It is so good to be back!

The Meadows is an old rv park on the outskirts of Ketchum. The park is just that--a place to park your rv. It is bare bones. The sites are rather small by newer standards. This is our second season. Last year we stayed only 10 days and were very sad to leave.

There is plenty to do around here without having extra park amenities. We are approximately 1000 feet from the bike path that goes south beyond Hailey (I think around 25 miles). It goes north beyond Sun Valley and Ketchum. There are numerous hiking trails in the area. My favorites are Chocolate Gulch and Adams Gulch. I'll use the Wood River Y to swim laps. We located the Y last evening and the building is quite new and impressive.We are looking forward to Wagon Days over the Labor Day weekend, a festival that commemorates the time when 20-mule team ore wagons traversed the Galena Summit. Apparently it is one grand festival. There are all kinds of shops and restaurants in town. We are also looking forward to seeing friends of Ellen who have become our friends.

View in the back of our site

Dottie, the camp host is a real character! She has to be in her late seventies or early eighties. She does not mince words, and you get the full background on everything. She can be seen cruising the park on her three-wheeler bike, dressed to the nines. (She makes Cindy the glamor camper look shabby!) The great spot that we had last year was snarfed up by a tennis pro for the entire season. She did the best she could when we called for our reservations in January. When I called in August to confirm, I asked about our old spot. It was still taken, but she got really excited because she just had a "big cancellation". It was for a spot that was just as desirable. She switched us to that spot, and it is better than our original!

Today was an easy day. I stayed up very late last night (3:00 a.m.) to use the internet. With everyone sleeping, it is faster than the usual campground slow. I lounged around and did a little organizing. Just after Dick left for Boise, I heard a racket. It sounded like mothballs being dropped on top of the motor home. It was hail! It was perfectly calm outside, and the sun was shining in the distance, but there was a large black cloud just over us dropping hail. Very strange. I grabbed my camera and got a couple of shots of the hail on the camp chairs. It ended just as quickly as it started.

The boys (Sirius and Baxter) and I went for a long walk along the bike path. Dick cleaned the road dirt off my bike this morning and lubed it up, so I could ride while he is gone but I never got around to it. It is very cold and windy. Tomorrow I'll ride for sure when the weather man has promised that a warming trend will begin! I have been content just to putter and enjoy the sights that I have been looking forward to seeing for the past eleven months.

More Photos from yesterday's trip

Coming down from Lost Trail Pass

Pit stop for the pooches

A High Meadow

Main Street, Ketchum

Oh! What a day! Sunday, August 29, 2010

Lost Trail Pass

We awoke to rain. We had to be out of the rv park by 8:15 because we were having breakfast with Dick's friend, Jim. (We were to have dinner, but Jim's plane from LA was delayed last night, so dinner was postponed to breakfast.)  He suggested we meet at The Hayloft Saloon in Lolo, MT because it was on our way to Sun Valley. We had a great time and a great breakfast with Jim and his friend, Vicky. Before we knew it, it was 10:15 and we had to be on our way. The direct trip to Sun Valley was 277 miles. The long way around Galena Summit was 377 miles--both ways on winding two-lane highways. Since it was still raining we were certain that we would have to go the long way. (We had a contingency plan for the long way: We would spend the night in Argo, Idaho. We had tentative reservations that we could cancel.)

The road wasn't too bad and traffic was light. We started climbing around 50 miles out of Lolo and before we knew it, we were on the Lost Trail Pass in the Rocky Mountains on the border of Idaho and Montana. The pass is 7014 feet above sea level! The motor home was great, and the tow car tracked very well through all the curves. The clouds made the mountains and surrounding valleys look even more spectacular. At the bottom of the mountain we started through the Salmon River Valley. Dick commented that he thought we were going to avoid this by taking the long route around, and by the time we would get to the cut-off to Sun Valley we would be half-way there. We had 108 miles to decide whether or not to go the short route.

