25% off Adobe's photography plan

What a difference digital editing software can make. In fact, it is the single greatest thing you can buy to improve the quality of your photos. I recommend Adobe Photoshop CC or Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019.

The Black Friday specials are here and Adobe has extended an opportunity for me to offer my readers 25% off of its already low-priced photography plan. Normally it would cost $9.99 a month for Adobe Lightroom CC, Adobe Photoshop CC, and 1 TB of storage. Considering the dumbed-down version of Photoshop Elements 2019 costs $99.99, this is helluva deal. If you want to purchase the one thing that will have the greatest impact on the quality of your photos then run (don’t walk) to Adobe’s website to purchase this deal.

Montana's Golden Triangle

A map of the Golden Triangle region in Montana. The triangle denotes that area often referred to the Golden Triangle. The wheat growing are shaded in red, however, is more truthfully the Golden Triangle.

The Golden Triangle in Montana is often mentioned within rural and small town circles in central Montana, but for the most part, many people don’t know exactly where the Golden Triangle is, or its significance. This article is intends to shed some light and provide some information about the Golden Triangle in Montana and highlight photos of the Golden Triangle I have made over the years, too.

Located in north central Montana, the Golden Triangle is generally considered that region south of the Canadian border and north of Great Falls. If you were to draw a line from Great Falls and through Cut Bank to the Canadian border and from Great Falls through Havre to the Canadian border, that would be what most people in these parts consider the Golden Triangle. But that would be unfair those those area immediately adjacent to the Triangle (see right). And just such a definition also fails to explain the people, places, and things within this region that make it worthy of just such a name in the first place.

Back in September last year I contributed photos of the Golden Triangle to Montana Magazine for a piece about the Golden Triangle. I liked the article, which was written by someone else, but I didn’t like the title. It was called, “Wind, Snow, and Mountains: Montana’s Golden Triangle.” For starters, aside from affecting the weather, which contributes to the reason why the regions is well suited to growing wheat and other cereal crops, mountains are not located anywhere in the Golden Triangle. And more to the point, it missed the most crucial ingredient and the reason why the word “golden” is added to its name. Wheat.

Growers in the Golden Triangle of Montana produce more wheat than most other regions of the country. While other regions produce strictly winter wheat, for example, the Golden Triangle is known for its winter AND spring wheat. Wheat, barley, and pulse crops of the engine of the economy in the Golden Triangle, and without it, the Golden Triangle would not be what it is today.

There aren’t a lot of cattle operations in these parts. The soil is far to valuable for growing wheat, barley, and other crops. No, this is wheat and grain country. The word “golden” refers to the amber waves of grain that cascade over the plains in late summer just before harvest. Oceans of wheat move in unison with the wind as far as the eye can see. And then once harvest begins, the late afternoon sun is choked with the dust and chaff kicked up by harvesters and combines, which are busy cutting the crops in the field.

The communities in the Golden Triangle largely depend on the economy that wheat and other crops provide. Even the skyline of Great Falls, the largest city in the region and the Golden Triangle’s anchor, is dominated by grain elevators whose silos are filled with grain in the late summer and early autumn. Other communities, such as Havre, Shelby, Fort Benton, Cut Bank, Conrad, Big Sandy, Choteau, and Chester (just to name a few) exist in large part because of the money wheat and the Golden Triangle provides.

As one of many Montana photographers I enjoy photographing the more hidden haunts of Montana. While there are other Montana photographers working in the vicinity of the Golden Triangle to be sure, I think I am the only one who has dedicated much of his time photographing the rural lifestyle of the region and making photos of agriculture there. While many others photographers would feel more at home making photos of Glacier National Park, I am more at home on the dusty roads and fields of places like the Golden Triangle. I have made many photos of the Golden Triangle and will continue to make many more.

To check out my gallery of Golden Triangle photos be sure to click here: Photos of the Golden Triangle

Be sure to check out my photos of wheat and my photos of combines, too.

