Day 27: Sandypoint, ID to Cascade Locks, OR

Here is a photo of my room at the Meandering Moose Motel in Sandypoint, Idaho, since it was so pleasantly nice:

Went down to the "beach" here in Sandypoint, only I had a bit of trouble finding it.

I walked down to the logs, checking every so often that I was still walking on the beach; didn't really feel like breaking through the ice. I think I eventually found the lake, but who knows? The lifeguards weren't on duty, which possibly wasn't that surprising!

I trudged back to the car and soon gave up trying to get anywhere interesting with their network of one way streets (who puts two one way roads, both going in the same direction, next to each other!? What is so amazing about that direction that everyone needs to get there?)

Headed off on my quest towards Spokane, Washington. First stop was Athol, just south west of Sandypoint, where the UP mainline crosses the BNSF. Exce...

Day 26: Kalispell, MT to Sandypoint, ID

Looking for motels in Hungry Horse: While desperately seeking a motel the previous night I passed through the town of Hungry Horse. Cool name huh. I pulled into a nicely lit up & friendly looking motel there and went into the office. "We reserve the right to ..." and "NO REFUNDS!" notices covered every surface in the office. I rang the bell. After a several minutes the proprietor came out looking annoyed. I said I was after a room for the night; he gave me a look like I'd asked if they sold camels or something! He wanted $50, which is ok but not great. I asked to see the room first. "Don't show rooms after dark" was his answer. What?! It was 7:30pm, hardly that late, but hey if you want to turn down a paying customer..?! I gave up at the point and walked out on him. (Reviews on Google usually mention that the guy at the office is grumpy, ha)

Back in the land of Kalispell MT and friendly motels, I woke up and had breakfast while reading the local newspaper. It's intere...

Day 25: Essex, MT to Kalispell, MT

Good morning Montana! Morning started a bit early when at 5am I woke up shivering… heater had stopped working in the night and things had gotten rather chilly inside. Despite my best attempts the heater was still dead, out of gas or something. So found a spare quilt and put on the puny electric heater, which did the trick.

Compare this to last night and see the difference that having a heater on can make! I could hear the snow sliding off all night.

No fresh snow over night, though my track had filled in a wee bit. Went and had pancakes for breakfast and had to pay in cash as the satellite dish was now hanging on by a single bolt or something and aiming at the opposite hill, so no internet at all. Not even the slightest hope of web.

There was a train grinding its way through the many snow sheds above the Snow Slip Inn when went to hop in the car, so I headed off towards West Glacier to try and catch it. Well "try" isn...

Day 24: Missoula, MT to Essex, MT

Woke up to another lovely gray day here in Missoula. Fantastic… and all the snow was melting too, so a pretty bad combination for any kind of photography. Tried to hit the road fairly promptly to see if the Day Gas Local was around. Went down to the yards and saw endless white tank wagons in the yard and at the Exxon facility being emptied, so concluded that the local had already been and gone. Oh well. The remote shunter was doing a bit of work though, moving around some of those gas tanks…

… you can see how depressing the weather was!

I sat and waited for a bit while a massive earthworm slowly moved around the yard and then followed it when it took off. Caught it and barely missed it a few times, and then had to do some frustrating doubling back when it had to stop for a work train.

At Frenchtown I caught the two passing:

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Day 23: Missoula MT railfanning

Woke up to a thin layer of snow all over Missoula, about a couple of inches. Brushed off the car and went off to see what there was to see in Missoula. Unfortunately the temperature had already climbed above freezing so Missoula was very soggy and the snow was rapidly melting.

Had a cruise around and found, surprise surprise…

… although this one was a bit different as in addition to the usual pigeon wildlife, people live here! It appears to have been turned into a gallery / studio / apartments type affair, and looks pretty interesting.

I drove on a bit and found the railway yards, but there was a whole lot of nothing happening. I spied some amazing birds nests in the lighting tower though, and about a million birds lined up on a power line; I guess they know where the best train watching spots are.

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Day 22: Helena, MT to Missoula, MT

My railfan tour along the MRL continues. Another night in a Motel 6, and another vague "never again" promise. Down at the Helena yard it was pretty quiet, although I noticed a 6-pack of classic EMD power sitting waiting. The MRL staff here are very used to suspicious looking cars sitting at the crossing for hours at a time, in fact most times I visited there was someone or other sitting in their car watching the happenings. I think I was a bit unusual in that I, you know, got out of my car.

By my count there were three SD45s and three SD40s. Not a bad lash up at all! They sat around for a bit and then after half an hour coupled onto their train and they were off. I'm trying to work out how I can smuggle one of these SD45s out of the country.

I tried to chase them up the hill but with so many horses on the front it was an impossible task and he easi...