Day 45

Where there's a will ...

... there's a way.

Jeremiah says Lodgepole Campground is at 6,400 feet which is the highest we’ve ever camped.  

We had french toast and cancelled the bacon as the fire was dwindling.

I made cheddar roast beef sandwiches with clover sprouts for lunch. It came together quickly as I hat made cheese slices last night when I had it out.  Washing celery in the icy water made me cry. So miserably cold with that wind and it took forever for my fingers to dry and get warm.

Yep, taking pictures.  :)

We left the tipi flaps open with only the screen in and no liners last night to see if that would diminish the condensation inside so we could pack it up sooner.  It was humid and rained a bit during the night, but not a drop of moisture on the inside!  We were plenty warm as well which and been the other concern with leaving the flaps open.  Hot rocks were delivered by the boys after I was asleep.  

I was just finishing up the dishes when Jeremiah pointed out a sheet of rain coming our way.  We cleaned up camp and loaded up in the car just as it stopped.  It had only sprinkled, but now we were ready to go!  :)  

Now isn't that just about perfect.

We drove to Wisdom, MT and then a few miles west of there.  We returned to the mercantile to check for dog food.  Cynthia Baldauf, a photographer had some of her work for sale in there.   Almost every piece was quite arresting, nothing cliche or ho-hum.  Of course, that could be because it was all working ranch horses and including drafts.  :)  She had a poster of making hay with horses that showed using a beaver slide to make those giant hay stacks.  Now that I know what a beaver slide is.  :)

The structures on the right are used as forms and the slide loads it.

We went south from there through Jackson and drove up a road towards the mountains.  I'm starting to realize how important it color is in architecture.  Some abodes appear to have sprouted up out of the ground, or to have always been there.  They just fit in.  They are part of the land.

We got about halfway up and then turned around because the road was pretty snowy and plenty icy.  

And I like wood fences too.

And piles of hay.  Lots of hay.

And livestock handling facilities.

And roads.

And silos.

And irrigation systems.

And train tracks.  :)

We got back on 278 and headed east to Dillon where we got dog good and a few other groceries, gas and ice, and used the Safeway internet.  We got a bundle of “kindling” at the gas station.  I twas actually discarded house trim that had been cut up.  In Jeremiah’s economy it was nice kiln dried emergency stove fuel. Mom successfully staved of a migraine for the second time with magnesium and an herb combo she found.

We drove up 15 through the Pioneer Mountains getting back to camp well after dark.  I made pasta and red sauce that had to be finished over a whiteman’s fire.  I extended the salad with tomato carrots and leftover clover sprouts.  I roasted a couple marshmallows which I shared with the dogs.

He's gotten pretty good at it.

Ben Haumesser, he'll give you a run for your money!

5,854 miles in.