Montana & Idaho - July 2018 - Part One

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Transplants From California

"36 lanes?" I questioned, my voice shaking with fear.

"Yes!" Our friend Muir Trek affirmed. "The freeway to get to our home has 36 lanes."

My stomach was in a knot. I was afraid Muir Trek could see, from 500 miles away on the other end of the phone, the beads of sweat on my brow and my terribly shaking hands. I could hardly hold the phone.

Wonderful friends - Muir Trek & Outdoor Woman - lived in Southern California. They wanted us to come visit. How could we? We are at home with moose and bears and raging winter storms in the high mountains. Give us skis or crampons and an ice axe and an occasional rope and we are completely at home. We teach outdoor skills, usually starting with an introduction along the lines of - "We live in a town so small it does not even have a stop light." 36 lanes! Is there a pilot service that could meet us in Lone Pine and "bring us into port" so we could visit? It wasn't going to happen and Outdoor Woman always fit a reminder into a conversation - "You never come visit us!"

Those 36 lanes haunted us for years until this past May. A phone call. "We bought a place in Montana!" MT&OW exclaimed. "We take possession the last half of June."

I got the address and plotted a route. We could get there without using an interstate highway! We could be their first visitors and help them get settled; make amends for those 36 lanes. The real estate listing for the property I found stated the house had 6400 square feet, they had to have room for us.

The Lady had her annual physical with our primary care doc Monday morning, July 2nd. Confident that she'd pass her physical, we had the truck loaded and ready to hit the road right from our doc's office. Oh, how we yearned to head east on Highway 50 into our beloved Nevada. But we had another mission to accomplish first, and it involved Interstate 5 north into Oregon. We had a box of treasures to drop off in Eugene for our nephew. These were treasures that we found when boxing up items after the Lady's father's passing. Treasures like the tiny Bible he carried with him as a young Marine in the Pacific in World War Two - Tinian, Saipan, Okinawa and other invasion landings. These should go to his grandson. We could buck up and handle some Interstate for that.

We spent Monday night at Valley of the Rogue State Park a pleasant and convenient overnight along Interstate 5. We were in Eugene early afternoon. Time spent with family was rewarding and good. We overnighted at Armitage Park Campground along the McKenzie River.

We hit the road early Wednesday morning. We had miles to roll down two lane roads. No more Interstates for us. Rural eastern Oregon was a treat. The Independence Day celebration was winding down in Dayville as we passed through on our way to our overnight camp spot at Lewis & Clark Trail State Park outside of Dayton, Washington.

On this holiday evening the campground was less than half full. We walked well into the evening.

We crossed through Idaho and Lolo Pass on Thursday and reached Montana's Bitterroot Valley mid afternoon. We had made it. No 36 lanes. It was a joy to see our friends Muir Trek and Outdoor Woman. And, it was a joy to see them so happy, settling into their new home.

The big deal upon our arrival was haying. This was a new experience for our friends, the transplants from Southern California. Ten acres of their property is leased for hay production by a local woman, known locally as "The Hardest Working Woman in Montana". The first cutting was completed. It had been raked and turned over. It was ready for bailing. Dawn started bailing at 9 pm, making use of the cooling evening air. She stopped at a little after two the next morning - yes, "The Hardest Working Woman in Montana".

Dawn was back early the next morning to finish up.

Outdoor Woman is the second hardest working woman in Montana. She was up early and went to work with her newest, and most favorite, implement - a Kubota zero turn diesel mower. After a couple of hours and a few acres of mowing, Outdoor Woman instructed the Lady on its use and turned her loose. "This lever I always like it tight against the rabbit symbol. Never the other way toward the turtle!" was the most interesting piece of instruction I overheard.

It was a great morning of work, exactly what we came to Montana for. There is a line of poplars against the property line. It needed pruning, mowing, whacking, clean up.

I operated Muir Trek's newest, most favorite, implement........................

......................and transported bucket load after bucket load of prunings and debris to the burn pile.

I do have to add that Dawn, "The Hardest Working Woman in Montana" thought the Kubota BX23 was ''just the cutest little tractor!"

