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8/3
At 9am it is 65*, sunny, with that inversion layer firmly in place. The skies look as if we are home. Kind of that murky-whitish-blue that is so typical of the So. Cal summer sky. And, like CA, it just occurs in July-August. This valley really has lost its ‘Big Sky’ look that we are accustomed to. Missoula is somewhat the same way. Inversion layers mean nothing to a fly-fisherman & Gary is on the river-or in it. He returns discouraged as the fish were NOT cooperating. We are discovering more & more ex-Californians who have taken up residence here. Met people from Pasadena, Fontana, & some northern CA refugees. Some have lived here for a long time, others are newbies. One shopkeeper told us she was used to seeing Californians in her store who were here visiting the refugees. Some were pulled here by the opportunity to raise animals they really couldn’t in southern California. Some came to have some ‘elbow room’. One came for love. Some came to join family members who got here before them. Whatever the reason, they are happy as clams to be here & are pretty smug about escaping California. There is always some payback for being smug. It is called freezing your *#~^* off every winter and fighting off the various, many bugs that are about all summer.
Well, let a few hours go by and how the sky can change. Scattered puffy clouds and clear BLUE skies, thanks to a front moving through. We are leaving in the morning to rejoin Ted & Anne for a few days in North Folk, Idaho. It will be fun to see them again. We have enjoyed the relative cool summer in Montana and the cold nights. We will miss this!
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Just a sample of the bugs that are multiplying like crazy. This guy is about 1 1/2” long. Just sitting by the door of the coach waiting to come in. His iridescent wings barely show here, but look closely & you’ll see his two eyes that are like two small white beads with a black dot on them. Anyway, I’m chewed up by the mosquitoes & using the fly swatter on all manner of gnats, mosquitoes, & moths that creep into the coach every time we open the door. Hmmm. Must be August in the country.
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Another of the dead-tree trunks that have been carved in the campground. This is a fly fisherman standing in the rocks in the river. Quite a nifty fella.
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Another view of our coach sitting in fishing paradise.
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That ugly inversion layer was blown away and the beautiful ‘Big Sky’ showed itself in all its glory this afternoon. Too blue to be believed.
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Sunset our last evening in Hamilton
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8/4
Some thoughts as we prepare to leave Montana. The fourth largest state (preceded by Alaska, California & Texas) has a population of 902,000 or 944,000, depending on which statistics you like best. Lots of wide-open spaces to go with the ‘Big Sky’ state nickname. Generally, better than average roads for the motorhome, making travel through the state comfortable. Care has been taken to preserve their history and the cities we’ve visited are clean & inviting. Growth is heavy in Missoula & Hamilton. But, still plenty of room. The word Bitterroot has been used often here; the river, the mountain range, the valley name, etc. It is also the name of their state flower.
Off to a new destination….North Fork Idaho, Wagonhammer RV Park on the Salmon River will be our home for the next week.. A perfect travel day. Sunny skies, no wind for the 80 mile trip. The countryside was lovely and Highway 93 is a nice road. There is a lot of horse ranching along the way, as we started out, and hay growing. About ˝ way there, we began to climb and climb. About a 5% grade. The trees got thicker as we left the farmland valley. Nearing the top of the grade, we saw ski runs. Long swaths cut in the forested mountainsides. We did reach a summit, but have no idea what the altitude is or what the summit name is. We did see the ‘Welcome to Idaho’ sign as we began the descent. 5% downgrade for 5 miles. A wiggly-squiggly road had the speeds posted as low as 20 mph up to 35 mph. Beautiful forest. We passed through a couple of small towns & reached Wagonhammer. The countryside is a mix of forested & golden-brown grass mountains. Some very steep. Rocky Mountain sheep are here along with deer. We’ve seen osprey & an owl so far. The campground is a dream. Gracious owner-hosts greet you, there is a lovely gift shop full of the unusual, the grounds are immaculate with nice lawn areas & some mature trees. The Salmon River runs along one border of the property, which we look at from the motorhome. There are wildflowers in bloom. Everything is in excellent condition & the restrooms are Class A. There is free wifi that works well and a free phone for campers to use as there is no cell service here. There is no cable available. The campground is open for fishing & hunting season, so they don’t close until November. Ted & Anne’s friends, Chuck & Marie, had recommended this spot to them and they are here as well. Ted & Anne pulled in shortly after we did. Ever so nice to see them again and to meet Chuck & Marie. We set up camp and Gary went to get that all important document….an Idaho fishing license. He & Ted went to the river about dusk. Deciding it was really too dark to fish, they each cast a couple of times for the heck of it & EACH CAUGHT A FISH! Go figure. Dark settled into the park & we prepare for a good night’s sleep.
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This massive glacial mountain is visible from Hamilton and for a few miles south. Just so interesting I kept staring at it as we started our drive to North Fork.
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Just another view of the river as we follow it south. It is reflecting the color of the sky.
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We finally found out why hay is formed into these rolls. Unlike the normal bales of hay, the process for creating & using these rolls involves only one person. The machinery the driver takes through the fields makes the loose rolls. One man runs the forklift-type vehicle that sends its steel rod into the center of the roll and then lifts it into the truck that will transport it. It is off-loaded the same way. It can be rolled off the truck delivering it to the animals by one person. When laid on the ground or pasture, it is unrolled by one person. It does not need to be ‘fluffed’ or ‘flaked’ to make it totally accessible to the animals that are going to eat it. A great labor & time saver.
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This deer could care less about labor-saving techniques. Got herself a guaranteed yummy meal.
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They were just NOT kidding! We did this several times as we traversed this pass on our route on Hwy 93.
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Lost Trail Pass Ski Area. I think it’s in Montana, but don’t hold me to that. Could be Idaho. The road that carries you to these runs is about on the border. Looong runs!
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After miles of nothing but speed limit signs, this was a bit much to take in before we were past them even though we’re only going about 40 mph. I’m going to have to research the ‘Big Hole Nat’l Battlefield’. Strange name. We wanted that rest area, but were past it before we could register the sign in our heads. Busy making sure we were on the right road for Salmon.
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Our welcome to Idaho was a bit confusing. Warning of an impending hard curve, Montana put up a sign to go 30mph. Idaho seems to be saying ‘What curve?’
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The 5% downgrade is leading us into thicker forested land. It just gets prettier & prettier.
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The Salmon River runs through the Wagonhammer RV Park. Our coach is parked about 80’ from the edge. And we just stare out the windshield at it.
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The view from the door of our coach toward the river.
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From left to right: Gary & Donna’s, Ted & Anne’s, Chuck & Marie’s coaches facing the river. This really is a super campground!
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