Clarkston, WA (Leaving)
I stopped at a few forest service campgrounds along the way just for reference. I was determined to stay at a KOA to get my bills paid. Towards the end of the highway I had to pass through three consevutive one-lane roads over a period of a few miles. During one 10 minute wait a couple of adult males got out of their car and started throwing boulders into the river 50 feet below. Nobody cares.
I headed north on highway 93 around 1:30 pm. As I got closer to Missoula the number of highway lanes increased as did the traffic congestion. I am just not comfortable in those situations, so I was prejudiced against this KOA before I got there. When I did arrive to the 200 unit complex behind a strip mall. i found people everywhere. There was no escape. I left.
Plan B was to head south to a KOA near the Montana/ Idaho border on highway 93. It was only 80 miles away, and although it was getting hot and I was tired of driving, I thought it would be worth the effort. I had heard of the area (known as the Bitteroot area) in a radio advertisement for a resort down there. They said a lot of people were not visiting the area because of a fire a few years ago, but that it was still worth visiting. Also, I would be passing through Hamilton where I had seen and ad for a part time librarian. I wanted to check that out.
I was in the mood for comfort food. I saw a Taco Johns, but the traffic was so congested I decided not to try for it. I hoped there would be one in one of the small towns along the way. When I reached hamilton, I could stand it no longer. I started to go to a KFC but turned away when I saw their prices. Instead I took a chance at a local place working out of a singlewide mobile home along the highway. I had a great pastrami on rye and huckleberry milkshake. Istill spent too much though.
I was counting down the miles to the Sula KOA. I had only three to go when the dreaded "single lane road ahead" and "watch for flagger signs" appeared. the lady informed me I had 20 minutes to wait.I was about 20th in line. It was hot and humid. A young girl came by on an ATV offering soda and ice cream, but I passed. It was clouding up and sprinkinlig a little. A thunderstorm seemed imminent.
After 10 minutes we started moving. The KOA was near the end of the one lane area. I pulled near a big KOA sign that had "Tenting" in prominent letter. It began to drizzle steadily. The middle-aged lady with smokers voice said I could set up my tent next to a table they had blocking the only RV site whose electrical did not work. I asked if their other tenting area was full. At first she said that was their only tenting area then she corrected herself and said four bikers took the other area. As I drove past the bikers in their 10 foot by 10 foot tenting area through the muddy potholed road and came to what I would otherwise calle and abandoned beat up transam next to the table that would be my tenting area, I decided this was not for me.
Somehow I was able to merge back in to the traffic going back the way I came, stop at a state park in the middle of the construction zone, decide the noise was too much for me, and move on north towards hamilton and Missoula. My plan now was to try to find a place near Hamilton. I wanted to find out what the library was like and what living conditions were like in the area. The sky had cleared and I was headed north to find a place to stay.