Salmon River

We skirted in and out of the rain for the next 100 miles, but by the time we came to the turn-off to Sun Valley at Challis, it was pretty dry. Dick decided to go for the short way, eventually going over Galena Summit. We spent the next few hours driving along the Salmon River. There were many hairpin turns, and maybe out of the 114 miles left, only 3 or 4 were on the straight-away. Each turn brought another amazing vista. When we finally emerged from the Salmon River Valley, we were met with a panorama of the Sawtooth Mountain Range in Stanley, Idaho. This is where we hiked 10.5 miles, climbing 4000 feet to Sawtooth Lake to scatter Ellen's ashes last year. We were surprised to see that there is still a great deal of snow pack on those mountains. The trail to the lake is usually impassible until mid-August/beginning of September because of snow pack. It starts snowing in October, so there is a six-week window for hiking. This summer has been very cool, so we may not get up there this year.

Stanley, Idaho

The mountains were shrouded with low clouds, but there were breaks of bright blue. Several miles down the road, we began to approach Galena Summit. Dark clouds hung over the road and within minutes it started pouring! Close to the summit (8701 feet above sea level) it was snowing! What a surprise! Thankfully the ground was warm enough so the roads were not icy. Once we got to the other side, we had a straight shot to Ketchum/Sun Valley. The sun came out when we got to town! I had a funny feeling when we passed the road to Ellen's condo. Our first trip to this magical place was in 1977 when our kids were young and we "adults" were crazy. I have lost track of the number of times we have returned, but this is the third time we've been here without Ellen. We'll never stop missing her and always be grateful that she introduced us to this area.

Missoula, Montana

Especially for Cindy! (Another "GOME"!)

Well, here we are at Jim & Mary's RV Park, advertised as being "Spacious and Friendly". It is 67°, sunny, and breezy. The owners of this park must be horticulturists! The park is filled with wonderful themed gardens, packed full of color. We discovered a nice little greenhouse tucked away at the end of the property. It is apparent that the management enforces a rule that nothing can be stored outside your rig. It sure makes a difference not to see stuff piled all over the extended stay sites. The place is neat as a pin, comfortable, and very pleasant. There is no doubt that the owners take great pride in this place.

We are meeting a friend of Dick's for dinner tonight who lives here in Missoula. Tomorrow is the big challenge. The road from Missoula to Sun Valley goes through several winding valleys and over Galena Pass. This can be avoided by going 100 miles out of the way.  We'll miss all that great scenery. We'll see.

Anaconda, Montana

Friday, Day 2 in Montana

Looking back at 7th Ranch as we left. (Taken through the motor home window.)

A little over 24 hours ago we were experiencing 102° heat! At the moment it is 61 ° and very windy. The expected overnight low is 36°. We took the dogs out after dinner and had to wear long pants and sweatshirts.

We woke up Friday morning to overcast skies and very comfortable temperatures. It was a nice contrast to yesterday's 102°! There was constant train traffic below the campground--All BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) and mostly long lines of coal cars. I really love trains! The mournful sound of the whistles lulled us to sleep and woke us in the morning.

Before we left Garryowen, we took the dogs on a trail behind the campground that goes straight up a hill to where there is an American flag. (It looked really pretty lit up at night.) The panorama was nice. The dogs needed the run. They have been cooped up or on leash since Sunday.

Fields at sunset at 7th Ranch, Garryowen, Montana

I think we finally solved the problem of Sirius' episodes of craziness. He dislikes riding and becomes terrified if Dick drives anywhere near rumble strips--unavoidable when we are going through construction or passing wide loads. Within seconds he bolts up to the front of the cab and tries to jump on Dick's or my lap. Yesterday we put him on the sofa and bolstered him with blankets. He is more secure and can look out the window. It worked. Next step is a harness to keep him safe. Baxter loves to ride so much that it takes 5 minutes after we start for him to be snoozing. He stays on the floor in the back of the cab.

Friday's ride took us through miles of Montana desolate range land broken up by Billings, Bozeman and Butte. It seemed that light showers followed us all day, making a mess of our dusty rig. We stopped in Bozeman to buy groceries. Anaconda is in the Rockies, just west of Butte. The last hour of our trip was truly beautiful. We got away from the showers as we wound through a couple of spectacular mountain passes and climbed to 5150 feet.

