Northwest van trip via California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alberta, & BC

[coolfeet]

Ferry Crossing Arrowhead Lake in the Kootenay's

Another highlight were the free inland ferry crossings in the Kootenay Mountains. This is my boys crossing Upper Arrow Lake. We met a lot of nice people waiting in line for the next departure.

Some of the locals turned us onto the most amazing free private hot springs on the planet. I could find the place again, but giving out the directions is nearly impossible. We followed a local up a narrow gravel road.

While setting up camp on a small pullout, I heard a deep growl. Bears frequent the area. The locals are not bothered. I moved the van 50 yards away in order to be near more people.

St. Leon Hot Springs near Nakusp, BC
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[coolfeet]

Drying clothes near Glacier National Park

This became a typical site for us. We used Ozark Mountain (Walmart brand) heavy duty ratcheting straps that worked so much better than a rope clothesline.

We went from blazing 100 degree weather to temperatures in the 40's in less than 24 hours. While we welcomed a break from the heat, keeping everything dry became a chore.

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[coolfeet]

We had a few hours break in rain while camping at Glacier National Park, Canada. We pulled some frozen steaks out of the ARB and grilled them on the cast iron skillet. We grilled slices of polenta on the other cast iron skillet.

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