Last year when I went to the east side of Glacier National Park is when I injured my back, so really saw very little. This year I thought I’d try the west side and hope for some fall color, but the fires are so bad there now that all the facilities at McDonald lake have been closed for the season, most of the west side of Going To The Sun Road is closed, and parts of the town of West Glacier is on alert for evacuation. As bad as the smoke is here, apparently there it’s worse. Not only is there no point in going, it would be dangerous.
This is across the street from Diamond S RV Park in Ronan. The mountains are still there but the smoke is so thick you can’t see them.
Looking down the road.
This isn’t daytime! The sun is trying to shine!
Hopefully I’ll get back to Glacier another time. About 25 years ago I did get to see it in late spring and it was wonderful….one of my favorite places.
So I’ve rearranged my plans and tomorrow we will be heading for St Regis, Montana. There will still be smoke, but hopefully not this bad. Before we leave Ronan, I have an appointment for WS at Les Schwab, to have the wheel bearings serviced. I think it means I’ll get new ones, and have them greased. Casita recommends this for every 12,000 miles, and it’s actually been about 15,000 since WS’s were last done at Little House Customs, AZ.
The Casita Rally has been nice, but I’ll tell you what…I’m on socialization overload!
I’ve met some really nice people and this is so not about them…it’s me. I do better with very small gatherings….2 or 3 or 4 is pretty ok. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to have been here and met everyone, but I will also be glad to be the off on my own for awhile.
I was invited to go to the Ninepipes Museum with Carolyn and Imogene the other day, so Joy and Shiloh stayed in the AC while I took off for a couple of hours. I thought it was great when I was at the museum last year, but this time it was even better because they now give you a headset and remote control thingie, and you can listen to stories about the displays, narrated by the man who collected all the items in the museum, Bud Cheff, Jr.
The museum was named in honor of Chief Joseph Ninepipes, of the Bitterroot Salish.
This is the museum. I used a picture of it from the internet.
I’ve wondered for awhile now….why is this called the Flathead Indian Reservation? Who are the Flatheads?? This reservation is home to the Bitterroot Salish Tribe, the Kootenai (pronounced KOOT nee) Tribe, and the Pend d’Oreilles (pronounced PAWN-doh-RAY, believe it or not) Tribe.
So I remembered to ask one of the women at the museum.
It seems that when Lewis and Clark were here, and they encountered the natives that lived here, the sign that the Indians used for ‘hello’ was described in their notes as ‘ touching the fingers to the flat of the head’. (They were meaning the forehead). Because of this written description, these three tribes, the lake, the river and the reservation were all called ‘Flathead’, yet there is really no tribe by that name. She showed me the sign they used and it reminded me of a salute but different.
From the museum. The shirt hanging on the wall was used in the movie ‘Dances With Wolves’. Not made for it, but used in it.
This picture of Lucy Moses reminds me of ‘Grandma’ in the movie ‘Thunderheart’.
Peter and Mary Ronan, whom this town was named after. Peter was an Indian Agent, and one of the rare good ones, apparently. The Natives loved Mary’s long red hair. There is a small lake nearby, named after her.
Lots of beadwork in the museum.
Back at the RV Park….Hollyhocks and Casita.
Joy and Shiloh have had fun at the rally, greeting lots of new people and a few dogs too!
Wandering Spirit 
Gee that’s so sad to hear about Glacier. I was there with my teardrop (from Florida) and it was gorgeous. I was so hoping to take out of here again in a few weeks for my so loved Montana, but giving more thought to it. Also wanted to go to Yellowstone thinking less crowded. I missed it last summer because of extreme crowds. Want to see more animals out during the rut and also the leaves. I read all your posts with great interest. Thanks
Dottie
Hi Dottie, thank you for commenting!
Yes it really is sad…so much beauty up in smoke, and the animals….the poor animals and THEIR homes.
Yes first I thought I’d go to Glacier anyway…less people…less traffic. Then I got to experience how bad the smoke really is, and I realized it would be useless and foolish to go right now.
For now I’d say stay where you can breath.
I’m sorry you won’t be able to see Glacier this year, but it will still be there next spring. You’re struggling with smoke, and I’m watching the news about another hurricane heading toward friends in Florida, and still worried about friends in Texas. Seems like our entire country (except where we are in Newport RI) has some sort of weather related emergency. Tomorrow we get rain, but today was sunny and beautiful here.
Looking forward to your next location!
Hi Dawn, yes I have friends in FL too, who are packing up….finding the shelves where water used to be in the stores, empty…as well as batteries, and other necessary supplies. Then there is Texas…where about half the people at he rally are from…then there is the fires and smoke, not only in Montana, (I’ve never seen anything like this), but Washington, Oregon and California…and then there is the latest news out of Washington, DC. None of it makes for a pretty picture.
Take some pretty pictures Dawn!
Think I saw George, as in George and Sandy in one of the pictures….they are from Kileen Tx. (or Coprus Cove) and Ron and Becky from Austin. Wish I could have been there! So sad and sickening all the ‘natural disasters’ going on and changing the world as we know it.
Hi Sharron, yes George and Sandy were here. Just barely back from Alaska. And yes Becky and Ron also. Also Joe and Donna from Texas. Maybe you know them too?
The world is a scary place right now. 🙁
It was so lovely spending time with you at Ronan, and our trip to Montana was all about visiting friends, but I am so happy to be back home in the Bay Area, I feel like I can breathe again. Also happy that we’ve been to Glacier and Flathead Lake before, so remembered what it looks like when not smothered in thick, yellow-gray smoke. Our drive from Flathead to Spokane airport and our flight home was startling because the smoke became even thicker. We felt claustrophobic and a little panicky, like we couldn’t breathe, even though in the air-conditioned vehicle the air was better than outdoors.
It was a devine moment when the airplane cleared the smoky altitudes and we saw blue skies and real sunshine for the first time in a week.
My thoughts now are with the people and animals who are in Montana…the air still is at hazardous levels in many places.
Breathe shallow all, stay indoors
Laura
Hi Laura. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with you and Joel and I always wish we had more time.
Haven’t seen blue sky for awhile now, but here in St Regis the smoke isn’t quite as bad as in Ronan. At least for today. It’s going to be awhile before we breath fresh air again. I don’t think I’ll take clean air for granted ever again. I understand that panicky feeling. It’s clostrophobic in a way.
We just spent a few hours in the ac.
It seemed to relieve the mild headache I’ve had for a couple days now… on and off…and I almost never get headaches.
Glad to hear you are safely home. Take a few deep breaths for me and the furry ones.
What an interesting museum!! I love learning about our Native Americans!!! What an amazing history they have!! Loved the story about how the name Flathead originated!!
The fires are awful and breaks my heart to see such beauty burning!! And the poor animals losing their homes!! Then all the hurricanes in our area!! Really sad!!