Missoula on Home~

Dawn~

The final leg seemed the longest of the trip.  I'd slept the night before & enjoyed the very nice room.  I woke an hour before my alarm, took my time & watched the weather report.  Freezing rain near St. Regis had me worried, so by the time I called Butch - I'd stopped at Starbucks for a hot tea & was already on I-90.  Pretty much the only car on the road.  I had some interesting radio stations that I listened to along the way!  The Bear, the Wolf & the Eagle!  I'd listen until I ran out of the range of each station, early in the mornings anyway.

Daylight~

As the day lightened, all it did was to show me how icy in spots the roads were.  I just maintained my speed, kept the wheel straight & didn't make any sudden changes.  I'd wait for the straight stretches to pass any trucks.

Near St. Regis~

By the time I was near St. Regis - the road was down to one clear lane, but with no traffic - I had it to myself :-)

Rest Area~

I made a very short stop here - up on the pass.  No lack of snow in the Tamarack Forest!  Some of the trees look almost dead in winter, dropping their needles.  Coeur d'Alene was the next goal & the WA state line after that.

Coeur d'Alene

Filling up whenever I got down to half a tank worked out well.  That usually took two-hours & by that time I was ready for a short break & stretch.  I pulled off for gas at Liberty Lake & was right back out on the road heading for Ellensburg, when I realized that the tank wasn't totally topped off.  Oh well, if it got too low - there was always Moses Lake.

Central Washington State~

 On such a slate gray day - the monochromatic views were far from inspiring.  I'd started the trip doing about 70 mph.  Once in Montana - with the 80-mph speed limit - the Bronco just seemed to go 80 all on it's own.  That's the speed we did all the way across, so at least we were making time.  I stopped at the Schrag rest area & did a few jumping jacks just to get the blood flowing!

The Columbia~

Views of the Columbia, gave me at least a little of the scenic interest I was using to enjoying!  I didn't get a photo of the lit, blinking sign that greeted drivers climbing the hill on the far side.  It read;  "50+ Elk killed in a year, over the next six-miles."  Believe me - I kept both eyes open through there.
At Ellensburg, I stopped at the truck stop & asked about the pass.  The truckers were worried & wondering about it as much as I was.  It started snowing lightly while I was there & lasted for a few miles out of town.

Leaving Ellensburg~

Now, so close to getting home, I sure didn't want to be stopped on the pass!  Friends let me know that the eastbound lane had been closed due to an accident.  It was noticeable - hardly any traffic coming eastbound.   It started raining about half way up!  Rain!  Hadn't seen any of that since I'd left!  :-)  The worst part, was on the down hill grades - the lanes were narrowed for the construction & had No shoulder!  With snow packed up against the barriers - there was maybe a lane & a half of space.  No fun...

Eastbound Emergency Rigs~

I didn't have much of a chance to get a photo - but What a Mess!  The backed up traffic went on for miles & miles...

Trucks line the shoulder of I-90~

More trucks were off to the side than I'd seen my entire trip...  Just a way further & the wind struck!  Huge gusts blowing the rain right at us in sheets.  I took the Fall City exit & let me tell you - following a car at 35 mph. seemed like a crawl!  I stopped at daughter Courtney's for a minute - to tell her I was back & took the back roads home!

I just have to brag up the Bronco.  Purchased in April of 06, after my other one was totaled, we bought it with 117,000 miles.  It was almost impossible - even then, to find one that was in decent condition.  We've always taken good care of it, maintenance when needed etc.  I drove it on this same trip in July of 2012 - to see my Dad, so this was our second long-distance haul.  Not one single problem the entire way!  The engine just purred & purred!  The harder I worked it - the smoother it ran.  I think the Bronco enjoyed his vacation from pulling the horse trailer & all the short around town trips that constitute the work week :-)  Our total mileage was 2,808 & I was gone nine days.  Of those nine, only three weren't on the road.  I still feel like I'm moving today!   The cold/wet of the great north-wet has already settled back in my bones :-)

P.S.  The one thing that I noticed the most - in every state I traveled through - was the lack of snow.  All the way across - there was maybe 3" of windblown snow, nothing like the Winters of old by the time January rolled around...

Sheridan to Missoula~

Leaving Sheridan~

The days are getting longer!  Last week when I was heading east - it was still dark when I left Sheridan at 7 a.m.  This morning, there was light!  I'd worried that the roads would be icy, but it was warmer than yesterday morning's six degrees!  Sunday morning the sun was shining & it was so pretty out.  I went out to the Bronco to get my camera & the minute I opened the door, the cold hit me!  My fingers went numb in an instant!  I rushed back to the house to the loud laughter of my family!  :-)  Even my tea was frozen IN my thermos!

Racing the train :-)

 After taking a day off - I was back on the road.  Over a week of mostly traveling, I'm actually getting used to it!  Watching the country roll by is almost like being in the middle of a travel video.  The higher the sun got in the sky - the more beautiful the day became.  Stunning blue, wide open sky, a high layer of clouds & the dazzling white of the snow.

East of Livingston~

Soon though - I had another challenge...  Wind!  It hit like the blast from a bomb!  Sweeping the snow across the road with a fury.  I had to keep the wheel tilted to the outside to even begin to stay in my lane.  It was brutal & the Bronco was bucking like his namesake!  My gas gauge was dropping fast!  I'd planned to stop in Bozeman, but hadn't seen a mileage sign for quite a while.  Instead - Livingston was coming up & I decided to get off there.  Oh My Gosh!  What a BEAUTIFUL place!  The mountains were all around & so amazing!  The guy at the mini mart was so friendly, I told him he must really enjoy living in such a beautiful place.  He had been born & raised there.  He said that they used to get lots of snow, that now & for the last few years, hardly Any snow.  Instead - he continued;  the temperatures have been colder for longer.  Weeks of sub-freezing temperatures.  Across the street was a jeweler.  In my hurry to leave home I'd forgotten a ring & my watch.  I walked in & asked the sales person if he had a ring with a local stone for a reasonable price?  He took me to a case with an amazing ring with three small Montana Sapphires.  The first I'd ever seen & the exact color of the river below!  The cost was a paltry $3,500.  :-)

Missouri River

 The river was Montana Sapphire blue - darker than the beautiful afternoon blue sky.  It's a long haul across to Butte, but my audio book helped & so did a dry road over the pass.