Chickpeas photo used on cover of annual Montana Department of Agriculture report

It’s not the most exciting photo and it’s not the most exciting publication, but my photo of chickpeas at harvest time in Montana was used on the cover of the 2018 Montana Department of Agriculture annual report. You can see that cover above. It is one more example of how my agriculture photos are being licensed an used for various projects. If you are interested in licensing any of my agriculture photography please be sure to let me know.

Driving the Gap

PLEASE NOTE: This is the entire unedited article I wrote for the May 2017 issue of Montana Magazine along with all of the Montana photos and photos of travel photos that appeared in that article. Now that Montana Magazine has closed its doors, I will be publish here all of the articles I have written for them in the past.

There are many ways to travel between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. And none of them are poor choices. Though each offers travelers something different.

Clearly the most common route between Montana’s two most popular tourist destinations includes the interstate highway system. Those who travel between the two national parks and use only I-90 and I-15 can cover the 380 miles between the two parks in little more than seven or eight hours. Not bad if you are in hurry, but you are sure to miss out a lot in-between that has made Montana the coveted travel destination it is.

Most of the other logical paths between Yellowstone and Glacier are wrought with steep grades. As such, these routes mat not be attractive option, especially if they are tugging an RV like so many do when visiting the national parks. Others simply don’t like the idea of driving on steep, mountainous highways. If either of these are reasons for you to avoid other paths, or if you just want to experience Montana in a whole new way, then you really only have one other choice. And my, what a wonderful choice it is.

Most of the other logical paths between Yellowstone and Glacier are wrought with steep grades. As such, these routes mat not be attractive option, especially if they are tugging an RV like so many do when visiting the national parks. Others simply don’t like the idea of driving on steep, mountainous highways. If either of these are reasons for you to avoid other paths, or if you just want to experience Montana in a whole new way, then you really only have one other choice. And my, what a wonderful choice it is.

Most of the other logical paths between Yellowstone and Glacier are wrought with steep grades. As such, these routes mat not be attractive option, especially if they are tugging an RV like so many do when visiting the national parks. Others simply don’t like the idea of driving on steep, mountainous highways. If either of these are reasons for you to avoid other paths, or if you just want to experience Montana in a whole new way, then you really only have one other choice. And my, what a wonderful choice it is.

A panoramic view of the Crazy Mountains seen from Big Timber, Montana. → Buy a Print or License Photo

Most of the other logical paths between Yellowstone and Glacier are wrought with steep grades. As such, these routes mat not be attractive option, especially if they are tugging an RV like so many do when visiting the national parks. Others simply don’t like the idea of driving on steep, mountainous highways. If either of these are reasons for you to avoid other paths, or if you just want to experience Montana in a whole new way, then you really only have one other choice. And my, what a wonderful choice it is.

Most of the other logical paths between Yellowstone and Glacier are wrought with steep grades. As such, these routes mat not be attractive option, especially if they are tugging an RV like so many do when visiting the national parks. Others simply don’t like the idea of driving on steep, mountainous highways. If either of these are reasons for you to avoid other paths, or if you just want to experience Montana in a whole new way, then you really only have one other choice. And my, what a wonderful choice it is.

Most of the other logical paths between Yellowstone and Glacier are wrought with steep grades. As such, these routes mat not be attractive option, especially if they are tugging an RV like so many do when visiting the national parks. Others simply don’t like the idea of driving on steep, mountainous highways. If either of these are reasons for you to avoid other paths, or if you just want to experience Montana in a whole new way, then you really only have one other choice. And my, what a wonderful choice it is.

“The Gap” is the area between Harlowton and an oasis known as Eddie’s Corner. It is called “The Gap” because quite literally it lies in a “gap” between the Big Snowy Mountains and the Little Belt Mountains, which is split down the middle by U.S. Highway 191. For the sake of this article, though, I have included that portion of the highway starting a bit further south in Big Timber, which is a logical starting point if you wish to drive “The Gap.”

