Not-Glacier Day 9, Wall, SD to ...

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Hotels have taken a variety of approaches to free breakfast in these days of Covid. Some simply space tables and go at it pretty normally. Some individually wrap all items and an employee hands you what you ask for so you don’t touch the one next to it. Of course, then you put your hands all over the buttons to get juice and coffee and cereal from the dispenser (unless you use a napkin to touch surfaces.) One place provided plastic gloves, required for self-service. Others give you a bag breakfast. This one consisted of a very sticky pre-packaged grocery store sweet roll, a tiny granola bar of the cheapest chewy kind, an apple and a bottle of water, which gave heft to the bag and made you think you were getting a good breakfast. The apple was sweet and crunchy so there was something worth eating. We have been carrying our own Nature Valley granola bars, instant oatmeal, yogurts and individual fruit salads so we don’t make out too badly. I bring the electric kettle from home because I do NOT do tea made from water in a thermos or even one of those hot water dispensers that keep the water at a good temp for herbal infusions but not boiling for black tea or my favorite rooibos.

When the car was loaded (we are getting really good at what goes where!), we headed for the Badlands. Just inside the fence we turned right on the high-quality gravel road along the rim. 

We paused at Robert’s Prairie Dog Town. According to the literature it is the largest in the country, covering acres and housing thousands of prairie dogs—a veritable NYC metropolitan area. We found more activity in the small town a little further up the road.

I think they are cute, but I hear my sister-in-law's voice in my head, saying with disgust, "Rodents!"

We went almost to the end of the park, ooing and ahing at the views, then turned and headed back. The asphalt with its numerous overlooks is the more spectacular. (Not surprising. That’s probably why that part of the road is asphalt. Duh.)

We stopped at Cliff Shelf for a quick hike. At the sight of this sign, Steve thought it would be cool to see a rattle snake—from a distance. I wasn't so sure.

The nice thing about the trail here is the green of the junipers to enliven pictures and rest the eyes.

At the far eastern end of the park is a large pullout with Portapotties and several trailheads, some long and some short. The best short walk is the Door, a doorway onto this incredible moonscape. Yellow poles mark a “trail.” Standing at 1, you site 2 and head in that direction. Then site 3 and head that way until you the end of the trail. 

There is no distinct trail, and you can scramble wherever you choose, but the poles are like breadcrumbs that will lead you home if you keep them in sight. Twice I heard little boys, ages maybe 8 or 10, asking their parents, “Do people have to stay on the trail?” By the tremor in their voices they half wanted to stray and half feared being told they could.

When we got back to the car (where Mom was waiting with her reading and the windows open to the breeze), it was 11 AM. By the GPS, we were 10 and a half hours from home. We decided to hoof it. We cancelled our reservations in Mitchell as we drove through at 1:45 PM. Construction in Minnesota delayed us some, and we raced another fabulous electric storm the last few miles, but pulled into our driveway at 10:15 (9:15 by the time we had been living on) and got unloaded before the rain started to fall, leaving unpacking for morning.

The hours on the Interstate were not enough to finish another hat, but I got pretty far.

Our daughter and kids came up to escape the heat while we were gone. She informed us that an Eastern kingbird had taken up residence on our dock in our absence, building a nest and laying an egg in the bench cupholder. Uh… Hopefully she won’t object too much to sharing the space with swimmers.

So concludes another adventure, proving that safe travel during Covid is possible and enjoyable if you avoid the crowds in the most popular National Parks. I prefer the kind of travel where we stay in one place a couple of nights and explore the area, which was the original plan for Glacier. But we saw a lot of neat stuff. I'm glad I took my pillow. That goes a long way toward making a new bed feel normal. I would have liked fewer picnics in the car and more at pretty picnic spots. The lack was the result of crowds and the distances we had planned when we found we couldn't stay at Glacier, but we never went hungry with fruit, a tin of crackers and an assortment of Wisconsin cheese and summer sausage. When all this is over, we will try again for a real trip to Glacier.

Not-Glacier, Day 8, Custer, SD, to Wall, SD

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

It was a foggy morning so instead of going straight for the Needles, we headed south on US385 through the misty mountains. The fog was lifting into low clouds when we cut back north on SD87 in Custer State Park—all of it scenic. We took the wildlife loop and found a whole herd of buffalo right by the road.

 

Also wild donkey’s. Maybe “wild” should be in quotes since we passed a family feeding and petting one by the road—not recommended practice, I believe.

