Montana to Canada. Day 4

as remembered by Stacy


On day 4 of our trip, once again we awoke to the smell of breakfast being prepared for us...bacon and omelettes! yummmm! After catching each other up on family whereabouts and hometown happenings, Ross and his Red Bone Hound, Remington, bid us farewell and sent us on the scenic route up through Montana. Outside of Helena, Interstate 15 is also known as "Gateway to the Mountains,"... rightfully so. We were told that it was well known for so much dynamite being used to create this picturesque roadway! It is here that the Missouri River headwaters begin, curving in and out of the mountains, creating a canyon-like maze which the interstate follows.


Once we came out of the mountains, we were instantly welcomed with wind! 11 mile per gallon wind (in the u-haul pulling Subaru). Prairie grass thrashed in the wind as we pressed onward through the rolling hills...mountains in the distance. The sky was bright blue with huge white clouds that seemed to go on forever. We could easily see why Montana is nick-named "Big Sky." I found myself repeatedly falling into daydreams, only to be startled by the sound of Jonathan's voice in the 2-way radio. We were able to communicate throughout our whole trip using 2-way radios, which made driving in separate vehicles much more bearable. Well, more bearable for me....as I would share any random thought I might be thinking with him; I used the radio for much more than "emergencies." Unfortunately, this sometimes added to Jonathan's 11 mpg frustration, because he could not understand me and continued to so sweetly ask me to repeat myself. Needless to say, my radio had 1/2 the battery life of his at the end of the day.


As we rolled out of the sunny hills, we approached the mountains of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park we met several vehicles leaving the park, and quickly realized why. Heavy raindrops pounded our windshields and the temperature dropped rapidly. Just before entering the park, we turned around to see the sunny area we just came from moments ago...and before our eyes appeared the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen!!! It spanned the valley, and I strained my eyes to see the pot of gold at the end, but alas! the fog was too thick to see! And it became worse as we entered the park. We found ourselves at the visitor center where we were told that "Going to the Sun" road, the scenic drive through the park, was closed half-way due to snow and ice conditions in the mountains. Unsure if we would even be able to see anything 10 feet in front of us in the mountains, we opted not to take the scenic tour and decided to try our chances on the other side of the park in Canada. And what a great idea that was! Immediately after leaving the USA side of the park, the sun peeked through the clouds, and the temperature returned to a comfortable 65 degrees. We were welcomed across the border by a brown bear and her three cubs. Everyone got out of their cars to take pictures, despite the strict warning of the signs "Remain in your vehicle." It was a great distraction, because I was so worried the border patrol might not let me take my houseplants across the border...but when they asked me to email them the pictures I took of the bears, I knew

I'd have no problems getting across. (I don't think importing houseplants into Canada is illegal, but I am so sentimentaly attached to my plants, I didn't want to risk it...they hid underneath a sleeping bag in the front seat!) After we had driven uphill into Glacier Park in Montana, we were now driving downhill into Waterton, the Canadian side of Glacier Park. We zigged and we zagged through the mountains, only stopping once for cattle in the road...(free range was common in Montana and Canada) and to change the channel on our radios, as we found that we were confusing our conversation with that of another. We ended up at a Provincial campground where we set up our tent and started our first campfire of the trip! We enjoyed the clear sky and did not regret our decision to camp on the Canadian side of the park.....clearly a huge difference in the weather in just a matter of miles. My mom supplied us with "healthy meals in a box" we planned to heat over the manifold of our cars, but our unexpected campfire made for an easier approach to cooking our meals. The slogan on the box, "cooks in just 2 minutes" was not quite accurate for a campfire, but it didn't take long for us to prepare a dinner of Burgandy Sauce and Beef with Rice. (Only 5 grams of fat and 260 calories! Thanks mom! ) Add a little Chipotle Tabasco sauce (Jonathan doesn't travel without it!) and we were quickly warmed up on a cold Canadian evening. After a long day of driving, our sleeping bags could not have been more comfortable, nor the view from our tent more beautiful.