Hey there's a house there! And a garage framed behind it!
It’s framed! The roof sheeting is even on. The garage walls are framed and I expect they’ll put the garage roof trusses on today. The plumber has been working on putting that crucial aspect together. We’ll probably meet with the builder on site Monday afternoon to talk about a few framing tweaks and electrical stuff. I think we need to make a decision on exterior materials and color early this week; including roofing. We’re still leaning towards a yellow house; yellow lap siding, natural stained shake in the upper third and white trim on the windows, porches, doors, etc.
The sideporch roof is on, and the posts for the roof. This is the backdoor of the house. Since this area inside (the foyer) will have a tile floor, we will usually exit the garage through the man door, come onto the porch, under the collonade, and in the backdoor onto the tile. Good for snowy shoes!
From the garage looking towards the house. The big opening to the right is a set of French doors that open out onto the porch.
The gap between the garage and the house. The decking will be at about the floor height of the house. I hate stepping out a door and down.
It’s framed! The roof sheeting is even on. The garage walls are framed and I expect they’ll put the garage roof trusses on today. The plumber has been working on putting that crucial aspect together. We’ll probably meet with the builder on site Monday afternoon to talk about a few framing tweaks and electrical stuff. I think we need to make a decision on exterior materials and color early this week; including roofing. We’re still leaning towards a yellow house; yellow lap siding, natural stained shake in the upper third and white trim on the windows, porches, doors, etc.
View out of the west front bedroom windows. 
View out of the east front windows. 
This is the best view from the house. It is in our master bedroom window, looking north to the Bridger Mountain Range. The slope of the roof is pretty shallow and I wanted to utilize this view so the window will be paired hung windows (the slide up kind). The little green strip to the right of the photo next to the street is a trail access, so this is our view forever! Wohoo!The bids are also in for the cabinets, countertops and flooring. Now we need to sort things through and figure out what our priorities are for spending money. Basically, we’re in agreeance that the downstairs finishes take priority; I’d rather have awesome granite countertops in the kitchen and laminate in the master bathroom… then replace the master bathroom countertops if we feel like it someday. 
Backyard sunset.
From the west looking east.
You’ll also notice that it was a beautiful evening and sunset!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Now, onto the vacation recaps!
We got out of Bozeman at about noon on the Friday before Labor Day and booked it west towards my Grandma Joyce’s in Colton, where my mom had put together a quick BBQ with our family and my two grandmothers and one grandfather.
Along the way, I needed to do some Mullan Roading. While I was in the Montana Historical Society Archives in Helena, MT in May, I came across this great pamphlet done by Jon Axline of the Montana Department of Transportation about the “Point of Rocks” segment of the Mullan Road, outside of Alberton, MT. It included a map and information, and our earlier attempts to visit the area were rained out. We got there (Alberton Exit, #75) at about 3pm, and since it was only about 85 degrees and blisteringly sunny, decided to walk around.
The area is easy to find, and is adjacent to both I-90 and the old Milwaukee Roadbed. We drove down the Milwaukee line and stopped at the overgrown parking area. The maps and pamphlet indicated the area is owned by MDOT through a three way land swap, so I felt comfortable hiking around in there, but probably wouldn’t have done it without DJ there. Despite traffic wizzing by ay 75-90 miles an hour below, the walking “trail” still felt pretty isolated.
Interpretive signage by the Mondana Department of Transportation.
Out of the trailhead you walk through the gate and along the Milwaukee Roadbed for a bit, and then hang a right and head up the hill. This genius wore a sundress, but did at least think enough to put on tennis shoes. It’s not quite a “trail”; it’s an overgrown road (hello, Mullan Road!), and weeds were waist high and no fun to tramp through in bare legs. But I’m tough. All in the name of cool old shit.
