Hightailing it to Montana: The Great Escape-Day Two

I hope this is finding you well.

 

Apologies for the lengthy delay. I hope you haven't lost interest. Let us delve back in to the most epic of adventures.

Note: There are more photos in this post to help you see just how neat it was. 
 

 

 

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DAY TWO

I opened my eyes when it started getting light out. Having survived the arctic blast (the temps had gone down in the mid 40s).  We both slowly thawed and were able to move.


Did you know the ground is hard?

 

You would figure that with all the extra padding I carry around that I'd be golden-this was so NOT the case. I was stiff, sore, and I swear I had bruises. It took awhile, with some stretching, rolling, and various unidentifiable sounds we got ready for the day.
 

A River Runs Through It

 

When we checked in, I'd asked Vera (the owner) about the river walk advertised on the web site. She gave me directions it was only a 1/4 mile walk down from the campground. We were also told, in no uncertain terms, that  although it might look inviting but it was very dangerous and there was no wading or swimming.

 

I have to admit that I was really disappointed when I looked over and our neighbor was gone.  I wondered what stories he would have told about his adventures and  even what his own personal history was.  I briefly imagined a friendship that honestly could have been.  I resolved to not let an opportunity like that pass again without acting on it.
 

 

Coffee time with a most excellent green mug.

 

 

Breakfast eaten, dishes done, copious amounts of coffee ingested, we set out for the river.  It was an easy walk down a gravel road.  The Midget had begged to use my Panasonic point and shoot and I couldn't resist. There were meadows, trees, wildflowers, and butterflies. 


 

The Midget communing with nature.

 

 

The Midget took this pic of a daisy. Nice

It was warming up quickly when we reached the river.  Vera was absolutely right.  We hadn't reached the riverbank and you could sense the power of it.  There is just something about the Kootenai River. The colors brilliant, rich, and deep. The scent of wilderness , raw and untamed. The possibility of endless adventure.

Kootenai Campground river walk.

 

Eye see you.

 

 

 

In Search Of Linens
 

We returned to camp and  not wanting to face another night of icy torture, we set off for a thrift store to hunt for blankets.  First arriving in Troy, there was nothing that I was looking for.  A couple of outfitters and a hardware mercantile were open but I knew they wouldn't have what I was looking for, at least in my price range.  I was ready to drive home to get some, but The Midget talked me out of it.

 

We continued toward Libby, a much bigger town. I briefly noticed a pull off containing several cars and travel trailers. I made a mental note to stop and check it out on our way back.  Arriving in Libby I realized that it would not be what I'd hoped. Beside the fact that it was Sunday in a small town, there were no thrift shops to be found.  I was ready to drive back home to get some but The Midget talked me out of it   I decided to pull in to the local grocery store and get a few things for the ice chest; you know, like ice.  I explained my predicament to the clerk, who graciously didn't laugh at me. He told me that there was only a Shopko that would have what I was looking for. 

 

I was encouraged as I headed back,  looking for the department store on my way out of town.  I saw it and pulled in.  I was surprised at how sparse the offerings were inside.  Yes it was a small town, but I've been spoiled by wide availability and having everything I could possibly want at my fingertips,  even if I had no intention of buying it.

 

I searched for the clearance section, and discovered that the clearance items were  in each department it originated from.  So I was searching bedding and got discouraged quickly.  Bed sets, sheet sets, throws, and assorted oddly printed linens abounded.  I finally found the clearance shelf...and the only thing I found that was adequate was a pseudo fleece blanket on clearance for $15.99.  I went ahead and grabbed it in resignation, not having any other choices under $40.

 

OH YES I DID
 

With a much-improved state of mind, we headed back toward the campground, keeping an eye out for the pull out.  The angle of the sun brought memories of the first time we had made this trip.  The Midget, a friend, and I took a random and sporadic road trip last summer and I remembered seeing the sign that said 'Kootenai Falls.' We hadn't had the time to stop but I filed it away in one of the drawers in my mind.

