June 15, 2018 Kalispell to Missoula, Flat Head NF

Friday, June 15

45 degrees this morning at Walmart.  There are about a dozen other campers who spent the night here last night.

We have coffee and breakfast at the local McDonalds and then head to Creston RV.  It was recommended by a few folks on the Roadtrek facebook group, so we feel pretty good going in.  We have a technician named Jamie check out a few items.  We knew there was something up with the generator connection to the house battery, and he finds it only needs a new nut, as the old one wouldn't stay tight even when Greg had tightened it well.   We had an issue with the toilet overflowing, but since it didn't continue he thinks it was only a temporary particle caught in the ball valve and seems to have cleared on its own, so shouldn't be an issue.  He checks the battery and obvious electrical connections and doesn't find an issue. The battery itself is somewhat weakened.  He shows us how to turn off the electrical hot water heater and suggests since that was added by the original owner, that may be the area that is causing our "mystery" electrical issues.  But he doesn't have the time it would take to troubleshoot things, so we just switch the water heater to propane as originally designed.  This should at least remove some draw on the battery.

All this took about 3/4 hour, so by 9:30 we are back on the road. We head south on 93S towards Missoula. More lush green countryside and beautiful flowers.

 Here is some purple phlox along the roadside.

 We turn at Polson to go take a peak at Kerr Dam.  Along the way we see fields of yellow, which we later learn is canola.  Lots of bees on it and it has obviously seeded and spread to some area fields and pastures, as Bessie will attest.

Kerr dam, aka Sels Ksanka Olispe Project, is 204' high (54' taller than Niagra) and was developed during the 1930's depression. It  generates enough power for about 125,000 homes.  What the write-up we saw didn't say was that there were about 380 steps down to the viewpoint!  Still, small steps so it wasn't bad (especially going down).

Amazing how blue the water looks when there is a blue sky!

From here we go back to Polson and stop at a small street fair/farmer's market going on.  I ask some ladies selling plants about the yellow fields and other flowers we've seen but they are surprisingly clueless about wildflowers. Some veggies and plants for sale, along with homemade goodies, jewelry and other craft items.  Nothing we just couldn't live without.

Later, we pass this attention-getting display of bikes advertising a lodge of some sort.  It got our attention, even though we don't remember the facility.  It ran for about 150 yards in a green area parallel to the road.

Continuing south, we arrive in Missoula at the Smoke Jumper Visitor Center.  This is a complete campus where about 70 Smoke Jumpers train.  The Smoke Jumpers are men and women who parachute into fire sites, usually when fires are just beginning, to fight fires and try to control them on the ground.  The tour here was nice, as Gwyn, our guide took us and four others through the facility.

 Gwyn explained the origins and gear,  and then we went into locker rooms, parachute drying areas,  parachute packing areas, and a sewing room where they make and/or repair their own suits. They have to be ready to board the plane in just 2 minutes from receiving an alarm.

 Parachutes hanging to dry.

Packing a parachute takes about 45 minutes.  During training they are unpacked and checked.  Since any jumper may get any parachute, they depend on each other not to make a mistake.

  Still, they each carry a back-up chute as well.  Turnover in the program is small, though they have to re-qualify each year.  The average age is 35, but they can continue in this profession till age 57.

Candidates must qualify physically and must have 2 years of firefighting experience and at least 1 in fighting forest fires. About 5% of the 400 smoke jumpers nationwide are women.  We saw their suits, which include 2 chutes, various tools - about 80 lbs in all.  They don't carry respirators or fire retardants, but can call in planes to spray retardant and drop other supplies.  Boxes are dropped which contain axes, foods and other supplies.  This is a typical 3-day supply of food.

 They each carry one of these small tents which will provide protection from a sweeping fire, just for 30 seconds in an emergency.

Then we saw some of the planes that are used for the drops.

Some of the team were in New Mexico, since the fire season has already begun there.  This is the largest base, though there are others throughout the country.  Other than jumpers, there are also pilots and spotters.

 Next stop was the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.  We weren't sure what to expect here, but it turns out to be very hunter-oriented, with displays of lots of "trophy" elk.  Information on several different varieties of elk and what they are doing "responsibly" to conserve and protect the population.  We did a short nature walk on the premises - saw no elk, but a few browsing deer.

Route 83N takes us back toward Glacier, alongside huge Flathead Lake and many smaller ones.  Lots of National Forest, so we find a boon docking spot in Lolo National Forest on CR552.  A few other campers along this road but it is cool and quiet.