Author Topic: What I did on my summer vacation (Read 38419 times)

Prismo · « **Reply #30 on:** Jul 19, 2007, 11:24:24 PM »

IR camoflage deer guarding your woodpile

Prismo · « **Reply #31 on:** Jul 19, 2007, 11:26:56 PM »

I didn't get a picture of his shop, 3 bays big enough to fit a motorhome each & a 10 ton lift.
His "welcome" sign

Prismo · « **Reply #32 on:** Jul 19, 2007, 11:41:39 PM »

I headed out the next morning back to the dirt roads. About 30 miles out of Kalispell there is a dirt road that follows the Thompson River for 40 miles. Originally built by Plum Creek company to deliver logs to the mill in Thompson Falls, it has been open to public travel for the last 8 years or so. They have gated many of the side roads to the river in the last 6 years since I was out here last. My favorite camp spot is lost forever, sound familiar? I ran down a bunch of roads until I finally found this spot on a bluff above the river around 26 miles in.

Prismo · « **Reply #33 on:** Jul 19, 2007, 11:43:05 PM »

A view of the river from the bluff

Prismo · « **Reply #34 on:** Jul 19, 2007, 11:44:37 PM »

Looking upriver from camp

Prismo · « **Reply #35 on:** Jul 19, 2007, 11:52:12 PM »

Because it has been so hot out here the river is closed for fishing from 2pm to 12am so I was bored & roamed around camp & took some pictures. The flowers were everywhere as were the bugs. There were so many flying insects it sounded like you were standing a 1/4 mile from I5 on a busy day (more about the bugs later). First the flower pictures. I have no idea of thier names.

Prismo · « **Reply #36 on:** Jul 19, 2007, 11:53:30 PM »

Prismo · « **Reply #37 on:** Jul 19, 2007, 11:58:27 PM »

So as I am roaming around I come upon a flower bush that had butterflies all around & on it. What a trip.
I figured the local Butterfly bar was having happy hour. This cheesy camera doesn't take good close ups (or it might be I am going blind & can't see the view screen very well. We will blame it on the camera)

Prismo · « **Reply #38 on:** Jul 20, 2007, 12:06:43 AM »

After realizing that I had left my camp chair at home earlier in the trip I ran into good old Walmart & bought a new chair. The only color left was blue so I happily bought it. There was only one small problem with the blue chair, many of the flowers blooming were also blue. So many bees went after it I finally set it away from the truck & used it as a bug decoy to keep them away from me. I am here to tell you never, never buy a blue camping chair (especially if you are allergic to bees as I am). Here is a shot of a cool butterfly that just loved my chair.

Prismo · « **Reply #39 on:** Jul 20, 2007, 12:09:55 AM »

I went wading in the river after getting tired of shooting nature pictures. Decided to head back when I saw this

Duffil · « **Reply #40 on:** Jul 20, 2007, 12:16:48 AM »

wow...must be nice!

Prismo · « **Reply #41 on:** Jul 20, 2007, 12:21:11 AM »

Very quickly it came much closer. About 15 minutes after this shot all hell broke loose. Lightning was hitting all around me, I pulled my 5 ft cb antenna over & trapped it on the fender, I was pretty worried about it hitting the truck. You know a thunderstorm is going to be nasty when the wind is sucking 30 or 40 mph towards the storm as it is coming at you. I counted over 150 lightning strikes in the 1 1/2 hours it lasted. It was better than any laser show I ever saw.

Prismo · « **Reply #42 on:** Jul 20, 2007, 12:39:15 AM »

I survived last night to fish this morning. Caught 20 or so small cutthroat trout, the biggest around 12 inches. The larger brown trout just followed the lure but wouldn't hit it. When you see a 4 or 5lb fish follow your lure & never hit it gets disapointing. The water is so clear you can see the fish take the lure in water 10ft deep. The 100F weather is playing hell with my fishing. At 2pm I headed to Thompson Falls. After 5 miles of highway I took another dirt road over a 6000ft pass over to I90. It ended up being nearly 70 miles of extremely narrow road with no turn outs. I didn't see one person the whole way thank God. I didn't take any pictures until I got back on the paved road because I wanted to get here to Missoula before all the resturants closed. This one I just couldn't pass up. I finally found a travel trailer my Toyota could actually tow. Too bad only midgets could sleep in it. I don't know where I am headed tommorow, I will decide as I go like always. Be back on in a couple days.