 

There it was!  The parking area was much bigger that it looked from the highway. We pulled in and luckily found a spot close to the entrance.  There was a quaint little snack shack, which was surprising in itself. The prominent sign announcing  ice cream got The Midget's attention right away.  I got one for her and asked a few questions from the gal who served us.  When I saw how far down the falls were I  was really concerned whether I could actually make the trip. 

 

Obtaining provisions for the journey.

 

She assured me that if she could make it with her hip injury that I would absolutely be able to make the trip, provided I took my time and didn't rush.  I was going to do it.  It was an instant add to my bucket list.  We went and sat in the shade of a sign while The Midget raced to keep any drops from escaping her Creamsicle.

 

"Hi Neighbor."

I looked over and who was there?  My neighbor from the campground. I wasn't going to miss the opportunity this time. Turns out that he is a very talented wood carver and he was selling his work.  Describing his work as 'talented' is quite the understatement.  The carvings were on tree bark and so intricate that some scenes appeared life like.  I wish I'd taken pictures.  He let The Midget look at his tools, stains, and bark that was yet to be turned to magnificence.  She pointed to a small slab of bark at his feet, telling him he missed one.  It was purposely discarded and he told her that it was for Bo Bo. Bo Bo likes chewing wood. Who knew?

 

We chatted about travel, this being The Midget's first camping trip, and family in general.  Although he lived close by, he prefers living in his little motor home, camping  along the way simply because he enjoys it so much. He talked about being blessed, and other simple things.  The afternoon was moving along and we needed to get started if we were going to enjoy our destination.

 

The Midget went to dispose of her garbage and the snack shack gal came out and around the corner. She told The Midget that there were special berries (thimble berries) told us how to identify them.  I thought that was so neat of her.  Thanking her, we started our journey.

 

 

It just got real.

Decisions, decisions.

 

 

From here to eternity.

Down. Cool!

            

 

Victory is sweet!

 

 

 

Kootenai Falls:

Some embedded jasper in the rock bed.

Observing the power of nature.

    

On the edge.

 

The falls:

 

 

 

 

A bit of perspective:

 

 

A pic of a pic of a pic.

 

 

 

If I can get through this

 

 

Then it was time to face the toughest challenge yet-the way back.

 

 

My cane didn't like this much.




I don't remember signing up for this.



 

Oh look-a bridge!

 

 

I was starting to get pretty tired at this point.  What was awesome was the encouragement I received  from fellow hikers. No one made fun of me; however many of the seemed surprised I was attempting this feat-the trail is designated as moderate.(not easy, but not death inducing)

 

 

 

 

Almost there...

    

I made it!









Four hours, 20 gallons of sweat,  and 150 photos later we arrived back at the trail head.

 

 

 During our hike I decided that I wanted to get the carver's (I never got his name) contact info so that I could buy a piece from him later. I was bummed out that he was gone, but glad we'd gotten to talk.  I'm going to look for him again the next trip over. There were some neat trees and such as we got close to the parking lot.

 

What do you see?

 

 

 

I needed some water and The Midget had found some berries she wanted help identifying. Back at the snack shack we found out that the berries weren't safe to eat. (Told you so, Midget). I commented on the sketches that hung on the walls of the shack and the beautiful painted rocks.  She told me that she was the artist.  I really liked one rock and she told me she'd give it to me for $5.  I had no cash left but told her I'd be back the next day before we left to get it if I had the funds. (Did I mention that we were on a skeleton budget)

 

Looks good but no dice.



Our carver had left a large carving of  a bear sitting at one of the picnic tables. I thought it was a pretty neat calling card.
 



A meeting of the minds.

Watered and refreshed we headed back to the car. I snapped a couple of photos to show just how far we'd hiked. The first shot was of the swinging bridge and the second of the falls just up the river. On our way back from the falls, I was too tired to make the additional hike.  Several adults making their way back from the bridge kindly let me know that it probably wasn't a good idea for The Midget. Kids generally were really scared and froze half way over and often had to have help getting off of it.

