Day Five

Today was a successful day in Big Fork, MT. I read about 100 pages of Kerouak, ate too much, met up with my buddy Robby for a brewery tour at the Flathead Lake Brewery, failed at kayak fishing, and finished my evening at a podunk bar where cowboys swung cowgirls. Remarkably the highlight of the day was fishing and not catching a single thing. The saving grace was a family of beavers I met on Swan Lake who were as curious as I was. There were two that I followed a ways as I watched them fish and gather wood from a paddle length away. I wished that I had my camera but I am not 100% confident in my kayaking skills, especially after Tuesday's close brushes with almost being upside down in a very cold lake upon poorly judging the strength of the waves in a lake 30 miles long.

I am growing anxious to press onto lone time in unknown territory but I balance with the understanding that I am with friends who I may not see again for some time. So these days are privileged as the next journey will arrive in short time, and I must be content and thankful for today. Tomorrow I will move all my gear 10 miles down the road from Big Fork to Swan Lake where I will stay a few days with Robby Westermann and three of his UW med school buddies. Saturday morning I leave for Wyoming where I will camp for four days in Yellowstone National Park.