Onwards to Glacier National Park and Beyond

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Day: 7/8
Distance: 2535

Note: the Internet connection is so bad that loading pictures and map will have to wait. The management sincerely regrets any inconvinence due to speed and wishes to announce that they are looking for faster gerbils with which to expedite future postings.

After 7+ days I can report a few things:
1. It's really easy not taking a shower or change into new cloths when the temperature is in the 20s (read that as I need another shower).
2. My skin has become like leather and feels rough and weird no matter how much lotion I put on (albeit I didn't usually put much on, if any, before). I must be "chicking" out.
3. My sinuses are dried out and feel like an old panned out gold mine (no nuggets - get it?). I'm sure there is something in those hills, but you'd have to use dynamite.
4. The cold doesn't bug me as near as much as it used to. We'll see if I am still saying that in northern Alaska and Canada.
5. I'm getting up at 6 to 6:30 in the morning. Did I tell you Kim loves camping?
6. I'm too lazy to actually go to the trouble to fry up or cook something that needs anything besides water. Clean up is really hard to do. I miss dogs. I sure could use a dog to lick the dishes clean and there is the added bonus of throwing the dog at a rampaging bear or mountain lion to make my get away. Rover boy, go play with the nice bear. 😊
7. Besides whatever body odor I am emanating, everything, including me, smells like smoke.
8. Listening to the rain in the middle of the night is very relaxing and soothing.
Waking up in the rain and having to eat, take down the camp and pack the car SUCKS. I mean it really sucks. Everything is wet now.

Yesterday's drive after leaving Helena was fairly uneventful. There are only so many words one can use to describe spectacular scenery before it starts sounding trite. So I'll describe everything with the one word my kids and Kim hate to hear me use (because apparently I can't tell I am using it): purdy. It was very purdy. The mountains are purdy. The sky is purdy. Why that lake over yonder is purdy.

Anyhow, from Helena, I took US 12 west till I came to SR 141 and went north. I continued north and the road turned into SR200 briefly. From SR200 I turned and went north on 83 where I drove through multiple national forests on the western side of the Rockies. During this entire leg, it was raining constantly, fairly hard at times. Through a series of small roads (I think SR35) I ended up on US 2 which took me into Glacier National Park. The park only had one campsite open, Apgar campsite. Luckily the rain had stopped and the temperature was very pleasant. The campsite had a surprising number of people. There appeared to be a large group of young people that had dominated a section while the rest were tent campers with a scattering of small campers. It was crowded enough that I almost had to talk to people, so I just started talking to myself and grunting occasionally and everyone left me alone. The area was peaceful and nobody was loud or obnoxious. It's not like if some animals, who have no sense of propriety, tromped around and made loud noises and otherwise acted like they own the park.
As you can tell from earlier comments, waking up this morning and listening to rain pouring down on the the tent was quite relaxing. Here you are, all warm and snugly in the sleeping bag, while it is miserable outside. Euphoric. The euphoria ended when I realized I wasn't going to be able to make any breakfast and I had use the facilities. My body was no longer giving me the option to wait. So... this morning became a speed race in how fast I can pack and stow the gear in the car. Not really having a choice, I threw my tent, tarp, chair, ground cover and table cloth wet into the car. I'm hoping the next stop is dry enough so that I can let it air out before I need to sleep.
I headed east on SR 2 (not US 2). Eight miles in (I was trying to cross the park), the road became blocked (yes again - we are counting 3 time denied). I ended up turning around. So I changed my plans and decided I am going to enter Canada from the western side of the Rockies. So from Whitefish, I am about to head north on US 93 to the border. I am hopeful that I won't be denied because I look really scary right now.
A note: it is becoming increasingly hard to find data access points to upload my blog, so my daily entries might tamper off between hot spots. only time will tell. Hell to get this blog posted resulted from an unnatural pairing of devices that I am sure is an abomination and will surely get me sent to hell.
Onwards and upwards.

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Comments

[Sarah Malone]

Loving the blog!
Love reading this mostly everyday. What an adventure!

[Tarkanian]

Wait until you see me in the flesh. Out of control hair and beard. The crazier the better. Though some family predict I won't be allowed back in the US. I've got other friends accusing me of trying to be Grizzly Adams. I loved that show when I was kid and I DID want to be Grizzly Adams. Who didn't want a Grizzly bear as a friend/protector?