Monida

Monida is the almost-ghost town that sits at the West entry to Centennial Valley. History says that people would take the train to Monida, then board a stagecoach and travel to Yellowstone through the valley. Lakeview, the place where we stayed, used to be a prospering little town with a couple of bars to help the travelers on their way.
A friend that worked for Union Pacific as a conductor often rode the section that passes through Monida.  He talks about the wildlife the guys would see - wolves, elk, bears, moose, etc., on their journey up to Bozeman and back.

Here's a view looking west at Monida from the top of the first hill as you enter the valley. It was quite smoky this day.