FIRE!!!

Sunday 7/14/2013

It started as a quiet Sunday morning as I took my ride through the small town of Superior.

A quiet Sunday morning ride

 

A post at the corner of a town street

THEN IT HAPPENED!!! WILDFIRE IN LOLO FOREST.

I got back from my ride, Susan returned from her solo fishing outing, and the rest of the group came in from the float trips and afternoon outings. Many were sitting out on the porch and lawn and Susan came into the cabin and, rather quietly, said the fire truck was here. Fire truck? yes -- go look down the street, there is a fire. It looked like perhaps a brush fire about a tenth of a mile from our cabin. But started growing.

A fire in the neighborhood

 

The fire begins to grow

 

Flame retardant gets dropped by the crop duster

Spreading a bit at a time

Our cabin is across the road from the fire and everyone begins to worry as the fire grows bigger and wider and hotter. The "command center" sets up right in front of our yard and suggests to us that we may have to evacuate, so be ready. I packed up all our gear and Susan put the bikes on the van ready to leave at a moment's notice. Everyone else followed suit.

Cammand Center sets up in front of our cabin near Carl's boat

Eventually crop duster planes came in to dump fire retardant, and helicopters started dipping for water in the river behind us and dropping the huge buckets of water in strategic places. As the water buckets passed over head we felt some of the water sprinkle on us. Felt refreshing in the 90 degree heat! The helicopter water bucket brigade went on for hours.

Dipping water from the river

 

Dumping water onto the fire

 

As the fire spread more and more, the few people across the road from us, and on the side of the road where the fire was, were evacuated and all traffic was stopped from entering the road.

We watched the fire for hours, wondering whether to go to bed or get ready to move out!

 

By night the helicopters had to stop, the crews would stay somewhere close through the night with their chain saws and equipment, and we would go to bed hopeful that we would not be awakened to evacuate, or rather that we would be if needed! These are but a few of the tons of photos we took, but I think they give the idea of enormity of the fire, and how quickly it can spread. These photos show from the start at about 5:00 to just before 9:00. Amazing.

We were safe through the night, and as we drove off from the driveway we talked with a forest worker who was keeping watch. He told us the fire was not yet contained and more equipment, helicopters and crews would be coming in today (Monday). And if you think we are done with forest fires -- we are not! Will update about that tomorrow. Sleep well and safe everyone.

 

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Superior, Montana

Friday & Saturday 7/12&13/2013

We got to Missoula Thursday evening and spent another night at Vicki and Ray's. Our friendship with them grows and we share very nice time together. Friday was a drive/shop/drive day to arrive at yet another fishing opportunity in Superior. Carl and Maura host the fishing club for an annual boat float fishing weekend at their cabin on the Clark River.

Bed in the house are filled and others camp in the yard at Carl and Maura's

The horse ranch next to Carl and Maura's

Newspaper box down the road

 

Three boats got filled for the float on Saturday and I took my bike ride. I got to the bridge near where they had put in at Dry Creek and was able to get some "action" photos.

Susan casting, Carl rowing and Char

Bill, Peter and Jim

 

Jim (2), Ralph and Joshua

I got to the end of the river road, turned around for my return and saw cows drinking down at the river. I could not figure out how they got there as the field (more like a hillside covered in brush) was across the road. Then a few cows crossed the road in front of me.

An unclear photo as I was moving on my bike

More cows waiting to cross the road

 

This structure brings to mind a Roman Ruin of an aquaduct

I crossed the river again and took the road on the other side of the river for a while. I got to the top of a hill and decided to not go down the other side to climb back up! I knew this road soon ended in rough gravel and dirt (that I would not be riding) and the trip home had some hills on the way, mild hills, but hills none the less, and that would surfice for climbing.

The river from the top of that hill I did not ride down

I headed back thinking I would stop and eat my apple once I was sure I was out of possible grizzly bear area ;'-) As I was contemplating my stop and eat place, along came my support vehicle with chilled, fresh cherries! Suzanne, Maura and Kelly had gone antiquing in St. Regis and were on their way back along my very route. What a treat to have the cherries and chat with friends.

I am not sure what we will do on Sunday -- stay here another night or depart for the next part of our adventure in eastern Washington. Stay tuned.

 

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Transition Day

Thursday 7/11/2013

We leave the cabin, and Lincoln today. After we efficiently packed up most of our stuff and cleaned the cabin, Susan wanted to get in another bit of fishing on the Blackfoot, and I would go down to the river with her for photos. When I wrote that this place is magical for Susan but not so much for me, I was referring to all the fishing hours!! The cabin has been a fantastic home for the week and a wonderful base for our adventures in the area, and I do very much like Montana.

View of the river from the cabin

Hard to see the "loop" in Susan's line in front of the trees, but it is there, and a nice one

 

Fish On!

After the fishing outing we completed the packing up and closing up the cabin tasks. Susan wanted to take some interior photos.

"Our" kitchen

Upstairs bedroom

 

Downstairs bedroom

The van and bikes on the back were totally covered in dust from all the "off roading" we have been doing, so we found a DIY car wash and gave it all a lick and a promise. The bikes will take more cleaning and a good lube job on the chains when we have the opportunity.

