Montana Reunion--Part II

I feel a bit obsessed with this longing to get caught up on the blog.  I need to remind myself that I can't put off the rest of life's chores indefinitely.  I'm setting a thirty minute timer, then I have to go clean the bathrooms.

So happy Fourth of July world!  Because, yes, that's actually what I'm talking about mid-October.  (Insert eye roll emoji here.)  The world may be flooded with pumpkin spice, but I'm still in watermelon mode.

We celebrated our Montana Fourth of July with a fun hike through the Ross Creek Cedars.

These 500 year-old ancient red cedars are pretty magnificent.  The second picture was actually taken from inside a cedar where seven of us easily fit in the cavity.

How many Wheelers does it take to span a cedar?

We found some fun rock creations as well.  

Fourth of July fun all around.

Our next adventure took us over to Kootenai Falls with its wobbly suspension bridge.

Ben and Christy contemplate in solemnity while Lance shares his best angle.

I hadn't realized that The River Wild was filmed here.  Such beautiful falls, but I wouldn't want to raft them.

It wouldn't be the Fourth of July without hamburgers, baked beans, and watermelon.  Thanks, Lance, for the great meal!

The next day we set out on our grand adventure: to ride the Hiawatha Trail.

This fifteen mile ride is an old rails-to-trails route, spanning from Montana into Idaho as it passes through eight tunnels and seven trestles.

The first tunnel is the longest, spanning 1.6 miles.  Just don't forget a bright bike light and a warm jacket!  Also, be careful not to stray to the side as there is a fairly steep drop off where the water runs through.  Annika was a bit scared at first, but she adapted to the damp and the dark.


When you finally emerge to daylight, you are greeted by a pretty waterfall.

Oh, and did I mention that the tunnel is muddy?  If you ride fast, you are sure to get streaked.  Uncle Ben wore it best.

Brooklyn and Lance had some pretty cool mud helmets.

Oh, and Talia's Camelbak comes with extra minerals.

I didn't get too muddy riding slow with Annika, but my shoes were in a sorry sanctified state (aka holey).  Fortunately Dr. Justin came to the rescue with some duct tape.

Back on the trail.

The trail is a very gentle (1.6%) slope down crushed gravel.  It was perfect for all ages and abilities, including Annika's fairly novice bike skills.

If you take a moment to look down, those trestles are pretty dang high!

Here you can see one of the trestles off in the distance after the trail curves around.

The tunnels were fun too, although none nearly as long as the first.

I have to say, I was pretty surprised by the audacity of the wildlife.  This deer came surprisingly close...

...and then kept coming!  Kind of scary, actually.  It was pretty obvious it had been hand fed in the past.  I'm just glad it didn't chomp off my fingers.

Pausing to cool off in the stream while fixing Uncle Lance's flat.

He picked up a MONSTER nail!

Biking is Jason's happy place.  I'm just glad the rest of us enjoy it too.

When we got to the bottom, some of the group took the shuttle back to the tunnel while the rest of us biked the fifteen miles uphill.  Given how gentle the slope, it really wasn't as bad as it sounds.  Plus, we had a cheerleader in the form of the extremely cheeky chipmunk that kept trying to steal Grandma Susie's snacks, climbing right up onto her handlebars!

On our way back, we even ran into some friends, Rachel and Ben.  Rachel is the sister of Jason's great friend Bruce.  She recently married Ben, who happened to grow up right next door to Jason.  Oh, and Rachel knows the Vedeckis family from her time as a missionary in Lithuania.  Small world!

So apparently the Hiawatha trail is the place to be!  In all seriousness, if you ever have the opportunity to ride it, I can't recommend it enough.

Dirty and dusty from riding the trail, there was only one thing to be done after.  Eat ice cream and go for a dive.  I love this picture of Talia, followed by Brooklyn.

Back at Thompson Falls, we enjoyed our last evening together as Talia serenaded the sunset.

So many thanks to the Wheeler family for yet another amazing reunion!  Can't wait to gather again soon.