Montana Winter Trip 2023 - Week Two

To start Week 2, Mister and I decided to get out and about a bit today.  He hadn't been to Columbia Falls so that is the direction we pointed the car.  It's kind of a dreary day, but there is still a certain beauty, even in dreariness.

Just before the final turn, we went the other directions for a fun detour.  First up was Bad Rock Canyon.   This is a culturally significant place for the Kootenai, Pend d'Oreille, and Salish people.  For generations, it served as a travel corridor for the people of this region to reach the northern Great Plains and the buffalo herds.  In the early nineteenth century, the canyon was the scene of a pitched battle between the Kootenai and the Blackfeet, who crossed the mountains to steal horses and trade at the North West Fur Company's trading post, Saleesh House, on the Clark Fork River.  The Kootenai won the fight, driving the Blackfeet back across the mountains.  The Great Norther Railway built its line through Bad Rocky Canyon in 1891.  The railroad build a supply road on the opposite side of the river in 1890.  

The high canyon walls on the south side of the river were a major obstacle, requiring extensive blasting to carve the road high above the canyon's floor.  When completed, the road was so steep in places that wagons had to be lowered down it by ropes tied to trees - thus it was called the "Tote Road" by local residents.  It was not until about 1910 that the county built a new road through the canyon, bypassing the old tote road with a more user-friendly thoroughfare.  The Bureau of Public Roads built the first modern highway through the canyon in 1929.

Bad Rock Canyon was a popular stopping place for tourists either taking a break from the road or wanting to wet a line in the Flathead River.  Some stopped just to enjoy the scenic beauty of the narrow canyon.  

A natural spring provided water to locals (still does) and, during the early days of automobiles, helped cool more than a few overheated radiators.  In 1954, James and Hazel Simpson donated this wide spot in the road to the Montana Highway Department on the condition that it be named Berne Roadside Park for her uncles, Billing and Mike Berne.  Brothers Billy and Mike Berne came to the upper Flathead area in 1889 or 1890 from Butte, where they had been employed as miners.  Although they came to the valley to speculated on coal deposits in the North Fork of the Flathead River country, they instead found better opportunities in the arrival of the Great Northern Railway.  The brother manufactured brick for many of the new buildings in recently platted Columbia Falls.  In 1906, Billy purchased a small farm from Frieda Herig at the mouth of Bad Rock Canyon and spent the rest of his life farming and promoting the area for tourism.  Mike worked as a farmer for most of his life west of Columbia Falls.  The Montana Highway Department developed Berne Roadside Park as one of the states first rest areas in 1956.

At this point, we are only a few miles from the Hungry Horse dam and decide to drive up as I've never been there in the winter.  The road up the dam is kind of eerie as the fog and clouds are so low and we keep passing through them during our climb.

When we reach the top, we are now above the clouds.  Crazy right?  If you wish to learn about this dam, here is a LINK that will take you to the Bureau of Reclamation.  Check out these views.

The dam can be traversed, but the road on the other side is not open to vehicles during the winter.  We cross just for fun, knowing we will have to turn around.

The view from the other side.

There is talk of starting the in person tours back up this next year.  At any rate, this used to be the entrance for those.  The elevators go down into the dam.

We stopped at the visitor center, which was open - shock, shock.  Come to find out they are doing a test run this winter to see if enough people stop in to make it worth having the visitor center open year round.  While we are there, quite a few others stop in, so here's hoping it works.  The view from the center is pretty cool too.

Time to go - and we're back into the clouds on the way down.

Lion Lake is completely frozen and we spot an ice house, barely visible in the fog.  This is my zoom pic.

A little less zoom.

True to life.  Cool, but kinda creepy too.

As we drove through CF, I spotted this building and made Mister drive through a second time so I could take a picture.  THIS is a mural and is the front of the building.

Here is the side - too bad cars blocked the whole view.

Next stop is Backslope Brewing - new to us and reviews on food are great.  Let's give it a try.

A porter and a stout please --- they are STANDARDS.  These guys know what they are doing.

Lunch is fabulous and the beer is pretty tasty too.  So, so good.

It's been a nice drive out today, but time to get back to the house and dinner with Mom.  

1/15  Mister loves Saturday breakfast out, so . . .   We are off to try Pocketstone in Bigfork.  It was okay.  One thing - a massive cinnamon roll came my way --- this one will last three meals.  Goodness.  Here is a pic AFTER I had eaten today's third.

Back to the house and meet up with Jill, Brock, and Zach.  The boys are going to help remove the old refrigerator from the garage to give Mom more space for all those Christmas totes we bought.  Super thankful for their help.  Visits mean baby time.

Meeting of the minds - it's in the truck, though, so I'm happy.

So nice to see Zach, even if for only a few minutes.  He managed to get in some Uncle time.

I caught Greyson trying to get into Gammy's lap, so decided to help out.

So cute.

Once the visit ended -- I made guacamole and we snacked.  Skipping lunch today.  The rest of the day was spent visiting and working on chores around the house.  Mister got the totes all reorganized and we found more paperwork boxes to go through.  Yay.

1/16  We've decided to go see a movie.  It's been ages since Mister and I have done so and even longer than those ages for Mom.  Going into town a bit early, we stop at Nickel Charlies for lunch before heading to the theater. 

We are at the theater a bit early, so Mister drops us off and goes to find some boots.  Mom and I go into the packed theater to find seats before I head back out to get  drinks.

 Now, in all fairness, we are pretty early and by the time the movie begins, there is a nice crowd in the theater.  Oh yeah - we are seeing A Man Called Otto.

By the time the movie ends --- OH, it was EXCELLENT -- it's gotten pretty late so I call in a pizza order and pick up on the way home.  Easy Peasy.  While picking up the theater, I notice a quilt on the wall.  Pretty cool.  

View from the quilt - yep, that's my pizza box on the table.  Better get going.

1/17 - Mom has a doctor's appointment this morning for labs.  Once that is finished, we stop for a few groceries and then back to the house, where is get some sewing finished.  Mom puts on a pot roast and the whole house smells divine the rest of the day.  What else?  Oh, I did laundry and my camera slept.  That is all.

1/18 - The cleaning lady is coming today so Mister and I do some work on our room to make is presentable and then I get beds stripped and sheets washed.  

Once the house is cleaned (sewed while she worked), we went into town to meet up with Jill and get pedicures.  Color choices must be first on the agenda.

Love this --- 3 generations together (technically - with me there it was 4 generations, but not in a direct line).  Avrielle's first trip to the salon.

I'll take that little one, please.  This is how you do a pedicure.  Love, love, love.

Yes, I shared.

Oh - yeah.  The toes.

Once back home, we settled in after dinner to watch Road to Perdition. 

1/19 - New snow - It's just a quiet day at home.  Lots of sewing and television and chatting.

Huge Christmas snowflakes.

After work, Mister and I went up to Sip Of Montana for a couple of hours and enjoyed visiting with the owner, Chris.  On the way up - these neighbors were out and about.

1/20 - Doug got off work at noon so we went into Kalispell to look for a pair of boots for him.  Stopped at Bias Brewing for lunch and then three stores looking for those boots.  Finally got a pair and returned home.  I had started this wall hanging yesterday, finished the quilting this morning and spent the evening burying threads and binding.  That's about it - even though it was a busy day, I didn't take any pictures.  It is what it is.  See you in Week Three.