Tag Archives: Dillon

Twin Falls, Idaho Is Next Stop

  • Flathead Valley, Montana to Yuma, Arizona
  • Day 2 of 5
  • January 1, 2021

Twin Falls, Idaho Is my next stop and I’m both reluctant and also eager to be on the road. Happily, the weather is holding and I awoke to sunny skies with no hint of snow.

The first thing I did this morning was to check the weather forecast. The forecast still called for less than 1-inch of snow in Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Twin Falls. No change for the next three days.

Last night was cold and I used my furnace as well as my space heaters to keep my coach warm. I slept well enough and woke at a decent hour. My first thought was to fill my onboard propane tank.

After a quick breakfast, I unhooked my electrical line and stowed it. Last night I didn’t bother with hooking up to city water or even to the sewer system. So there wasn’t much to do to prepare for the day’s drive to Twin Falls, Idaho other than stowing stuff in the coach so as not to break anything.

 I’m reluctant to leave Dillon because the area is rich with early American history. Much of that history has to do with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. After their journey up the Jefferson and Beaverhead Rivers, members of the expedition arrived in the greater Dillon area early in August 1805. A notable landmark, for example, is Beaverhead Rock, now a state park. The rock is located about 12 miles southwest of the town of Twin Bridges on Montana Highway 41 and about 14 miles northeast of Dillon. When Sacajawea saw the rock she knew she was near the area where her Shoshone tribe spent its summers.

Twin Falls is 286 miles Ahead

As much as I would like to spend a few days here exploring the area, it’s time to move on. Today’s drive to Twin Falls, Idaho is a distance of 286 miles which should take four hours and 36 minutes according to Google Maps.

In Need of Propane

I walked over to the office and checked out. I also asked for propane, which the park didn’t have. But I did fill my fresh water tank. Soon, I was driving out of the park and heading for a service station.

10:05 AM: The first service station I found was a CENEX located at 700 North Montana St. Phone: 406-683-2308. The station is operated by Rocky Mountain Supply, which also has stores in Belgrade, Townsend and Ennis, Montana. The stores are like big mercantile or ranch and farm stores. Each store offers a full line of energy products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and lubricants as well as a full line of crop nutrient and crop protection products, seed, field application of crop nutrients. The stores also sell hardware, livestock equipment, animal health products, feed supplements, pet supplies, western wear clothing and boots, sporting goods, convenience store items and other products and services too numerous to mention.

New Year’s Day Not Good for Traveling

I wanted propane, but the office was closed as it was New Year’s Day and no one was on hand to service customers. So there was no propane. But I did fill up with diesel fuel. I bought 12.203 gallons at $2.499 per gallon for a total of $30.50. I had driven 124 miles since filling up the night before in Drummond, Montana and my mileage was only 10.2 miles per gallon on that tank.

The Area is Rich in Lewis and Clark History

Having refueled my motor home, it was time to be on the road again toward Twin Falls, Idaho. At the same time I’m aware that I’m in an area that is rich with Lewis and Clark landmarks and history. I will be passing several of these landmarks today.

Gap in the mountains spotted by Clark.
View of the gap in the mountains spotted by Clark from a distance of about 7 miles. That “gap” is the Beaverhead Canyon Gateway.

One of these landmarks is the Beaverhead Canyon Gateway. This gap in the mountains was spotted by Clark from a spot known as “Clark’s Lookout”, or, “Surveyor’s Station.” The “Gateway” was yet another 10 miles in front of him and his party. The “Gateway” canyon reportedly averages 600 feet in depth and extends seven river miles south to another unnamed portal formed by Pipeorgan Rock. I don’t have time to visit these historic landmarks today. But I will be back another time to leisurely explore them.

Beaverhead Canyon Gateway
The Beaverhead Canyon Gateway is a gap in the mountains at an elevation of 5236 feet. Clark mistakenly believed this would be the last gap in the mountains the expedition would have to cross. Yet to come was the crossing of the Bitterroot in Idaho.

