Condoing in Seeley Lake, MT

The week before we started our volunteer jobs at the Museum at the Brig, we planned a one week condo trip in Seeley Lake, Montana. This is an area of Montana, northeast of Missoula and about 130 miles south of Glacier National Park, that we had not explored.

 

ARROWHEAD CONDOMINIUMS

The condominium complex has only 8 time share units. We felt very fortunate to be able to confirm this trade for a week before the busy summer season. We had a one bedroom unit that sleeps six. There was a full kitchen, master bedroom and a loft with two twin beds, laundry and a second bathroom. It was extremely clean and well appointed and we enjoyed a very comfortable week.

The deck off the living area overlooked the Swan Valley.

The Condo was located at an elevation of over 4,000 feet.

The condo provided cut and split wood for the fireplace insert.

We used it every evening, because the temperature dipped into the upper 30's.

 

HOLLAND FALLS HIKE

The three mile Holland Falls hike was well worth it.

Holland Lake had thawed out, but snow still covered the mountain tops.

Holland Lake

Holland Falls

 

GARNET GHOST TOWN

Garnet Ghost Town is located high in the Garnet Range. It was 35 degrees when we arrived. This was the seasonal opening day for this interesting BLM site. In addition to the ghost town, we followed the half mile Sierra Mine Trail to see remnants of mining operations along the hillsides bordering the town. We learned about "Placer" vs. "Load" mining and the brutal living and working conditions endured by the miners.

Gold was discovered here along Bear Gulch in 1865.

The town grew and prospered until about 1900.

Inside one of the 13 saloons. You could either mine the gold or mine the miners.

The last residents left Garnet in 1947.

This is one of the best preserved and top rated mining ghost towns in Montana.

 

LEE METCALF NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

We took off for a day trip south of Missoula. Our first stop was Lee Metcalf NWR. This 2800 acre NWR is cradled between the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountain Ranges next to the Bitterroot River.

We took a couple of bird walks and stopped at the Visitor's Center, where there is a good collection of bird and mammal mounts.

 

FORT OWEN STATE PARK

This was the first permanent white settlement in Montana. It is also the location of the first Catholic Church, founded in Montana in 1841.

 

TRAVELERS' REST STATE PARK

This is the only site on the Lewis and Clark Trail where archaeological evidence has been pieced together confirming the Corp of Discovery encampment. The Corp's established this campsite in September 1805 on their way to the Pacific and camped here again on their return journey in 1806. 



At this point, on July 3, 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition left Travelers' Rest for the last time. Meriwether Lewis and nine men went north and east along the Blackfoot Valley to the plains and Missouri River. William Clark and the rest of the Corp set out to the south up the Bitterroot Valley and east exploring the Yellowstone River. After six weeks separation, both parties reunited on August 12 in North Dakota.

 

GUS, THE HUGE WESTERN LARCH

The world's largest Western Larch (aka Tamarack) tree is located in the Girard Grove, on the shores of Seeley Lake. This sixty acre natural grove of Western Larch was set aside by the Department of Forestry in 1953 in order to protect these large old trees. 

The Girard Grove

The Western larch is a large conifer. Unlike most conifers, it is deciduous. The needles turn golden in the fall and drop off.

The bark is thick and furrowed into flat ridges with overlapping plates.

The U.S. Champion Western Larch, named Gus, is over 1,000 years old.

The base measures 22 feet, 9 inch around.

The diameter is 7 feet, 3 inches at the base.

Gus is 153 feet tall. That's 2 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.

 

THE MULLAN ROAD

At the top of 4th of July Pass along I-90 in Idaho is an interpretive trail commemorating the Mullan Road. We have driven past it many times and this time we stopped to check it out. This section of the Mullan Road is just a remnant of the 624 mile road designed to connect the head of the navigation on the Missouri River (Fort Benton) with the Columbia River (Fort Walla Walla). The 25 foot wide road was constructed between 1859 and 1862 at a cost of $400 per mile. This was a very important route until the railroad was constructed 1882. Much of the Mullan Road is now under the interstate highway.

A fond farewell to Seeley Lake as we passed this beautiful view of nearby Salmon Lake.

