St. John’s to Vancouver and Back Part 11

Dave Noticed this sign up the road, so we took the turn to check it out. We were riding along pretty flat ground when the road started to head into a “hidden Valley” in the trees.

It says “Fishtrap Lake Resort”

As we were parking, the owner/operator stepped out of a “turn of the century” hand-built rock and wood building to greet us. He said he could give us a beautiful tenting spot for $20 for the night. He explained that the area is on the county line, and was used in prohibition times as a speak-easy, because the sound doesn’t travel out of the valley and it is difficult to find without lights. The building he walked out of had 8 tiny hotel rooms that him and his family now call home.

The water tower was built in 1904.

The place had an instant appeal, and a very quiet and calm presence about it.

We went for a walk onto the docks, by the boathouse after dark, I didn’t get any pictures, but the sky was clear and starry – the water was glassy and the boathouse had a smell I remember as a kid in my grandparents boat house, sort of a fuel/fish smell – very faint. It brought back memories.

Wake-up call from the dog, he had STAFF written on his collar.

Some cozy

Then on to Idaho and Montana – beautiful riding, weather kind of cool but very nice and sunny. Would have been absolutely perfect, except, I got the runs and had to keep pulling over. It was not fun. Must have been all that food in Seattle, or maybe the water at the last campground….. I am sure you don’t want details. The good part is that I picked some awesome places to pull over.

Abandoned road

Nature reclamation

For some reason, this sign cracked me up. I could not stop laughing.

I am laughing now, anyone else find this hilarious?

Looking for a spot to have lunch

Tuna sandwich on flatbread and soup. Flatbread travels well, because it is, um flat.

SPORK makes a cameo

The worst camping spot ever. Beyond the trees is a swamp.

Dave puts up his tent with all his gear on. The bugs were THICK.

A sip of Dave’s Beer

Montana is a beautiful place, a must-ride destination. It was beautiful weather, about 18-23 c the whole time.

A nap stop, this is the view where I was laying on the ground near a stream.

Water break about half-way across Montana

It is getting late – but the scenery is so amazing we keep riding.

We ended up stopping in Glendive, a dusty town with very little accomodations. Our first attempt was at a classic hotel with a pool, but not only was the pool not working, the air-conditioning was out and Dave got the heeby jeebies about the neighbourhood, so we rode on. We ended up at this spot, and although it was a Dive, it had a gated parking area and an Inn-keeper with a fabulous personality. He was a former rodeo guy, bull-rider I think. He told me he was feeling really down in the dumps one time – so he went off to the Calgary stampede to compete. When they announced his name and that he came all the way from Montana, the crowd cheered and gave him a standing ovation. It lifted his spirits, he said and he was able to carry on.

The El Centro Motel

The Inn-keeper

Not bad for $50

Across the street

On to Bizmark and a slashed tire….