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It's a slow 60 miles to Logan Pass
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We hike up to the
Hidden Lake Overlook, about 1.5 miles uphill (later check says
1300’!!), much of it on wooden boardwalk over the meadowlands of
Logan Pass. Awkward height of the boardwalk steps which I find
challenging! (And tiring!) We see a Big Horn Sheep and a Mountain
Goat. Rick was disappointed that he didn’t see a bear – and the
trail was closed beyond the overlook due to bear activity!
We got to the
overlook in time for the sunset, but the sun was playing hide and
seek behind some clouds and the smoke, and I have to say I enjoyed
the shadows and colors of the mountain layers just as much as the
clouds and sky! Hidden Lake is tucked between BearHat Mountain and
Mt. Reynolds, and is filled with islan
Back to the truck by
7pm as the sky was definitely darkening! The drive back down from
the pass was a little nerve racking due to narrow road and the
possibility of deer and wildlife. We actually didn’t see any deer
until after West Glacier and the main road down to Columbia Falls
again!
Back to trailer by
8:45 and beat! A long day! And tomorrow will be long as well!
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Aspen trees changing along road
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Starting to come out of the smoke!
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Nearing the Loop
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Between Loop and Logan Pass
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Autumn colors are glorious!
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Road to the Sun nearing Weeping Wall
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This is how many of my pictures are taken! Out the truck window!
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Logan Pass area - view across to Bishops Cap
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Smokey haze is evident....down toward St. Mary Lake
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Hidden Lake and ridge shadows
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Mountain goat
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Goat and Hidden Lake
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Almost got a reflection of sunset in lake!
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Sun through trees
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FRIDAY, October 9
Habitat Work
Creekside
Development, Lakeside
Oh, we are dragging
abit this morning, and have a long day ahead of us! But….we are
off once again at 7:15 in Tom’s truck, heading south to Lakeside!
We have ‘whaling’ left to do!
Some of the regular
volunteers are present again today – I counted at least 3 of them
and they all worked over in the duplex getting things ready for beams
to be placed.
While Tom and I
basically worked alone, Rick went around this morning and screwed all
the corners togethers and then took the measurements necessary for us
to wrap up and secure the outer corners of the foundation. Tedious
measurements and cutting for him to get the boards to slide down into
place and fit right. Once Tom and I finished our two walls (which
took us nearly two hours), Tom started screwing the corner boards in
place while Rick cut and I oiled and delivered. We got it all done
by lunch time.
Steve had a few more
jobs for us before the cement truck was due to arrive at 2:30! Rick
and Tom made some frames for foundation pillars, while I went around
the stem wall foundation and chinked any gaps with some leftover
insulation. I also cut 8 pieces of rebar which served to remind me
how hard it is to cut by oneself! Thank goodness Tom said the same
things and attached an ‘extender’ for better leverage!
We started the
cement pour at 3 and just as Steve predicted it was hectic and chaos
for 1.5 hours, but we were done by 4:30! I leveled and installed a
few j-bars, and then scrapped excess cement off. Rick got to use the
stinger again and follow Steve around ‘encouraging’ the cement to
settle and be rid of air bubbles.
We had thought of
going to Tamarack Bar in Lakeside for drinks and maybe dinner, but we
were so tired and dirty we just headed back to the campground,
showered, and enjoyed a little ‘Happy Hour’ time afterwards.
Early to bed tonight!!
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Sunrise over Mission driving to Lakeside
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Rick cuts boards for us to 'whale'
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Setting in the trees of the house
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Cutting corner boards
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Chinking the gaps!
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Our finished work
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Tom and Rick brace the walls
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Concrete truck and pump/hose truck have arrived!
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Three person job...Rick on the 'stinger'
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| End of day back at trailer....Rick said I was 'filthy'!! It was hard leaning OVER the form boards to clear the excess cement! |
Saturday, October
19
Creekside Habitat
Work
We weren’t sure if
we were going to be able to work today, but the forecasted rain isn’t
supposed to arrive until later this afternoon, so…..off we go
again! There is a good crowd of volunteers on site and we finally
meet the new Volunteer Coordinator Rebecca as she enthusiastically
welcomes folks, hands out safety glasses and gloves and plenty of
hand sanitizer! On hand today are three of the homeowners – Betty,
Richard, and Johanna, the latter who brought a family crew of 6 to
help out! A few other local volunteers, but not the regulars in
terms of Steve M or Pete.
