Planet Ruby Starrs

We crossed the border and entered Oregon, found a map with non-existent campsite on and drove much further than we wanted to but eventually found a lovely campsite by a lake – showers and everything!!! Dr Fred was knackered but he done well so we cracked a couple of beers and watched the sun go down over the lake.  There was grass!! No dusty cinders or rocky outcrops for us that night – it was like lying on a feather bed.  there was a lovely sunset across the lake, it was sooo peaceful after such a manic week... We had moved a time zone so were an hour out which meant we went to bed early and got up early and were out on the road again before the heat set in.  We have seen massive variation in temperatures on this trip from below zero and ice on the tent in Yellowstone, to the heady heights of 40 degrees plus even up the mountains.  Trouble is there’s not much you can do in such heat apart from find a nice café and drink smoothies for a great part of the day...

We are driving in a leisurely fashion through Montana, more or less right down the middle and the landscape is ever changing.  We are crossing huge valleys guarded on all sides by huge forested mountains, the Garnet range much deforested by fires, the Mission Mountains down one side and then the Sapphire mountains loom above us as we head into Philipsburg.   Often the lush pine forests are starting to give way to hilly scrub land with much smaller Christmas tree like firs on them and the valleys are filling up with once green but now straw-coloured plains with cattle grazing.   Changing Landscapes We have seen a lot of deer by the road side and we are driving past classic ranch style entrances with huge log gateways with big cow skulls hanging off, The Lost Moose Ranch or the Grizzly Claw Ponderosa.   RAWHIDE!!!!!   gateways made with quite impressive logs! The actual buildings are usually out of site way up the tracks....

Today it feels like our road trip has been upgraded from a budget trip in a tent to a luxury  drive around North america in a cruise mobile - i can picture myself a few days down the line - sun kissed ( probably burnt) driving in my car, arm hanging down the side, slightly grubby possibly even a bandanna  to take edge of the posh car .... a kinda aged Janis Joplin driving my Mercedes Benz cruising  the Canandian highways... Anyway back to reality….. We hit walmart and bought roll mats and stove, coolbox some camping pans and bits and pieces to make camping more comfortable in fact totally luxurious in keeping with the new image – then we did some food shopping – all cowboy food easy to cook and quick to eat, finally we hit the liquor store and stocked up on beer and wine and finally headed off up highway 99 the ‘sea to sky highway’ to Squamish where we had located a campsite – Dr Freds got used to driving the car and all seems to be going fine. Our first night ...