Almost to Butte

Finally - another town to check off.  Another quick stop for gas, another shorter pass & up ahead the day's goal, Missoula.  I was surprised at all the haze in the air.  Not sure what kind of plant is putting the up the plume of steam?

Missoula~

I was happy to see the exit for the motel come up.  Another fill up & check in.  The staff remembered me & after hearing the distance I'd traveled since they'd seen me last week - they upgraded my room.  Four flights of steps, I ask for a top room on an end of the building next to the stairs.  I actually enjoyed going up & down those steps - at this point - any exercise is Oh So welcome! 

The Bronco below

Tomorrow - Washington & HOME!

The Long Road Home~

I-25 Heading North

Unexpectedly, I found myself heading back home.  It was mid-day & I hadn't even checked the weather report.  I called Butch & told him I planned to make Sheridan my destination - but since I had no idea what the road conditions would be like, the plan was to go as far as I could.  If I couldn't - to stop & spend the night wherever I ended up.  I could see a gray pall in the air up ahead, as I traveled north.  Soon, light snow was flying through the air.

Wyoming State Line!

It didn't last long & by the time I was at the state line the sun had reappeared!  Traffic was light after Cheyenne.  Soon though, I started hitting patches of ice.  One section was several miles long & I was the only one on the road.  I slowed the Bronco Way down & luckily ran out of it just before Chugwater.

South of Chugwater

Just a few trucks were coming south, I could see clouds again up ahead.  I called my Aunt, she had checked the road reports & said I was due to come into a very bad area.  She was right!  From shortly after I took this photo - all the way to Douglas - the highway was covered with a deep layer of ice & snow with slush on top.  Bitter cold too. Northbound was down to just the right lane, a long line of trucks & cars trying to stay in the ruts, treacherous doesn't describe it.  As Douglas came up I needed a break & decided to go ahead & top off the tank.  The exit ramp was a solid sheet of ice.  Pulling into the Broken Wagon Wheel truck stop I  was amazed to see the outside of the Bronco!  The wheel wells were full of frozen slush!  So frozen that I couldn't knock it off.

Frozen Slush

I talked to the people working inside - who told me it was only going to get worse all the way to Casper, north of that the roads were reported clear!  Back on the road - the sun was setting & the sky turned pink & purple!  Amazing colors, but I was way too busy staying on the road to get any photos.  I carefully re-entered a line of cars & trucks - that went on for miles.  White knuckle driving - Casper couldn't come up quick enough.  Wyoming weather is so changeable & just as I'd been told, as we entered the edge of town, the sun set & the roads cleared!  I called my Aunt to tell her that I was going to continue on.

Traffic thinned & I had Sheridan in my sights - it was a relief to turn onto I-90 & finally be heading west!  Auntie was keeping dinner warm & said she'd be waiting up.  I didn't want her waiting forever so didn't waste any time.  Taking the Sheridan exit I decided to gas up.  Getting out was like walking into a deep freeze!  12 degrees!  Yikes!  There was never a more welcome sight than seeing my Aunt watching for me from the living room window!  Her esp is still working! :-)

The afternoon after!

Dinner never tasted better!  Sleeping never felt better - I was instructed that my husband & my Aunt decided that I was not going anywhere for at least a full day!  :-)  No way was I going to complain!

Road Trip~

Tree's down north on Burn Rd.

After I mentioned we'd managed to keep our power, at 11 a.m. this morning - it was out!  We decided to take the Bronco & head up to Arlington.  We made it about 3 mi. north on Burn Rd., when we came up on flashing red lights.  A tree limb had brought down a power line & the road was closed until the power company could arrive.  We turned around, headed south to Getchell Road & on out to Hwy 9.

Snowplow - where's the driver?

Once moving north on Hwy 9, we found the first snowplow we'd seen, partially blocking the southbound lane, no driver in sight.  The highway wasn't too bad, with a lot of fresh snow over the ice & compacted snow.  Sheryl was in her shop & ready to cut my hair!  What a girl!  Steve & Butch talked, while Sheryl worked on me - then Butch & I went on to have lunch.  Arlington Hardware is one of those "mandatory" stops when we're in town.  Now they've opened the upstairs for clothing & some tack - it's fun to see what they have in.  

Farah in her new halter!

 Guess what I found? :-)  A really pretty new halter for Farah!  I'd been looking for a while, just hadn't seen anything I thought would be right for her - until now.   New "Graphite" color hardware.   It fit perfectly & she seem very pleased.
We decided to try Burn Rd. for the drive home.  The snow our direction is much heavier than what we saw in town.  Our road hasn't seen a plow & with no shoulder & deep ditches, we took it easy.

Heading Home~

 The lights were back on!  Yippee - power had been out for three hours.  More shoveling, chores & back inside to get WARM!
 
We're looking forward to the trip to Portland tomorrow.  A stop at the Pacific Northwest Endurance Riders convention - mostly to visit the trade show & check out saddles, then an overdue visit with our good friends the Campbell family!  Maybe a game of "Stones" thrown in with a few good beers!  Beer is always better with friends!  :-)