The whole area was exposed in 2005 after a fire along this hillside wiped out the vegetation in the area. Despite what a Subaru-driving tree hugger might tell you, forest fires can actually be good things. In this instance, the fire burned off 154 years of overgrowth that camouflaged the Mullan Road, as well as roads cut into the area built so the Milwaukee Road could build its line through here in 1908. Since that fire, the weeds have come back, but it is still passable.
Backyard sunset.
From the west looking east. You’ll also notice that it was a beautiful evening and sunset!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Now, onto the vacation recaps!
We got out of Bozeman at about noon on the Friday before Labor Day and booked it west towards my Grandma Joyce’s in Colton, where my mom had put together a quick BBQ with our family and my two grandmothers and one grandfather.
Along the way, I needed to do some Mullan Roading. While I was in the Montana Historical Society Archives in Helena, MT in May, I came across this great pamphlet done by Jon Axline of the Montana Department of Transportation about the “Point of Rocks” segment of the Mullan Road, outside of Alberton, MT. It included a map and information, and our earlier attempts to visit the area were rained out. We got there (Alberton Exit, #75) at about 3pm, and since it was only about 85 degrees and blisteringly sunny, decided to walk around.
Walking west along the Milwaukee Road.
The area is easy to find, and is adjacent to both I-90 and the old Milwaukee Roadbed. We drove down the Milwaukee line and stopped at the overgrown parking area. The maps and pamphlet indicated the area is owned by MDOT through a three way land swap, so I felt comfortable hiking around in there, but probably wouldn’t have done it without DJ there. Despite traffic wizzing by ay 75-90 miles an hour below, the walking “trail” still felt pretty isolated.
Interpretive signage by the Mondana Department of Transportation. 
Sure! Why not?
Out of the trailhead you walk through the gate and along the Milwaukee Roadbed for a bit, and then hang a right and head up the hill. This genius wore a sundress, but did at least think enough to put on tennis shoes. It’s not quite a “trail”; it’s an overgrown road (hello, Mullan Road!), and weeds were waist high and no fun to tramp through in bare legs. But I’m tough. All in the name of cool old shit.
The whole area was exposed in 2005 after a fire along this hillside wiped out the vegetation in the area. Despite what a Subaru-driving tree hugger might tell you, forest fires can actually be good things. In this instance, the fire burned off 154 years of overgrowth that camouflaged the Mullan Road, as well as roads cut into the area built so the Milwaukee Road could build its line through here in 1908. Since that fire, the weeds have come back, but it is still passable.
We walked the entire segment, which winds through the rocks on the bluff on the north side of the river, before looping back down to the Milwaukee’s tunnel through the area and railroad bed. The wagon road is little more than a trace through the hillside. It’s narrow, and as it hugs the terrain I imagine that the corners would nearly unmaneuverable for a vehicle traveling more than five miles per hour. 
Walking it is slow going; since the road has to account for the rock formations that Mullan’s men didn’t have the time or black powder (it was 1859) to blast through. In choosing a route, Mullan had to consider both the fastest and most direct route while also being mindful of the endurance of the oxen or horses which would pull wagons or carriages through the section. The Point of Rocks section is a long ways from either end of the trail in Walla Walla or Fort Benton.
With this in mind, walking this segment of the road is probably a mile and a half of doubling back along a drainage and hiking above where you’ve just been, but only three quarters of a mile as the crow flies in a direct line. The juxtaposition of the Milwaukee Roadbed below and Interstate 90 just a bit further to the south in addition to the slow moving Clark Fork River really make this wagon road a marvel in outdated road civil engineering.
While standing in the blistering September sun, on a bluff overlooking the Clark Fork River and listening to semi’s wiz by on I-90 below, I started thinking about how historic preservation professionals measure a site’s historic significance. Specifically, “Feeling” is one of the Secretary of the Interior’s seven items of Integrity for a historic site. If the site can’t convey its originality of location, materials, site, association, and feeling, etc., it doesn’t have enough integrity to convey its historic significance. As you can imagine, explaining or defining “feeling” is difficult. How does one quantify feeling? In this case, walking along a 15-20 wide section of roadway which winds in and out of a hillside in segments so narrow that a modern automobile could not pass through, I can say that I “felt” what it was like to travel the Mullan Road.
