“Of course there is an epic snowstorm hitting Montana the week we are going to be there!”
That was the quote uttered laughingly from Mary as we made breakfast in the camper early Saturday morning.
We were watching the latest updates online from the Weather Channel. And when the lead story started out with “A record smashing historic September snowstorm will bring heavy snow to much of Montana,” all we could really do was laugh.
And as you can see by the map courtesy of the National Weather Service above, it is one big snowstorm!
At the time of the broadcast, we were in Medora, North Dakota and were getting ready to hike a bit more in the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. After which, it was time to head on to Montana.
And that we did. By night’s end we settled in just over the border in a little town called Wibaux, Montana. (On the subject of Wibaux, stay tuned tomorrow for one incredible story from this neat little town!)
Luckily, it was just a wet and cold 49 degrees in Wibaux, with no forecast of snow.
But we knew one thing for sure, we needed to make a few changes to our travel plan in the coming days to stay out of harms way.
An Epic Snowstorm Changes Up The Travel Plans A Bit…
It was bound to happen. When we first designed our state by state travel route, we did the best we could to try to stay clear of the worst chance of rough weather.
But when you travel for 365 days straight around the country, it is nearly impossible to avoid some type of bad weather.
After all, Mother Nature is in charge. And it certainly can’t be sunny and warm all of the time.
Changing Up The Route
One of the best things about out trip is that we left it wide open for change. And this week, due to the storm, it was time to make a little adjustment to our Dates For The States.
So we sat down late Saturday evening for a little planning and re-routing.
Our original plan was to come into Montana and spend a day or two in the Billings area, and then head across to Bozeman and Missoula, and eventually up to Glacier National Park.
Well, that is certainly not going to happen with the snowstorm. With Billings safe from the snow and extreme cold, that portion of the trip will stay in tact.
But after that, we have decided to head on down into Wyoming mid-week to start our time there. The hope is then to head on as scheduled to the next state, Colorado, the following week.
And then, as we continue on back up through Idaho, to hopefully be able to take those days back and cross back into western Montana to see a bit of Glacier and Missoula.
Only time will tell if the snow and weather cooperate. But one thing is for sure, we are just going to go with the flow.
Having Fun With It All…
One way or another, we are going to see and enjoy and experience all 50 states. And most of all, make the best of every day and have fun with it!
Can’t wait to see what we find to enjoy in Southeastern Montana during the early part of this week!
And hopefully, by the time we reach the state of Washington, we will be back on our original schedule.
No matter the weather, we are getting to see the back roads and sights of America. And even more, meet some amazing people along the way!
Here’s to getting the chance to have an Epic September Snowstorm be a part of our story.
Happy Traveling, Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATS
- Day 20 of 365
- States Visited 4 / 50
- National Parks / Monuments Visited : 4
- Stayed In : Wilbaux, Montana
- Miles Driven : 46
- Total Trip Miles To Date : 3010
- Total Gallons Used : 221.32
- Biking Miles : 0
- Biking Miles To Date : 71.3
- Hiking Miles : 0
- Hiking Miles To Date : 42.05
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.
Montana native here 🙂 We used to say there’s two seasons in Montana. Winter and the 4th of July. And sometimes it snows on the 4th of July…. I hope you get to see more of the state. Beaverhead County, in the SW corner is known as the “Banana Belt”
Now that is funny! We are hoping to hit the SW corner on our way up through Idaho.
Are you anywhere near Beach, ND? If within reasonable driving distance I’d suggest heading back there to visit Prairie Fire Pottery. https://www.prairiefirepottery.com
The owner, Tama Smith has some of the most beautiful pottery one can find. Her colors are inspired by the Badlands.
We drove through Beach on our way to Montana. Such a quaint area. We did see the billboard for the Prairie Fire Pottery but unfortunately we weren’t able to stop this time. Sounds amazing
Your trip sounds great. When you get to Massachusetts and want to learn about the History of Boston, do the Duck Boat tour or walk the freedom trail. We wish you a safe and wonderful trip.
Thank you for the tips for when we visit Massachusetts and the well wishes!
Hi Jim and Mary,
What a great trip you both have planned. I absolutely love camping too. My Husband and I just bought a toy hauler about 5 years ago so that we could go camping again. This works with us because I’m in a wheelchair and with the ramp I’m able to get in the camper with my scooter then in the camper I use an office chair because it takes up less room. We have I know for sure one maybe two more weekend trips planned then it’s time to get ready for winter ?. I’m so looking forward to following you both on your adventures. I see your not coming to Maine until May which is probably a good idea. We have gotten snow in May (the 8th) before and I remember it well because we were putting the drainage pipes in our cellar floor because the floor was going to be poured the next day. Stay safe and will be following you all the way.
We are so happy to hear that the toy hauler has allowed you to continue to camp! What a fantastic solution to allow you to continue to do what you love. And yes, we are so excited to visit Maine!!!