This weekend I discovered a nearly perfect small town that is surrounded by mountainous National Forest land, which is full of waterfalls, birds, large mammals, and endless trails that are beyond the range and interest of weekend hikers. Add a river, historic downtown, enough people to support several grocery stores and a movie theater, a super library with stuffed grizzly in the foyer,  PLUS, several quaint RV parks in a remote area only 100 miles from son and daughter-in-law. Kayaking! Snow-shoeing! Canada (250 miles to Banff). The only draw-back- winter is too severe in Bonner’s Ferry to live in my camper. Otherwise, I would pull in and set up shop for a spell .

Ha! But the cold winter won’t stop me from a long fall visit to watch the bird migration. Seriously, this is the most beautiful, spiritually exhilarating place I have been to ever. My writing muse goes crazy up there, too!

The trip was quick! My purpose was to visit the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge and attend an early morning bird walk, with a guide. One of my goals is to learn all the small birds that dwell in forest habitats. It’s a real challenge for me because they all look like a small black winged-thing from a distance.

The guide was a young man in his 20s who knows the birds by sound. That is an amazing skill. He would listen, find the bird in his binocs, then set up the scope. We (20-ish gray-haired goof-balls with ugly hats)  would all try to focus our own binocs on the bird. Amazing how good it goes with a guide. I saw several birds for the first time, including a Caliope Hummingbird, Warbling Vireo (who flew over to its tiny nest), and Pine Siskin. I learned a great deal about birding as well. I think I am now “novice”, a step up from “pre-novice”. Kootenai NWR is right up against the Selkirk Mountains, in a stunning and strategic location with multiple habitats (marsh, conifer forest, mixed forests, a creek, meadows)

As I was driving the afternoon before, the mountainous terrain became increasingly beautiful, and I stumbled upon another important bird area, McAurthur Lake WMA.

Closer to Bonner’s Ferry, I stopped at the Ranger Station to inquire about a place to van camp for a night, not too far from Kootenai. Voila!!! The ranger suggested I camp at the Boundary County Fair Grounds, which is free for up to 3 nights (and has a free RV dump station). Kootenai is just a few miles further down the road. Perfect?

NO. As always, free is usually too good to be true. The fairgrounds are near a major staging area for trains heading to and from Canada. I was about 100 feet from five or six tracks, where trains stop and politely let others pass. The rumble and squeals of one moving train plus the idling sounds of a stationary train = lots of train noise. Fortunately, the train noises stopped after midnight and I got a good sleep, a cup of hot coffee and mac/cheese for breakfast. A nice older couple in a Bambi Airstream gave me their fresh veggies since they were about to cross over into Canada and could not take them over the border. They had previously introduced themselves and said, hey, we are just over there if you need anything. I like to “on-the-road” camaraderie.

So, Bonner’s Ferry area is a big winner, with everything important to me (especially proximity to the newlyweds). How long will it take me to set up for an extended fall stay?? Stay tuned.