On to Glacier

We were camped at the Lewis Lake Campground in Yellowstone, situated at over 8000 ft elevation and though warm in the afternoons was cool in not downright cold at night.  Paul kept commenting on how freezing it was but once I was in my bed I was very comfortable and wondered if Paul should check his thyroid.  Little did I know that his bed was made with sheets and a bed cover but not the blanket which was stored in a drawer underneath.  Glad we figured that out after a few chilly nights!  Looking back I may have made his bed before he arrived.  Sorry Paul! 😬

We befriended the volunteer Camp Hosts, John and Darlene, in part because they were Airstreamers, too.  Just like motorcyclists acknowledge one another when passing, Airstream owners wave or flash their lights when passing and ask about one another's adventures when meeting in camp.  

With Camp Hosts John and Darlene

We tried out luck at fishing in Lewis Lake to no avail and also got the Kayak out and paddled around.  That morning, the motor on John and Darlene's inflatable motorized raft failed to start but they paddled out in it and had the same result as us.  They rounded as we were fixing a dinner of Brats and we invited them over later for campfire singing.  They accepted but insisted we join them in their pop up screened 'clam' where we shared songs, stories and a beer or two.

We proceeded down in elevation to our next stop, now in Montana, at Missouri Headwaters State Park.  We were luck to arrive as they were serving Hamburgers, chips, cookies, local brew all free courtesy of the John Colter running club fun run in the Park.  We were also treated to a fascinating talk about John Colter who, among other things in the area, accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expeditions in the area. He made quite a history for himself in the region and had some close encounters with danger on a number of occasions. 

We lit a fire and played guitar and sang that evening, amidst the mosquitos.  It was warm still.  A poised 21 year old Abby from a neighboring campsite saw us and asked if we minded if she sat and listened awhile, explaining that her grandfather, who played guitar and sang, had died a year ago.  Her dad, also a guitar payer, stopped playing after his father's death, and Abby wanted to remember.  We started with "The Eagle and the Hawk," which brough tears to Abby's eyes, and she remained with us and joined us in singing several songs.  

It was to be 94 degrees the next day and we thought we should proceed higher or further north rather than stay at this pleasant but rather unremarkable campsite.  Paul was game and helped drive the nearly 300 miles to Glacier National Park.  The views were beautiful.  It was a long day and since we didn't have reservations, we had to look for a campsite.  We failed to find an unreserved site at the first campground but were able to get 1 night at Fish Creek Camp inside Glacier National Park.  It was a beautiful spot within the trees.  By then, though, our battery had diminished to 25% and we resorted to the generator for the first time to charge the battery a bit to keep the fridge running and to avoid a low battery beeping alarm in the middle of the night.  The trees also blocked Starlink. OK for me Monday when I don't work but a  problem for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Glacier is very popular this time of year but I found 1 available spot at a KOA resort a few miles outside Glacier National Park. This was truly "glamping" with hot showers, a pool for families and a separate one for adults with 2 hot tubs, activities, a restaurant, live music, water and electric hookups, a laundromat, WiFi and a couple bars of cell service.  We were able to work with no interruption.  

Going to the Sun Road is a spectacular scenic route at Glacier.  50 miles of narrow winding roads confined to vehicle 21 feet or less in length and no trailers, it winds along a deep channel canyon rife with waterfalls, overlooks and even clouds.  It now requires timed entry passes and we had one for Monday 1-3 PM.  The U-shape of this canyon occurred due to a huge glacier that persistently piled snow upon snow each season without an interim complete melt.  The snow compressed to glacial ice which slowly 'flowed' downhill over years carrying abrasive rocks which carves the ground below under the enormous pressure leaving this steep-sided bowl shaped valleys. I had been told to take that road by AJ as well as a neighbor in Tucson.  It is well worth it!

Before we went, though, we discovered a slow leak in one of the trailer tires, and as a result, the tread was worn to bald.  Thank goodness for Paul who looked at how to extract the spare from below the A frame of the trailer.  I pulled the good wheel onto a leveling chock to lift the bad tire off the ground.  We had all the parts.  Costco of Kalispell 30 minutes away had the needed trailer tire and room on their schedule and we were able to bring the bad tire and get it fixed and back on the trailer in time for our time slot!  Challenges and learning opportunities abound!

View from Going to the Sun Road

Clouds pouring through the passes