After orientation
(an official one this time with safety talk!) Steve splits the crowd
up into three groups – all the young ‘bucks’ over to the stem
wall foundation to remove the whalers and form boards. That is a job
for young backs! Richard was glad to work on his own house for that.
Johanna and her group all worked on installing the insulation on the
floor of her house, taping it all together so it would be ready for
the concrete slab to be poured.
Rick, Tom, and I
were sent across the street to work in the duplex. We had three jobs
– install some forms in the bottom of the pits to be ready for the
concrete base for porch pillars; finish installing ledgers at the
base of the exterior walls (to hold exterior foam insulation); and
build a mini wall to bring the header over both garages up to ceiling
height in preparation for the eventual arrival of trusses. While
Rick and Tom worked in the pits, I cut all the blocks to form the
mini studs for the walls. I marked the header for the studs. Then
cut all the ledgers to size for the exterior walls. All this cutting
meant I brought the miter saw across from the tool trailer and set up
a cutting station! Tom then installed the ledgers, and the three of
us had the wall built and installed by lunch time. Everything put
away! We were feeling pretty smug when Steve came over and asked,
“You got both garages done, right?” All three of us had
forgotten we were working on a duplex and there was another side!
So….after a bite to eat, we pulled back out the miter saw, plugged
back in all the extension cords and got to work on the other side.
Knowing what we were doing, though, it went quickly!!
A few raindrops fell
but nothing major. We were done and leaving the site by 2:30pm!
I took the afternoon
‘off’ to run down to JoAnn’s Fabrics and pick up some needed
items! Also visited the bakery next door and picked up a few treats.
Back to make pesto pasta with lots of garden veggies for dinner!
Quiet evening as we
listened to the wind pick up and rustle the walls of the trailer!
Heard a few drop fall during the night.
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The sun rises through the forest just as we gather.
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Hosanna (on left) and her family TEAM for the day.
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Steve gives his safety talk. Richard, homeowner, on left.
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Tom and Rick setting pillar foundation boards in place....in the pits!
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Getting our header wall in place!
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Tom screws it down!
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Forms coming off the stem walls!
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Sunday, October
11
Lunch rendezvous with Rusty
St. Ignatius – 171 miles
Ah paradise! A morning to relax! Cooler!
We called Rusty because we couldn’t find the restaurant in Charlo
that he mentioned. Got the name and then Anne texted me to say the
Bison Range was worth the drive through. So we talked to Tom and we
left a little earlier to allow time to check it out. Drove down the
east side of Flathead Lake for variety, past all the cherry orchards
and expensive houses! The lake was choppy with winds. A few drops
of rain on occasion.
We drive through Charlo, past the rendezvous restaurant and find it
closed. The website is not up to Covid date. Do a little research
and find the Old Timers Cafe in St. Ignatius has outdoor seating
(important to Rusty and prolly a good idea considering the burst of
Covid cases in Montana). Calls to Anne (who we discover isn’t
coming) and Rusty who is just south of Rivalli on his drive north.
Agree to meet at Old Timers!
Which proves to be a great choice! Cute little place, immaculate
with a little courtyard in back with a few picnic tables. We moved
one of them half under a porch, but the sun came out and we never had
any raindrops while we ate! Perfect!
Burgers were great and very filling. I tried soup with mine and
their tomato soup was creamy but also had giant chunks of tomato in
it! A couple photos after an hour and a half of conversation and
catchup, and we are enroute back north. With the change in locations
we never did make it to the bison range!
Drive back up the west side of the lake was beautiful with the sun
shining on the fresh patches of snow on the Mission Mountains.
Back at campground I realized I had SAT all day, so with phone in
hand I set off walking loops around the campground. Talked with Jed
on the phone for nearly an hour! But I got my FitBit up to 10,000
steps!
Quiet evening in the trailer.
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Fun table legs in the women's bathroom!
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This was a good pick in St. Ignatius!
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Tom and Rusty
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Flathead Lake near Wild Horse Island (south end)
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Quick selfie of the four of us outside cafe....good thing Rick has long arms!
