Friday September 27: It is 35 degrees this morning at the McFarland BLM Campground where Clifford and I spent the night on our way to Craters of the Moon National Monument in south central Idaho. Since we didn’t unhitch last night, it doesn’t take long for us to be packed up and ready to go this morning.
Dawn color at McFarland BLM Campground
The valley widens, the road is flat and straight, some of our easiest traveling ever.
Highway 28 southern Idaho landscape
Highway 28 southern Idaho landscape
Highway 28 southern Idaho landscape
We arrive at Craters of the Moon about noon and find that the sites are small, very close together, and most are designed for tents or small rigs. In spite of this, we find a nice pull-through spot with our own little ravine and lava piles that will provide a little privacy from nearby neighbors.
A pull-thru site with our own little ravine
After we get set up, we drive the scenic loop, stopping at a couple pull-outs to hike a bit.
North Crater Flow Trail
Trails in Craters of the Moon
Mountain, once a volcano, in the distance
Cinder Cones
Rugged landscape
Devil’s Orchard Trail
We plan to explore a bit more another day, but for now, Clifford needs to nap after the drive, and I settle in to do some editing until the laptop battery runs out. After dinner I have time to write in the journal before starting the bedtime routine.
We
are happy to have arrived and to have found a nice spot where we can
hole up if the storm catches up to us.
Thursday September 26: Today we are leaving our campsite at Bass Creek Recreation Area in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana and heading south on highway 93, down the valley and over Lost Trail Pass. The time in Montana has been great and I am sorry to be leaving, but climate and weather are dictators, so we are heading south.
Last morning at Bass Creek Recreation Area in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana
The Bitterroot Mountains are beautiful and rugged, with a dusting of snow. It is hard to get photos from a moving vehicle with a dirty windshield and tinted side windows. Oh, the frustrations of a photographer/documentarian – me.
Bitterroot Mountains
Dusting of snow
Once past Darby, the highway narrows, becoming more winding and there is no shoulder. It is pretty, but not a great place to be towing.
Rugged mountains as we approach Lost Trail Pass
Fortunately, as we draw closer to Lost Trail Pass, which will take us into southern Idaho, the highway is much improved with shoulders and passing lanes. It is very slow going up, over, and down the pass, steep and winding, but it is a good highway and not scary like the previous shoulderless section.
Lost Trail Pass
Steep and winding
The mountains open up into rugged foothills and we soon see the Salmon River and autumn colors. We stop in the town of Salmon, Idaho, for gas, and then take highway 28 southeast, which on the map appears to be a straight stretch and the closest intersection with I-15, our intended route home. This is new territory for us and, indeed, the highway is straight and the landscape scenic.
Foothills
Salmon River
Landscape near Salmon, Idaho
About 30 miles south of Salmon, we turn in at the BLM McFarland Recreation Area. This campground is small without much privacy, but it is clean, with water available and vault toilets. We are grateful for the convenience of this campground and our peaceful night.
McFarland BLM Campground
Lemhi River
Clifford checks the weather, as we are trying to keep ahead of a big storm descending on the northwest US. It looks like our plan to get to I-15 will put us going through Salt Lake City during the thick of the storm, so a route adjustment is made. We will head, instead, to Craters of the Moon National Park to the southwest of us where we can camp until the storm passes. I’m doing a little secret happy-dance, as I have wanted to go to Craters of the Moon for several years.
Sunday September 22 to Wednesday September 25: These are our last days camping at Bass Creek Recreation Area in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. I do my usual morning walkabouts to the creek or around the campground, but the focus is on seeing my siblings and daughters one last time, as well as meeting a friend.
Morning
at Bass Creek
Bass Creek
One
day Clifford and I make a trip to Missoula, the nearest “big”
town, to see my daughter Merri and my granddaughter, Ali, and have
lunch with them. Another day I make a trip to see my sister Lillian
who lives outside nearby Stevensville, not far from where my dad grew
up and where we used to visit our grandparents.
Crossing the Bitterroot River to visit my sister
Sisters
Another day, I drive over the mountain to visit my daughter Ang. I had intentions of spending the night, but due to a possible big storm with an early snowfall, our travel plans have changed again. I won’t be spending the night with her, but I am glad for the time we do have.
Crossing the Clarkfork River to visit Ang
Ang’s greenhouse
Tea and wine in the greenhouse
We
cancel the get together with our friend, and I also cancel a planned
hike with my sister Nancy, but see her briefly when I drop off my car
for safekeeping until next summer.
Good-bye to Bass Creek
We
will be leaving in the morning, heading south through the Bitterroot
Valley and into southern Idaho. Camping in Montana has been great
this summer, seeing my kids, grandkids, siblings, and friends has
been great, but now it is time to move on. Good-bye Montana, and I
plan to see you next summer!
Wednesday September 18 – After my morning walk around the Charles Water Campground (Bass Creek Recreation Area) in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana where Clifford and I are camped, we say good-bye to my brother, Rollie, as he is heading out this morning. I will miss the music sessions playing bluegrass with him and sharing a morning pot of coffee, as well as playing cribbage after dinner most evenings.