In Missoula we (especially I) could not pass up a visit to Adventure Cycling. We had visited there on our bike tour several years ago. We had biked from Whitefish through Seeley Lake, Missoula and on to Lewiston ID. At Adventure Cycling we found a few items we/I could not live without and Susan bought me my birthday present.

On to Vicki and Ray's, and a stop at the local fly shop allowed me to buy Susan her birthday present.

We say farewell to our cabin retreat

 

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Stemple Pass

Wednesday 7/10/2013

Susan joined me for a ride this morning and I had no idea that she would ride for so long and so far! We left the cabin to bike along the very hard packed road just to see where it would lead.

The not so hard packed gravel road from the cabin

In not too long, that very hard packed road turned into gravel -- my very least favorite, or should I say my very most hated -- biking surface. Had I been on my own for this day, I would have turned around right there and had a rather short day. Susan of course said it is fine, you can do it.

Ok, I'll be brave and give this a try

And then Susan saw the sign for Stemple Pass and wanted bragging rights, so on we went.

In placer mining water is used to wash the sand and gravel away leaving the heavier gold or other precious metals. It requires only a pan or sluice box and is much easier than the mine shaft methods needed in some areas.

Before you knew it I was a pro at this gravel riding stuff.

Gravel? What gravel?

 

It wasn't difficult though because there really wasn't loose gravel and almost no traffic on the road. The difficulty came when the climbing got steeper. We were huffin', puffin' and gasping as we slowly made our way up the mountain. Truth be known, we even had to walk the last little bit. Every false summit dashed our hopes that we were at the top. When I saw one more summit I determined that if this was not it, I was not going any further! It was it.

We made it to the summit. I think we started at about 4400 feet

 

 

 

We reveled in our victory for a while, had our celebratory orange pop, and fought off the horse flies. I especially was attacked by the flies and one even drew blood on my leg. Susan dug out the dreaded deet bug repellent which worked immediately.

Riding down the mountain was not difficult in pedaling, but hard on the hands to feather the brakes the whole way. We realized just how long we had been climbing as we did not move a pedal for much of the return to that very hard packed (think pavement) road.

By now it was mid afternoon and we had a few chores to do in town so we stayed in the saddle a bit longer. Too early for our planned dinner at the Montanan Steak House, we opted to enjoy an iced tea and a beer at the Lodge Inn.

On our ride home from dinner I tried to get a good shot of mama and baby deer but got a fairly bad one. But I needed at least something.

The not so good photo of baby deer

The day was quite fantastic! And I was so glad to not see a bear.

 

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Garnet Ghost Town

Tuesday 7/9/2013

The opportunity to walk out the back door and down through the weeded path to the river for fishing is heaven for Susan. For her this place is magical (she says). For me -- not so much. It has been fine this far as I take a walk, read my book, practice the ukelele (thank you so much Vicki for leaving that for me), and relax for the hours that Susan is at the river. Too many days of this would most likely drive me to drink!

On this morning's walk I had another bird follow me and perch high up on the wire to watch me. As I wandered further down the road I could see a worker in the field baling hay with this farm machine. I got closer and watched for a while and learned how those round barrel shaped hay bales are formed. He drives over the freshly mown hay pulling that green cart-looking thing that picks up the hay and makes a barrel of it.

My morning bird

Round hay bales get popped out of this baler machine

Susan got back from another successful half day of fishing and offered to drive to the nearby (well, 70 miles seems near) ghost town that Vicki and Ray had told us about. So off we went. Gold mining had its boom in the mid to late 1800s in the west. Miners poured into this town, and in 1898 the town of Garnet had over 1000 residents, four stores, four hotels, three livery stables, two barber shops, a union hall, a butcher shop, a candy shop, a doctor's office, a school with 41 students, an assay office, numerous miners cabins, and THIRTEEN saloons.

Garnet Ghost Town, one of Montana's most intact ghost towns

Susan walks through the town

The boom was short lived and by 1900 many veins had disappeared and recovering the gold from deeper mine shafts became difficult and expensive. By 1905 the population of Garnet shrunk to 150.

 

The General Store

 

Shoes, as well as everything one could want was sold in the General Store

Unlike many mining towns where single males predominated, Garnet had a large number of families, and social life was quite different. The town had its share of drinking (13 saloons?), gambling and houses of ill repute, married women outnumbered the prostitutes. Family oriented activities of dinner parties, card games, and hay rides were common; family picnics, fishing trips, and shopping trips took place in the summer months; sleigh rides, sledding parties and skiing were wintertime activities.

Parlor room of the Hotel

Horse stable and livery

A miner's cabin

 

The inside of that miner's cabin was - see the bed frame straight ahead, and stove to the right

I had to show this three holer ;'-)

We drove back to town and went for Taco Tuesday at the Bootlegger Casino -- as Margaret and Jeff, our generous neighbors -- had told us we "needed" to do. It was good (and cheap) and we got filled up.

Speaking of cheap: At the espresso cafe yesterday, when I finished up and posted my blog, I thought for sure my bill was incorrect. I got a large tea and a huge muffin and the tab said $3.50. I asked the really nice barista if she had charged me for both items! That would have been almost the cost of my tea in Seattle (or Mukilteo). She said yes, of course, that was the total. Think I will go back there today.

 

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