Clementine: The Gory Story

You may recall from my last post, we were headed to South Dakota and the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary to meet out little sponsoree Lakna's Liberty. We got as far as Deer Lodge when Clementine went kaput!

Lakna's Liberty with her cousin Running Road

Clementine was towed to Don K's in Whitefish, 210 miles. We arrived after closing on Thursday night. We didn't hear back until the following Monday afternoon. The repair estimate was just under $800. Ouch! A couple of sensors needed replacing as did the house batteries and air filter, labor was $470. The air filter needing to be replaced was interesting as Clem had just been in for serving three weeks before departure. Anybody ever hear of an air filter not being check with an oil change?

Now the house batteries being defunct well that was just plain dumb on Kinsey's part. They were the original batteries and Clem is now eight years old!!!!! I mean duhhhhh! We like never dry camp so she just thought the batteries were fine because they always worked as we went down the road. Kinsey knew she would pay more to have the dealer replace them but I guess she was feeling pooped so she decided to pay to let someone else handle it. We were told Clem would be ready on Friday.

On Friday we showed up to claim our Clem. The first thing we noticed was that she was filthy inside and out. They hadn't put down paper on the floorboard nor had they even washed the windshield. On the drivers side someone had sat in the drivers seat with a ball point pen in their back pocket and left ink marks all over the seat. Clem has the most beautiful leather seats we have ever seen. Soft as doe skin. Kinsey was incensed.

Clementine & Shadow at Lake Hebgen 2014

She got the service guy to come take a look and while they were trying to get the ink off the seat Kinsey was looking under the hood. Turned out things had not been put back the way they were supposed to be and things had to be put right there. Meanwhile the seat cleaning guy said he was taking the color out of the seat. An outside professional had to be called in. The seat cleaners came to the house and the seat was taken care of and you can't really see where it happened.

By now Kinsey has absolutely no confidence in what has been done to Clementine. She starts to wonder if the batteries were the right kind for an RV. Once back at home she checks the batteries and notes they were bot from Napa. On the Napa website she finds the batteries and, will wonders never cease, they are the right kind for the job. But, what she also finds is that the batteries sell for $82 at Napa but Don K charged me $130!!!!! A nearly 60% mark up! She could of lived with 20% for the convenience but 60%? That's plain highway robbery!

Now somewhere well north of incensed Kinsey calls the service manager, Greg. She told Greg, as calmly as she could, the whole gory story. To his credit Greg was contrite and completely diffused Kinsey's anger. Clementine went back on Monday for a good front end cleaning and the cost of the batteries was adjusted back to $85.

Now you may wonder why we were at a Dodge dealership. It's because our RV sits on a Dodge 3500 chassis and is powered by a Mercedes diesel. In 2007, when we bot Clem, there was exactly one authorized service location in the whole of Montana, and it was in Livingston over 400 miles away. Now there are maybe four of which Don K is one. We love the Mercedes diesel. It's a hard worker, pulling Shadow up and down steep mountain grades with ease and it gets great mileage. But, it is a pain in the neck to get serviced.

By now it is twelve days past our South Dakota departure date. The bloom is off the lily. We've lost our reservations, it's 900 miles to the Black Hill Wild Horse Sanctuary and they days grow short. Much to everyone's chagrin Kinsey officially aborts our trip. Hopefully, we can try again in the spring.

I'm really disappointed too. I was looking forward to meeting Liberty. I kind of think of her as my little sister. I was also disappointed because I really like these road trips. We have so much fun meeting new people and learning new things. Kinsey can't bear not to go somewhere either so she decided we will go down to the Flathead Reservation in the Mission Valley for a few days. It will also give us an opportunity to check out all systems

Ciao for now,
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

BACK TO MADISON RIVER - CABELA'S PHOTO SHOOT

On September 24th we headed north back through Yellowstone on our way to Lake Hebgen. I got to see an elk which would be my only large animal sighting other than the buffalo I saw on our brief sortie into Yellowstone earlier. Like the buffalo, it was a road siting whoop de doo!

Elk in the Road

Kinsey decided, I seldom get a say in these matters, we would stay in the Yellowstone Holiday RV Park on Lake Hebgen for a few days. We had scouted it out previously on our hike up Red Canyon. I must say it was a good choice. We got a space right on the water and it was very nice all the way round.

Sunrise at Hebgen Lake

After we got ourselves set up we decided to pay a return visit to Ghost Village and the Madison River which is located beneath the Hebgen Dam. Boy what a difference a week can make in the fall colors. They were mostly all gone it paled in comparison to what we had seen earlier. And, of course there was no Willam Devane.