When we hit US16A we cut east and then north again on Iron Mountain Road. Steve announced this was his favorite with it's tunnels and road spiraling under itself. Of course, later in the day when we drove the Needles Highway, that was his favorite. I’d be hard pressed to choose.

I don’t think we have ever been here before in high summer. The traffic was like Minneapolis rush hour. It was still semi-cloudy and I have taken a gazillion pictures on other trips so we didn’t stop except at the Norbeck Overlook at the top 

And at the Scovel Johnson Tunnel to get a picture of Mount Rushmore (that white rock just beyond where the road turns. Easier to recognize in real life.)

Traffic was heavy around Mount Rushmore as well, but if you aren’t the driver, you can still get a lot of glimpses of the giant carvings of the presidents high up on the cliff.

By then it was nearly lunch time and we headed for Sylvan Lake, back in the park. HA! Every parking space in every lot was taken as well as the road being lined with cars. We saw available picnic tables, but no place to park the car. We headed on up the road, but every pull out was full. We finally snagged a spot at the Needles Eye Tunnel.

  

No picnic table but the view was great!

We drove to the end of the road at US16A and turned around and drove the road again in the opposite direction. In my opinion, the SE-NW direction gives the best views of the mountains and rock formations. At least from the back seat. If you like looking from mountains into valleys, you might prefer the NW-SE route, but both are beautiful.

We spotted a DQ in Hill City and had to double back among the tourists to for our traditional summer holiday chocolate malts, but a sign on the door said, "Closed for the season." Sigh. The shop across the street reminded us that there was a major event at Mount Rushmore this week. I did not buy the T-shirt.

Our overnight destination was Wall, SD. (Skipping the drugstore in this time of Covid.) But we took the long way around and retraced our steps from yesterday back up US385 to Lead, then US14A back through Spearfish Canyon. Again, going the opposite direction gives a whole different view! Caught I-90 at Spearfish and whipped along to Wall, tired but well satisfied with the views.

Note to self: Next trip make time for a swim at the Devil's Bathtub. There was actually space in the parking lot, but returning swimmers said it is a mile hike.

Major electrical storm after supper. We have been standing in the doorway watching the amazing flashes. Tornado warning came through on our phones. Steve the Weather Nerd has been consulting the radar on his phone and says it is east of us. I can hear sirens as I write.

Not-Glacier, Day 7: Billings, MT to Custer, SD

Monday, July 6, 2020

The Black Hills are a favorite place of ours so no trip west is complete without a stop there on the way home. We spent the morning driving east on I-90. I completed another hat. This one does not require much long-distance running one color behind the other to form the pattern, and I like the result much better. I will do a variation of this pattern again. (Our local community collects winter hats, gloves and scarves for the disadvantaged in the fall, and I find it’s a good way to keep my hands occupied on a road trip or in front of the TV.  I get to try all sorts of variations on color and pattern without worrying about getting it perfect the first time. Someone will like it!)

We had promised ourselves KFC sometime on this trip, and we were actually near a town at lunch time today. Well, a late lunch, but I could see on my phone that there was a KFC in Spearfish, SD.

We found a picnic spot.

 

OK, so the view left something to be desired, but the grassy median was nice.  

We started down Spearfish Canyon Rd., the scenic route on the map. And it is definitely scenic with rocky black cliffs all around. I had wanted Steve to fill up with gas before we headed into the wilderness, but he was sure we had plenty to make Custer and the map shows “towns” on the way. We got maybe a mile down the road and the gage on the car that says how far you can go without gas seemed to think we had gone 3 miles. Uh… We turned around and went back to town, the gage dropping way faster than we thought it should be. When we reached town, I got out and looked under the car and sure enough, there was a steady drip. Uh oh. 

A helpful gas station directed us to a mechanic, but he wasn’t worried. He smelled what was dripping and pronounced it water, probably condensation from the air con system. He thought the wind and the ethanol in the gas was just giving us really bad mileage and told us not to worry about it. We filled up with more expensive low ethanol gas to dilute what was there, and headed back down the canyon. In fact, it was 70 miles to where we were going and the gage dropped 70 miles. Thank you, Jesus. I was not looking forward to spending a beautiful afternoon sitting in a garage waiting for the car to be fixed.

We got to enjoy the first part of the road three times. It is narrow and windy and traffic was not light in this first week in July, so we didn't stop very much for pictures, and I have nothing of the most spectacular cliffs.

