Leaving Coeur d’Alene Casino.
We got up early and met Shirley and Bill for breakfast at 8:00.
After breakfast, Bill drove me to Rockland so I could pick up the MAP sensor that I ordered.
The Napa Store had my part so in short order we were back at the casino.
The Van Lives.
It was about 30 seconds work to install the sensor, and another 5 minutes to bolt the pipe hanger up. Once that was done, I fired the van up. It seems to run good. I am holding my breath as I won’t really know how well it is running until its out on the highway but it’s alive.
Shirley and Bill stopped by the van as they were leaving to say good bye with promises to meet this fall in Quartzsite.
I drove the van to a spot closer to the entrance to the casino and went in to get Patti and our stuff. We loaded up and in short order we were ready to head north again.
A visit with Eve and Bill.
We gassed up at the casino gas station and got on 95 heading north.
About 25 miles north of Coeur d’Alene is Farragut State Park where Bill and Eve are volunteering this summer.
We stopped at the entrance to the park and asked, where to find them. The guy at the entrance gave us directions to their place.
Fortunately we were able to contact Eve and she met us at their place. It was lunch time so Bill showed up a few minutes later. We visited with them while Bill ate his lunch. After Bill was done with lunch Bob and I went with Bill to the maintenance shop where he is working.
Bob needed to use an air compressor to blow out some stuff from the radiator fins on his van.
I was impressed with the nice shop Bill has to work in. All the tools any man could need.
Bob blew out the radiator in a short time and we were ready to continue our trip.
The Wrong Road
Several years ago my niece Joanne and husband Dave went with us on a trip to Idaho. It was spring time and we wandered around the state for about a week. One of the roads we tried to travel was one that went across the mountains south Lake Pend Oreille.
While we were at E&B’s we discussed the route and they said that we could get on the road by following 45 to Bayview.
We took off heading for Bayview.
When we got there we found out that that wasn’t the road we wanted.
I asked a guy at the local watering hole where the road we wanted was. He told me that we had to go back toward Coeur d’Alene and take Bunco Road east.
We back tracked to 95 and turned south. After a while we found the Bunco Rd. turnoff and took it heading east.
Lunch in the shade.
We drove up Bunco Road for quite a ways and eventually found a place with a little shade to stop for lunch.
While we were there Patti was playing with the Macro setting on her camera and got this nice shot.
and this one.
Views.
After lunch we continued trying to get through the mountains.
We made several wrong turns and had to back track several times but there were some nice views along the way.
You can see the road we are on snaking down into the valley below.
We came to a couple spots with views of the lake.
A good camp spot
Late in the afternoon we were trying to find the correct road when we came down a steep hill along a power line cut. The road ended at a perfect camp spot. We decided this would be our spot tonight so we pulled back in the trees and camped.
After supper I had to crawl under the van and tighten the exhaust flange bolts again. I put some blue goop on the threads this time. I hope it helps.
Noise in the Woods.
While we were sitting around later in the evening we heard what sounded like an Elk whistling.
Bob thought that it sounded like a human trying to mimic an Elk. As it turned out it was an Elk and we saw several across the canyon from us not far away.
Can you can see two Elk in this picture?
I tried to get some close ups but most are not real clear. I should have let Patti take the pictures as she is better at it.
These Elk spooked and vanished into the woods.
Later we heard some crashing in the woods on our side of the canyon and saw two other Elk skirting out camp inside the tree line
Odds and Ends
There is a nice stream running in the canyon below us.
We also noticed this large nest on the power line tower.
Okay that was our travels on Friday 7/21. We hope to make Eureka, Montana today. I think we will have to hustle.
PS.
The van is running good but now the muffler is falling apart. Eventually I will have to get it replaced.
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