What we did find was a Cabela's photo shoot going on. There were all kinds of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off. There was a gal in waders with a baby out in the river and a photographer shooting her as she kicked up the water. Kinsey, who almost never photographs people, thought it was cute and starting taking a few pictures. The photographer went ballistic when he saw her and yelled for his crew to get us out of there. Kinsey has little use for people who take themselves too seriously and this buffoon took the cake. Talk about unprofessional.

Photographer yelling to get us gone

Model with baby

We allowed ourselves to be herded away but seriously doubt they were within their right to require us to do or not do anything on a public river. Kinsey didn't care but couldn't help but laugh at the fact they had missed the fall colors. If I was Cabela's I'd be looking for another photographer, what a boob.

We continued on down the river as far as the trail would take us. Kinsey took a few more photos of the things she likes to photograph. Things like old buildings and natural beauty.

Ghost Village Remnant

At the end of the trail is a wide spot in the river that looks almost like a lake. The pond is filled with old snags reflecting in the water. Kinsey loves water and reflections.

Madison River Snags

All and all it was another long and winding day, much enjoyed by us both.

Ciao for now,
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

Highballing Our Way to Yellowstone

Last time I shared Kinsey's manic preparations for our trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons (see Gearing Up to Travel). To begin our journey we got up at the crack of dawn, in fact dawn hadn't even cracked yet. All that was left to load into Clementine was the food. Shadow was already shadowing.

Clementine & Shadow

Gearing up to travel

Each year Kinsey tries to take at least two trips in our RV which she calls Clementine. Here in Montana there are only six months to get the trips in, if you are lucky. Kinsey prefers to get the trips in before the tourists arrive and after they thin out. Our spring trip this year was to St. Mary on the Blackfeet Reservation and in July we took a quick trip to the Blackfeet Pow Wow in Browning. This is the first in a series of posts recounting our experiences on the trip we just finished to Yellowstone and the Tetons.

The Eagle Has Landed

Well, Kinsey and I have landed. Which means we made it home from our latest adventure.

We had a super duper time of it. I think Kinsey is a little pooped out. I'm not a lot of help accept for supervision and getting under foot. This was my longest road trip ever and I'm beginning to appreciate that solo RV'ing is a lot of work. Thank goodness Kinsey really loves it despite the work and responsibility. The old girl is pretty handy I'll grant her that.

Our trip took us down to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We mostly just drove through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks. US national parks don't allow dogs on the trail so we explored the surrounding national forests. What adventures we did have. We even met a movie star fly fishing on the Madison River in Montana.

So, stay tuned. I kept notes on all our travel experiences and as soon as Kinsey recovers I'll be after her to process the photos of our trip so I can show you as well as tell you about all the cool stuff we saw and experieinced.

The below photo is just one I got her to do for me. It's a picture of our rig at the Yellowstone Holiday RV park on Hebgen Lake in Montana. It was a very cool place to end our trip. We were right on the water!

Clementine (Winnebego View) & Shadow (Ford Focus) on Hebgen Lake, Montana

The photo was taken at sunrise. I don't seem to be in it so I musta still been snoozing.

Ciao for now.
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

On To Spokane, Cabela's and Repairs.

Wednesday 21, 2011

This morning we packed up our rig and headed for Spokane. I bot Celmentine at RnR RV in Liberty Lake so that's generally where I take her for repairs. It's really the closest reliable RV repair place for me. There is also Bretz RV in Missoula but it's the same distance so I think its best to go where they know my rig.

I realized last night that I had forgotten to put my cooking pots and pans aboard and had to swing by Wal-Mart before setting out. We took Hwy 2 to Libby. It's quite a nice drive. Lots of lakes along the road. By the time we got to the other side of Libby it was time for lunch so I pulled over right along the Kootenai River. The Kootenai is truly a beautiful river. It is also either the third or fourth largest contributor to the mighty Columbia. It is a favorite of the bald eagle for fishing. Didn't see any this stop.

Kootenai River

You can see from the photo just how crystal clear the water. This spring during the melt these rocks were not visible so much water was flowing down. I always think the partially submerged rocks are beautiful, natural still lifes.

On the way to RnR I decided to treat myself to a stop at Cabela's I love that store but had never actually been in one. My goodness it's a big place! I could spend a whole day in there looking at all the outdoor equipment and sporting items. I only had time to pick up a few essentials for the coming winter. I needed to check in at RnR before they closed so I could get on the next days schedule.

Lucky for us RnR provides customers with full hook-up whilst in for repairs. We checked in and set up for the night. No television or Interenet so I curled up with my iPad. Boy, I love that thing!

©Kinsey Barnard

On The Road Again - McDonald Lake - Glacier Park

Tuesday September 20, 2011

Winter lasted so long and delayed so many projects here at the ranch I thought I might not get even a single trip in this year but I was determined. My last project, some fencing, was completed yesterday afternoon. This morning I threw a bunch of stuff in Clementine, loaded up Koty and headed down the road to the Flathead. For those who may not know, Clementine is my Winnebago View.