We were surprised at the number of beautiful new homes in the national forest near Cheyenne Crossing. Not sure what the deal is there. Although it would be a fabulous place to live, I don’t want to lose our wilderness to pricey housing development.

We avoided Deadwood and took a gravel road over a high meadow area to Rt. 385 and then down the asphalt through touristy Hill City, past the Crazy Horse carving to Custer. Crazy Horse was open, but last we knew they charged a high price per person (not vehicle) so we have always given it a skip. I really think they would be much smarter to charge a nominal fee per vehicle (like Mt. Rushmore) and then put donation boxes every ten steps. Way more people would stop, hopefully be impressed with what they see, and some become donors, perhaps even long term. But no one has asked my marketing advice…

I’ve been doing a lot of reading about Native Americans and our history together this past year. As we drove over the rolling countryside this morning with mountains on the horizon, I kept thinking of the people who used to call this land their own and the deceptions that led to its loss. One of these days I would like to travel with the specific goal of visiting Native sites and filling in the pictures that go with the words in the books. 

The scenic route continues south of Custer, but we were tired of the car and stopped. Tomorrow will be exploring the Needles et al.

Not-Glacier, Day 6, Kooskia, ID to Billings, MT via Boseman

Sunday, July 5

We enjoyed the first two hours on US12 yesterday, but the three hours we continued this route today were even better--mile after mile winding alongside swift rapids with steep mountains on either side. Definitely slower than I-90, but well worth the side trip.

We came over Lolo Pass and arrived in Missoula, MT, in time for a Burger King lunch. I was back to knitting as we headed down I-90 past Butte and the continental divide to Boseman. We have old friends who recently moved there. Cindy says she started supporting us when she arrived at Faith Missionary Church in 1980, which would be when we were still in Brazil. Cindy had no idea what she was doing committing to missionary support, but she stayed with us until she retired a few years ago. Her sister Kris and Kris's husband Steve were also at FMC. Kris says we were the first missionaries they ever had for dinner, and they were so nervous that Steve practiced saying grace to be sure he would do it right for the missionaries. :-) A few years later they became missionaries themselves with Child Evangelism Fellowship, serving immigrant communities in London, then training workers for the Caribbean. Steve has advanced Alzheimers. They have just moved to a granny flat beside Steve and Kris's daughter's home, and Cindy is with them. Both Cindy and Kris are nurses by training so Steve has great care. I'm so grateful for Kris to be surrounded by family in this difficult time. Their faith shines brilliantly. We hesitated to stop with Covid in the air, but I'm so glad we did!

We dodged a major thunder storm between Boseman and Billings. It didn't more than drip on us until we were safely into the hotel. This place has a full kitchen, so we had room to enjoy our Hormel Completes, a can of three bean salad, carrots and miscellaneous desserts. Lewiston was our furthest point west, so we are now homeward bound albeit slowly. Starting to consolidate food boxes and make room in the trunk.

Not-Glacier, Day 5, Kalispell, MT to Kooskia, ID

This Fourth of July was a day full of beauty and variety.

We started south from Kalispell along Flathead Lake--beautiful touristy lake homes clinging to cliffs along the lake. Many were multistory with the top floor on level with the road. Very cool, but also very civilized. (And no way to stop and take pictures!)

We left the lake at MT 28 and headed west then south across rolling hills with low mountains on both sides. We hit the Clark Fork of the Flathead River and jogged southeast before cutting back west on MT135 to I-90. IN135 is the road we used to take to my dad's cabin in Brown County, so we felt right at home with the same winding valley and steep hills.

I-90 itself is spectacular and let us travel at speed into Idaho.



The Idaho map is covered with marked scenic routes, but we gave priority to the ones in our National Geographic Scenic Highways and Byways book. That meant we turned south on ID97 just before Coeur d'Alene along Lake Coeur d'Alene. Steve and I both thought it looked familiar although we couldn't think when we would have taken this route. We finally realized we had turned down ID97 just far enough for a picnic spot and then returned to I-90. The area deserved a second visit. Not as crowded or wealthy as Flathead Lake, but lovely little lake places nestled in all the bays. Lots more room to enjoy a sailboat than our lake at home. Lots of traffic on this Fourth of July so lunch was eaten in the car at a place to pull over.



The route took us from ID97 to 3 to 6 and out to US95 at Potlatch. US95 is not marked scenic on the map, but it was still pleasant. The route we were headed for was US12 east out of Lewiston. US12 is one of the oldest routes across the country. There were signs for Lewis and Clark historic markers every few miles.  It follows the beautiful Clearwater River.