These rocks on the right likely are the Rattle Snake Cliffs cited by Lewis on August 10, 1805 in his journal for that date. This is about the point that Lewis with Drewyer and Shields left the Beaverhead River and hiked up Horse Prairie Creek toward what we know today as Lemhi Pass. Clark and the rest of the expedition were pulling their canoes up the Beaverhead River about five days behind Lewis.

Once through the gap it’s just a short distance to The Clark Canyon Reservoir and Recreation Area off to the right. On this day, the reservoir was solidly frozen over and there were quite a few fishing shanties on the ice. They were occupied by virtue of the large number of vehicles parked along the shore. The Clark Canyon Reservoir now covers the land and streams where Lewis set out to explore Horse Prairie Creek, the major tributary flowing into the Beaverhead River. Horse Prairie Creek descends from Lemhi Pass where the Lewis and Clark Expedition first encountered the Shoshone tribe and Sacagawea’s relatives.

On To Twin Falls, Idaho

Approaching Monida Pass
Monida Pass is at the border of Montana and Idaho. The name of the pass takes the first three letters of “Montana and the first three letters of “Idaho” and thus is Monida Pass.

Beyond Clark Canon Reservoir, I-15 continues south and it’s a fairly short distance to Monida Pass at an elevation of 6,870 feet, 2,094 meters. As I cross the pass shortly after the noon hour, my dashboard display is showing an outside temperature of 19 degrees. The sky is overcast and snow lies either side of I-15, but the highway is clear. Monida Pass is at the border of Montana and Idaho. The name of the pass takes the first three letters of “Montana” and the first three letters of “Idaho” and thus is Monida Pass.

By the time I reach Exit 72 and follow I-86 West toward Twin Falls, Idaho, there is no more snow and the highway continues to be bare and dry. I exit off I-86 and cross the Snake River into Twin Falls around 3:00 PM and stop at a service station to fill up with diesel fuel. I pull into a Maverik station at 883 Blue Lakes Boulevard. There I buy 14742 gallons of diesel at $2.639 per gallon for a total of $48.90. I had driven 163 miles since my prior fill up in Idaho Falls, ID and gotten 11.1 miles per gallon on that tank.

After filling up I continue on to the Twin Falls 93 RV Park at 2404 E. 3830 N, Filer, ID 83328. Phone: 208-326-5092. The park is located on US 93 a half mile south of the Highway 30/Highway 93 Junction in Twin Falls. I check in and hook up for the night.

Hooked up for the night at the Twin Falls 93 RV Park.
Hooked up for the night at the Twin Falls 93 RV Park. I eat my evening meal and it’s off to bed for the night.

Dillon, Montana is My Destination for the Night

  • Flathead Valley, Montana to Yuma, Arizona
  • Day 1 of 5
  • December 31, 2020

Dillon, Montana is my destination for today’s drive. Google Maps states the drive of 286 miles to Dillon should take 4 hours and 38 minutes. My biggest concern for the drive is the possibility of snow-covered highways. With luck, the highways will be clear of ice and snow. My reservation for the night is at The Beaverhead RV and Campground, one of several RV parks in Dillon. The majority of RV parks in Montana close for the winter on or about September 15. But there are a few like this one that stay open all year.

Four inches of new snow fell last night and less than an inch is forecast for this morning.
Four inches of new snow fell last night and less than an inch is forecast for this morning.

The first thing I did upon waking up was to check the 10-day weather forecast for the main cities and towns along my route including my destination for the day. Snowed covered highways was my biggest concern. The forecast was the same as it had been for the past several days. Leaving home today there was a chance of less than 1 inch of snow. The same for passing through Missoula. The forecast for Dillon was cold, but no snow. Less than one inch of snow also was forecast for Pocatello and Twin Falls, Idaho.

After checking the forecast I went outside and took a photo of the mountain behind the house and to see how much snow fell overnight.

Though I woke up early enough, I didn’t start my journey until 1:25 PM and arrived at the Beaverhead RV and Campground in Dillon at about 8:20 PM.

Can’t explain the late departure other than there were last minute details to care for including a bit of housekeeping at home and a few more items to move to the RV.