Bass Creek
Our leaving is being delayed as we have discovered our Suburban has a problem. Luckily we are still here in Montana, as we know a mechanic in Missoula and I have my car to get us around. We will take the Suburban to the mechanic as soon as he has an opening. In the meantime, I have a few more days to see family before we head back to base-camp in Utah.
It is a good day for walks along the creek, playing with my new app – Snapseed – and working on blogs.
The scene
Using Snapseed for emphasis
Bass Creek (no Snapseed)
Evening is a freak-out when a mouse runs right over my foot! I spray peppermint everywhere, especially in the bedroom, but still have a hard time falling asleep.
Thursday September 19: I love going to the creek in the quiet of the morning, but this morning I am drawn to the mist in the mountain and head that direction.
Mist in the mountain
My daughter Ang was going to come visit, as she is interested in Clifford’s ham radio operation, but her truck keys are missing. So, no visit, darn…………. The rest of the day is taken up with our various projects.
Evening at Bass Creek
Friday September 20 is a town day as we drop off the Suburban and then go to Cracker Barrel for lunch and Barnes & Noble for browsing and using their wifi, getting caught up with things that are hard to take care of with the hotspot at camp.
Back to camp after a day in Missoula
Saturday September 21: Morning quiet time is spent at the creek and wandering through the woods.
Bass Creek in the morning
Mushroom in the woods
We see snow in the mountains, which brings up the question of the route home. In the interest of saving time and covering more distance, we will head straight south through the Bitterroot Valley and over Lost Trail Pass into southern Idaho, which is not the route I had planned and I will have to forego seeing one of my sons and his family. I am sad about this, but understand decisions have to be made to accommodate our current situation.
The lichen-covered branches call to mind the snow that will soon descend upon this valley
Friday September 13: My siblings and I and our significant others are getting together here at the Charles Water Campground in the Bass Creek Recreation Area in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. Clifford and I arrived yesterday afternoon, and my brother Rollie arrived soon after. Even though Clifford and I had to run into Missoula for errands today, we are back in time to join in the potluck at Rollie’s campsite, where we all gather around a big campfire for conversation and good food. It is such a joy to spend time together with these people!
Because
it is already near dark when we gather, no photos are taken except
for attempts at catching the beauty of the rising full moon.
An attempt to catch the rising moon
Saturday September 14: The high point of today is getting together with Rollie and friends of his to play bluegrass music and share dinner around another campfire. The low point is finding that mice have gotten into Cougar, which means scouring stove, pans, counters, and so on, and setting traps in the evening.
Sunday September 15: My siblings, by good luck and some finagling manage to get together again for photos, since we didn’t get group photos on Friday. We take photos of each other as couples and the sibling group, but enlist the help of a neighbor camper to take photos of the whole group of us. Quite the deal with the sun casting bright lights and shadows, as well as the humans being their sometimes goofy selves! We have a good time and lots of photos to sort through.
Clifford and Carol
The bunch of us
Shortly
after that, dear friends of mine come out to visit. We hike up the
Bass Creek Trail and chat about all our projects and the meaning of
our lives. It is great to see them and I manage a few photos of the
creek as we walk and talk.
Bass Creek
Bass Creek
Getting my photo taken at Bass Creek
Wednesday is a day of more bluegrass music with Rollie and his bluegrass friends, as well as the usual activities around camping.
Thursday morning is rainy and I enjoy the opportunity of taking photos of the creek before my sister Lillian arrives.
Rain drops on the creek
She and I are going to drive over the mountain to visit my daughter Ang. As always, Ang has huge projects going on, and she is waiting for our arrival with a fire in the firepit, steaks and wine ready, as well as fresh veggies from her greenhouse.
I
have learned that there is an app called Snapseed that a cell phone
users like for editing photos. Since I have largely switched to using
my cell phone as my main camera, Ang downloads Snapseed for me, and
then we have fun trying out some of the tools that it offers.
Before Snapseed
Playing with Snapseed
Before Snapseed
Playing with Snapseed
Before Snapseed Playing
Playing with Snapseed
Daughter
Merri arrives and we have a great meal and a good time talking.
Since I have to drive, wine is exchanged for tea, and the lively
conversation carries on. Lillian takes photos of my girls and me
before we reluctantly pull ourselves away from the campfire and head
on back to Bass Creek.
Thursday September 12 is our last morning at Seeley Lake Campground in the Seeley-Swan Valley of western Montana. I am awake and up before Clifford, and there isn’t any more packing I can do until he is up and showered. A heavy mist is rising from the meadow and the lake, so it is a great time for a last lake walk. I take photos of trees in the mist, and as I return to camp, the mist is lifting above the meadow and the sun is coming through, bringing bright color to the land.
Mist over the meadow
Trees in the mist
Mist rising from the lake
The mist is lifting and color returns to the land
Once Clifford is up, we have a light breakfast and finish packing and are on our way by 10:00 a.m. Our destination today is the Bass Creek Recreation Area in the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula, Montana. We arrive there in the mid-afternoon and are really pleased to find that the site where we camped in July is available.
