Monday July 14, 2008 Hungry Horse, Montana
We left the town of Polson, Montana this morning to head north along the western shore of Flathead Lake. About noon we arrived in Kalispell.
While visiting Bruce’s cousin, Vicki in Minnesota, she told me about a wall hanging of hers that really caught my eye. She had bought it from a man who had begun to salvage old sheep and cattle ranch fence posts from Montana and recycle them into pieces of art. Each one is unique and has a piece of barbed wire hanging from it. I wrote down the information about the artist, noted that he was from Montana and then promptly lost the piece of paper! Last night I found it and was thrilled to read that he lived in Kalispell!!!
So, with the wonders of our GPS we drove out to his workshop. We luckily found he and his wife at home packing to leave on a trip back to their home state of Iowa the next morning. Meant to be!
After a small purchase we were off to grab a bite to eat and get back on the road to White Fish, Montana. As we approached the town, we could easily see the huge winter ski runs on a mountain facing south. The runs were green with grass and looked as if there was a run for every ability level.
My good friend and old roommate Susanne and her family have vacationed in the area for years and now have a vacation condo there. I can now see why. It is an area that has something going on during every season of the year. Because we had the trailer in tow, we opted to return another day when our truck would be easier to maneuver.
We found a nice campground along the north fork of the Flathead River near Hungry Horse Reservoir. The Ponderosa Pines in the park added a distinguishing “camping” scent which we thoroughly enjoyed. Bruce hiked down to the river and said that it was a gorgeous, clear turquoise…not the cloudy blue of many glacial waterways. We are 8 miles from the west entrance to Glacier National Park.
Once settled, we drove up beyond the dam at Hungry Horse to scope out National Park campgrounds for our friends that are coming up on Thursday. Although they have typically camped in primitive National Park campgrounds in the area, they are pulling a new 5th wheel and have concerns about the access roads. Without generator power and water, we’ll stay put in this campground and connect during the day.
Somehow my family survived fine camping without the conveniences of electricity, water and sewer…I just don’t remember how!?? …port-a-potty…bags hung from a toilet seat on a stand?... kerosene lanterns, white gas stoves that you had to pump to prime before lighting, and showers in the bathrooms, if you’re lucky or spit baths at the campsite accomplished by boiling water and cleaning up behind a draped sheet on a clothesline!?? Ahhhhh, the good old days!
There were bear warnings everywhere. Luckily while in Kalispell, we picked up a canister of bear pepper spray. Our campground has barbed wire around the perimeter, except where the trail descends to the river. I think we’ll be safe.
One thing that I have been enjoying again is the longer summer days in the north. Sunset has been around 9:30pm and doesn’t get dark until 10pm…more to enjoy!
We left the town of Polson, Montana this morning to head north along the western shore of Flathead Lake. About noon we arrived in Kalispell.
While visiting Bruce’s cousin, Vicki in Minnesota, she told me about a wall hanging of hers that really caught my eye. She had bought it from a man who had begun to salvage old sheep and cattle ranch fence posts from Montana and recycle them into pieces of art. Each one is unique and has a piece of barbed wire hanging from it. I wrote down the information about the artist, noted that he was from Montana and then promptly lost the piece of paper! Last night I found it and was thrilled to read that he lived in Kalispell!!!
So, with the wonders of our GPS we drove out to his workshop. We luckily found he and his wife at home packing to leave on a trip back to their home state of Iowa the next morning. Meant to be!
After a small purchase we were off to grab a bite to eat and get back on the road to White Fish, Montana. As we approached the town, we could easily see the huge winter ski runs on a mountain facing south. The runs were green with grass and looked as if there was a run for every ability level.
My good friend and old roommate Susanne and her family have vacationed in the area for years and now have a vacation condo there. I can now see why. It is an area that has something going on during every season of the year. Because we had the trailer in tow, we opted to return another day when our truck would be easier to maneuver.
We found a nice campground along the north fork of the Flathead River near Hungry Horse Reservoir. The Ponderosa Pines in the park added a distinguishing “camping” scent which we thoroughly enjoyed. Bruce hiked down to the river and said that it was a gorgeous, clear turquoise…not the cloudy blue of many glacial waterways. We are 8 miles from the west entrance to Glacier National Park.
Once settled, we drove up beyond the dam at Hungry Horse to scope out National Park campgrounds for our friends that are coming up on Thursday. Although they have typically camped in primitive National Park campgrounds in the area, they are pulling a new 5th wheel and have concerns about the access roads. Without generator power and water, we’ll stay put in this campground and connect during the day.
Somehow my family survived fine camping without the conveniences of electricity, water and sewer…I just don’t remember how!?? …port-a-potty…bags hung from a toilet seat on a stand?... kerosene lanterns, white gas stoves that you had to pump to prime before lighting, and showers in the bathrooms, if you’re lucky or spit baths at the campsite accomplished by boiling water and cleaning up behind a draped sheet on a clothesline!?? Ahhhhh, the good old days!
There were bear warnings everywhere. Luckily while in Kalispell, we picked up a canister of bear pepper spray. Our campground has barbed wire around the perimeter, except where the trail descends to the river. I think we’ll be safe.
One thing that I have been enjoying again is the longer summer days in the north. Sunset has been around 9:30pm and doesn’t get dark until 10pm…more to enjoy!
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