New Year's Day we skied at White Pine again. Lots of powder. Friday, January 2nd, we traveled to Hamilton, MT. We had a beautiful drive on 189 North again through Gros Ventre Range and Bridger National Forest to 26/89 West along the Snake River, then to 93 North with the Lost River Range and Bitterroot Range to the East.
Mike, Ellie, not-so-little Amelia and Grandma Shirley Pfleiger hosted us with fabulous organic, fresh meals and lots of growlers of beer.
Pfleiger cooked up a storm for breakfast and dinner Saturday. We had incredibly fresh eggs from three different breeds of hens, thick bacon and fluffy pancakes. While Mike took us on a tour of the region, Shirley played with Amelia and Ellie recovered from morning sickness. Ellie is an amazing woman. She started the community garden at the Daly Elementary School three years ago. Part of the program has a kids garden that has flourished as an after school program for Head Start. The program also provides white-water rafting, hiking and other outdoor activities.
We were privileged to have a driving tour of the Double Fork Ranch in Corvallis, about 20 minutes North of Hamilton. About 25 people work on the ranch in various capacities. We saw Colby and Angus cattle, lots of white tail deer and an awesome ecosystem for many other wildlife such as eagles and ducks. We drove along the bench of the Sapphire Mountains checking out the irrigation system and natural beauty of the landscape of Montana. The Pfleigers are nestled in a valley surrounded by the Sapphire and Bitterroot ranges with amazing views.
Lunch was liquid gold from the Blacksmith Brewery (Excellent space, Pam & Eric). For dinner, Mike grilled some of his Elk he marinated in honey, vinegar and other secret seasonings. The tenderloin and backstrap were moist and flavorful. They did not taste gamey at all. His spicy jerky (deer) was great, too. (Thanks, Mike) We feasted on rice pilaf, peas and another growler.