Fairmont RV Park is just that--an RV Park. The facilities are adequate, but minimal. It is in a pretty setting with mountain ranges off in the distance on all sides. It is older than the past couple of parks, so the sites are pretty small. Since it is the weekend, it is more populated than the parks during the week. It is nice to see all the families enjoying the outdoors. We see lots of kids on bikes and people walking their dogs.

Along the way--Billings Livestock Commission

As expected, last night was pretty cold. It was so hot when we were packing for this trip that I couldn't imagine needing our  down comforter. Silly me. It is in Davenport! Oh well. We have a furnace and heat pumps.

Today we will travel just over 100 miles to Missoula. There is a chance that we can go to Flathead Lake--the place that convinced us that we wanted to acquire a motor home!

Garryowen, Montana

We didn't get on the road today until noon! We just didn't want to leave the resort at Spearfish because it was so nice. The weather was perfect--warm, dry, and sunny. We went out for breakfast at the lodge. Sirius and Baxter spent the morning alternately sunning themselves and then staying in the shade under the motor home. Dick did some maintenance and I did a little cleaning. Then we sat around awhile enjoying the view of the distant hills. Since we already had our reservations and Garryowen was only 265 miles away, it was just good to relax.




The ride today was very pleasant. Taking the northern route (I-90) is much better than the southern route (I-80). The road is in better shape, there is less truck traffic, and we have found better accommodations. Today's route took us up and down mountains. We fueled up at Sheridan and Dick was pleased to discover that even with all the long grades up and down the rig is getting 10 miles/gallon. We are now at 7th Ranch. What an interesting experience this has been. When we arrived here today, it was 102 degrees. (At 10:30 p.m. it is 68.)



7th Ranch is a working ranch. You reach it by traveling on a dusty gravel road. (Our rig, bikes, and car have an inch of dust on them!) The office is next to a livestock ring, complete with a cattle chute. Beyond that is a barn, I assume for the cattle and horses. On a hill beyond all this is the rv park. The park overlooks the valley through which runs I-90 and railroad tracks with mountains in the distance. Dick was in the office a long time when he checked in. He eventually came out with the park literature and a couple of ice cream bars. He had been talking to the owners, a couple originally (and recently) from Tennessee. Apparently they are living their dream.

Tomorrow we head for Anaconda, MT, elevation 5150.

Spearfish, South Dakota

The weather yesterday was perfect. We didn't get on the road until 10:30 or so.

East of Kennebec on Interstate 90, I noticed in the distance an intense golden swath glowing on the hillside. At first I thought it was mustard plants, but when we got close enough, I realized that we were looking at sunflowers! Acres and acres of sunflowers! For the next several miles there were many fields along the way planted in rows like corn. From a distance some of the fields resembled golden corduroy. We wondered whether they were grown for bird feed. It turns out that there are growers in Kennebec that belong to the National Sunflower Association and are participating in sunflower oil research programs.

More perfect weather today. We are headed for Garryowen, MT today, 250 miles from here. It'll be 100 degrees there when we arrive.

We wound up in a relatively new rv resort here in Spearfish. We really hate to leave and will try to spend more than one night here on the way back. Park is wonderful. Much to do in the area. No time now.

Oacoma, South Dakota

Our trip took on its usual rhythm yesterday. We left Iowa and traveled by more cornfields in South Dakota. We had lunch at a rest stop and shopped at Cabela's and WalMart for a couple of items we forgot. (!)

The terrain flattened the farther we got into South Dakota. We were a few miles from Oacoma when the truck gps flashed a warning of a steep downgrade ahead. At first I thought there was a glitch in the program, but of course, we were just east of the Missouri River. The steep downgrade took us to a long bridge over the Missouri and Lake Francais-Case. It was very impressive. In a matter of miles we went from flat to very hilly.

Last night I wondered what the local commerce is around here. We are on the edge of town  and it is difficult to tell. The rv park is across the street from a Chevrolet Dealer with a western wear shop in half of the showroom. I discovered on the internet that tourism is one of the major industries here. The Chamberlain-Oacoma area is ranked 42nd out of 200 in the US for its hunting and fishing. The study breaks down into smaller categories and the area ranks 2nd for "Where you can live like a king."--high median income/low cost of living. It would be a nice place to live, but I'll bet it gets a little cool in the winter!

