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bike42 · 9 months

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August 3-7, 2023 Montana for Calvin's Wedding

We left home in the early hours of August 3rd – heading North at first, then West back to Montana – this time a road trip! We met our friend, Trapper in Maple Grove for lunch. It had been way too long, and the hours flew by as we caught up. When I first met JT, he and Trapper were like “brothers from different mothers,” with their own code language and lots of shared history.

From there, we continued North to Moorhead/Fargo – where we joined brother-in-law Matt for dinner at their house. My sister had already ventured west with my parents in their VW camper (a different kind of adventure!). We had a nice dinner, visited with her cat, and enjoyed the evening in their serene backyard oasis. My brother and two of his daughters (Emma and Georgia) were coming for the night and to transport Matt to MT, but they arrived much later in the evening, and we stayed in a hotel so didn’t see them until we arrived at camp in MT on Saturday.

We drove through the rain, took a few stops in Bismark, Medora and Circle MT. Once again, we were revisiting memories of our 2012 bike adventure! We made several stops in Bismark (TJMaxx, Dollar Store, Walmart) in search of cowbells for Jeff’s 29029 volunteer gig but came up short. The drive from Circle was new territory for us, a two-lane road across the desolate prairie and ranch land of Montana. Much of the road was under construction and but traffic was light, and it didn’t slow us down much. With the rain and the mud though, we had a mud-encrusted Audi!

We arrived at our hotel in Grand Falls and found the Montana State Fair happening across the street! We quickly checked in, then walked over to the fair. We caught the last half of the rodeo – calf roping, young women riding horses very fast in the barrel races, and the bull riding at the end. It was all so foreign tome, but I loved the energy of seeing it in person! It was the second to last day of the fair, so most of the animals in the display barns had been taken home, I was disappointed about that! But the art and flower arrangement displays were still there so we enjoyed that.

The next morning, we had some time, so we visited the Lewis and Clark Exhibition Center. It was cool to imagine what the Missouri River looked like in those days! There was a cool exhibit showing how they devised an 11-day portage around the 5 falls – imagine!! We also enjoyed talking to an older gentleman that had many period guns and other weapons on display – his private collection.

The rain continued as we drove to Seely Lake (as did the muddy construction). We grabbed hot drinks at the local coffee shop and then headed around the lake to “Camp Paxson,” our home for the next three nights (an old boy scout camp that’s now part of the National Forest and run by a non-profit). I felt bad for Calvin and McKinley about the weather, but everyone in attendance was of the “make the best of it” mindset. We got settled in our rustic cabin – I thought they’d be smaller (not sure why I thought that), and was surprised to find JT and I were sharing a cabin with mom & dad, and San & Matt. A close family affair!

Saturday night was informal with a lasagna dinner, lots of wine, and Sandra and Matt led campfire stories and songs. They were dressed in scouting attire, and it was a really fun night!

Sunday morning it was still raining. Calvin and his friends had erected a tent with a stage and dance floor. It was dry but sandy in there – we cleaned it up and Sandra led about 10 of us through a morning yoga session. Then breakfast in the lodge, and free time for hiking, napping, or hanging out until the afternoon wedding. Jeff and I hiked about 4 miles through a beautiful hemlock forest – incredibly open without much understory.

There was a rush to get ready in the communal bathrooms before the wedding – a different kind of experience. Most found with the rain and humidity, it was senseless to try to do anything with one’s hair!!

Like a miracle, the sun came out just before the outdoor wedding and it was a beautiful afternoon and evening. A thoroughly enjoyable occasion – great band, good dinner, and fun celebration with family. There were some “wedding crashers” at the end of the night – apparently, they got away with one of the beer barrels.

Monday morning was quieter. Sandra and Amy and I still did yoga, we had a leisurely breakfast (my dad and my brother made Huckleberry pancakes). A larger group of us hiked to a nearby waterfall, and then the folks that were left had salads and leftover lasagna for dinner. Matt, San, JT and I played a fun game of croquet – obstacles like pinecones and tree roots! Early to bed for me – big week coming up!

#calvinandmckinley #camppaxson #seelylake

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