Happy to have this site at Bass Creek Recreation Area
We
get set up and shortly afterward, my brother Rollie arrives in his
class A and finds a spot on the opposite side of the loop. After he
gets set up, I make a late lunch for all of us. Later, Rollie and I
play bluegrass music with Clifford as our appreciative audience. I
miss the lake, but this is a good spot and it is especially good to
have a few more days to see family before we head back to Utah.
September 10 & 11 are our last days at Seeley Lake Campground in the Seeley-Swan Valley of western Montana. We’ve certainly enjoyed our beautiful and peaceful spot here, but we have to move on so we can see family and friends before we head back to home-base in southeast Utah.
The great trees at our campsite
On one of these days we visit a friend who lives in the valley. He sure knows about good food and we have a superb lunch. It is a really good visit.
An outing up the valley
On the way back to our campsite at Seeley Lake, we explore another lake and at a pullout alongside the highway, I have only one minute to take photos as the last light of the setting sun is reflecting off the water.
Reflection of the setting sun
The next day, I have a campfire in the morning, my last chance here.
Coffee and journal at the campfire
During the day, I spend as much time as possible at the lake. I love seeing how the light changes the look of the lake and the mountains.
Midday at Seeley Lake
It is also a good day to play our instruments outdoors.
A good outdoor day….
with the instruments
Afternoon light begins to color the clouds
Evening light across the lake
In the evening, we pack up as much as we can so as to get an early start in the morning.
September 8 & 9: Drizzle to rain and back to drizzle has everything wet here at the Seeley Lake Campground in the Seeley/Swan Valley of western Montana.
Rainy morning walk
Rainy morning walk
Trail along the lake on a rainy day
Now and then the sun breaks through, and Clifford and I take advantage of these moments to play our instruments outside and to repair the leak in the gutter that is allowing water to drip under the awning.
Campsite at Seeley Lake Campground
The meadow as the sun breaks through for awhile
Viola comes out to play when the sun shines
I enjoy walks down to the lake and out into the meadow, and when it is raining too hard to be outside, I write blogs and finish editing a book for my daughter Ang, glad for the a dry warm space to carry on with projects. Clifford mostly works with his ham radio.
Trees at the meadow
Western Larch at the campsite
It doesn’t sound like much, but we are both quite busy all day.
Saturday September 7: It is a cloudy drizzly morning here at Seeley Lake Campground in the Seeley-Swan Valley of western Montana where Clifford and I are camping, having arrived just a couple of days ago.
Campsite at Seeley Lake Campground
I make coffee and then walk to the lake, taking the trail past the beach and along the shore to the woods. I have my journal and sit on the bench that overlooks the lake, but is too drizzly to write, so I just read a poem by Mary Oliver and listen to a morning meditation on my cell. It is a nice peaceful way to start the day.
Trail along the lake to the woods
My favorite bench
By time I get back to our campsite, Clifford is up and we have breakfast. Today we need to go to Seeley Lake (town) to pick up our mail, so we decide to take the opportunity to explore a bit, going first to Lake Placid, discovering some dispersed camping spots on the way to this lovely mountain lake, and then taking the loop back to Seeley Lake.
Creek crossing on Lake Placid Road
Lake Placid
Lake Placid
The only problem is that what is on the map and what is on the ground don’t relate much and we end up at a place called Hidden Lake. It is an okay place for tent camping, but we wouldn’t try bringing Cougar here.
Hidden Lake
The
road back to Seeley Lake is sketchy and we are not even 100% certain
we are on the right road until we reach the outskirts of town. We
pick up a few groceries at the market, then head back to camp. I play
viola while Clifford naps, and later, after dinner, he plays dulcimer
while I get the next photo/travel blog ready to post. It certainly
was a fun day!
Thursday September 5, Clifford and I leave our campground at Swan Lake Recreation Area in northwest Montana, heading south on Highway 83 through the lovely Seeley-Swan Valley. Great mountains rise up on either side of this valley, the Mission Range to the west and the Swan Range to the east. Our destination is the Seeley Lake Campground, about 60 miles down the valley from Swan Lake.
Mission Range in the Seeley-Swan Valley
We
arrive before noon with numerous sites to choose from, although the
three sites right along the lake are taken. We decide to look more
closely at the loop where we have not previously camped, as the level
sites were always taken. However, this morning, this loop is open
and we pick a really great spot, level and spacious, with tall
western larch and Douglas fir, and a view of the meadow.
A great spot at Seeley Lake Campground
Although
I loved our spot at Swan Lake and thought nothing would compare to
it, this spot at Seeley Lake, being more natural and wild is every
bit as inviting to me. As soon as we are set up, I explore the lake
closest to this loop, which happens to be where the water lilies
flourish.
Seeley Lake
Lilies
Friday morning is overcast with a drizzle, which doesn’t keep me from walking down to the lake for photos.
Drizzly morning at Seeley Lake
Drizzle turns to rain
As the drizzle becomes a steady rain, it turns out to be a good day for inside activities. Clifford works with his ham radios and I edit my daughter Ang’s novel Regent’s Way and write blogs. Cougar is cozy and we are comfortable.
