CDT 2023 - Day 22 - Rendezvous at Minnehaha Creek

Moving Day - KOA Butte to the Country Store at Canyon Creek

I'm not sure how Apple Maps or Google Maps decide which is the best way to go but I'm beginning to trust both of them less and less. Often I fire up both of them to compare. With the places I've been going I often lose the cell signal but they will continue to operate as long as I've told them where I want to go before losing the signal. I think.

The day before I used one of them to show me the way from Butte to the very little town of Rimini near McDonald Pass. It had me going up I-15 North through Helena. Okay, that's what I thought. The rig was pretty much ready to go so in the morning all I had to do was take Beau and I each for a potty break and drive on up to the Subway in downtown Butte to get Runningbird her Veggie sandwich. After getting the veggie, I opened the map again to get to Rimini Road and it had me going back towards Missoula and then up a different highway (12 I think). It said it was the best route considering traffic. Well I bit, guessing Friday morning traffic in Helena. Never been to Helena. Do they have traffic? Anyway, I got as far as Ramsay and questioned myself so pulled off the freeway. Now, being more than a few miles out of Butte, the map showed me the exact same time to get to Rimini Road from where I was going either way. Technology. So I just continued on. Still a pretty drive. Then on got stuck behind a pickup going 45 MPH in a 70 MPH zone on a two lane highway. It said "COWBOYS" in his back window but I think it was for Dallas and not Montana. It was definitely a control thing because as soon as there was a passing lane he sped up to 70 MPH. What the heck, I'm retired. No hurry.

I got to Rimini Road and was happy to see it was nicely paved. I saw several hikers walking up this alternate route but they were all southbound. I started to turn up Minnehaha Road to where I was to meet Runningbird but had to abort. It was a rutted, rocky, steep, dirt road and the poor little T@B had been beat up enough. There was a small parking area across the road that would do just fine. Beau and I started hiking up the road. Further up it wasn't so bad but I had already made my choice. It didn't take long for me to start tiring so I just took it slow and Beau enjoyed frolicking in the little stream that ran along the road. After a couple miles we met up with Runningbird and we enjoyed the short hike back down. It's always shorter going down hill. I'm sure glad I had stopped at Subway. Brownie points.

We made our way up along some country roads until we arrived at the Canyon Creek Country Store. Pretty much in the middle of nowhere farm country. The owner and his wife were very kind and accommodating. It wasn't really what I would call and established RV park but they met all our needs and made us feel very welcome. Our "site" was on mowed lawn with slots lined up between trees. Sites are not numbered or designated but Adon walked us back there and asked if this area would work and did. The shower was in the back area of their house and we were welcome to use their washer and dryer. We had water from a well and power from a shared outlet. For WiFi we walk up to the store. The store is gently stocked and the owner had just washed 30 dozen eggs collected from his henhouse the night before. We were happy to do as much shopping as we could here and will probably stay several days. We feel more like house guests. They are great folks.

The Country Store has a small area for hikers with outhouses, lawn for tenting, picnic tables. In back there is space for RVs. The "Post Office" in the back of the store is the longest consistently operating post office in the state of Montana. This little store is the center of the community with coffee and a table and chairs for hanging out; benches on the porch; WiFi, and a room off to the side for kids crafts. There is no cell service here.

While there is a gas pump out front, the fuel tank looks condemned and there is no fuel.