Big Timber is easy to get to if you are leaving Yellowstone National Park. It is a quick drive east on I-90 from Livingston. Located in the heart of Sweet Grass County, Big Timber is located in the shadow of the beautiful Crazy Mountains. It is also located in the heart of what is arguably the fly fishing capital of the world where the Yellowstone and Boulder Rivers meet. The Big Timber community has many more things to see and do than the typical small western spot on the map. It has a beautiful historic hotel, ample recreational opportunities, lots of wildlife, and many of the more urbane pleasures to enjoy, too. While Big Timber may lack many of the big-name hotel chains and restaurants, it more than makes up with its quintessential Montana hospitality and flavor.

Just south of Big Timber on Highway 298 is the spectacular Boulder Valley, which offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation, fishing, and a chance to see spectacular natural wonders. If you take the brief 25-minute drive south you can see one of Montana’s natural wonders, Natural Bridge Falls. There are several viewing points to view the falls. And often you will have the falls all to yourself…unless you consider the many deer, bears, elk, and small animals who also frequent the falls unwelcomed visitors.

The rural Lutheran church in Melville, Montana is set against the Crazy Mountains. → Buy a Print or License Photo

Spring is the best time to visit Natural Bridge Falls when you will see three separate falls. If you enjoy hiking consider a trek along the Green Mountain trail, which is a beautiful trip through the woods and it is often lined with beautiful wildflowers in the spring and summer.

Just up the road from the Natural Bridge Falls near Box Canyon is a rocky bit called Lions Head. Indian caves with pictographs are an easy hike from there to the nearby Main Boulder Ranger Station. And an old ghost town called Independence is just an hour or two hike beyond Box Canyon. Abandoned buildings belonging to this former mining town are nestled along a beautiful mountain valley and are well worth the effort getting there. Independence is also accessible with a 4x4 vehicle on dry days, but it is recommended you check in with the local Forest Service office before doing so.

Back in Big Timber and after a long day of exploring there are plenty of wonderful restaurants that await your arrival. Perhaps the most luxurious is located in The Grand Hotel. It features a wonderful Montana flavored menu, which changes frequently. Trout, Montana grass fed beef, and buffalo are mainstays.

If you want something less sophisticated, then you must try the Thirsty Turtle. More of a bar than restaurant, the cooks there really know how to make a burger. I know that can be said about a lot of places, but it is honestly true at the Thirsty Turtle. Their burgers are fresh and cooked to perfection. And if you are from out of town you are likely to end up in a conversation with local residents there who are anxious to make you feel right at home.

The aging grain elevator in Harlowton, Montana. → Buy a Print or License Photo

If you have more of a hankering for pizza, then Big Timber also has that covered, too. Iron Star Pizza is one of the best pizza joints in the entire state. And be sure to also try their deep-fried ravioli.

Before leaving Big Timber, I recommend visiting the Crazy Mountain Museum, and some of the village’s galleries, including Hodges Fine Art Gallery and Two Rivers Gallery. And if you time your visit just right to Big Timber, be sure to check out their Sweet Grass Fest and Rodeo in late June and the Sweet Grass County Fair in late July.

Heading north there are a few stops worthy of your attention. One offers a beautiful morning view of the majestic Crazy Mountains. Drive north on Highway 191 from Big Timber over the bridge and take the first right. Within a mile or two you will drive past the Otter Creek Fishing Access Site, which is a great fishing hole on the Yellowstone River. A few more miles down the road will meet Rapelje Road. Turn left and about two miles later you will find pull off on the west side of the road. From there you can watch the sun paint the Crazy Mountains a beautiful shade of orange in the morning.

Continuing north you will drive past a buffalo ranch, where the woolly beasts will dot the plains and remind you of another time when these creatures could be seen from one horizon to the other. Another 18 or so miles north and you will come to Highway 371, or Melville Road. If you turn left and you will be glad you did.

The massive blades of three turbines turn in the wind near Judith Gap, Montana. → Buy a Print or License Photo

Melville was named in 1877 for Colonel George W. Melville, the great American arctic explorer. It is in the heart of cow and sheep country and was originally settled by Norwegian immigrants. Montana’s first Lutheran church is just west of Melville a few miles and it stands alone with the magnificent Crazy Mountains as its backdrop. It is a wonderful opportunity to take a photo to be sure.

