June 2019- Wow.

Early June meant Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and time with our dear friends Wayne and Suzy. Though the RV park was nothing to brag about and the weather was only so-so, we still managed to have a great time sight-seeing and touring the lake area. We even continued our new tradition of renting a pontoon boat to tour the lake and (sort of) fish… In spite of the rain, we spent quality time catching up on the latest doings and just enjoying each others’ company into the night. Next meeting place- sometime in the autumn in the Pacific Northwest! Anyone else up for it?!

Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Then we had to bid adieu to the good times as Wayne and Suzy went back to house-hunting and we headed onward to the Canadian border and British Columbia, ever northwards.

We knew we would be delayed at the border as we declared that we were carrying a shotgun, and sure enough, we were instructed to park the rig and wait inside the border facility while two border patrol agents inspected the Beast (looking for any undeclared weapons). We never did figure out what they did in the rig, as they never opened the slides so couldn’t access anything but the refrigerator and bathroom! They even left the old celery in the fridge even though we had eaten or discarded all other fruits and veggies, as the Canadian Border Patrol website had instructed.

We also had a moment of anxiety as the agent at the border window had told us we couldn’t even transport the shotgun through their national parks (the most direct way to get where we’re going). As we pondered how the heck we were going to get up to Dawson Creek without going through the parks, the agent inside assured us we could transport, just couldn’t stay overnight inside the parks. So it’s a mystery; why did the agent in the window give us incorrect info and what did the agents in the rig do the whole 10 minutes they were in there?!

Moving on up the road to a place called Fairmont Hot Springs and a campground called Spruce Grove on the Columbia River, we were met with a more-than-pleasant surprise (click on any image to view the slideshow):

We found a kayaking outfitter that, for a small fee, would allow us to put in at their landing and pick us up downriver with their kayak-renting customers. We snatched up that deal!

So the picture below takes a little explaining. After watching dive-bombing Ospreys chase bald eagles out of their fishing space (and bald eagles fighting back), we were amazed to round a bend of the river to come across something (literally) doing the butterfly stroke in the river. We had to get closer to see that it was a bald eagle swimming across the river toward shore. At first we thought maybe it was injured; turned out it just didn’t want to let go of the ginormous fish it had it its talons! Another taste of Wild Kingdom right in front of us!

With the seasons pushing us onward toward Alaska, we couldn’t be in this part of British Columbia without exploring Banff National Park, so the next day we headed out for another day trip. And what a day it was… it seems that rounding corners in this neck of the woods means you’ll see some amazing things!

After about a two-hour drive, we stopped at a must-see destination (though we tourists have turned it into a bit of a circus), the beautiful Lake Louise. The water is turquoise from the glacier melt that you can see in the center background. We had considered bringing the kayaks but were glad we didn’t; we would have had to carry them about 1/10th of a mile to the shore, and the only place to put in was owned by the hotel on site. Rumor had it they didn’t share that space nicely.

Afterwards, we headed back south to the town of Banff and had lunch. We came all the way from Denver to eat at a Cajun restaurant (although some of the best food this side of N’awlins). We did not partake of the Alligator Salad.

Sadly, we had to leave this lovely place if we wanted to make it to Alaska before the snow flies, but I had to catch a few last pics of the Columbia River out our back door as the sun set (at 10:15 that night!).

Jasper National Park, Alberta

Though we were sad to leave the Columbia River, we knew our next leg would be amazing as well, so off to Jasper we went. We took advantage of a giant pull-out beside an incredible view along what’s known as the Icefields Parkway. Lunching beside a portion of the Columbia Icefields (Click here for more info) was truly a jaw-dropping experience. Certainly made the PB&Js taste that much better!

And our final wildlife experience, Rocky Mountain goats. My favorite is the baby:

We’re currently in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, historic for being Mile ZERO of the Alaska-Canada (Alcan) Highway, which is almost 1500 miles long. Here’s some history on the highway.

Once we get on this road I think we’ll really feel like we’re on the way to Alaska. We’ve already logged a bit over 8,000 miles since we began our adventure (including all side excursions and trips, shopping trips, groceries, etc), and we’re about to add another 1500. Holy cow, what a blast!

Polson, MT and Flathead Lake – Updated, & Glacier National Park

Well, the weather stayed icky for several days, so in addition to just living, you know, like doing laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, that kind of stuff, we managed to take a tour around the lake to check out put-in spots for kayaking, because surely, the weather had to break for us sometime! Here’s what we found on our circle-tour:

Yay, the next day dawned bright and sunny! So it was time to load up the kayaks and fishing gear and head back up to the north end and the town of Somers. All around the lake there are public points of access where you can put in boats or small watercraft, really fantastic. The haze you see in the pics is caused by some wildfires up in Alberta, Canada, and the winds from the north are bringing the smoke down to Montana.

Not ready to end the day (it stays light until almost 10:00pm), we headed south of Polson to see the dam that was installed on the Flathead River. For those interested, here’s a little history:

The Kerr Dam, since 2015 officially known as the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam, was built in 1938 and raises the level and increases the size of Flathead Lake. The dam was designed to generate hydroelectricity but also serves recreational and irrigation uses.

The dam was originally named after Frank Kerr, president of the Montana Power Company, which undertook the construction with federal assistance during the Great Depression. The dam is located within the Flathead Indian Reservation and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes operated it jointly with successive electric companies. In 2015 the tribes and their energy company completed purchase of the dam. –Excerpted from Wikipedia

The next day was even nicer, 80 degrees and no wind. So off to the east side of the lake we headed, to Blue Bay and a private campground with a boat launch. Once again, no luck fishing for Gary but it was a beautiful day to be out on the water. I was experimenting with the GoPro most of the time and so neglected to take any pics! I’ll get the vids uploaded to YouTube and will share a link as soon as they’re ready.

Realizing we were only about 75 miles from Glacier National Park, we decided to take a day trip there even though some of its most famous areas were still closed by winter snows, namely the Going to the Sun Road. But we saw some amazing sights anyway, and have vowed that we’ll return one of these summers, perhaps on the way to the 2020 summer trip to Minnesota? (looking at you, Rob and Stacy!) OMG, the Flathead River has got to be one of the most beautiful rivers in the entire country, with its fast-flowing turquoise waters. Unreal…

So that’s a wrap for this trip to Polson, Montana and the Flathead Lake area. We will definitely return someday, and now, on to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and quality time with some great friends!

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Holy. Cow.

Apologies to all Montanans but we had never heard of Polson or Flathead Lake before. I booked this place as a last resort when I had forgotten about Memorial Day weekend and full campgrounds. This was the only place that had an opening within a couple hundred miles of Coeur d’Alene, where we need to be on June 2.

Boy, were we in for a surprise…

Twenty-eight miles long and 15 miles wide, the shot above is just the south end of the lake. It is simply magnificent… we’re in a KOA on the outskirts of town, perched on a hill overlooking the lake, a beautiful campground with our own little yard and deck!

We’re here until June 2, so here’s hoping the weather turns and we can get the kayaks out on this lake. Bubba’s itchin’ to go fishin’! Stay tuned!
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