Traveling to North Idaho

Leaving McKinney, Texas, on April 30 we drove fast across the plains states to avoid severe weather.

 

SCOTTS BLUFF, NEBRASKA

Several times we have driven past the turn-off to Scotts Bluff National Monument. This time we took the 23 mile detour to check it out. This sandstone and siltstone bluff sits just north of the North Platte River in far western Nebraska.

The Scotts Bluff visitor center sits at the entrance to the road to the top of the bluff. The visitor center was closed for remodeling, but there was a temporary trailer with staff to help as well as an orientation film.

Scotts Bluff was a beacon in the prairie flatland for the wagon trains and cattle drives of the old west.

The road to the summit was built in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corp. Trailers and motor homes aren't allowed because there are three tunnels cut into the bluffs.

The morning was clear and dry. We could see Chimney Rock National Historic Site in the distance. It was hard to believe a storm system was moving in that afternoon. So another day of driving with not a day to rest. 

From the top of the bluff you could see the visitor center below along with one of the tunnels.

 

NEW SHOES FOR THE 5'er

It's hard believe our trailer is five years old and time for new tires all the way around. Having spent the night in Hermosa, SD, we arrived at the Truck Center in Rapid City at 7:30 Saturday morning. We got truck tires here last year and really liked this dealer, so our plan was to stay in the Rapid City for a long weekend to replace them at our leisure.

We used our hydraulic jacks to lift up the frame. The workers really liked that.

Floor stands were placed under the axles just for safety.

We replaced the tires with the same as factory originals.

Goodyear 17.5" Load Range H/16 ply 

After the tires were replaced, rain and snow was catching up with us. We moved on that afternoon heading west on I-90 for a planned stop in Sheridan, Wyoming.

 

WELCOME TO IDAHO

After stops in Sheridan, WY, and Deer Lodge, MT, we arrived at Farragut State Park on Monday, May 6.

 

We reset our watches to Pacific Time for the summer at the Idaho State Line.

Our site was ready for us, just a little cleanup of pine needles.

We put out the feeder hours after our arrival and our friends the humming birds were waiting, very impatiently. The Calliope and Black Chinned drink about a cup a day. 

Hitched Up and Ready to Go

We hitched up a couple days early to allow any time needed to make a hitch adjustment. Since this is the first time our new truck has been lashed to our fifth wheel, we were surprised to find that the combination matched up the same as our old truck and hitch. No adjustments needed.

 

SPACEX AT BOCA CHICA

On January 22 we drove to Boca Chica to check the properties out east. The new SpaceX launch pad is about one mile west of the beach at the end of Highway 4. Over the last few years we have watched as the facilities and launch pad were constructed. This year we got to see this stainless-steel-clad vehicle, with a decidedly retro look. It  is an experimental prototype for SpaceX’s “Starship”, which the company plans to fly around the moon and eventually to Mars with humans aboard.

The next day after we took these pictures, high winds blew the nose cone over, delaying their scheduled launch date.

 

WORK AROUND THE VALLEY

We are still finding a few tires on LRGV Refuge Tracts.

These came from the San Francisco Banco Tract.

We always try to find interesting places for our lunch breaks.

This beautiful spot is overlooking the Rio Grande River, just east of Penitas.

Surprised to find a flooded road at the Tecolocte (Owl) Tract,

during a drought.

Spotted this javelin at Benson Palms State Park.

Discovered this turtle while inspecting fence

in the arm of the Tenente Tract.

Spring has arrived. We observed hundreds of butterflies

sitting in thistle patches along the north boundary road at Tenente.

While changing signs we came across this young tarantula.

 

SPARE TIME ACTIVITIES

Last year, Virginia spent hundreds of hours converting our Champagne Years Blog into a PDF format for printing. This winter she completed a similar book for the first five years of our life in our Excel. These books are a great reference to our life on the road and will give us something to look back at while sitting in our rocking chairs someday.

 

Almost two years ago our Daughter, Kelly, and her family moved from Austin to Westminster, Maryland, north of Baltimore. During that time they have been renting a house. At the end of March, they purchased this cute 70 year old house. There are updates and repairs needed along with general cleaning. We flew up to Maryland and spent the first week of April helping get this project started.

Grandma and Grandpa with the

Grand kids.