Moira - October, 2016

Comet, MT - June 30, 2016

We had some friends come down from the Hi-Line and we took them to Comet. It really is one of my favorite places!  We actually did a bit more walking than we normally do, trying to get a little closer to parts of the town that we hadn't yet explored.  We climbed up to the top of one of the mine headframes and took some pictures...

Winch shed...

And one heck of a winch drum!

 

And other equipment scattered around the shed that I couldn't even begin to identify...this is when my Dad or my Grandfather would have really come in handy!

And Nature, of course, can always enhance the beauty of anything man can create, even with a simple thistle...

We've always seen this headframe from below many times, so making the trip up to the winch shed gave us a whole new perspective on the structure and its function.  The kids enjoyed the climb, and got to learn a little bit more about the history of Comet, and of Montana...

And there was, of course, much picture-taking!

 And then it was farther down the road, into town proper...

Where we said hello to a very sweet horse...

Then it was on to the Stamp Mill.  We've been here many times, but there is always something new to see!  This is the bunk house, just below the mill.

And the light inside the mill made some interesting patterns!

And there are always new and interesting bits of ephemera scattered around!

 And lots of portrait opportunities!

 We all had a great time, as we always do...and it was even more enjoyable to share this amazing piece of our history with friends! 

Hauser Dam - May 30, 2016

Hauser Dam holds back Hauser Lake, which is downstream on the Missouri River from the better known Canyon Ferry Dam and its resultant reservoir.  In my opinion, Hauser is a prettier dam by far than Canyon Ferry, and I find myself going there more often.

Hauser has a history.  It was originally built as a steel and masonry structure, which failed a little more than a year after it was declared operational.  Some of the wreckage from this disaster can still be seen downstream today.

The powerhouse for the original dam is still in use.