Polebridge 2010

This is the cabin. A corner of it.

* I still haven't solved the Blogger editor problem, so these images are not re-sized and text is wherever the editor will put it, but I'm posting it anyway.

  

Polebridge is very close to Glacier in northern Montana.  We stayed in a cabin (Ben Rover) up there for a couple of days between Christmas and New Years.  We did as much of nothing as possible plus some sledding and puzzles.  

We planned to have a leisurely last morning when our friends (who got us into this mess in the first place, ha!) came down from a cabin (Schnaus) a few miles up the road where they had been staying, and alerted us of a snow storm coming.  We packed up and hit the road.  I had not taken any pictures until we were driving away.

Scenic turnout.  Get it?

The drive was a slow-moving white out.

We had to stop in Polson for the night because we couldn't see far enough past the hood of our rig, let alone other cars.  We stayed at the Best Western also called KwaTaqNuk Resort.  Whew!  We enjoyed hot showers, the extra time with our friends and the relief of escaping larger drama in the storm.

Driving home the next day was the usual winter roads and a beautiful mountain day.  It's a gorgeous drive along that stretch of 93 between there and Missoula.

If I'm not making the trip sound crazy enough, it's because the pictures seem so calm, and it was so surreal but nobody panicked (outwardly at least) and we just stayed in the moment.  I find that taking photos is an excellent way of keeping that kind of focus, too.  

The full truth is that I was resistant to go.  I hunker down when snow flies.  I struggle with the lack of light and eat lots of vitamin D.  My body tries to shut down even when my mind says, "go on."  Like always, I was happy once we got there.  

I appreciate the simplicity.  I focus on building fires in the wood stove and taking care of the basics.  I return home rearranged, not exactly renewed like some people, but with a kind of objectivity.  This trip, though, magnified the results.  It felt like I let something heavy go.  I

'll be  anticipating the next winter cabin adventure. I'll probably fight it - at the last minute, when it's time to go - then force myself to rally.  Yeah, I'll rally. But maybe not too soon!