Over the next few days we took a more relaxed approach and more conventional roads as we made our way towards Glacier National Park in northern Montana. We stopped often to photograph picturesque mountain scenes in the Lolo National Forest, babbling rivers like the Clark Fork, and tons of small mountain towns next to reflective lakes that reminded me a lot of the numerous lakes we’d seen in the Oregon Cascades. We passed Montana towns with names like Paradise and at one stop pulled over to see if we could spot any bighorn sheep at a well marked viewing location along the highway to Thompson Falls.
Sadly, there were no bighorn sheep to be seen and as we read the information board, we realized it might be too late in the season for them to be down this far into the valley. So we traveled on and took the exit towards the Copper King campground on the Thompson River. As we rounded the corner we saw movement on the hillside!
First we noticed one, then two. No, three…wait…there’s more! The bighorn ewes and their lambs were all along the side of the mountain! They were so well camouflaged that we didn’t even realize until we looked at the pictures later how many there were! YES! Our first large animal sighting in Montana!
The Copper King campground was nearly deserted and we pulled into a spot right next to the river. Birds were singing, the squirrels were active, and the sun was shining. Camp chairs, some beer, and flip flops were retrieved. This was just the kind of day we needed.
Later that evening, Doug scouted some possible fishing spots along the beautiful Thompson River.
The next day, I worked on the blog, read a book, and soaked up the sun, while Doug cycled into the nearest town, Thompson Falls, for some general exploration and to buy a MT fishing license. With fishing license now in hand, Doug broke out his fly-fishing gear to knock the rust off in preparation for the upcoming Madison River get-together with my family. That evening we watched a skunk make its way down to the river, fortunately on the other side!
After 2 days without being on the move, we packed up and headed towards Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry (Idaho) so that we could see more of the Kootenai Forest. En route to Glacier, it seemed we were crisscrossing the Idaho panhandle and western Montana border so often that the clocks on our phones couldn’t keep up with the time changes between the two states.
We boondocked a bit southwest of Yaak, MT.
Our boondocking neighbor was a local, just out for the weekend. He recommended that from Yaak we head towards Eureka, which we did. We stopped briefly at Loon Lake but didn’t paddle. From here, the road follows Lake Koocanusa past Libby Dam. The water of Lake Koocanusa is crystal clear and either royal blue or deep turquoise in color with 360-degree views of mountains. Despite the obscene number of photos I took, I’m not sure I was able to capture its brilliant colors.
After a quick ice cream stop in Eureka, it was on to Whitefish for groceries and fuel. Whitefish was busier than expected with people bustling through the main street boutiques and enjoying restaurants now open. There was a craft fair going on as well. The town itself has a western hipster vibe and is beautifully framed by pointed mountain peaks. Beach bums, boaters, and deer congregated near the lake. Unfortunately, it felt a bit too crowded to stay too long and we had already planned to boondock closer to Camus / the northwest entrance to Glacier.
We made it to a boat ramp along the North Fork of the Flathead River due east of Glacier NP where we boondocked that night. It was fun to watch the rafters preparing for their journeys or waving as they continued down the river.
While we hadn’t done much hiking, biking, or paddling the last few days, so far, Big Sky Country didn’t disappoint and the beautiful drive reinforced our decision to buy the LTV Wonder RV with its huge front windows that allowed us to take it all in.
Next stop, Glacier National Park.
