Look for the pink road that ends at the Canadian Border, in the center of the map. If you follow that road down a bit, you will see where Omak is!

Yesterday I drove to Omak, WA, which is about 60 miles north of me, near the Canadian border. As I drove around the last mountainous curve I was a bit awe-struck by the little town in the wide river valley that is surrounded by soaring mountains. Omak is definately a “movie’set” kind of place in terms of it’s beautiful, dramatic, Northwoods setting and wide vistas. The town has 4000 residents but the whole valley, which is partly Indian Reservation, has about double that. This makes Omak a little economic and shopping hub for the area. It has a Walmart – which is why I went there – and other big box stores. At the regional fairgrounds where I walked Tango and discovered  RV and tent camping spots on the grounds. I visited the post office because I need to get my mail sent out and I will pass through Omak again on my way to Canada. The post office clerk assured me I could have it sent there General Delivery and I wrote down the zip code.

Downtown Omak

I was a bit surprised that such gorgeous terrain sits just north of where I am waiting out the cold weather. What makes my current camp so great is that I am on an open, grassy bluff overlooking the Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia River. This perch warms up quickly each morning and receives full light all day and even as the sun sets. Even on a cold day that sun keeps me warm  No trees or canyons to trap snow, either. However, only ten miles north towards Omak, the entire world changes. Mountains rise up, the road winds up through them, and snow lingers in the shaded sections. What is not snowy is muddy, so I was careful to stay on the road. I also passed several marshy, shallow wetlands, perfect settings for moose. Then, the Omak River Valley opened out before me and the snowy mountains that rose beyond that.

I got a sneak preview of what lies next and I like what I saw, although I could do without so much snow in the landscape. I realize that I made a good choice to let the Northlands warm up a bit more before I venture across that threshold. Still, I can hardly contain my excitement for the next phase of this journey!