Colony

The week went too fast. I was remiss in my blogging. But that's what happens when you're having too much fun. Seriously, what a great time... two new works read each day, at 3 and 8 pm, followed by nightly outings to James Bar or The Depot for decompression drinking. I haven't laughed so much in many moons. And last Wednesday, a spectacular river float on the Blackfoot. Although they don't do justice to the event, here are a few images of the river float, a reading and a night out at the James Bar (with Bill and Hillary Caisley):

University of Montana

Day 2 of being on the campus of University of Montana for Missoula Colony 15. I'm honored to be here among such acclaimed playwrights as Marsha Norman, James McClure, Roger Heddon, Ron Fitzgerald and Lily Award winner Deb Laufer (my dorm-mate), plus a group of fabulous actors and directors.

I continue to be awed by the beauty of this place, with its sunshine, fresh air and starry skies. This is the center of campus (with a better view of the M).

Here are a couple more campus shots, one while walking to the student center and one inside. I imagine all the interior plantscapes are soothing during the long gray winters.

I'll post more about Colony soon, but in the meantime, here's a photo John sent from his morning walk in North Dakota, a place with its own kind of sparse beauty.

M

One of the must-do activities in Missoula is to hike up to the giant M at the peak of Mount Sentinal. So at eight this morning, before it got too hot, I set out. It's hard to see the M in this photo, but this is what the hill looks like from the bottom.

It's a steep climb on switchbacks cut into the mountain by University of Montana forestry students at the turn of the century. The first M was also built by students, in 1909. Here's a view of the campus from about midway up.

As you can see, the campus and the residential areas surrounding it are beautiful, with lots of trees and lots of green grass. About 9,500 students attend school here, and the mascot is the grizzly bear, so there is an abundance of "Griz" merchandise for sale in town. I didn't meet any grizzlies on my hike, although I did cross paths with a deer, which was very cool.

It took me about 40 minutes to get to the M, and the hike, although arduous, was a lot of fun and well worth the effort to see the magnificent view of the entire valley. This is the view looking northwest towards downtown, and yes, the sky really is that big and that blue here.

In case you're a numbers person, the M is 125 feet tall and 100 feet wide and it is located 620 feet above the valley floor. Hiking to the M is definitely a great way to exercise and enjoy the beauty of Missoula at the same time.

Missoula: An Introduction

Rather than post only photos, I thought you might like some action. Here's what's happening today in Missoula:

If you want to see a bit more of my view from Caras Park, just outside my hotel in downtown Missoula, click on the video below. This river is called the Clark Fork, and it bisects Missoula. Clark Fork originates near Butte and flows northwest through Idaho. Its waters eventually end up in the Columbia River. Had it originated five miles east of its source, the water would have flowed the other way on the eastern side of the continental divide.

Highlights from Idaho

We covered some miles on Tuesday after leaving Salt Lake and heading up the Interstate 15 to Idaho Falls. We arrived about lunchtime and dined on amazing burgers at the Snake Bite. After lunch, we strolled along the Snake River and, of course, admired the falls.

Although John was eager to get a lot more highway behind him (because he has to get to North Dakota by Thursday night), we couldn't resist our usual meanderings off the beaten path, so we left the interstate and headed west on Highway 28 to follow the route of Sacajewea and Lewis and Clark.

 As you can see, taking the backroads was the right decision.

We stopped in Salmon, Idaho, on the Salmon River, which is one of our favorite waterways and the river where Lo caught her first trout. There's not much in Salmon, but we enjoyed the scenery and the low-key vibe.

 Heading up over the mountains and into Montana.

 Next time: Missoula

Rider (and Steve)

Playing catch-up on the trip postings today. As planned, we left San Diego a little after noon on Sunday and headed to Laguna Beach to drop off Hannah. After a brief stop to say hello to Ma and Pa, we headed east yet again. Night one was spent in Primm, the casino town owned by Terrible Herbst on the California/Nevada border. The room was $20, the steaks were plentiful, and Lo won $8.38 in the two-cent slot machines.

Day two: Head outta Primm at sun-up to avoid the hottest part of the day. Still, we hit 100-plus temps as we drove across the barren wasteland of Nevada, northern Arizona and southern Utah. The good news is that we made it to Steve Prior's house near Salt Lake with plenty of time to relax, have a great dinner, watch the sunset and listen to him regale us with stories of paragliding and Harley-tripping with Rider.

Prior is one of John's paramedic buddies from Minnesota. Rider is canine extraordinaire.