Just a rant...and update. Three months ago all of Montana was in "extreme drought." Then spring came. There was more snow in the mountains on April 1, than on February 1 and so on during each succeeding month. In June, we were over 250% of normal snowpack in this area. June is typically our rainiest month, but not last year. We were choking on smoke at this point last year. Fires from Oregon and California were joined by fires in Montana, which usually don't get raging until late August.
I'm sure you've seen the photos on national news, but we got hit by historically high rains. The Gardiner River had recorded 32,000 CFS in the 500-year flood of 1997. The waters reached 52,000 CFS two days ago and the town of Gardiner was suddenly isolated. Water was over the road north of town, and the paved road that led to Mammoth junction in Yellowstone was gone. Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park is currently closed. It seems the "north loop road" to the Lamar Valley and Cooke City will remain closed through the summer. I have no idea what they'll do this fall, as kids in Cooke City are bused to Gardiner every day for school. It's being labeled as a 1,000-year flood. I've now been out here for the 100, 500, and 1,000-year floods. I'm hoping there isn't a 5,000-year flood in the near future.
Last year, I spent a dozen days guiding for a great company and owner for tours to Yellowstone. I don't know what he's going to do, but no tours will take place this summer. He has six vehicles and 10 staff and just purchased a house for his employees last fall. I imagine he will have to declare bankruptcy and shutter his doors. Everyone in Gardiner works serving tourists. You make your money in the summers to get through the winters.
The park's superintendent is hinting that only those with reservations will be allowed in the southern loop. This will effectively shutter businesses in West Yellowstone, which boast a 100% fill rate from mid-June to mid-September.
The town of Red Lodge outside the NE entrance was almost wiped completely off the map.
The timing of this couldn't be worse with businesses just starting to come back with COVID-19 having hit tourism severely.
The pictures of Red Lodge are something else. The rocks you see in some of them weren't there prior to the flooding. https://billingsgazette.com/news/loc...ce=mp-homepage