August 1st :
Spokane afternoon departure -> Quartz Flat Campground where, through a culvert under I-90, a flat fee $5/ site overlooking Clark Fork River. I-90 crosses the Clark Fork 11 times.
August 2nd:
AtlasObscura indicates Berkeley Pit in Butte, one of the most polluted places in the world, where for $2 one can view the acidic (2.5 pH) polluted pond. But Butte is an old brick town that radiates a past thrived in the mining whose copper production can be still seen on the scoured ground above the “Pit”. Heavy metals are still carried by heavy-duty trucks on the exposed hillside and whose sound carries in echo to the streets of downtown .Butte Now, these brick buildings seem to hold their breath anticipating the future impact of this tremendous environmental disaster.
Putting Butte behind, on to Big Timber where, south on 298 leads into the Custer Gallatin National Forest, to Falls Creek Campground whose sites are secure with bear bins.
August 3rd:
Boulder River flows out of the forest then forms Natural Bridges as it goes underground briefly reappearing as a falls and then back under again leaving dry canyon walls. Hiking trails surrounding the phenomena allow multiple angled views of the
Back to I-90 East among motorcycles of all types ridden by versions of the same rider,ATD notice of high level of danger in Washington. among big trucks pulling cycles in trailers. A fire and advise from NFS determines a detour to the South side of the Black Hills to camp at Comanche Park Campground. Even here, distant and continuous motorcycle sound waffles among the ATD text notice of high level of danger in Washington. pines. Nearby, campers in hammock rest, curiously a truck hood open, engine covered with boughs that, by explanation, allegedly prevent pack rats from getting into the parts. Novel idea not found by googling.
August 4th:
Rapid City where AtlasObscura steers a visit to Art Wall. A lost hat left on a hydrant giving the hydrant the appearance of looking down the alley corridor. On the Southwest corner of the alley, an old hotel elegantly hosts cycle rider’s rows of parked bikes. Quixotically all the bikers seem to be speaking German.
South Dakota State Mining and Technology campus Museum of Geology articulates local fossil history with dioramas, glass cases and cabinets of specimens. This is an ancient land whose age cannot be understood.
Mitchell, South Dakota whose Corn Palace local art dates back to 1892. The scent of popcorn inside the palace suggests that global warming may be having impact here too.
Minnesota State Park Blue Mounds welcome to Minnesota with shower and quiet sans cycle cacophony.
August 5th:
Awe of Minnesota morning crepuscular light of dawn filtered through early mist. The cool scent of agriculture in the air familiar from the past but contrasted with Pacific Northwest conifer.
Austin Hormel and the home of Spam and the Spam Museum! Becomes “a swing and a miss” as the museum is closed while it moves to a new location. The Spam Store (open) carries cans of, Uff da Jalapeno Spam!
GPS wandering into Iowa county roads through unfamiliar towns, roads lined by rows of tall corn fields. Finally dropping down to Marquette (of Jesuit fame) on the Mississippi, out of Iowa crossing into Wisconsin.
Along “Old C” a juvenile red tail hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) lifts from the road, into the oaks, landing, then again, retreating further into the woods. Following past the turn, but returning to it, to the home of buddha friends. ATD text notice of high level of danger in Washington.
August 6th-10th:
Immersed surrounded with friends, impossible appearances magical in reunions, hilarious visits, mistaken identity during lunches and morning sand hill cranes roosting in the hollow field. Golden Era to a background of hummingbirds air traffic collects burrs but loses collar. Prairie flowers with views of Southwest Wisconsin swim in a long sleep. All the expectations have been succeeded. ATD text notice of high level of danger in Washington.
August 11th:
From the flowered fields of Ridgeway defying the path of the GPS and diverting from Fennimore to Prairie Du Chien (passing an M60A3 tank again), then north along the Mississippi to LaCrosse. One more visit with an old friend and out of Wisconsin onto Minnesota Highway 61 revisited.
