We decided not to hike the local trail here outside Eureka after Tracy rode his bike up and back and found evidence of the reported grizzly bear all along the way. Tree branches pulled down so the bear could get better access to the chokecherry bushes. Mounds of fresh scat. When Tracy rode the trail […]
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Our Longest Stretch Since a Campground, and Other Firsts
As of today, we’ve hit these firsts: the longest we’ve been camping not in a campground, the fourth time—in the nearly 100 places we’ve camped—that we’ve stayed for longer than one week, and the most north and west we’ve camped. That last one is not surprising, but the others could use an explanation. What Is […]
All the News from Lake Koocanusa
It’s been a quiet week here at Lake Koocanusa. Wait, wrong part of the country! Plus it’s been only a weekend since I posted last. But we’ve enjoyed the weekend, and it’s worth sharing, especially with real-world news depressing enough to need a reprieve from. Weekend Neighbors Cause Scare The scare is that we had […]
On Lake Koocanusa
A beauty of a day! (And, yes, I spelled “Koocanusa” wrong on my weekly email. Duh.) Kayaking Koocanusa Bridge Evening
Every Campsite Should Have a Predator View
I read once that the ideal home base for a family of predators (I think it was lions, in this example) is on a high plateau, with a wide-ranging view so they can keep an eye on grazing prey below. Plus the location should have drinking water nearby and some kind of cover where the […]
Camped at the “Secret” Fishing Spot
It’s a secret, yet this road happens to be named Fish Creek Road; the guy in line at the dump station in town told us about it under his breath, putting his finger to his lips with a dramatic “shhh”; and my old friend David, whom I caught up with briefly in Missoula, said, “Oh, […]
Tracy Labors on His Birthday
The University of Montana I’m excited to be near Missoula, where I lived for two years getting an MA—which was not especially practical, but, damn, I had fun. All until the last three weeks. That’s when I learned a lesson that saved me from the wrong lifelong path. Although I love taking classes and researching […]
Banjo: a Good Dog in a Bad Situation
Readers ask for more Banjo, so here’s a Banjo story that’s not particularly epic or even travel-related, but those Banjo-lovers out there might enjoy it. You know how we spend nearly all day outside, which leaves us dirty, sunburned, bug bitten, and itchy in general. So worth it. Banjo’s in the same boat. She asks […]
Our Own Private Mountain
Instead of heading north in Montana, we picked just a little west, into more mountains for elevation. We’re outside a tiny town called Elliston, which is near Helena, which is HOT. It’s in the 80s up here in the mountains, but that’s not bad; a record high of 106 was set in Billings yesterday, 108 […]
Lessons from Isolation
Tracy says it’s been ten days only that we’ve been camping without cell signal, and in truth it’s not been more than two consecutive days, since we’ll drive out to download email pretty frequently. But when I check my calendar and my social soul, it feels for sure like three weeks. Maybe all summer? When was it I […]