A long way down.

We made it back to camp and all was quiet. Several  RVs had come and gone. I went ahead and started dinner while valiantly defending the table against  a few wasps. The Midget requested an early fire because she wanted to try roasting and eating a few marshmallows before  the toss 'em in and watch 'em fry session.

We'd been using a fire ring that I'd thought was a communal one as the site specific ring was 5 ft from the tent. The manager came over and let us know that we'd have to move the fire if the spot it belonged to was rented. She was very nice about it, and the and the spot was rented shortly thereafter. We only had two pieces of wood anyway, so we just put it out.

 

After a day of near 100 degree temps and moderate exertion we felt gross and probably smelled worse so off to the showers we went. (I verified that showers were included. I'd already been scolded and wanted to stay out of trouble).

 

The facilities are really nice and clean. I have to admit that I was excited when I saw the exhaust fan. It was big enough to power one of those boats on the everglades-no muggy showers! I pulled the chain and nothing. :(  Even with all the vent windows open we came out feeling like Florida in August.

We went back to the tent and I plugged in my fan (don't judge) and chilled out with The Midget talking about silly things. I'd promised her some real us time, so I will leave you for now.

 

THUS ENDS DAY TWO



Hightailing it to Montana: The Great Escape-Day One

Something a bit different this time. 

I kept a journal of sorts during my camping trip over the weekend. I will make a separate post for each day of our trip.  There are only three, so you won't be slogged down in an epic monotony of drivel-only three days worth of insanity, which is a much better deal, I think.


And without further adieu...

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Day One

After much Internet searching and a gift from a friend who said that this trip must happen (I heart you), I selected a place in Troy, Montana.

I'd taken a random road trip with one of my dearest friends, the blogger of Seeds of Ink (seedsofink.blogspot.com), ending up in Libby, Montana.  We had passed Troy and I thought it was nice, albeit small. A bit creepy too as it was dusk/near dark when we blew through town at the time.

 

THE CAMPING TRIP had been in the planning stages since early May.

 I wanted to go and explore a place we hadn't been before. The Midget was excited at the prospect of the two of us adventuring like 'princess mermaids' (don't judge) so I began the quest for a campground that didn't include the word 'BEAR' in the 'things to know' information section on its web site.

Bear Country

 

 

 

  In fact, the Midget, now 8, hadn't been camping since she was 2. This was going to be her first 'real' camping trip, so I wanted to choose something that wasn't too remote, yet wasn't 'glamping." It's a small, privately owned place right off the highway.  A great test site!

 

Kootenai River Campground

What follows is basically a daily journal I kept for blogging purposes. It's an experiment of sorts to give you another look into the different way I see the world around me and the thought processes that go along with it. 

 

 DAY ONE

Off to a late start as usual. I can't help but wonder if being born at the end of December perhaps is the culprit: dead of winter, myriad amounts of snow on the ground (for those of you who actually get snow), people moving at a slow pace careful not to slip on a hidden patch of ice.

Then again, until recently, 'careful' was not an adjective that really applied to me. My parents received their silver crowns earlier than one would expect. As I sit here and mull this over, I can only imagine the crowns of honor for bravery and service my guardian angels will have. I use the plural because I have a niggling feeling that I might have needed more than one. But I digress...

 

I had called the campground the day before and originally made reservations for three nights with an option for a fourth. Now I would like to note that when I made my reservations I'd told them I'd be bringing a power source as I have a small piece of medical equipment that requires electricity. I have one of these:

 

 

 

 

My solar rechargeable power source



 

 

They told me to leave it at home and they'd take care of me. I was down with that-less stuff for me to pack around.

 Our tentatively scheduled departure time came, went, and ran screaming into the night.  I had visions of trying to put up Bertha the Magnificent (the endearing name I gave that behemoth of a tent) by the headlights of my car. I also wanted to ensure that our spot would still be there for us.
 

