February 26th-28th

Additional sounds from the Woods Cabin attic have a pattern noted in the last stay and reveals the habits of the Neotoma sp.. The noctivagant noises begin and end with a recurrent rodent ritual. Pack rat has a toy! But now a morning departure with destination West Fork Rock Creek cabin. Leaving the eerie grumbling behind, north again on Hwy 269 to Lolo for first ever truck stop shower.  Missoula east I 90, Drummond exit, south Hwy 1  to Philipsburg.  Spring patches of snow pinto pattern the foothills.  At Doe Brothers, Brian serves a big buffalo burger and ice cream in huge scoops. Must stop at the Deerlodge Ranger Station to congratulate Heidi who is retiring after 25 years.   West Fork Rock Creek Cabin is rustic although it is gated with keyless entry and valet parking. The wood burning stove provides ample heat in the small sparse cabin. The cabin sits in a drainage area and in the warmth, there are pools of standing water. Coyotes cry and on cue owls add a chorus. The Discovery Ski area has Alpine and Nordic skiing. The XC trails track through forested areas for a great work out with dog. At a spring on the southwest side of Georgetown Lake, a spring allows for refill of all the water containers. There are fisherman and warming huts on the lake, but the word is that the fishing has not been good. “If you don’t catch em, you don’t have to clean em”.  A return to the Discovery area finds the XC ski trails sticky even in the morning, but under blue skies Alpine spring skiing is the viable option. Downhill!