Above Lake Pepin then a hike down the bluff on stairs to shore as barge river traffic passes. Miracles at Minnesota State Park at Frontenac where, distracted by the view and phone, the camera was left on park table and then returned through detective work of the children who had found it.
August 12th-13th:
Old friends, new friends, family, Raptor Center and Minnehaha Falls swirled into Minnesota Twin Cities visit. A time for jihad against the wasps. ATD text notice of high level of danger in Washington.
August 14th:
A Buteo perched from the Bell Natural History Museum buttresses swings away, the red tail clearly visible. Out of the hot Twin Cities and off on I-94. Traveling with Beverly and the “Go West Freedom Ride”.
In Alexandria everything starts to seem out of place. The Kensington Runestone whose existence improbably implies Vikings in Minnesota, and is guarded by “Big Ole” who stands with a backdrop of white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in flight formation.
Another Minnesota State park Maplewood Minnesota State Park, westbound leukolugs first night on I-94.
August 15th:
Still out of place, Out of Minnesota, into and through North Dakota stopping to overlook Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The alien landscape an appropriate backdrop to the variety in tourists. A brief disorientation reminiscent of fever, as normothermic memories featuring John Day Fossil Beds rush.
Out of North Dakota and into Glendive Montana just at the closing time at the Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum. The museum is financed by FACT which is the Foundation for Advancing Creation Truth and examines fossil finds with a biblical background.
Squinting through the now closed front door, I can see the admission desk where someone in white is closing down. Was it Noah?
The area begat Montana State Park::Makoshika and a landscape that breaths history in an ancient land measured in numbers that cannot be understood by my mind. Camped on edges that cause a canine concern.
August 16th:
Slow motion, almost reluctant departure out of Makoshika, mapped and transient sneak images of trees on homes wind pornography, but on to west bound I-94. ATD text notice of high level of danger in Washington.
UNDER SERVEILANCE walking up to the Standing at the top of Pompey Rock with an incoming text suggesting that Spokane’s name should be changed to Pompey, historically reminiscent of the Island destruction. UNDER SERVEILANCE Captain Clarks Signature can be seen. UNDER SERVEILANCE at Pompey’s Pillar, a clear 360 unobstructed wind and (truly ironically) observable scenic breeze. Corrected regards to cottonwoods as the colon stump and not an aspen. Also acquired information regarding the storm that “hit” Glendive and trashed the local cottonwoods. ATD text notice of high level of danger in Washington.
Golden Era retrieving, repeats swims and shake offs of the Yellowstone River. A fracking camper whose eyes resemble a cat, contributes an abandoned bag of canine food. Later Era sniffs and excepts.
Revisiting Big Timber 298, this time including a stop at Holly’s Road Kill Cafe where Golden Era becomes a bar dog! Another night of Falls Creek Campground background sound of owls.
August 17th:
Days and distance blurred since the 2nd, an unknown amount of water under the bridge, underground. A sad lost blinged out child’s hat comes to Leukolugs. ATD text notice of high level of danger in Washington.
At Bozeman Museum of the Rockies, and past the bronzed “Big Mike” (MOR 555) the T Rex statue(d) and past the current (chocolate) exhibit and into the Siebel Dinosaur Complex where the past is defined in disagreement with flood theorists creationists.
Another AtlasObscura visit, this time to a difficult to find and access phenomena of the Ringing Rocks. No need for hair spray (bear spray?) but with a tool and a tap the rocks ring like bells.
Passing just to the east of the active mining works that brought America the Berkeley Pit and into the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. Camped one last night of the trip near the Whitehouse Campground along the Boulder River.
August 18th:
Out of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge, back to westbound I-90 into the increasing dense smoke of Washington burns. And then Clark Fork River crossing 11x. Touristy at Haugan’s Lincoln Silverdollar Bar sharing ice cream with the locals before out of Montana into the smoke of Idaho and Washington. An LED Highway sign flashes “ACTIVE FIRE CONTAINMENT IN PROGRESS: PLEASE DO NOT CALL 911” Out of Idaho into burning Washington, the Pacific Northwest which is home.