MT4Runner · « **Reply #43 on:** Jul 20, 2007, 06:19:37 AM »

Quote from: gtoyonrocks on Jul 19, 2007, 10:44:17 PM

That's awesome, the next time you go on a vacation like that can I come. HAHA, Those are some pretty sweet pics, beautiful country.

No, don't let Prismo fool you. It's really ugly and desolate out here, and hard to find a job.

Quote from: Prismo on Jul 19, 2007, 11:15:07 PM

As I pulled up a salesman walked out to the truck and started asking questions about it. He turned out to be MT4Runner of all people. He hooked me up with PDC_RNR & viola my problem was as good as fixed(thanks again guys, come out & see me).

Actually, PDC_RNR is the Toyota ho.

I'm merely a Toyota very *friendly* person...I don't get paid for anything to do with yotas!

Lady Di · « **Reply #44 on:** Jul 20, 2007, 12:15:38 PM »

This is such an amazing trip, Prismo!!! Thanks for sharing, can't wait to read more.
The pictures are beautiful, and yes, I could see the little butterflies at butterfly happy hour

Very nice!

unclejpl4x4 · « **Reply #45 on:** Jul 23, 2007, 03:44:46 PM »

wow nice

DTB · « **Reply #46 on:** Jul 23, 2007, 04:25:59 PM »

that trailer is tits

gtoyonrocks · « **Reply #47 on:** Jul 23, 2007, 04:32:45 PM »

Awesome pics, thanks again for shairing

MT4Runner · « **Reply #48 on:** Jul 29, 2007, 05:12:25 PM »

So, D, did you get home safe? Still around MT somewhere?

Are we going to see more of you in the future?

Prismo · « **Reply #49 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 06:34:57 PM »

Quote from: MT4Runner on Jul 29, 2007, 05:12:25 PM

So, D, did you get home safe? Still around MT somewhere?

Are we going to see more of you in the future?

Jeez, I never saw this. Sorry I never replied. I will be back, just don't know when.
I happened to bring this thread up so I can finally post my last trip pictures. My camera was messed up after I got home & the pictures were stored in camera memory. It is finally fixed (for free, thanks Kodak). I have the pictures off the thing so here we go. The last place I visited was the Magruder Corridor, between two wilderness areas.

Starts in Danby, Montana & comes out 124 miles later at Elk City, Idaho. A little over 20 miles is paved road. It would be virtually impossible to get a trailer or an RV through the entire road. It gets rather narrow, very sharp corners & has some awesome drop offs.

Prismo · « **Reply #50 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 06:55:58 PM »

The first section of the road is quite nice, over a pass and you drop down to the Selway River. There were forest fires and it was over 100f and smoky as heck. Turned the river gold when the sun shone on it.

Prismo · « **Reply #51 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 07:07:59 PM »

Took a 15 mile side road looking for a place to camp on the river. Just across the bridge was....

Prismo · « **Reply #52 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 07:16:05 PM »

Paradise! Yes, I have been to Paradise and I am here to tell you it ain't as exciting as they lead you to believe.
It was 104, so smoky it burned your eyes and humid.

Prismo · « **Reply #53 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 07:28:30 PM »

Ranger had an IFS Toyota truck so we talked for a while. It was way too hot to camp there so I headed back to the main road & out of the valley for the cooler elevations. I started at 2500ft, the road went up quick and turned into almost a 4wd drive trail in places. Going up on one of the better areas.

Prismo · « **Reply #54 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 07:30:21 PM »

Hey, I was just down there

Prismo · « **Reply #55 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 07:32:49 PM »

Finally reached the summit at nearly 9000ft and found some Bitteroot flowers that the mountain range is named after.

Prismo · « **Reply #56 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 08:00:25 PM »

Stopped and talked to a group of guys with quads camped at the summit. They were sitting around in lawn chairs having a good old time. Everyone had their own bottle of Wild Turkey so I decided to forgo pictures, it wasn't pretty. They slurred something about a nice camp further along so I headed oot. I was definetly getting closer to the fire. The view from the top

Prismo · « **Reply #57 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 08:08:41 PM »

The road got a bit rougher, It took me almost 3 hours to go 29 miles, thank you Marlin for 2w low. The road would follow a ridge drop down & go back up the next ridge over & over. The road is at the top of the ridge across in this picture where I just came from.