Flathead Lake and Whitefish Lake

15^th August Polson

Ennis lake was very calm when we left in the morning heading northwest onto the I-90 and through Butte. This region of Montana is looking very dry at this time of year despite the thunderstorms.  The grass has turned brown, apart from those areas irrigated for agriculture.  It would look gorgeous when everything is green in the late spring/early summer. The bridge is not a road bridge but was built so that the animals could get across this busy road.

Half way along the I-90 we could smell exhaust fumes in the driving compartment and there was excessive noise from the exhaust.  When Paul checked underneath at lunch time, sure enough there was a hole in the box.  So we found an exhaust repair garage in Missoula and were fortunate that they had the parts and the time to fix it there and then.  So we spent a couple of hours in the local Mall shopping area. If you think a exhaust system for you car is expensive try $904 (£600)

We were pretty weary by the time we arrived in Polson that evening so the heated pool and hot tub were just what we needed to relax.

16^th August  Flathead Lake

We had planned to move on again but decided to stay one more night here.  We went for a boat tour (not in the kayak) around the southern end of Flathead Lake that afternoon.  About 30 miles long this is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi; however we weren’t too sure how this lake was  ‘natural’ as it had a dam at one end. The tour took us through the “Narrows” and various points of interest were pointed out by the boat’s skipper.

We got back to the campsite in time for a quick dip in the pool and then packed a picnic and made our way to the Blues Festival.  This was the third annual Blues Festival weekend at Polson.  We took chairs and sat on the steep bank, with our picnic and drinks, looking down on the stage with the Lake and mountains as the back-drop.  We were treated to three different bands as the sun started to set.  It was a very relaxing way to finish off the day.

We got back to the camp site in the dark and got chatting to our neighbours Dave & Gloria from Indiana, and it was nearly midnight before we finally got to bed.

17^th August Whitefish

We drove up the east side of the Lake to Whitefish which is a town a little further north of Flathead Lake.  We had arranged to meet our friends Larry and Penny, who were coming down from Canada to see us for the weekend.

They arrived shortly after lunch and we sat and chatted for the rest of the day catching up with news and adventures as they had been evacuated from their home in June when Calgary and the surrounding region had flooded.  We went out for a meal and then visited the home of an artist they know who makes the most wonderful marquetry wall hangings.

18^th August Kayaking on Whitefish Lake

Paul & Penny

We spent the morning chatting over coffee.  Then after lunch the four of us took the kayak down to Whitefish Lake.  This area is normally known for its winter sports but today it was a glorious sunny day and lots of people were there enjoying the lake in the sunshine.

Later in the evening we had barbequed elk steaks and went to the local cinema.