SALMON, ID (We leave today for Missoula).  It is hard to say goodbye to Salmon and all the people we met here.  Betty repeatedly met business owners and doctors whom she taught years ago in elementary school!  A unique small town experience.  Quite plaintive for us both, but especially for her.  She is struggling to say goodbye.

It Has Been So Pleasant Here Before the Snow Storm

We Even Drove Up to Williams Lake on a Beautiful Day

But then an early snow storm in late September changed everything, so it is time to move on.  I hear there are record high temperatures back home in Florida.  Perhaps it will cool off a bit as we return south over the next month.

I shot the short video below yesterday morning through the motorhome window using my phone.

As we walked out to the church parking lot yesterday afternoon, the view of the surrounding mountains was as follows:

View Eastward from Church Parking Lot

SALMON, ID.  We have entered the weekend, and the wind gusts are strong and the temperatures dropping.  It is snowing on the surrounding mountains.

Snowing on the Bitteroot Mountains

Yesterday we drove "down river" to a place near Pine Creek Rapids with the Sundbergs.  The light was beautiful, and we wished that we had allowed ourselves more time there before we had to leave for dinner reservations in Gibbonsville.  A couple photos were all that I can include below.

Scenic Salmon River

Gene and Kathy Sundberg with Betty

SALMON, ID.  This was to be our last day in Salmon, leaving tomorrow for Butte, MT for a day, then proceeding to Livingston, MT, just 30 miles north of the north gate of Yellowstone NP, for a week.  All this planning was done on the basis of our memory of things two years ago when we passed through this area.  It was unseasonably warm then, but now snow is forecast for Butte and Livingston for the rest of September.  We would be driving into that part of Montana in a cold rain, which would turn into snow the next day.  Livingston, our second day there, is forecast to have up to 3 inches of snow, followed by freezing rain, etc.

We thus have decided to stay here in Salmon until the bad weather in Montana clears.  We also will take a route that avoids the most mountainous roads to be sure to have clear passage. That will route us through Missoula on Sept 30th, then to Butte on Oct 1st and on to Livingston on Oct 2nd.  We shall stay in Livingston on Oct 3rd, then leave there as originally planned on Oct 4th.  After that we travel south and eastward toward home, with a few stops for several days, still arriving home Nov 1.

Once again we are glad to have this nice place to stay in Salmon along the river.  We may get snow here over the next few days, but nothing like what Montana will get.   We are surrounded by mountains which usually shield Salmon from heavy rains and snow.



 

SALMON, ID (second week).  On Saturday, the 21st, Betty and I visited the Sacajawea Center here in Salmon.  This is her birthplace, but she was kidnapped by the Minitari tribe of the Dakotas, which is where Lewis and Clark accepted her guidance service.  It was especially advantageous for the Corps of Discovery after they crossed the Bitteroot Mountains and were near starvation when they met the Shoshones in Lemhi Valley and their chief was Sacajawea's brother.  The Corps got all the assistance and supplies they needed to continue to the Pacific Ocean.

CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Exhibit at the Front of the Center

Another Informative Exhibit

Betty at Sacajawea Statue

There Is Even a Tribute to Lewis' Dog

Some Clarification About Sacajawea

More Information About Sacajawea

The Agaidika Shoshone Tribe

The Corps Enters Sacajawea's Birthplace

The Corps Meets Sacajawea's People

Sacajawea Is Reunited with Her People

There Is a Network of Trails Through the Center

The Trail Wends Through the Historic Area

Historic Old Cabin on Premises

Recreation of Tribal Village

View Through Hut

Brush Lodge Exhibit

Brush Lodge

Recreation of Tribal Tipi Structure

Tipi Exhibit

Complete Tipi 

Salmon Were Central Food Source

Artistic Tribute to Salmon

Artistic Tribute to Bald Eagle

On Sunday, the 22nd, we attended Betty's former church, which has hills and the Bitteroot Mountains in the background.

Betty's Former Church

Closeup of Mountains

SALMON, ID (Day 7).  We are enjoying it so much here that we have decided to stay for another week.  We cancelled our reservations in Stanley and Arco, since we both have seen those places already, and they are experiencing temperatures in the 20s at night. 

So, we shall be leaving here on the 26th heading for Butte, MT for one night before continuing on to Livingston, MT for a week in that beautiful place 30 miles north of the north gate of Yellowstone NP.

A couple days ago as we drove back here to the RV park we noticed a new arrival.  A couple from California were camped in a trailer and were seated outside with three peregrine falcons perched on small pedestals stuck into the ground.  They use them to hunt grouse without the use of firearms.  We had no idea anyone still did that, but it is apparently common in this part of the country.  Sometimes the people you meet along the journey amaze you.

Three Peregrine Falcons at Campsite

SALMON, ID.  We are parked in the same spot that we were two years ago when we came here.  Right by the Salmon River.  We shall be here a week to relax and chill out.  Even in this small town there is good internet and cell phone service, more than 95% of our prior stops could say for themselves.

Yesterday we also had internet, so I added a lot of photos for prior posts.

There We Are On the Left

MISSOULA, MT.  Made it to just north of Missoula.  Have WIFI for first time in a while.

Will be doing laundry tonight, as we had no decent laundry or water pressure (or sewer) at last campground.  Rained or very foggy whole time in Glacier park area.  Bad weather seems to follow us. Cleared up beautifully as we drove away today.

