Ghost Town Trail, Montana

July 28, 2014 Hot day, overcast 92, 65 night
It's another hot day in the West.

Nevada City

If you head south from Butte and follow the roads around Tobacco Root Mountains you will find a concentration of old Ghost Towns.    You will pass through the long lost towns of Pony, Laurin, Alder, Nevada City and Virginia City.   Along the way you will see signs of different named Gulches.   Do you know what a Gulch is?  We were thinking is it a canyon, or ravine where they found gold??? 

Hangman's Barn - diorama of a real hanging of 5 by the Vigilante

 Starting in 1863 the Alder Gulch diggings were the richest gold placer deposits ever discovered, and in three years $30,000,000 was taken from them.  In 1863 that is unbelievable wealth. Within 3 months of the strike, the pioneer gold camp swelled to over 10,000 people.  Years later it dried up and the railway line never came to Virginia City so the total population in this day and age is 132.  Many of the buildings have been refurbished and preserved to the era.  It's a great stop to imagine and dream up stories in your mind of the wild, wild west :)

Fancy dress of the ladies of the west in 1863

Nevada and Virginia have buildings and tours you can take or just take the time to walk around and look into the ones that are free, that's what we did. 

Billy walking the back road in Nevada City

Back on the bike we headed to a quaint little town along the loop called Ennis.   So many fellows in town with the fly fishing gear on.  Stores and even the towns statue enveloping the hobby into their livelihood.   The town is near the Madison River which is renowned for Blue Ribbon Fly Fishing - the best in the USA!   We keep stumbling upon these things we never knew.

check out the huge Fly bait on the top of the store

Fly Fishing statue greeting visitors into town