Donald Bren has been living in Lewistown for 40 years, and this weekend’s snow is some of the most he has seen.
“Well, there's only one other one that really matches that, I think," said Bren who's been shoveling since Sunday to get his car out of the driveway.
On Monday, he was trying to get over the berm the city plowed for his upcoming doctor’s appointment.
“That's the bugger I gotta get there. I can't figure out how I'm going to get through that," Bren said.
On the side streets, it’s even worse.
“I think I was glad I got groceries on Friday before the storm came," Steven Hamilton said.
Jeanette Miller and Hamilton expected some snow, but nothing like this.
“When I got home Friday night, my sidewalk was clear and there was nothing on my car. And now it's a lot," Steven Hamilton said.
The progress people have made is a community effort. It’s neighbors helping neighbors.
“It feels good. It's a[n] accomplishment of the town. And who lives here," Miller said.
While some dig out their homes, others are making the most of the situation. Casey Butcher couldn’t get her car out from the snow, but found the snowed-over roads were perfect for winter memories.
“Well, this was a childhood sled of my own, so I wanted to take my son, who just turned one in our… sled and pull him around," Butcher said.
For Billy, the freshly one-year-old child, the conditions were a little too good.
“I think when we go, when we go downhill a little too fast, he gets a little freaked out. But I think he's having a good time," Butcher said.
Downtown Lewistown is quiet, but businesses like Rising Trout Coffee are still open, offering warm beverages to those out and about.
“For people who want to be here, this is an important time to be open. I mean, you want a cup of coffee, you need some breakfast… And we had travelers who were, whose flights were canceled, who couldn't travel, who came and sat down and had breakfast this morning," Rising Trout co-owner Jon Milhon said.
It’s a slow day, but Milhon never considered taking the day off.
“If they're getting out, they're getting out, to help people. You know, the bank across the street is closed. And so the normal traffic we get from local people is, is not here. And, yeah, the people are working on getting out of the snow.”
Montanans are resourceful, and two feet of snow isn’t going to stop them.
“We're just having a good time out in the snow. That's what Montanans do. They make the most of their weather," Butcher said.
