Elkford: The Land of the Lost and a Stop at a Clinic

 

We are four days in, currently in Whitefish, Montana.  We’ve been here before.  It’s a fun town attracting a lot of tourists bound for Glacier National Park, white water rafting and lots of other mountain fun.  

We started off in Canmore, Alberta on the “Canmore Cutoff” section of the GDMBR, described as offering spectacular views accompanied by a 7 mile climb at high grades, washboard surfaces and very dusty from the occasional passing vehicle.  It didn’t disappoint - in any category, especially the gradient. We picked up the rest of the GDMBR at the Goat Trail and made our way through some beautiful country, summiting the Continental Divide, heading over Elk Pass and ending our day at Tobermory Cabin.  We opted to set up tents instead of staying in the cabin, as our new friend Hadrian (named after the Roman emperor but not looking nearly so royal and who is making his way from Seattle to his home in Quebec) warned of mice running around the cabin throughout the night. And the tents were better protection agains the mosquito convention that was being held in the area. 

From there, we continued through the Ek Valley approaching Elkford, the site of more than one unexplained happening.  Last year, Bill lost his phone, causing him unimaginable trauma. (Actually, it is imaginable if you know Bill.) Returning to the scene this year, Mike discovered that his tent was missing.  (It is understandable to lose a small item, like a phone, but losing a tent - really?).  After a search covering miles and a cast of helpful passers-by, the ever-observant Mike discovered the missing tent within feet of where he observed it missing in the first place.  All’s well that end’s well - at least for the tent; not so much for Bill’s phone of last year.  We continued through Elkford on to Sparwood, where we spent the night.  

The weather forecast for Friday (August 2) was spot on for southern British Columbia and northern Montana.  We made our way from Sparwood to Eureka, Montana, crossing the border to the USA at Roosville, where we enjoyed waiting in a line of assorted trucks and cars in a sunny 100+ degrees.  Succumbing to the heat, MIke clung to the idea that, because everything is better in America and that the grass is always greener elsewhere, the weather would change once we got over the border.  He was right, which he claims is typical.  It was 102+ degrees in Eureka, which, by the way, has a lovely laundromat only a mile from the hotel. A refreshing walk in the heat for us.

We went off the GDMBR route a little in between Eureka and Whitefish due to what turned out to be surprisingly perceptive weather eyes on our part.  The forecast was for continued high temps but the heat did not materialize.  Instead we were treated to t-storms.  So we veered off the GDMBR a bit, where the lightning seemed to be most severe.  But we could not skirt the storms completely, and had our share of lightning, thunder, rain and occasional downpours.  Overall, it wasn’t too bad and we made it unscathed to Whitefish, where we are now.   

Four days in, decent mileage, and some steep climbs which we handed with grace (more a precursor of what’s to come, except for the Canmore Cutoff, which is about as steep and long as anything in front of us).  Looks like we will spend another night in Whitefish to take care of a few things, one of which was dropping Mike off at a clinic. Aside from his usual ailments - and there are many - he’s had a persistent cough that has dogged him from the start and made the ride more difficult than should be the case, even considering Mike’s limited athletic abiities. Looks like nothing too serious but he was prescribed something (Mike will take any, drug, if offered) that hopefully will clear up the infection. Ever sympathetic, Bill said he would wait one day and then Mike is on his own.

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