1. I completed my morning routines and packed up, left the splendid tiny house I'd stayed in the last two nights, and drove back to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. I drove to the parking lot across from the refuge's headquarters and started my hike up the Myrtle Creek Falls trail. It's not a very long hike, but it passes through a forest thick with cedars and other trees and other foliage and is both arresting and peaceful. The trail included a few gentle switchbacks, and overall the climb was mild. I reached Myrtle Creek Falls and loved what I saw, an approximately 100 foot tall rock face divided by a narrow gorge through which Myrtle Creek flows and drops, first into a pool on a rock ledge, and then again to the bottom of the rock face. Two overlook areas, one with a bench, provided two perspectives to view the falls. I took pictures and admired this cascade for a while and then enjoyed the walk back through the woods and returned to the Sube.
2. I drove back to Bonners Ferry and exchanged U. S. dollars for Canadian ones at Wells Fargo and gassed up the Sube. It was after 11 o'clock and I hadn't eaten yet and I'd read that just past 3 Mile I'd find some good food at Sharon's Country Store. Well, it turns out that Sharon's Country Store is one part of three interrelated businesses (along with The Bread Basket and 3 Mile Produce) called The Gathering Place. In some ways, I thought I was back at the Pie Safe in Deary. Both places offer gorgeous baked goods, both pastries and breads, and The Bread Basket also serves a short breakfast menu and offers lunch sandwiches served on homemade bread. I was too late for breakfast, so I ordered a half a ham and swiss sandwich on freshly baked rye bread with a small Caesar salad and it was a terrific and filling meal.
After I ate, I looked around a bit. Sharon's Country Store sells deli meats and cheeses, a wide variety of grains, farm fresh eggs and milk, bulk foods, all kinds of candies, raw honey, and a variety of other country store items. In much the same way that I had marveled in Deary that the Pie Safe was thriving in such a small town, I marveled that The Gathering Place, sitting all by itself on a plain at the top of the grade coming out of Bonners Ferry, was such a successful business. There's more to this place than I've written, as you can see right here.
3. I crossed into British Columbia at Porthill with ease and drove the stunning and windy highway 3A along the southern reaches of Kootenai Lake, resting in the lap of the mighty Selkirk Mountain Range. The highway wasn't busy, but I pulled over to let any vehicle who came behind me go by so I could drive slowly and admire the staggering landscape of lake and mountains and clouds.
I arrived in Crawford Bay about an hour ahead of my check in time and pulled into the NewKeys Pub and quietly sipped on a couple of bottles of Strongbow Apple Cider. I had hoped they'd have Okanagan Cider, but I'll find it elsewhere. Soon, I found the handsome house where I'm staying up Crawford Creek. The owners have converted their basement into a suite with a fully equipped kitchen, a huge bedroom with two comfortable chairs and a queen bed, and a bathroom and shower. They call this space Soul Sanctum. I'll be spending the next three nights in the country in this spotless and airy space.
I settled in and learned online that my plans to go across the lake on the ferry on Saturday couldn't happen. I knew before I arrived that the ferry workers are involved in a labor dispute and that they are striking on selected days -- like Saturday, Sept. 21st! So, I will hope the ferry is back in business on Sunday. I will spend Saturday east of the lake, near where I'm staying, and I read up on hikes to take and places to go. No problem.
Down the road from Crawford Bay near Gray Creek sits a Chinese restaurant called Rockwood Cafe. It's a tiny, charming restaurant, serving food prepared with fresh vegetables and each meal is cooked when ordered, not ahead of time. To start, I ordered a small plate of pork-filled Gyozas which were perfect and then came my generous plate of House Chow Mein with shrimp, chicken, beef, and fresh veggies (except those little corn on the cob things). I loved how friendly the people working here were and enjoyed how enthused they were when some of their regular customers came through the door.
I returned to Soul Sanctum to rest, work a crossword or two, and make plans for Saturday.
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