Monday September 30: It is a chilly day at Craters of the Moon National Monument in southern Idaho where Clifford and I are camped. The storm we were staying ahead of caught up to us here yesterday with a skiff of snow and today the chilly temperatures remain: 26 degrees this morning, even though it is still September.
Views from the trail to the lava knoll
I go up to the lava
knoll, but it must be too cold for my cell to work and no texts are
sent. But I do take photos of the snow on the surrounding hills.
Snowy hills
We had planned to drive up to Stanley to explore the countryside, but after cleaning up mouse droppings (ugh!) and scouring pans and counters, we don’t have enough time for a drive. Instead, we walk over to the Visitors Center to watch a movie on Craters of the Moon. We see that this area does get a lot of snow in the winter.
Walk to the Visitors Center
We work on inside projects, and since Clifford was able to get his hotspot to work, we even get on the net for awhile to check email. I make another trip to the lava knoll just before sunset. Chilly, but the light is pretty.
Late afternoon hike to lava knoll
Views on the trail
Lone tree at lava knoll
View from lava knoll
After dinner, I pack
up the kitchen as much as possible, as we plan to leave in the
morning. It has been fun here, but we want to get to Great Basin
National Park before the weekend crowd arrives.
Sunday September 29: Not only can I smell snow, I can see the snow this morning at Craters of the Moon National Monument in southern Idaho, where Clifford and I are camped. It is only a skiff, but foggy, which seems strange as there are no streams or rivers nearby. I dress warmly before walking to the restroom and then hiking up to the lava knoll where I can get cell service to send a text or two. Mostly I am excited to take a few photos in the misty ambiance.
Trail to the lava knoll
Trail to the lava knoll
Views from the trail to the lava knoll
Views from the trail to the lava knoll
Lone tree on the lava knoll
The wind picks up…
…and the fog deepens
Heading down
Nearing the campsite
Today is mostly a day of inside activities, being too chilly to be outside with the heavy overcast and wind.
Saturday September 28: When I open the door this morning, I smell snow. I don’t see snow, but I know it is not far away. I hike to the top of a knoll on the trail that goes past the amphitheater to the North Crater Flow Trail where we hiked yesterday. From that knoll, one can get enough cell signal to send a text, or even a photo now and then.
Heading to the knoll
Rain starts at midday, so activities are mostly indoors. For me: journaling, blog writing, and editing Regent’s Way, the next book in a great epic fantasy series by an author whom I know. Clifford gets his ham radio set up. His phone has better cell reception than mine, so his hotspot works intermittently and he is able to take care of some of his projects using the net.
Raining at Craters of the Moon
In
the afternoon, the rain lets up and the sun comes out, so we drive
the loop again and I take more photos.
Scenic Loop
Scenic Loop
Scenic Loop
Scenic Loop
Back
at camp, before starting dinner, I hike up to the top of the knoll
again as the light is really looking good to me. As I walk back to
the campsite, the daylight ends with a striking sunset.
Hiking to the knoll
Sunset at Craters of the Moon
In
the evening, Clifford starts the generator and we have power for
lights and for charging our devices, which allows us to carry on with
our projects. We are very fortunate, as we see neighbors in tents
who turn in early to escape the dark and the chill of the night.
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.
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.
August 26th through 30thare full days spent at our campsite at the Swan Lake Recreation Area in northwest Montana. Being retired, we are busier than ever with our projects. Clifford is doing some research in connection with his non-profit – Carnicom Institute, flying via flight simulation software, working with his ham radios, and playing the dulcimer. I walk around the campground and down to the day-use area alongside Swan Lake to take photos, write blogs, edit books for a couple of authors, and play viola. Now and then we get a bit of rain, and for the most part, the weather is mild for August.
Sunrise at the Swan Lake
Leaves after the rain
One of my favorite spots at Swan Lake day-use area
Every
morning I sit out to write in my journal, sometimes going down to the
lake and sometimes making a campfire at our site. A book of poems by
Mary Oliver is a daily inspiration to me.
Journal and coffee at a morning campfire
A couple of times we drive to the pull-out about a mile from the campground where we can get cell service. I post a blog and send texts to my kids and siblings while Clifford downloads whatever software he needs for his next project.
Swan Lake view at the pull-out
One
highlight of these days is a visit from a CI supporter who happens to
live in the area and who treats us to a great dinner at a fancy place
in Bigfork – Show Thyme. If you are ever in Bigfork, check it out.
Going to dinner
Show Thyme
A
bit of excitement is the bear that was seen by our RV neighbors at
the day-use area and then seen at the other loop of the campground.
On one of my walks to the lake, I could smell a musky odor and knew
that the bear had recently passed by. Clifford, on his bicycle, also
smelled the bear and saw fresh scat. The hosts are very attentive and
make sure everyone keeps a clean camp, so we don’t expect trouble.
Lush forest
Walking back to our campsite, this is where I smelled the bear
Friday August 23: As soon as I get up, I make coffee for the little thermos and head down to the day-use area here at the Swan Lake Recreation Area of northwest Montana where Clifford and I are camped. I find a picnic table in the sunshine where I can sit to write in the journal. The mountains on the other side of the lake are nearly obscured by mist. When the mist lifts and the sun goes behind a tree, I gather my stuff and head back to camp.
Coffee and journal in the sunshine
Mist in the mountains
In the afternoon, an independent film crew comes to our campsite to get footage of Clifford and his research. Hopefully, some of this material will make its way into a documentary on environmental issues.
Clifford at work
A walkabout in the later afternoon includes another visit to Swan Lake. I also spend time editing for a couple of authors. Since there is no cell service here, writing blogs, posting photos, and texting family get put on a back-burner.
Swan Lake
Saturday August 24 and Sunday August 25: We meet the film crew in the town of Bigfork, Montana, about 15 miles north of our Swan Lake campground. This gives us a chance to discuss the work that Clifford has done over the last two decades. The place we have chosen to meet serves an excellent brunch. We also have a chance to see a little of Bigfork, an attractive and vibrant town with a resident population of about 5,000 people. Many visitors swell this number at certain times of the year, as there is an active theater group here, as well as many other activities and events.
A most excellent latte
A great place for brunch
Galleries and ….
more galleries
Bigfork
In the evening, Clifford and I sit at a campfire and relax. It has been a busy several days and it is nice to have a little time to just be.