We stayed at the River Dance Lodge right on the river.



Of course, every place is right on the river because by the time you get to Kooskia there is no place to go away from the river except to head up a mountain. Our cabin was beautiful, but not exactly handicap accessible. There were maybe 8 rustic steps down before four steps up to the porch. The alternate route had 5 wide rustic steps and then a slope. Getting Mom in and out with her walker was challenging, but we made it! She enjoyed sitting on the porch reading a book about the Nez Perce Indians of the area.



Did I mention the great view of the river?



Steve had a really good book to read. I hope he puts a review on Amazon when he's done.



No internet at all, which is why this is getting posted on Sunday rather than Saturday. At least I had a good excuse to soak in the hot tube instead of write a blog.



That view of the river is off to the left in this picture.

Their cafe was closed, but we had ordered dinner ahead--one steak, one chicken breast, two baked potatoes, two corn on the cob, salad and two brownies. Dinner for two was plenty for the three of us. We had a bucket of charcoal and container of lighter fluid. We grill all the time at home, but we light our charcoal with a metal chimney. We had a terrible time getting this started and ended up finishing the potatoes and corn in the microwave. It's a good thing Mom and I like our steak rare!

Fireworks started about 10PM Pacific time, which sounds reasonable until you remember that our bodies are still pretty much on Central time. Fortunately they didn't last too long. Or else we fell asleep in spite of them. Of course, Mom just takes her hearing aids out.

Not-Glacier Day 4, East Glacier to Kalispell

Friday, July 3, 2020

Yesterday's cold wind gave way to sunshine. Steve and I drove back up MT49 to a place that overlooked Two Medicine Lake for a picture in the sunlight of where we had been yesterday. 

When we got back, Mom was up and ready to go so we headed west on US2.

The lodge people had recommended a Skyland Rd. into the national forest just after Maria’s Pass. It goes up toward the continental divide. Gravel, but quite doable. Narrow and challenging to find a place to turn around. I guess anyone can camp for free on public land. We saw several tents and a couple RVs pulled off by streams. This being Fourth of July weekend, that wasn’t at all surprising, although one camper looked like it may have been there for a while.

On US2 we caught this guy crossing the road.

We continued west to the park. The line to get in wasn’t too long, but we were turned back just past the tourist area. Too many cars ahead. Try again after lunch. We weren’t about to hang around the tourist shops for two hours even if there weren’t a pandemic on. We used bathrooms and headed out.

The other place the lodge people had recommended was Hungry Horse Reservoir. "It's the same wilderness as in the park." There is a road all the way around the fifty-mile-long lake. 

From the map it looked like the east side (top) was gravel and the west (bottom) paved. Turns out most of the west is gravel as well, but it was all decent road. Beautiful through the lodge pines. The west side was more open to the lake and the mountains beyond, but the east side had some spectacular views as well. MUCH less crowded than the park although we did find people camping at boat launches and lake access points. More on the west than the east. We had lunch by one of the boat launches on the east and met some campers who had relatives in Rice Lake. 

I can’t compare this route to the park since we saw so little of the park, but I would definitely do this route again. Finding a camp site would probably be easier on a non-holiday.

Not-Glacier Day 3 Shelby to East Glacier

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Today’s destination was much closer that yesterday’s. Originally the plan was to stay in the park, but when they rescheduled us from early June, they could only give us two nights, so we made a reservation at Traveler’s Rest Lodge in East Glacier Park, MT. Like the name says, it was just outside the park—about 70 miles from Shelby. The plan had been to explore the east entrances to the park on our way. Only all the east entrances are closed.

Bleh!

US 89 was marked scenic on in our book. We went south on I-15 to Great Falls to catch US89 coming north. I-15 was just like the fields we drove through yesterday—a wasted hour. US89 was a little better—the mountains were visible in the distance to the west. Pretty, but not worth going out of our way for. But we stayed on US89 north of US2 most of the way to the Canadian border. Now THAT was what I call scenic.

It was a cloudy day or I would have had Steve stopping at every pull out. We had hopes of taking MT17 toward the park, but that is reservation land and the sign said it was closed. But the road to the park entrance at Bara wasn’t. Beautiful gravel road along a rushing stream. We went as far as the park entrance and turned back. 

