After two full days on the road, we finally got a good night’s sleep. The quiet and cool mountain air worked its magic, and I woke up refreshed just before 6 AM. The sun was already shining, and the stillness of the forest around us was only broken by the cheerful—albeit noisy—calls of the morning birds. Funny how loud nature seems when there’s no traffic to drown it out.
Gayla made coffee and we sipped it together while talking through our plans for the day. Just then, I stepped outside and spotted a moose about 60 to 70 feet away from camp. Gayla was quick on the draw with the video camera and captured it before it slipped away, but I missed the chance to get a still photo. Still, what a way to start the day!
We decided to make the most of the morning by setting up our work outside. With coffee in hand, the dogs lounging nearby, and the birds singing all around, it was one of those moments you don’t rush through. I spent some time identifying the birds fluttering around our site—there’s a female Northern Flicker nesting in a tree right behind us, and a female Mountain Bluebird has been flitting about, too. I managed to get some good shots of both.
By 9:45 AM we were hungry, so I fired up our old 1960 Coleman stove and made steak tacos for brunch. That little stove still works like a champ.
After we ate, I went through the bird photos while Gayla got some work done. Later, we took the dogs on a walk through the campground before setting off on a steep hike down the mountainside to the North Branch of the Middle Lodgepole Creek. The views were worth the effort—there was a small beaver dam, a few ducklings, and I even managed to snap a blurry photo of a bright yellow American Goldfinch mid-flight.
We slowly worked our way back up to camp, stopping to photograph some Locoweed and American Bistort blooming along the trail. Back at camp, the dogs settled in for an afternoon of lounging while we wrapped up some computer work with the mountains as our backdrop.
We didn’t drive an inch today, and it was exactly what we needed—time to just be still for a while.
Mileage Today: 0
Wildlife Spotted: Moose, baby ducks, American Goldfinch
Birds Identified: Northern Flicker (female + chicks), Mountain Bluebird (female)
Flowers Photographed: Purple Locoweed, American Bistort, Mountain Arnica, Purple Fringe
Meals Cooked: Steak tacos (Coleman stove approved!)
