There were 2 more things we wanted to see in this area, so we headed out this morning toward Bighorn Canyon, near the small town of Fort Smith where the shops were mostly outfitters for hunting and fishing and cabins and lodges for them to stay in. We knew that the road only went as far as the Afterbay Dam but we did get a glimpse of the steep-walled, red rock canyon where the Bighorn River flows into the 71-mile long Bighorn Lake. At the dam, we watched 7 boats launch. They looked like a cross between a rowboat and a canoe with steep sides, no motors, only oars. I stopped to talk with some fishermen and learned that they were fishing for trout, as there are several species in this river. Next week, from Cody, we will access the canyon from the south and see what we can see, the road is much longer and there are several areas where you can hike back to points of interest.
When we got back to Hardin, we stopped at the Farmer’s Daughter (recommended by Gina, the owner of the KOA), a great little general store with some antiques, unusual home decor and Montana souvenirs. At the soda fountain, we had an ice cream and chatted with the owner, a young gal who bought the store from her grandmother and seems to have a pretty good thing going here. We had an interesting conversation about music, life in this area, small town living, and great places to visit in the US.