Continuing north on Highway 191 you will arrive on the outskirts of Harlowton, which after a long day of exploring the area you may consider this beautiful rural Montana hamlet the perfect place to stop for the night, especially if you are pulling a RV. Chief Joseph Park in Harlowton is the deal of the century. While the city park does not offer Wi-Fi or sewer, $15 will get you a nice clean campsite for the night and 30-amp electrical service. There is also a single water faucet near the entrance when you arrive. If you need to dump your tanks you can do so in town at Snowy Mountain Trading Post for a small fee.

There are also excellent opportunities to camp at Deadman's Basin, which is just 20 minutes east of Harlowton. Deadman’s Basin has group shelters, a boat launch, trash cans, grills and fire rings, picnic tables, and toilets. Deadman’s Basin is also a great place for fishing. Out-of-state license plates are a rarity there; it is a hidden treasure frequented mostly by locals who are in the know. There are no fees at Deadman's Basin.

An old grain elevator on the outskirts of the tiny town of Straw, Montana. → Buy a Print or License Photo

As you drive north from Harlowton on Highway 191 will pass through the middle of the Judith Gap Wind Farm. And while the wind farm is not a destination per se, it is a striking feature on Montana’s rural landscape.

Another 30 minutes to the north and you will arrive in the small town of Judith Gap. Be sure to stop at the Hitching Post Cafe & Bar. Along with its great food the Hitching Post also has some of the best ice cream shakes in all the land…I kid you not.

From there drive 10 miles north to Buffalo Canyon Road and take a left to see a beautiful old ghost town. There you can see abandoned old buildings, including an old bank, which was abandoned during the Great Depression, and an old brick school closed for good many years later.

Another five miles north and on your left is one of the most beautiful old grain elevators still standing in Montana. It is located in a place once called Straw, Montana. If your thing is photography it is well worth the stop. Further up the road is another old grain elevator on the left-hand side of the road worth a look, too.

A red barn dots the landscape near Moore, Montana. → Buy a Print or License Photo

At the end of “The Gap” is a place well known to most Montanans. In business since 1951, Eddie's Corner owes its existence to its fortunate location. Located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 191 and U.S. Highway 87, Eddies' Corner is an oasis in every sense of the word. RVers will also be glad to know that Eddie's has some inexpensive campsites with full hookups, too. Or you can park overnight for free in their large parking lot. Other options include staying at the nearby Ackley Lake State Park or exploring the dozen or more campgrounds on the eastern face of the nearby Little Belt Mountains.

Eddie’s Corner serves food around the clock, but its breakfast is best. And before leaving for Great Falls and continuing your way to Glacier National Park be sure to stop at Big Sky Grocery a few hundred feet west from Eddie’s Corner. This Amish country store has a smorgasbord of produce, old-fashioned goods, pickles, jams, jellies, hand rolled butter, cheese curds, and many dozens of different cheeses seldom seen outside the Midwest.

“The Gap” is truly one of my favorite routes through the center of Montana. Surrounded by mountain ranges and rich agricultural land. This is the place that captured the heart of the legendary Western artist Charlie Russell a hundred or more years ago. And maybe “The Gap” will capture your heart, too.

Another one bites the dust

An old leaning shack is on the verge of falling down on a farm near Chinook, Montana. → Buy a Print or License Photo

I don’t know if it is because I’m simply getting older or if there’s something else going on here, but it seems many of the things I photograph as a simple, rural, agriculture photographer seem to disappear awfully quickly. This week I learned that this neat old building on a farm north of Chinook, Montana in Blaine County has finally fallen. What a shame. I mean, it should come as no surprise that a building in this bad of shape would ultimately fall, but it’s just sad to finally know it happened.

I have a gallery that includes photos of those things that are gone forever. Subject matter no one will ever be able to photograph again. Fittingly, I suppose, I call it “Gone But Not Forgotten.” I hate adding new photographs to it, but I suppose that’s a fact of life.

If you haven’t visited it already, be sure to check it out.