This Montana Life

More about Toast (whose name really should be “MUD” cuz that’s what my name was when I told Embee that I was going to drive to Salmon, Idaho in the winter weather.

During my scariest drive in the whole world (not really, but it sounds good, huh?) down to Salmon, ID to get Toast I passed through some amazingly beautiful country. The first being the Big Hole Valley between I-15 and Wisdom and beyond. After taking the Divide exit, #102, I travelled west toward Wisdom. There was a fresh six inches or so of fluffy snow resting on all the tree branches, whether bare or evergreen—not to mention the snow and ice resting on the pavement making the road a tad bit squirrelly. The slippery road wound beside the Big Hole River which bordered sweet little ranches and cabins. Once past Wisdom the valley really opened up and showed me the backside of the Sapphire Mountains. My oh my! It was prettier than any postcard or Christmas card or photograph I’d ever seen. Duh, since it was THE REAL THING! The view was absolutely breathtaking.

The Big Hole Valley is home to many recreational opportunities; camping, fly fishing, tourist activities (such as the Big Hole Battlefield and many Lewis and Clark historical markers). The Beaverhead Deer Lodge National Forest has many access roads from this valley road. This is definitely a place Toast and I will be back for more exploration.

The other part of this trip that deserves mention is a restaurant in Hamilton, Montana on Highway 93. I had dinner at The Signal Grill which is nestled downtown historic Hamilton. The food was exquisite! I had grilled chicken topped with artichoke hearts, lump crab meat, and goat cheese. Scrumptious! The wine list was way more than adequate and it was the perfect fare to unwind from a day of winter driving.

One of the main reasons this 1972 Shasta joined the family is because she has a heater.  Which will keep us toasty warm when camping in the spring and fall in Montana. Especially since it can snow any month of the year here. In the 10 years we’ve lived here we’ve seen snow every month except for August. Another reason she called to me is because she originally had WINGS!!!! Shasta WINGS!!!! I can’t wait to figure out how to make those wings and get them back on her. (Someone has to be an angel and have wings in this family….)

Here are some “before” pictures of Toast.

Picture of dinette/bed area

The kitchen/closet area. Note the high icebox

The Galley - LOVE that sunflower gold