The train was on time the whole way. Ahead of schedule many times. In those cases we had to wait at the station as we couldn't leave until the official departure time. We arrived at Whitefish, Montana ahead of schedule.
It was announced that due to a mudslide in the mountains near Seattle that covered the train tracks passengers traveling beyond Spokane would be bussed to the stops between Spokane and Seattle. Not so good. I'd take a train over a bus any day.
Not many people were on the train. The Minot ticket agent told me only seven people were getting on the train at Minot. On my train car I estimate there were only about a dozen of us. In the car between my car and the observation car I saw only 10 to 20 people, and in the observation car there were only a half dozen people. Furthermore, during the stop at Havre I only saw one to two dozen people get off the train to smoke their cigarettes. All in all this was only of the lighter passenger loads I've seen on the train. I didn't mind. Less people, less noise, less people on their cell phones and less people walking up and down the aisles.
I had a few middle aged men sit in seats across the aisle in rows ahead of and behind my seat's row. They hardly used their cell phones, and when they did, they spoke quietly and not for very long. So it wasn't annoying like the times I sat near women or old couples who talked long and loud on their cell phone.
My train car attendant had an accent. He seemed to be from Africa. When I chatted with him I sometimes had to have him repeat what he said due to his accent and soft voice. Later whenever he saw me he asked if I was enjoying the train ride. Train car attendants never do that. He was a nice guy.
A passenger at Havre boarded and took a seat in the row ahead of me. A woman who looked to be her sister and a late teen girl boarded with her. They were so busy chatting they forgot about the train leaving. The sister and teen girl were starting to leave just when the train started up to leave. Some people have no common sense. The women were fortunate the car attendant was nearby as he called and the train engineer stopped the train at the end of the platform and the women got off. I and several other passengers thought the women would be stuck on the train until the next stop at Shelby, Montana.
At Wolf Point, Montana our stop was longer than the usual quick stop and go. On the loudspeakers they finally announced that they were looking for one more passenger expected to get off the train and asked this person to disembark. Wolf Point is on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The only other time I've been on a train where the Amtrak officials had to track down passengers to remind them to get off the train was on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation.
It was sunny when the train left Minot.
Even though the green of summer was gone, the many shades of brown from reddish brown to golden brown to brown was quite pretty.
Here are photos of the coulees west of Minot. Notice that some people live in them. One way to get out of the wind.
Once we left the coulees the land leveled out.
Then we entered a large area with lots of ponds. This is a major route for migrating waterfowl. Around one pond I saw lots of white from the migrating geese. It was too far away for a decent photo. And yes, it was geese and not snow.
It kept being sunny until western North Dakota. Notice how the color disappeared once the sun's light went behind the clouds.
After we got into Montana we had sun once again. The sun then lasted all the way until near the mountains. The Rocky Mountains were covered in a line of clouds that stretched north and south as far as one could see. The sun set behind the clouds as we neared them.
At the Minot train station I picked up a local brochure describing some towns and sites seen from the train and a little history about them. The section between the North Dakota border and Wolf Point, Montana - an area I have traveled many times on the train - was new to me when using the brochure. I saw things I do not remember ever seeing. Fort Union is a restored army fort. I saw it just before I read about it. It looked new, and as I never remembered seeing it before, I thought it was recently reconstructed a year or so ago. Nope. According to the Fort Union park service web site, it was reconstructed around 20 years ago.
The Glasgow, Montana train station. Seen from the station is the Montana Bar. From the window it appears there is a barber shop inside the bar. Would you get your hair cut in a barber shop in a bar?
Then the clouds were ending and soon it would be sunny again.
Malta, Montana and the three chair waiting platform. Three chairs, three legs. Do those chairs look stable to you?
Malta, Montana as seen from the train station.
The Bear Paw Mountains as seen from east of Havre, Montana. If you look close you can see snow on some of them.
Some of my favorite mountains: the Sweetgrass Hills. You definitely can see snow on these mountains.
After Shelby, Montana I picked up part of a tumbleweed on my window. All across Montana it was very windy. In areas with lots of leaves I would see leaves flying horizontal past the window. No mean feat as my window was on the upper part of the train car. The tumbleweed shook in the wind but held on past dark.
The line of clouds mark where the Rocky Mountains can first be seen from the east.
Photo 2 was taken over the Cut Bank River west of the town with the same name.
It was dark by the time the train reached the mountains so I couldn't see the snow on them. I could see that Hwy 2 through East Glacier, Montana was wet from rain. It looked pretty. Then we were in the mountains and darkness.
As we approached Essex, Montana a train attendant announced that we should wave to the people standing outside the Issac Walton Inn at Essex. Essex is a flag stop for Amtrak. We didn't stop today. Only one person stood on the lit porch of the Inn as we passed by. He waved.
Jan and Jasmine were waiting for me at the Whitefish train station. I was asked by several people what breed of dog Jasmine was (border collie) and whether she was male or female (female). They all remarked on what a beautiful dog she was. Once I got into Jan's SUV Jasmine had to move to the back seat, which she didn't mind doing.
Then I was home. It was still and warm. Even though there was no wind on the ground the clouds were moving steadily and the near full moon came and went.
The temperature outside was 46 degrees and the temperature inside my house was 47 degrees. I unpacked the food items that needed to go in the refrigerator then got a couple extra blankets to place on my bed. No more summer weather sleeping arrangements! I was tired and went right to bed. Tomorrow I will get heat into my house and warm it up.
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