Monday 9/16

The wind died down when the sun went down and it was calm all night long. Got going 8:30ish and followed the gravel road around the Reservoir. A couple more campgrounds that were deserted, then onto the frontage road towards Monida.

The frontage roads are great. No traffic except maybe a rancher or two and you can go 45 or so without being concerned about passing or staying completely in your lane. Gives me plenty of time to look around.

Hit Mt509 a #4 gravel road just outside Monida. I try to cruise on these scenic roads at a speed that the local birds think they have a chance to out race me. Centennial Valley is very nice. I cruised and stopped and finally ended up at Red Rocks Lake lower campground. You head towards the middle of the valley and the campground is right next to the lake. Eight sites and not a soul. A couple of trumpeter swans out on the lake right by my site. ( #8 )

The skies have been looking troublesome off in the distance and i suspect I’ll get some rain. It’s that kind of day where the sky is angry but not necessarily at you. Eventually the dark clouds catch up with me and i get a vibrant full rainbow against dark clouds! I get in the schooner and start reading “Jack Nicklaus, My Story”. I have also started to reread “Game of Thrones” and listening to a Sharpes novel on audio.

Dinner is a hodgepodge of jasmine rice, Caesar salad and too many Costco Aussie Bites. Again the wind dies down when the sun goes down and it was calm most of the evening except for a few showers.

There are no hiking trails in the Refuge so I’ve been walking the gravel road. The grasses and cattails sway in the wind and the raptors soar and hunt in the thermals.

I saw plenty of raptors and a MOOSE and a BADGER!! Of course, no pictures of the moose and badger. Pretty exciting day.

One last thing, the shitters at this campground. I have no problem using just about anything to take a dump but these outhouses are old and spidery and tickey. I used them but …quickly!

Tomorrow upper campground!
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