We were pleasantly surprised with the rv park. On this trip we switched methods of choosing where to stay. We always relied on Woodall's ratings. This time we are using Good Sam's Trailer Life ratings. They seem to be more inclusive and more accurate. We aren't interested in staying in rv resorts along this route. All we want are clean, level sites, well-working utilities. Recreation, which is pretty important for high ratings, is definitely not a priority. We just want to eat, sleep, and get back on the road. So far, we are two for two.


This park offers very large sites. The terrain is hilly and interesting (not a parking lot). I was amazed at the immaculate rest rooms/shower/laundry facilities (always nice to have as a backup and very telling about the management). Tiny pool, but it was too chilly to swim. There was a place where I could let Sirius and Baxter run. They loved that! Last night was clear with a full moon making walking very enjoyable. If we ever come back this way, we will request space 23. 


This morning we woke up to 58 degrees in the coach. I don't know what the outside temperature was. What a change. Dick turned on the furnace and the heat pumps to take the chill off.

We are headed to Spearfish, South Dakota today. We planned only 250 miles so we can stop along the way. (The scenery will change from corn and bean fields to the Black Hills.) Spearfish is on the western border of South Dakota. We enter the mountain time zone just 75 miles from here. The forecast in Spearfish is 83/53 and clear. Today I will keep my camera handy and see if I can get some good shots as we drive along.

Sometimes it is hard to leave...

Onawa, Iowa

Here we are in western Iowa. Not very scenic, but beautiful in its own way.

It has become apparent that the first day of a six-week journey is always the most difficult: You don't want to leave anything undone. You don't want to leave anything that you may need, but you don't want to be burdened with too much stuff. Yesterday we kept finding little things to do and before we knew it, it was 1:30 p.m. We got a late start.

An hour or so into the trip Sirius started going nuts. He hopped up onto Dick's lap, which was a pretty scary safety issue. We stopped at the next rest area, thinking he needed to go out. When it was time to get back on the road, Dick didn't have his keys! We spent 40 minutes searching. Thank goodness we have spares. I found the keys hours later when I was looking for my missing glasses!

We arrived at ON-UR-WA RV Park around 9:00. As Dick was setting up, the wind kicked up ferociously. Two minutes after he got into the coach, the skies opened up and it poured for a couple of hours. (Sounds like someone is dumping marbles on your roof.) We all got soaked when it was time for the boys to go out one last time. Even Baxter, who doesn't mind rain was a little freaked by the thunder and lightning.

Dawn in Onawa.

Baxter, Sirius and I took a long walk along an unpaved country road as the sun was rising. Even with the traffic noise, it was peaceful. The corn is really high. (We were surprised at the acreage along the way that is water-stressed. It is really sad to think of the wasted resources and effort of the farmers who are at the mercy of the weather.)

This RV park is quaint but very, very nice. Everything is spotless. The site is level. The utility hookups are well-maintained and in perfect order. I called ahead to let them know we were going to be late. The office was closed when we arrived, but they must have been watching for us. The minute Dick got out of the rv, the owner was there. She checked us in and then escorted us to our site on her golf cart.

Today we will move on to Oacoma, SD--262 miles. It should be pleasant in this cool, overcast weather.

Looking Forward to Sun Valley

One and one-half days to go! Itinerary is all planned... Reservations are all set... Mail is forwarded... Lawn company notified...

According to Google Maps we will travel 1803 miles to Ketchum, Idaho. We plan to take six days, so it will be an easy pace, allowing for sight-seeing, relaxing, and (ugh!) Montana road construction. We will spend a month in Ketchum/Sun Valley, hiking, biking, swimming, and visiting friends. September in Sun Valley is heaven. Blue, blue skies and golden grasses and foliage are the rule. Days are warm and dry and nights are cool. Can't wait!

All we have to do is finish packing the rig--a process that has been simplified over the past year by using standardized check lists. Still, this isn't my favorite task, but the sooner I get busy, the sooner it's finished.