About four inches of snow fell yesterday so I had to shovel my track to the RV to facilitate carrying gear by cart to the RV.  Snow was light weight and fluffy so it was easy to shovel.

Jeep is all loaded and ready for the road.

I had been loading the RV for several days. And last night I loaded the rear end of my Jeep with items too big or unwieldy for the RV. With everything loaded it is time to hook up. Hooking up the Jeep to the RV was no problem. The task was completed in short order.

My next concern was driving the gravel road to the paved highway. The gravel road was not a problem. There was a fresh four- inch layer of snow covering it. But I knew the weight of the RV would give me traction. I was not so sure about getting over the small hump to be climbed where the gravel road intersects with the paved county road. Earlier in the morning someone became stuck trying to drive over the hump and needed a tow truck to get out. Whoever towed that driver also graded snow from the hump. Thus, I had no trouble driving the 1/8th of a mile to the highway and driving up the hump to make a left turn on the paved road.

Our local roads had been graded either last night or early this morning.

Once on the paved road I could see that it had been graded. There was only a slight cover of snow and ice over the pavement and I had no trouble reaching the highway. Happily the highway was clear of snow and ice and just bare pavement.

Highway conditions remained the same all the way to Missoula; “clear of snow and ice and just bare pavement”.

Happily, US 93 was clear of ice and snow all the way to Missoula. The pavement was bare, but I did pick up a lot of dirt on my RV and Jeep. Hopefully, the highways will be clear all the way to Dillon.
Happily, US 93 was clear of ice and snow all the way to Missoula. The pavement was bare, but I did pick up a lot of dirt on my RV and Jeep. Hopefully, the highways will be bare all the way to Dillon

While descending the Grade down US 93 to I-90, I received a telephone call from my friend and ex-neighbor in Washington State. That was about 4:00 PM. We had been neighbors for about 10 years and the two of us with a couple of other guys would take road trips to Yellowstone and later to Glacier National Park. We talked for about 30 minutes while I’m driving and it was a pleasant visit and made the drive a bit more enjoyable.

Approaching the 5:00 o'clock hour, the daylight was fast fading and it was time to stop taking photos. I should be in Dillon in less than three hours.
Approaching the 5:00 o’clock hour, the daylight was fast fading and it was time to stop taking photos.

4:23 PM. I take my last photo of the day as the sun has set and the light was not good enough for any more photos today. The location where that photo was taken was about seven or eight miles north of Drummond, Montana.

5:03 PM: Do I fill up now, or, take a chance I can make it to Deer Lodge? Not wanting to risk running out of fuel, I take the Drummond, Montana Exit 153 that puts me on E Front Street. I follow E Front Street to Fic’s Conoco at 418 East Front. There, I buy 17.873 gallons of diesel at $2.389 per gallon for a total of $42.70. I had driven 200 miles since my previous fill up at home and got 11.2 miles per gallon on that tank. After filling up I continue on East Front to the on ramp to I-90.

5:49 PM. I’m hungry and need food so I pull off I-90 at Deer Lodge and pull into the McDonalds located at 133 N Interchange and buy a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a small order of fries. I take the food back to the RV and have my dinner. Then, thinking I still have a ways to drive, I go back in and get a cup of coffee to go. Then I’m on my way again.

Approaching Dillon, Montana at about 8:00 PM, I cross the Beaverhead River and exit I-15 at Exit 63. My smartphone takes me across I-15 and puts me heading northeast on Business I-15 and turn right on Swenson Way and follow it to South Bozeman Street and follow it for a couple of blocks.

Finding Beaverhead RV and Campground in the dark was a bit confusing. Needed my smart phone to get there.
Finding Beaverhead RV and Campground in the dark was a bit confusing. Needed my smart phone to get there. The magenta line is my track.

I then turn west on West Park Street and soon I’m at the entrance to the Beaverhead RV and Campground. After entering the park,  I mistakenly turn to the right, a mistake that leads to even more confusion. When registering I was told to turn left. Had I followed the instructions I would have soon found my site, Site number 8. However I spent more than 20 minutes driving around in the dark totally confused as to where site 8 was located. I finally found it and set up for the night, ate supper and was soon in bed.