Tomorrow we leave for Salmon, ID where Betty lived for many years before we were married.

WEST GLACIER, MT.  We arrived here on the 7th around noon, soon joined by the Sundbergs who parked next to us in their trailer.  That afternoon we visited one area of Glacier NP that reminded me of the redwood forests of northern California, but the trees were mostly Western Cedars.  There was a river that ran through the area, with heavy moss on the rocks.  I took a few photos, but really wanted to see Going-to-the-Sun Road and Logan Pass in this great light.

Betty Got This Shot of Steven

Betty Photos Sundbergs at Lake McDonald in Glacier NP

Bottom of Felled Tree on Exhibit

River and Moss-covered Rocks

The next day, the 8th, we drove to the Going-to-the-Sun Road early in the morning.  The weather was supposed to be clear all morning, then clouding up in the afternoon.  It did not turn out that way.  As we entered this area, it got increasingly cloudy.  Then over the mountain peaks swept a thick fog that engulfed everything for the remainder of the day.

Fog Sweeping Over Mountains

Entering Tunnel on Going-to-the-Sun Road

Exiting Tunnel into Solid Fog

Fog Had Engulfed Entire Valley Below

That night it started raining hard.  It continued to rain on-and-off and turn colder the remainder of the time we were there until we drove away, when it cleared up.

Just outside West Glacier, in Columbia Falls, is a unique sight that you cannot miss as you drive by on the main highway to West Glacier and Glacier NP.  A couple from Southern California felt led to set up here an outdoor exhibit devoted to the ten commandments.  We stopped in to talk to them, and we could hardly get away without a couple free bumper stickers and tee shirts.  He is a high-pressure salesman, a Mel Gibson look-alike, and highly adrenalized about his calling.  Click on photo below for a closer view.

Gods10.com Outdoor Exhibit

KALISPELL, MT (Day 2).  Spent the day running errands, housekeeping chores, and working on photos of our time in Jasper NP and Maligne Canyon.  Many beautiful sights there, but a demanding hike in the latter.

Tomorrow we leave for West Glacier, where we shall spend a few days with the Sundbergs, good friends from Salmon, ID.  They were like brother and sister to Betty when she lived there for many years before we got married and she moved to Florida.  From West Glacier we all go to Salmon, where we shall spend a week before continuing on in our slow journey back home to St Augustine in November.

We have been gone from home so long that we nearly feel like Lewis and Clark.  It has been nearly four months now, but seems longer.  The distances driven are much longer than any other trip that we have taken.

KALISPELL, MT.  Got here at the Rocky Mountain HI RV Park around 3 pm. We set up and left for the best-rated urgent care place in town.  Saw a good doctor who diagnosed my symptoms as a kind of stress-driven asthma.  The hike in Maligne Canyon was the crowning blow to fatigue from the RV tour.  Was prescribed medication to control the symptoms, which takes about a week to take full effect.  Just glad to know how to control the symptoms.  Will be here another day before leaving for West Glacier.

FORT STEELE, BC.  We finally have WIFI again.  We are almost to the USA border, and we shall leave tomorrow for Kalispell, MT.  This is a change in plans.  We left Banff two days early in order to get into America earlier so that I can visit an urgent  care facility to determine what my bothersome symptoms have been on-and-off since last Thursday when we hiked Maligne Canyon in Jasper NP.  It seems sort of like altitude sickness mixed with GERD mixed with anxious fatigue due to the prolonged and difficult RV tour through NW Canada and Alaska.  I shall never visit Canada again without some kind of international health plan, if there is such a thing.  Things would have been SO much better on this trip if both Betty and I had had it.

The news from home is good.  The hurricane did surprisingly little damage.  Our prayers have been answered in so many ways.  God is faithful and good.

View from Our Campsite

As we traveled along the Icefields Parkway today heading south, Betty tried her hand at driving the motorhome.  She did very well for about a half hour, then decided to give the wheel back to me.

BANFF NATIONAL PARK, AB.  There are several animal overpasses along the highways in this national park.  Betty was particularly impressed by them, so she captured a photo of one as I drove along the highway.

BANFF, AB.  We drove here from Hinton on August 30th and stayed here until September 3rd.  On Sept 1st we drove to Calgary to attend the OPC church where the Paviers are members.  Brock Pavier was an intern at our church in St Augustine for a year.  Brock was on duty at the fire station that day, so after serving us lunch at their house, his wife Jen drove us over to the fire station to see him.  After greeting us there, he insisted that I try on his fireman's suit.  It fit rather well, so we posed together for a photo (see below).  After returning with Jen to their house for a while, we drove back to Banff.  It got dark early and rained (might have guessed) on the way back, but made it back safely.

Jen and Brock

Brock, Steven, and Betty

Steven in Full Fireman's Outfit

Wide View of Calgary Fire Truck and Trio

The next day we drove around the area of Banff on the Bow River, stopping to take photos of the Banff Springs Hotel and the falls behind it.  It was not the best time of day to photograph them, but we were tired and running out of time before preparing to leave the area.

Banff Springs Hotel on the Bow River

Mountain Scene Behind Hotel

Banff Falls Behind Hotel

The Falls, Used in the Movie The River of No Return

Closeup of Falls Turbulence

On our final day in Banff we drove to the lake area surrounding Banff.  We took a few photos, some of which I have included below.

Johnson Lake

Lake Minnewanka