We have been on the road for about an hour an I can see why this is "Big Sky Country". View so spectacular you can see forever. The sun is out and shining on the mountains. Cloud formations are casting shadows giving so many different looks at the mountainsides that you don't see the same view of the same mountain twice.
Ordinarily we try and avoid fast food restaurants at lunchtime primarily because of the crowds and we can always get fast food at home. We will however stop at places like McDonalds for rest breaks because they handle groups so well and we can be in and out with a large group in 30 minutes. Today, though was an exception. When this tour was put together over a year ago we had planned for lunch to be at a local pizzeria. During the course of conversation with a bus driver at a college basketball game we were given the idea of visiting the Smokejumpers School in Missoula. So we decided to make an adjustment to the itinerary. Enter McDonalds in Deer Lodge. We called ahead to let them know a bus group of 49 was descending on them at lunchtime. We had about 45 minutes ideally to have lunch. What helped was that we had purchased 48 $10 Arch cards for everyone which we hoped would speed things up. It did. Not only that but the staff took the orders one after another writing each person's name on the receipt to help move things along swiftly. Suffice it to say everyone was fed, able to use the facilities and back on the coach to depart in 45 minutes. Thanks go to the staff at McDonalds in Deer Lodge, Montana for making us say, "We're Lovin' It"!
The Smokejumper Center in Missoula was our stop after lunch. We had to break up into three smaller groups to accommodate the small size of the rooms we would be visiting as well as to enable the guides to be heard. One of the guides, Tyler Kuhn is a rookie smokejumper and he gave us a very detailed overview of the training requirements and regimen that they go through to become certified smokejumpers. We saw the "Ready" room where they put on the gear prior to leaving on a call. The suits and equipment could weight about 100 pounds or so meaning these guys (and girls) have to be quite physically fit. The "Loadmaster" area gave us an insight on what makes up the packs that they carry on a jump. We saw where the parachutes are inspected after each jump, repaired if need and packed for he next jump. Finally we were taken to the aircraft used by the smokejumpers, a Douglas DC-3, or "Doug" as it is commonly referred to. Stepping inside we gained an appreciation on the procedures each jumper needs to follow when jumping and how they are prepared and cleared to jump. The inside is cramped with just the 15 of us in it. Imagine how close it must get with 8-10 jumpers loaded down with equipment plus crew all with a very distinctive job to do and little or no room for error. The pilot seemed to have the most room to maneuver inside the cockpit and believe me, there was not very much room at all. These men and women of the Missoula Smokejumpers deserve a great deal of credit and appreciation for putting themselves in danger every time they go out to fight the smaller fires in remote areas before they become much larger, more destructive wildfires. Thank-you for your service!
The drive from Missoula to Lakeside was filled with magnificent views of the mountains, the plains and even a few prong horn and deer. Once we entered the area of Flathead Lake all eyes (except Brian's) were focused eastward. The sapphire color of blue was simply brilliant. The waters a bit choppy but the just added to the shimmering color of the lake.
Cherries is what this area is known for and there was no shortage of cherry trees in sight here as we made our way around the lake. As a matter of fact, Loyd G. informed the group that as a teenager he picked cherries in this very area and managed to swim in flathead Lake a time or two, even as cold as it was (generally under 60 degrees F).
Simply Elegant catering was our host for dinner at the Lakeside Community Center. Former Siloam Springs resident and Gentry High School graduate Janet provided a most amazing dinner for us. From salad selections Chilled Arugula Salad with Tomatoes and Caprece Salad to delicious entrees like Rigatoni Pasta with Fresh Mushrooms, Bowtie Pasta with Pesto, Meatballs with a Pearl of Mozzarella in the middle and Herb encrusted Pork Tenderloin, Janet and her catering partner, Lisa gave us a meal to remember. To top it off dessert included Italian Cream Cake and Flathead Cherry Pie made with cherries they picked themselves. We were treated to gifts of locally produced candies as well as hand made bags, aprons and towel with a local flavor. We left Janet with our thanks for a truly amazing dinner event.
Lisa & Janet sitting down and relaxing as we drove off.
We arrived t our home for he next two night's, Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish tired, full and ready to call it a night. Red bus touring in Glacier National Park is tomorrow. Wear your colors!
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