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Lakeside, MT shoreline
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Lutheran church south of Somers has 50+ Minions out front!
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View of Mission Mts as we drop down off hill between Somers and Kalispell.
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Monday, October
12
Day of Rest: Costco & Visits
Rain Off and On!
The next two days are supposed to be wet and rainy! The odds of any
work on the Habitat site nil! So…..we spend a VERY lazy morning
before receiving a text from Tom around noon inquiring, “A good day
for the Costco run?” Agreed!
We drive separate trucks over to the west side of Kalispell and ‘mall
strip’! Two hundred dollars lighter we leave Costco with a hearty
few boxes to take home. Rick gets free haircut at Sports Clips
(compliments of the Red Cross blood drive along with a healthy tip!)
while I pick up a few groceries at Walmart and Dollar Tree. Then we
visit Lowes and Home Depot browsing possibilities for a Band Saw.
The next two plus hours are spent visiting the Habitat families out
in Spring Creek Subdivision – Ashleys, Davidsons, and Schultzes.
What fun and what a warm reception from all. We were careful and
wore our masks, but I have to confess there were a few hugs
exchanged! Fun to meet Cassie Davidson (ok, we saw her for 10
minutes the day she came home from the hospital on her birthday) and
Isaiah Schultz who was born while we’ve been gone. All seem to be
doing well and surviving the variances of school attendance and home
schooling. Sadly enough I was back at the trailer when I realize I
hadn’t take ANY pictures of the families!
Monday night I had a Session meeting, which I attended via Google
Meets sitting in the front seat of the truck for two hours with my
laptop!! I didn’t want to interrupt Rick’s football and baseball
watching!!
TUESDAY, October
13
Laundry & Rainfall
Another relaxing morning, but we finally load up an overflowing
laundry cupboard and head down to the campground laundry. We can’t
put it off any longer!
Spend about 2 hours in the afternoon visiting with Tom over in his
5
th wheel. Watch and listen to the clouds burst forth
with a downpour and then the sun shine briefly before the rain comes
again. So glad we didn’t work today!
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View from our campsite of fresh snow on the Mission Mts!
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Our campsite at Rocky Mountain Hi RV Park
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Apples ripe and ready to eat just behind our campsite
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Another view from campsite
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Obviously all these pictures were taken not on Tuesday, but Monday when the sun actually did shine off and on a few times! (But blogger wouldn't load them on Monday, despite three tries!)
WEDNESDAY,
October 14
Creekside Habitat Build
Rebar Ready Hosanna’s Home!
Brrr! A chilly morning with threatening skies! In fact, we drive
through an absolute downpour as we approach Somers that makes us
wonder! But…..it never rains the whole work day in Lakeside! (The
wind is another matter!)
A small but mighty crew – Tom, Rick, and I, plus Dawn the
homeowner, Pete from Whitehorse, and another couple Kat and Anthony,
new volunteers who live in Kalispell. While everyone else continues
to take the form boards off the stem walls on the east house, Rick
Tom and I work on setting the rebar on the insulated floor of the
middle house (Hosanna and Jonathon’s) and finishing gluing the
edging foam in place – the house is now ready for the cement floor
to be poured! I was thankful for Tom’s offer of kneepads –
although the foam was soft to kneel on, it was nice to have the extra
cushion as we spent considerable time on our knees twisting the rebar
ties into place!
Rick left at one point to help Steve unload sheetrock over in the
duplex and a few other chores. Then he worked mostly on the foam
while Tom and I cut rebar and tied it together.
After lunch many of us worked together to begin the process of
insulating the stem walls with 2” foam, beginning with the inside
of the walls. We got about half way around before the 3pm ‘bell’
sounded! I expect finishing inside and outside will be Rick, Tom,
and my job tomorrow! I had to chase after several 4x8 sheets of foam
when the wind kept picking up parts of our stack! We just kept
loading more and more buckets of whalers on top to hold them down.
It was a challenge working with large pieces of foam board in the
wind!
Back to the campground to warm up with hot showers and turn the
heaters on! I read a book for three hours in the course of the
evening (now I can return the two I borrowed from the laundry room!)
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| We found the insulation had alot of puddles to work around! |
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Rick figures and cuts the foam edges.
