ARSENALFAN

Great Falls is a popular destination for Albertans. They drive there for the shopping. Very cheap. Been there quite a few times, but mainly on my way to the Missouri River to flyfish. The fishing in the area is excellent and the trout are always rising. Cross the border into Canada and you rarely see a snout unless your a ninja fisherman (early morning/late night). My guess is that you are likely 1.5 hours max from great snowboarding and flyfishing. And Montana is dirt cheap. As discussed in another post, its the only place you can go, eat a full ribeye dinner, drink 2 pitchers of beer and still have a tab under 40 bucks. The gas bar there is called "the town pump." I think he named it after one of his girlfriends. Your close enough that you could do a B.C. and Alberta snowboard trip once a year if the road reports are looking good. And you have intercontinental ballistic missle silos to boot. I give it two thumbs up!

Backcountry

Btw, stay far away from Butte.

chomps1211

Well,.. somebody had to say it! Right?

__________________
You're only Young Once,.. but you can be Immature FOREVER!!!!
2012/13 Season;
(48) days out!

ARSENALFAN

And Libby:


Vermiculite, an ore found in the area in 1881, had been mined in the area since 1919.[12][13] In 1919, E.N. Alley bought the Rainy Creek claims and started the Zonolite Company. Zonolite is a branded trademark product made from vermiculite.[14] W. R. Grace and Company bought the Zonolite mine in 1963. Previously, logging was the leading source of employment in Libby. W.R. Grace closed the mine in 1990. Federal government investigators subsequently found that air samples from the area had elevated levels of fibrous tremolite asbestos, which is suspected to have caused asbestos related ailments among current and former Zonolite employees, along with non-mine employees. [15][16][17] More than 274 area deaths in the past 60 years are suspected to have been caused by asbestos contaminated vermiculite. In the following years, only 17% of the residents who participated in the ATSDR screening study in Libby were found to have pleural abnormalities, which may be asbestos related.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been overseeing the removal of asbestos-contaminated soils and other suspect materials in and near Libby since May 2000,[18] and has spent $370 million in Superfund money on cleanup.[19][20][21]
On June 11, 2008, the EPA and the Department of Health and Human Services launched an $8 million investigation into the effects of asbestos exposure on the people of Libby.[22]

chomps1211

I honestly forgot that MT. was an excellent fly fishing region! That's great to know. Not that I have anything against an afternoon of drowning worms, but I have always loved the elegance and artful nature of fly fishing. Not to mention, fresh caught trout or steelhead on the grill?? Delicious!!!

__________________
You're only Young Once,.. but you can be Immature FOREVER!!!!
2012/13 Season;
(48) days out!

ARSENALFAN

Well if you happen to move to MT, I will come down from Calgary and show you around the Missouri. There is alot of catch and release but you can keep some real hogs in April out of Holter Reservoir. Big trout over 5 pounds. Cheers!