We started the day with a short 3 mile hike of medium exertion that promised excellent views of the lake. The hike delivered on all counts. We even made a new friend, who watched us but wasn’t scared of us. The aptly named Mineral Ridge hike even took us past a now abandoned mine that apparently showcases the style of mines used in the mid 19th Century.
After we left CDA, we bumped into this sign…
A recurring theme from our first 6 days is how dry the Western half of the US has become and the spiraling number of fires. This was brought home very clearly as we drove on Interstate 90 in Idaho. Again, the fires abutted the freeway. We saw numerous fire engines and firemen plus a very skilled helicopter pilot. We wish all the luck, skill and safety required to deal with this massive challenge.
Shaken by our fire experience, we decided to stop for a quick bite and some coffee. We found a cute coffee shop in Kellogg, ID. From the front porch we gazed westward and found the unsettling black smoke from the fire that we had just recently passed.
For years, S has been going to Starbucks and when asked what more they can do for me..he’s asked if they could make his coffee Irish. Sadly no comes the monotonous answer. Well S finally found the place to get an Irish coffee at a proper coffee house but sadly he was driving and couldn’t partake.
We crossed over into MT from ID at about 5000 feet of elevation. That was a fun part of the drive.
Just outside of Missoula, MT, we stopped at Big Sky Brewing Company. We ordered lunch from the food truck and settled into the tasting room. Beers were first rate and very inexpensive. We had a 16oz Moose Drool (the brewery’s most famous beer) and a 4 beer tasting flight. We finished with 2 8oz beers to sample the remaining beers on our wish list. That entire experience of beer tasting cost us $13. Hello.
After arriving in Missoula, MT, we checked into our hotel and found our second brewery in MT! Conflux Brewing Company (h/t Aaron!). The beer names were quite clever. We enjoyed what we had tasted but our minds had already shifted to dinner.
We found a local grocery store and picked up a veggie sandwich. After a quick nap, we packed up the backpack and headed for the Clark Fork River, which was accessible through the Kiwanis Park. We walked down to the river and sat under the car and foot bridges. From there we had an excellent view of boaters and tuber floating down the river and teenagers jumping from the footbridge into the river.
End of day odometer – 2,194 (174 miles driven)
Total miles driven on trip – 1,547 miles
Wearehere 
I haven’t had a Moose Drool in years! Great beer.
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It was delicious! Hope you enjoyed Napa and your time on the West Coast!
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