This section of the road is not yet listed on the National Register of Historic Places, although Jon Axline is working to have it listed. It is available to the public, and there is interpretive signage on the site, but there is little advertising the site for public use. But if you’re in Alberton, and need a good hike, I can recommend a place!
After Mullan Roading, we sprinted for Colton, and got there in time for late hamburgers with the grandparents, parents, sister and uncle. It was a fun, funny, laid back gathering of people. Gretchen tried on her bridesmaid dress for the wedding (it fit!), I borrowed Grandma Joyce’s wedding dress, which I’m going to wear for the wedding, and everyone had a chance to ooohhh and ahh over my engagement ring and us. It was fun; but the real punch line was when they started telling stories about people they know. They had poor DJ’s head spinning around with all of the side stories, back stories, relatives, backroads, family feuds, etc. Poor guy!
Another great part was how peppy my Grandpa Bob was. He’s been struggling as he’s in his mid 80’s; can’t drive anymore and has lost most of the use of his left side. For a guy used to working outside with his hands (as a farmer), the loss of his mobility and usefulness has been hard for his psyche. But in the summers he can be out roaming around, and he even reminded me that he owes me a trip up around Steptoe Butte. I need to make time to take him up on that!
From Colton we went down to Clarkston to stay at my mom and dad’s condo. More later!
With this in mind, walking this segment of the road is probably a mile and a half of doubling back along a drainage and hiking above where you’ve just been, but only three quarters of a mile as the crow flies in a direct line. The juxtaposition of the Milwaukee Roadbed below and Interstate 90 just a bit further to the south in addition to the slow moving Clark Fork River really make this wagon road a marvel in outdated road civil engineering.
While standing in the blistering September sun, on a bluff overlooking the Clark Fork River and listening to semi’s wiz by on I-90 below, I started thinking about how historic preservation professionals measure a site’s historic significance. Specifically, “Feeling” is one of the Secretary of the Interior’s seven items of Integrity for a historic site. If the site can’t convey its originality of location, materials, site, association, and feeling, etc., it doesn’t have enough integrity to convey its historic significance. As you can imagine, explaining or defining “feeling” is difficult. How does one quantify feeling? In this case, walking along a 15-20 wide section of roadway which winds in and out of a hillside in segments so narrow that a modern automobile could not pass through, I can say that I “felt” what it was like to travel the Mullan Road.
This section of the road is not yet listed on the National Register of Historic Places, although Jon Axline is working to have it listed. It is available to the public, and there is interpretive signage on the site, but there is little advertising the site for public use. But if you’re in Alberton, and need a good hike, I can recommend a place!
After Mullan Roading, we sprinted for Colton, and got there in time for late hamburgers with the grandparents, parents, sister and uncle. It was a fun, funny, laid back gathering of people. Gretchen tried on her bridesmaid dress for the wedding (it fit!), I borrowed Grandma Joyce’s wedding dress, which I’m going to wear for the wedding, and everyone had a chance to ooohhh and ahh over my engagement ring and us. It was fun; but the real punch line was when they started telling stories about people they know. They had poor DJ’s head spinning around with all of the side stories, back stories, relatives, backroads, family feuds, etc. Poor guy! Another great part was how peppy my Grandpa Bob was. He’s been struggling as he’s in his mid 80’s; can’t drive anymore and has lost most of the use of his left side. For a guy used to working outside with his hands (as a farmer), the loss of his mobility and usefulness has been hard for his psyche. But in the summers he can be out roaming around, and he even reminded me that he owes me a trip up around Steptoe Butte. I need to make time to take him up on that!
From Colton we went down to Clarkston to stay at my mom and dad’s condo. More later!
No comments:
Post a Comment