Even more river stuff….that’s right

If you haven’t heard, Exxon leaked a bunch of oil into the Yellowstone River Friday night. You know it’s trouble when the New York Times is reporting about a river in Laurel, Montana.

It takes me back to high school when we learned of the Exxon spill in Alaska. Shoddy captaining and all that. We don’t know exactly what happened on the Yellowstone, yet, but the Exxon pipeline (as well as other company’s pipelines) runs under our river.

Laurel is downstream of us just west of Billings. That’s about a 90 minute drive, for those of you not up on your Montana geography. It takes the same amount of time for Montana geography-philes.

There is a whole lot downstream of us (including the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers) so a spill here affects a whole lot of people.

As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, the Yellowstone is BIG right now. 9.9 feet. I don’t know if that is better or worse, oil spill-wise.

We’re still checking out the river every day or so.

The infamous 9th St bridge.

Tree!

We had to maneuver through these signs.

And wind through these signs….

…before squeezing past these signs. It’s almost like they didn’t want us down here.

The water is up and over the boat ramp at Mayor’s Landing. (7.1.2011)

Sure is pretty, despite the high, muddy water.

A little traipse through the grass.

This berm was built a couple weeks ago. Just in case.