Stillwater Mine Tour

We left the K-Z today and headed up to Red Lodge by way of the Beartooth Highway. This highway, first of all, is crazy. It is closed half the year because of inclement weather, since it goes up and over the 11,000ft plateau. Once again, we encountered snow. For the count, 2 out of 3 sections so far had snow.

We were fortunate enough to be able to tour the Stillwater Mine, an active platinum and palladium mine north of Red Lodge. This mine has nearly 100 miles of underground tunnels and produces 4% of the world's platinum and palladium. During World War II, the Stillwater Mine was very active in producing much of the nation's chromium for steel production. 

Now, there are ghost towns up in the mountains, giving it an eerie feel. This would definitely be the spot to film a horror movie. Somehow, though, modern technology is not totally absent from the place. Who would have thought that we would find an outlet? What luck!