Close to Montana-amazing mountains

 
 

 

I decided that the responsible thing to do was to call them and admit my epic schedule was  perfectly fail. Vera, the nice gal who answered the phone reminded me I was only  three hours away and that we'd be there with plenty of time to set up camp.
 

 

 WOOT!

 

Late afternoon as we pulled in

 

About four hours and an insane amount of road construction later, we pulled in. We went in to the office to check in.  I was impressed (and that's not an easy feat). They are some of the nicest people I've met in a long time and very patient with the Midget's immediate onslaught of questions.

 They put me in an RV spot that has water and electric and only charged me the tent rate.  I still got the free showers (for tenters) as well.

The Raising of Bertha

Our back yard

 

I parked in my spot and unpacked the car. The Midget happily started to chase butterflies in the small clearing at the edge of our spot. I had to call her back to help me set up the tent...or at least help me spread the darn thing out.


 

Almost unpacked

 

 

I noticed a really small ramshackle Motor home with its hood up in the next spot over and an old man sitting at the table. I took it in for a second, always curious to see who the neighbors will be, and went back to my task at hand. (You can just see his rig in the photo above)

I was in rare form, unfolding Bertha with military precision, or at least I thought so.  He offered to help me set up the tent if I needed it. Although I didn't look at him, the first thought that went through my brain was:

 Just because I'm a fat person, doesn't mean I'm helpless! 

This was immediately followed by a feeling of shame.  Here was someone who was simply offering his help if I needed it.  I finally looked up and saw a man probably in his late 60s with a long white beard. I would describe him as a cross between a hippie and a mountain man. I thanked him and told him I would ask if I needed it. He went inside his rig and I continued with my mission.

 

I wield a mean hammer

 

I managed to put up my tent, and with a bit of help from the Midget got the rain fly on.  I really think 'rain fly'  is an inaccurate term. In this particular case parachute is more apropos.

 

Those of you who know me have many times heard me say that my tent is big enough to park my SUV in.  Of course I was mostly going by memory, not actually having seen my tent for six years.  Turns out my memory served me well. My ginormous tent is 18' x 10'.

 

 Bertha the Magnificent

 

 

Even though we were right off the highway the noise really wasn't an issue, which surprised me. The nightly train was a bit noisier but we were still awake and all was well.

The Midget went over to visit our neighbor and she made quick friends with Bobo, his dachshund.  As we went to bed I decided I wanted to ask my neighbor over for coffee in the morning.  He seemed like an interesting person.

THE NIGHT THE ARCTIC CAME TO VISIT

So I'm unpacking the rig and Bertha is standing strong and proud in her full glory. I was confident that we were adequately set up for 55 degree temps that were predicted for that evening. For the first time in my life I did NOT pack for the apocalypse, a blizzard, or random zombie attack.

After dinner was done and the mandatory ritual of burning marshmallows over the campfire complete, we headed to the tent for reading and snuggle time.

RIP marshmallows

 

 

The Midget decided that she wanted her own 'room' and set her things up and put up her divider.

 The Midget's domain

 

I went ahead and set up my things on the other side of the tent. I put my bedding in order and grabbed a flashlight and my Nook and was off to  a dystopian fantasy.

 A short time later the Midget started  asking if I was asleep. She asked again 5 minutes later.  After 30 minutes of this, I asked her what was wrong. She was afraid to be alone over on that side so I invited her to move over to mine.

This wasn't good enough, however. She wedged herself between me and the edge of the tent, demanding that the divider on my side be hung up to a small room that would  'keep us safe and warm.'  Little did I know.... 

I don't know how much later it was but I woke up absolutely freezing. The Midget was half out of her sleeping bag and was as cold as an ice cube. She woke up shivering and I quickly unzipped her bag and snuggled up against her, trying to warm her up. It was a long cold night.

I actually dreamed about Alaska. More specifically running around Barrow in my nightshirt. I remember waking up on and off, but eventually we both ended up dozing off.

                                                      Montana moon

 

*THUS ENDS DAY ONE*