Back in the USSA

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Checked out of Grand Forks around 10:30. We wanted to stay in the Canadian mountains a bit longer, so we headed east. Lots of mountains, some still with snow, which highlights the interspersed clear-cut forests. Went around Christina Lake, which is quite picturesque.













Around 1pm we got to Creston, which sits in the broad flat Kootenay valley, an agricultural zone between two huge mountain ranges. (I switched the map view to Terrain mode so you can get a better idea of the topography.)

We dawdled around the valley a bit to check out the sights and found a working saw mill, which is a bit unusual on this trip - most of the mills we've passed by are idle due to the economy.

Had lunch at a local joint called The Other Side, which seemed to have an identity crisis but did not disappoint. In my quest for Russian food, I had the stuffed cabbage and Isabel had the beef bourguignon. Turns out the chef is from Thailand. Both meals were delicious and cheap.

We headed south on BC Rte 21 and crossed the border at Porthill, Idaho. These border crossings are sort of comical and surreal, a kind of homeland psycho therapy, except the therapist is blatant about trying to catch you in your shit. They don't have 45 minutes, after all.

"You should have waited for me to wave you over."
"Oh, sorry about that. The sign was confusing." (how hard would it be to make it clear?)
"Where are you coming from?"
"Vancouver."
"Why were you there?"
"Visiting friends."
"Where do you live?"
"Boulder Colorado."
"How long were you there?"
"Two days."
"You got all the way from Boulder to Vancouver and then here in two days?"
[feeling sheepish]
"Oh, no. I thought you meant Vancouver. We've been on the road for 12 days."
Then it turns to a haiku:
"Any alcohol?"
"No."
"Tobacco?"
"No."
"Firearms?"
"No."
"OK. You can go."

We pulled out and headed down to Hwy 2 and then turned east, following the Kootenai River valley and then rising over to another range, passing by a series of alpine lakes that were almost all thawed out. Coming down off this range into Kalispell, you can see Glacier National Park to the Northeast. It looked amazing, so it was with a bit of regret that we turned south towards Missoula on Hwy 93. As my friend Derek says, you've got to leave a little.


Kalispell is a larger town which is both charming and sad. The development has gotten a little out of control and the casino plague starts here. Americans really need to find something better to do with their money.

Driving down 93 we drove around the southwest quadrant of Flathead lake, which is strikingly scenic in lots of drive-by moments. The water level in the lake looks to be about 10-15 feet low, which is odd since there wasn't much snow on the mountains left to melt. Drought?

Following 93 further south takes you along a stunning mountain range that looks like Switzerland in places. There's a lot of road construction going on here, which seems like it might be associated with a casino under construction. And a speed trap to go with it.

Finally arrived at Missoula around 8pm, losing an hour as we changed from Pacific to Mountain time. Isabel took this picture of a cloud that looked like a UFO. Grabbed some chow and a room and there you have it. Missoula in the dark. Tomorrow we drive south along the eastern flank of the Bitteroot Mountains, through Bozeman and then to the western portal of Yellowstone.