Fish Creek Campground, Glacier

Today started with local country sausage and eggs – thanks, Charlie – and I slept until 8:45!  Then we headed out in search of a printer and a scanner so we could take care of business.  The answer for this printer/scanner-deprived camper was the Flathead County Library in Columbia Falls -- a small but bustling place with a dad reading kids a story, with a bunch of children with their moms, volunteers running a children’s summer reading reward program, enough computers (though no WIFI) for everyone who wanted to use one, and very helpful staff.  It reminded me of going to the C Burr Artz Library in Frederick when I was a kid and afterwards watching the big gold fish (maybe Koi?) in the fountain outside.  I liked it.  As a bonus, we stopped for coffee and a triple-shot mocha latte (awake!) at the Montana Coffee Traders on our way back – very popular stop for coffee (of course) and a meal.  Highly recommend a stop here.

We set off for Going to the Sun Road again today so Charlie could show me Many Lodge.  It has a very different feel than Lake McDonald Lodge, more like a ski lodge to me, but bigger and with better views.  Charlie’s buddy, Bob Remeto, tried to convince me that we should stop on the way at a certain Indian bar that they’d visited a few years before – thanks for the suggestion but I think I’ll pass Bobby.   

By the time we arrived at Many Lodge it was 13 degrees cooler than when we started and windy… brrr.  I suggested a different route back – Route 49.  Oh my.  Have I mentioned that Charlie is not thrilled by heights?  Well, this particular narrow and windy road had few guardrails and fright-inspiring cliffs – oops, sorry!

The absolute highlight of today’s excursion was the bear sighting – a bear with 3 cubs!  I was so excited.  At a roadside pull-off we saw a crowd with cameras all aimed in the same direction, so we pulled over and saw the bears in the meadow below.  Thank you, Montana, for the treat!  I’m sure the pictures would be much better with my son-in-law Andy’s camera lens, but this is the best I could do.  Now if only I could see some elk or moose.

Tomorrow we drive to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and then in a few days on to Helena, Montana.  Thank you friends who have expressed concern about the wildfires in the area – we will not take risks so don’t worry.  But I really want to go to Helena, so pray for rain.

(Photos:  a river runs through it; snow covered peaks; Many Lodge; bear with 3 cubs)