Rather than stay on US89 all the way back to US2, we cut west on MT49, a wonderful winding road through the mountains along the edge of the park and Two Medicine Lake.

Lovely wild flowers.

The lady at the hotel said when the park is open that road is very crowded, but today it was lovely and lonely.

Our lodge is a delightful cabin, heated by a gas fireplace.

Steve figured out right away that she was from Minnesota when she signed off a phone call with “You betcha.” The only negative is the large high windows that have no covering. So we expect to be up by 5 AM to continue exploring!

I find myself deeply disappointed (almost resentful) at all we can’t see. I asked the lodge couple about hiking nearby. They loaned me a can of bear spray and sent me S on 2 to road marker 203 where there is a pull out parking area and a trail head. I found it easily and the scenery was spectacular despite the cold wind, but after I crossed the railroad tracks I found a sign. “Stop. Glacier National Park is Closed. Do not remove this sign on pain of…” whatever. 

Montanans are very independent. The sign didn’t say, “Do Not Enter” in so many words. I probably could have continued. If the sun had been shining, I probably would have overcome my propensity to obey rules. But the clouds were dark and the wind was cold, so I took a few pictures and came home to the cabin to download them. Sigh. Another trip to Glacier will be a must.

I did take some pictures...

Supper was a large can of Hormel chili with corn chips, the end of our lettuce and some cheese. It would have been a lot easier to warm that quantity in a pan, but all we had was a microwave. Sour cream would have been nice, but it tasted fine.

Not-Glacier Day 2, Medora, ND to Shelby, MT

Wed. July 1, 2020

Steve and I backtracked to Painted Canyon while Mom ate breakfast and got ready. There is a rest stop there that was closed last time we were through due to a road problem, but there is a beautiful overlook.

However, the trail goes steeply down, which would mean a steep climb back up, and the “painted” part looked to be at the far end. Steve had wanted to return to Wind Canyon. There is a stone bench with a perfect view of the curve of the river. 

The birds were singing and the sun was shining and the blue sky was reflected in the water. 

I began, “I wish we’d brought…”

“Our breakfast,” Steve finished.

I had told myself I had taken plenty of picture before, but Steve reminded me that that was March with a dusting of snow. So this was completely different. (It was his own fault! He could have let me go on thinking I had plenty of pictures.)

We went back and got Mom who was up and dressed and drove the loop to the point where it is closed for a washout, turned around and drove back. We stopped at the visitor center for bathrooms (PortaPotties for the sake of distancing) and then headed for Shelby, MT.

Have I mentioned that Montana is a big state? You drive and drive and drive, through huge rolling fields. We had decided they must be commercial farms, but Steve asked at the hotel and found they are mostly religious communities like Mennonite, who farm cooperatively. WE had noticed one big house where we thought they must have a lot of kids, but evidently it was multiple families.

When we discovered it was going to be farther to Shelby than we had anticipated, we grabbed Subway to eat in the car instead of picnicking on the tuna ring salad I had brought, so that became supper in the empty breakfast room of the hotel.

Lots more driving across country between fields that remind you why Montana is called "Big Sky Country." Finished another hat.

This deer is a bit clunkier. I'm trying to learn how to do patterns that involve "stranding." Needs more practice.

Not-Glacier Day 1 Home to Medora, ND

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

This was supposed to be a trip to Glacier National Park. It was supposed to happen the beginning of June. Then Covid intervened. And maybe some winter road damage? For whatever reason, the park, including the lodge where we had reservations, decided not to open until mid-June. They were able to reschedule us for July 4^th weekend. Only, then they canceled, saying they weren’t going to open at all this season. 

Except we already had a road trip plan. 

And Steve is going stir crazy at home. 

So slightly revised itinerary and we are off. In this era of pandemic we take Clorox wipes into the rest stop. I forgot it at the hotel room, but Medora, North Dakota is not exactly a hot spot for the virus.

Today was a long day driving across Minnesota and North Dakota. I had started this hat at home, but finished it in the car and started another.

We ate Hormel Compleats for dinner. Not bad considering they can sit on your shelf indefinitely and you warm them in the microwave. Pickled beets for a veg. Fruit salad portions and ginger snaps for dessert.

Tomorrow Steve and I plan to hike in Theodore Roosevelt National Park while Mom gets up at her leisure. We will bring breakfast up to her so she doesn’t need to go into the breakfast room. It has limited seating and you have to wear gloves to touch the utensils. We’ll see how that goes.