In the morning of our seventh day on the road, we packed up once again and began our trek towards the Lewis and Clark National Forest in search of a site near water where we could stay for a few nights. We hit the jackpot when we stumbled upon the Wood Lake Campground. After driving carefully down yet another gravel road, we came upon a picturesque lake nestled among the Rocky Mountains. Just across from the lake sits a campground--the a Wood Lake Campground--that had many sites but not a single one was occupied!
We noticed that a steady breeze was cutting through the area, so we chose a campsite that was sheltered by several trees. We have been traveling to the northwest corner of the country--which means even though it is summer it can be quite chilly at night.
Once we established our homestead for the next few days, we set off to explore. Scout swam in the isolated lake while we hiked around it. Reno opted to nap in the camper while we went on our "adventure."
As the sun set behind the mountains a light drizzle settled in to the area, so we headed in to the camper to play a little "Hive" and to rest up for another day outdoors.
Our second day at the campsite brought more hikes and swimming. We had a picnic lunch next to a crystal clear creek. Our second day at Wood Lake also brought some more light rain in the evening, but as I mentioned in earlier posts I love sleeping with the sound of rain on the roof, so I fell asleep literally as a "happy camper."
We enjoyed the setting so much, we decided to stay at Wood Lake for a third day. Our third day at the lake, however, would be a memorable one for a few reasons. When we first arrived at Wood Lake, Kevin climbed back under the trailer to check the repairs once again. That's when he noticed yet another crack. This one was small--just two inches--but the fact that it was there signified that there was STILL a weak spot in the frame. We discussed our options--either do nothing and see if the crack grows...or find yet another welder.
We chose option two. So...on our third day at Wood Lake we drove down to Augusta, Montana and then on to Choteau, Montana to see if we could find someone to help. That's where we found Teton Welding and Machine. Kevin made a sketch of the underside of the trailer and shared it with the welders. They agreed to help us the next day. So, we headed back to our campsite satisfied that we had a solution to the problem. This would be our third welder...so we could only that the third time would be the charm.
Once we got back to the campsite, Kevin discovered that his phone was missing. After a thorough search of the campground, we deduced that his phone must have fallen out of the truck when we stopped at a General Store for some supplies. So--we hopped back into the truck and drove back down the gravel road and drove back into town only to discover that his phone was not there. "Find my iPhone" is unreliable in this area due to the spotty service, so we headed back to camp tired and disappointed.
After driving the one hour back from town to camp, we decided to look around the campsite one last time for the phone before night fell. Within 10 minutes, Kevin found his phone. It fell from his pocket when he went into the woods to answer nature's call!!!
When we got back to camp, we discovered that we had two new neighbors at sites within the campground ! With the weekend approaching, we figured that the campground would start to fill up! The site was just too pretty to believe that people wouldn't be there--even if it was a bit chilly and windy. Kevin tried fishing on the lake, but the wind didn't let him stay long. He always came back looking to warm up by the fire.
After a long day that didn't feel much like a vacation, we started making dinner. That's when it started to rain. All we could do at that point was laugh, put on raincoats, and stand in the rain and make our meal.
As soon as dinner was ready, we climbed into the Scamp to eat. Eventually the rain lightened up enough for us to start packing up camp and get ready for an early morning drive to the welder. Kevin decided to take one more walk down to the lake while I climbed into bed to finish up a new book (First They Killed My Father).
Eventually, the cold Montana night air settled in around us and I began to shiver even under the down comforter, T-shirt quilt, and several Mexican blankets. After Kevin got back from his hike, he climbed into bed and we snuggled with the dogs until we fell asleep...ready for the next day's adventures!
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