We stopped work early afternoon as the day heated up. MT&OW suggested a trip into Missoula. First stop was the Forest Service Complex at the airport including the Smokejumper base.

You do notice the fireweed, right? I figure this isn't happenstance.

An outside bulletin board is covered with messages from children.

The tour started in the sewing and repair room.

Smokejumpers make and repair much of their equipment. The tour moved on to the parachute cleaning and inspection area.

Next stop was the chute packing room.

The young smokejumper was packing his repel rope, a necessary tool if caught in a tree on the way down.

We moved out toward the tarmac.

A Shorts Sherpa C-23 was ready for action.

Next stop was a late lunch in downtown Missoula along the Clarks Fork River.

We both love downtown Missoula. The Lady loves universities and asked if we could visit the University of Montana. Julie had girl volleyball players who went on to scholarships to attend and play for the Grizzlies.

My interests went a different direction.

We returned home and walked the property in the evening, on the lookout for what we could accomplish the next day. It does not get dark in this part of Montana until ten.

We woke to clear blue skies Saturday morning. I so enjoyed the view out the front door.

It was nice light to shoot a few photos of the main house.

We drove into Stevensville for the farmer's market. Stevensville is a great small town. The stories about the friendly, helpful, neighbors that MT&OW shared with us were true - "Welcome to Montana. We are glad you're here." Here, we felt like neighbors.

That is, except for the guy selling pet chickens for seven bucks a piece at the farmer's market. I did not inquire about how sales were going with his woodworking - signs that read,  "Montana's Full. Go Home!"

I did ask about what differentiates his pet chickens from regular chickens. His explanation was perfect.

MT&OW are regular church goers of the catholic faith. They were married at the Mission San Juan Capistrano.  This was their church home for decades. They volunteered. They will be missed.

We visited their new church home in Montana. It was perfect.

The grounds include a Native American site.

Later Saturday morning we got to work. Upkeep chores had been a bit neglected by the previous owners of this property. We tackled an overgrown section with hidden downed trees and massive rolls of pig fence and barbed wire. We love to work. This was fun and what we came to Montana to help with. We dug out wire, cut trees, moved rock. MT gave the Lady instruction on running the weed whacker, her maiden voyage. After an hour, "Why are my arms tired?" she asked. "They're still vibrating even after I stopped!"

Outdoor Woman took no prisoners operating the zero turn. I took over the steeper terrain with the mid mount mover on the BX. I do love our red Massey Ferguson at home, but the orange Kubota is also a mighty fine tractor. I especially like the clutch lever for operating the PTO's.

Later in the afternoon, church friends from Southern California called MT&OW. They were on the road. Could they stop by? There's enough room in the house. You bet. OW, an amazing cook, headed to the store for supplies. Dawn stopped by between windrowing other hay fields and her husband picking up bails and gave MT a lesson on irrigation, sprinklers, moving pipes.

 "I think Valley Irrigation Supply will become my new best friend." Muir Trek told me on a short break.

"Right behind Yoder the Mennonite rock guy," I added. "Didn't you measure out over a thousand feet of driveway you want rocked?"

We both launched into a rousing rendition of Green Acres.

Work got done. The friends showed up. Outdoor Woman whipped up an amazing dinner for all. The Lady and I are slowly remembering to stop before digging in for holding hands around the table and Muir Trek offering the blessing. Their nickname for us is "The Hungry Heathens."

We all walked the property in the cool of the evening. One of Dawn's sprinkler heads blew off. Old Faithful was gushing skyward in the hay field. Running for tools. Finding the main valve. Getting soaked. Just another night on the farm.

We got the group to pose for photos as the sun set.

This new property is a great fit for them. A long time dream come true. We are thrilled for them and wish them the very best. We asked that they put together a big list of work to get done that we can help with and we'll be back!

They were all off to church early Sunday morning. We were off to Idaho to visit other transplants from California. Our wonderful friends could not send us away without a decent breakfast. They are both amazing cooks.

Our adventure continues in Part Two, please Click Here to continue.