Up a bit before 7. Nice sleep.
Headed down to breakfast first. Good move since the room was full at 9 when we left. Comfort Inn at coeur d’alene.
Stopped rest area at Lookout pass. Smelled lovely scent of pines marking our journey into the West.
Stopped at St. Regis for the Montana info center. Saw small ponies. Great, comfortable stop. Left 11:45am central time.
Wallace, Id always looks like a fun town from the highway.
2pm Lunch at west lake campground on flathead lake. We had to pay $10 for 2 vehicles. It was a nice shady picnic bench. There was an exuberant family next to us with 10 kids swimming and splashing in the lake. It was a little galling for the kids. Is this our campground? Why can’t we go swimming?
Back into the car. Girls napped. We stopped in Kalispell for gas and provisions at Albertsons. 3:30-4:40pm approximately.
Produce stands outside Glacier offer cherries, huckleberries, and elk-buffalo jerky (interesting). I accidentally said elf buffalo jerky- even more interesting.
Setting up camp.
Arrived at Fish Creek camp loop C (no generators) at 6 and started on the tent. By 7:30 we’d made some progress, but were desperate for food. We had hotdogs and brats which were quick and satisfying. Our neighbors got their food taken away by the rangers which they had left out. I appreciate the strictness, given all the talk of bears.
The girls took out all their animals and started making nests and homes. Sara wanted to take an early morning walk with me alone like we did before.
We’re trying out several new camp items. One is bear spray. Dad will often scratch the exterior of the tent pretending to be a bear. It’s a game that he played with me and David. It’s a game that elicits peals of laughter from the girls. Wayne warned Dad that was not a good idea here. So Dad wandered around the tent with cook-a-doodle-dos. That elicited laughter from young and old.
My new petzl is great. Now to try the new sleeping bag.
Kids are wound up, not going to bed till 9:30pm.