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Tools of the rebar tie twisting trade!
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The wind was blowing cool and cold so we found shelter in the lee of the duplex for lunch.
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Rick and Tom in their lunch 'cubbies'
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Our finished efforts for the day - all ready for concrete to be poured.
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| Hay rolls in the field below the snowy Missions as we drive home. |
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Another mountain view from campsite
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THURSDAY, October
15
Creekside Habitat
Installing Stemwall Insulation
It was a cold dark morning as we leave the campground but we were
greeted to a beautiful sunrise over the Mission Mountains as we wind
down the road to Lakeside. Tom had the key to the tool trailer and
we have a job ahead of us to finish in the interior stem wall
insulation, do all the outside, and then chalk the lines in the
garage and insulate the common walls.
All would have gone quicker if the foam glue applicator hadn’t
continually balked. We thought it was the cold weather, but Steve
later said the guns had some issues. While Tom and Rick fought with
the glue, I cut. And cut. And cut. I cut foam all day with a handsaw
and a large 4’ T-square. (By day’s end at 4:30 my shoulder
blades and back had had it! It’s an ibuprofen night!)
Tom made a couple trips down to the local hardware store to pick up
caulk and some glue adhesive (forget the foam!) and eventually we got
the ball rolling in terms of applying the panels. Shortly after
lunch break, Steve arrived and cleaned/fixed both foam applicators.
Wow. What a difference. I could hardly keep up with the guys
cutting then! We stayed late wanting to get the job done which we
did!
Around 3 pm with my stomach grumbling I announced I thought I had
earned ice cream! Tom agreed, so on the way home Tom treated us all
to Sweet Peaks (the local specialty ice cream vendor!) Rick and I
both had huckleberry and Tom tried a blackberry oat milk!
Evening spent tossing around ideas for the weekend as snow is
predicted and the current forecast is for 18 degrees Saturday night.
Ouch! We may be leaving a little earlier than planned.
We are driving tomorrow so Tom can help Steve move wall panels from
the Re-Store. Spend a few moments shifting our gear from Tom’s
truck to ours (and clearing the Costco purchases aside for the day!)
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Heading up over the Somers hill and sunrise clouds
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Lakeside docks and sunrise
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Rick and Tom struggle with the foam gun
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While I cut panels and set them in place.
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Finally getting a few up....
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...but Tom goes back to attempting a fix!
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Liquid nail caulk in use now to clean up a few of the panels put up yesterday.
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I admired Tom's creative use of scrap foam to lock the panels in place.
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All finished for the day!
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Rick took the camera and got a series of me cutting the foam!
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FRIDAY, October
16
Creekside Habitat – Final Day
Plumbing and Insulation!
It is a dark ominous morning as we set out for Lakeside – the first
time the Honda has made the trip. Tom has a day set aside for him to
ferry a group of young folks from a halfway house who are to help
move the walls from the Restore down to the job site (part of their
community service). We told Steve of our discussion enroute down as
to leave tomorrow morning with the impending snow and sub 20 degree
temperature forecast for Saturday night and Sunday.
We meet up as the volunteers slowly arrive – homeowners Robert,
Richard and Angela are on site today. First time we have met Angela.
She is as hard a worker as her husband. Steve outlines jobs and
then he and Tom are off to the ReStore.
Rick and I have two ‘plumbing’ jobs – getting the water line
and the sewer lines in Richard and Angela’s house aligned and fixed
so that they will stick straight up above the foundation when the
infill is done around the stem walls. With a little figuring and
maneuvering, we manage to get the jobs done! While Rick roamed the
tool sheds looking for the battery saws-all, I joined the form
loading crew bringing boards up to the trailer (just the small ones!)
Not a job I particularly relish!
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We had to pull a huge coil of water line over to this spot along the stem wall
and then anchor it in place, cutting off the excess, and then sealing off the top. |
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Sewer line needed an extension added, plus another joint to direct it straight up.
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Then Steve sent Rick and I over to the duplex to install an initial
layer of 1” exterior foam in a horizontal pattern around the
houses. (The foam is donated so Steve takes what he is given – he
will eventually put two layers of 1” foam in different directions
around the exterior, rather than the usual 2” foam.) So...while
Rick handled the pneumatic stapler with its 1.5” staples, I cut out
windows and laid out the 4x8’ sheets of foam for him. Of course,
for much of the time he was working in the 16” between scaffolding
and wall! We had to move some of the scaffolding as well.
