Russ was very concerned about the next few days—it promised to be hot, and there are very few towns with services along the route—in some cases, he would have nearly 70 miles between places to stay. He was panicky about the cabin he’d reserved in Stanford, the next town, so I promised to stop on my way through and confirm. (No one was there, so I left a threatening note.)

I myself had a 5 hour drive to Jordan and Hell Creek Campground, on Fort Peck Lake. While most of central Montana is dry, flat, and featureless, 

not all of it is. I passed three mountain ranges: the Little Belt, the Great Snowy, and the Judith. Along the way, we also passed mesas (buttes? I’m never sure) that abruptly rose above the flat plains. 

I finally reached Jordan, and turned north onto the twisting, rutted, 25-mile gravel road that leads to Hell Creek Campground. That’s when the landscape suddenly got freaky.

I would have taken more pictures, but I was trying to keep the car and camper from sliding off the road. Late in the day, I made it to the campground, which is on the shores of Fort Peck Lake.

More exploring tomorrow.