a hurry. We did that when we went South without the horses. Now it is get on the Interstate and fly. Someday I would love to just get in a vehicle and drive all over the US. I truly know you were not trying to bash our state but give people a peak at the back roads. I ran into a gal from NY that had driven through ND on the Interstate and was scared to death because there were so few cars on the road - just the way we like it. LOL
Beautiful images, Juli. Makes me wish I could be there myself to experience the lovely solitude. There aren't many places in the country that still have this quality to offer. Thanks for sharing.
Last week was the week most ranches gather their herds up before gun season. Problem is the cows are used to not being fenced in the smaller pastures and test the fence. One weak spot and they are out; kinda of a Houdini Bovine thing. Hope they got the license number and turned them in.
It is interesting to see that only one comment was a move to. There is a reason the press will talk about the loss of rural America. The rest of us just live it.
Nice pic of your car & trailer....me thinks your trailer is in need of a paint job! ROFLMBO!
from one trailer nut to another..lol!
Did you notice the 'Woodstock or Bust' slogan on the side of the bus hooked to the trailer? That cracked me up!
OMG! that is such a hoot! The bus is a long ways from home! lol!
Now here is where I could pretend I have no clue what Woodstock is/was...but you know my age...so I can't get away with that! lol!
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