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Sample of the installed insulation in the entry way of the west duplex.
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The garage walls weren't insulated, so this picture doesn't really show what we did! The ill fated wall is behind the trees!
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After a break for lunch in which we visited at length with Bob
Helder, the director of the Kalispell affiliate, we were on a roll to
finish all the walls of both sides of the duplex. Until….we ran
into problems with the lack of level on the west side. Four sheets
of foam up which had to be removed...carefully...and then the staples
pulled back out of the wall. By the time we were nearing the end of
the that, we found the cleanup crew had put away our stapler and
compressor cord and it was 3pm done time. RATS. This is our last
day on the job and you want to finish knowing you GOT THE JOB DONE!
But Steve came up and said, just hold off because there is something
awry with the stringing on the wall and he wanted to check it out.
Needless to say I did NOT take pictures of our staple and foam wall
which was a mess! (And in the middle of it all, I got something major
in my eye and had to take time out to go to the truck and drown it
with my eye drops...which fortunately worked!)
We have to pick Tom up at Steve’s place in Somers, which is great
since we then get the chance to see Steve’s new wife Lisa and all
the changes he has been making on the house. It looks very much like
a New England beach house (at least the side that is finished!) Lisa
had the firepit going and handed Rick and I a glass of wine!
Welcome! We stayed for about an hour before saying our goodbyes and
up to campground to pack up. But….rain is falling and we decide
all that can wait until tomorrow morning! We are tired!
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| New sidewalk was just poured at 5am this morning! Entry totally changed! |
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Tom relaxing at the fire.
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Rick, Tom, Steve. Lisa moved out of the picture just as I clicked!
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A rainbow wrapped up the day for us in Somers.
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SATURDAY, October
17
Kalispell to Baker City
518 miles
We said we would make the decision as to stopping at Tucannon River
RV near Starbucks or going all the way after Colfax, and obviously
the decision ended up…..let’s go home!!! It makes for a long
10.5 hour driving day, but the time change backwards helps.
We have a somewhat slow morning, but begin packing up at 8 and are
ready to pull out shortly before 9am. Goodbyes to Tom who is almost
ready to leave himself, and a stop at the market for coffees and we
are on the road south by 9:10.
Skies are cloudy and overcast, and especially along the lake there is
another layer of clouds drifting and layered below the peaks. The
forecast dusting of snow for Kalispell didn’t materialize as
anything more than some rain during the night, so roads are clear.
It is a beautiful drive down to St. Regis. In the Hot Springs valley
the peaks of the upper Bitteroots are covered in snow. Skies are
filled with big clouds but not threatening. During the course of the
day we see a huge herd of elk (down near Paradise), a bald eagle
(northern Idaho), and deer. Also some road kill raccoon and rabbit!
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Bitteroot Mts near Hot Springs, MT
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Clark Fork as we wind down into St. Regis
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A stop in St. Regis for gas and a sandwich and I drive the freeway up
and over Lookout Pass and into Idaho, then across on I-90 to Couer
d’Alene. I stop along the road heading down 95 to Plummer for Rick
to start driving – got a kink in my leg!
We gas up in Plummer and then retrace our route up over the Palouse
of Washington. What an interesting time of year to travel the
palouse – the wheat fields are a mix now of green and gold. Some
winter wheat is already poking up and casting a green sheen to the
fields, but the patchwork patterns of harvest also mark many more
fields with brown and gold.
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Golden fields of the Palouse Washington
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As we pass Starbuck around 3pm decision is verified – all the way!
I take a little cat nap which really helps in resting my eyes such
that at Milton Freewater and a gas up, I am ready to drive again and
take us over the Blue Mts through LaGrande and to the rest stop at
the base of Ladd Canyon. There Rick drives us home and I am glad he
did, as the sunset over the Elkhorns and the Baker Valley was
stunning and I took pictures all the way!! What a welcome home!
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Elkhorn sunset from the other side of the valley
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This picture of mountain sunset off my phone.
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TOTALS:
Total miles: 1399
Trailer miles: 1039
Nights in trailer: 12