My first order of business was a quick swing by Glacier National Park. I hadn't been in the park all year and needed to buy a pass. Wonder of wonders I finally qualified for my Senior Pass which allows one to visit any national park in the country, for the rest of your life for a one time charge of $10.00. I don't usually feel as though I get much for my tax dollars but this is something I really appreciate and will appreciate for as long as I can still travel.


Going to the Sun Road was closed due to an avalanche. I don't think it even opened until July so not many got to experience that Glacier delight this year. I wondered around Apgar and took a few shots of McDonald Lake. It was particularly beautiful with the mountains in a shroud of fog. As usual, Mother made me cry.

McDonald Lake - Glacier National Park

McDonald Lake - Glacier National Park

Spent the night at Whitefish RV Park in order to check out all Clems systems. There were a couple of problems. The most annoying was no water from the kitchen faucet. I decided I had better head for Spokane where I bot Clem and where I take her for repair work. Normally, I make a trip to Whitefish just to de-winterize and make sure nothing has gotten messed up during the winter. This year I never got the chance.

We like the Whitefish RV park because it is close enough to walk to downtown Whitefish and the nice little Whitefish park on the Whitefish River.  It is small but has all the amenities.

On A Clear Day .....


©Kinsey Barnard

Beartooth Highway: The Scariest Road I Ever Drove

No, it’s not “the Luge”. Although, I can tell you that lately people have been chaining up all four wheels to make the trip. I should also add the qualifier, ever drove in Clementine towing Shadow. The scariest road I ever drove in a car was the road between Silverton and Ouray in Colorado. I don't do heights at all well.

Last September Koty and I headed off south to Yellowstone National Park to see if I could find a natural gem or two to photograph. I did find one and I call it “Lily Pads”.  In addition to exploring Yellowstone, from the Gardiner entrance, I also was going to Bridger where I had an invitation to take a private tour to see the “Wild Horses of the Pryor Mountains”.

When we travel we go in our Winnebago View dubbed Clementine and tow a Ford Focus  named Shadow. Koty got to grace the vehicle with his photo because I happened to be enjoying that photo at the time. I often do that. I find a picture and it becomes my OCD photo until a new one takes its place. It probably wasn’t the wisest choice, as nine out of ten people want to know if I am a husky breeder.

Clementine and Shadow

After I had done my best with Yellowstone it was time to head on over to Bridger. Someone I had met in Bozeman had told me that I did not want to miss the Beartooth Scenic Highway because according to the late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt it is “the most beautiful drive in America”. Well, that’s good enough for me so I put it in my flight plan.

We headed out at first light. Well, maybe not exactly first light. Since I travel by myself, and Koty refuses to pitch in, it takes a little time to batten down the hatches and get Shadow re-attached. But, it was early morning and it was a beauty. My route took us through the Lamar Valley which is awesomely beautiful and was just loaded with grazing bison. I stopped to watch and revel. A person with an imagination like mine could easily picture herself a Shoshone hunter, astride her painted pony, stalking these sacred beasts through the morning mist.

The Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park

Bison Grazing in the Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park

We exited the park at the Northeast entrance passing through Cooke City and continuing to what I can only describe as the point of no return. Just before you start the ascent to the Beartooth Corridor you are given the choice of hanging a left and heading south on the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway toward Cody, Wyoming or continuing on the Beartooth Highway. There is a sign that cautions RV’s of greater than 40 feet in length to head south. Clementine is quite diminutive at 24ft. and with Shadow in tow we are just right the limit.

“The Beartooth Corridor is one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. In the surrounding mountains, glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high. The Road itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies.” ~ Pilfered from Beartooth Highway.com.

Steep climbs and altitude don't bother Clementine. She is equipped with a turbo charged Mercedes diesel and can leap tall mountains is a single bound even towing Shadow. And she gets 18 mpg whilst doing it. Quite a girl that Clementine

We ventured forth toward 11,000 ft into the deep blue sky. Soon we were rapidly gaining elevation, the turns got tighter and the road got narrower. We snaked up the mountain at twenty miles per hour or less. The average speed, even for a sensible car driver wouldn’t be much faster. As far as I was concerned there were no places to turnout with my rig. Few enough even for cars. The wind buffeted Clem around like a cork in a heavy sea. We climbed and we climbed and I thought we would never reach the summit.

Finally, there was a regular turnout near the summit. I didn’t stay long. I wanted off those mountains so bad. Going down the other side was no picnic either. It was steep and narrow but at least not much wind. When I reached the valley floor I was so relieved I pulled over, got out and kissed the ground. Then I looked up at the road we had just traversed and nearly swooned! At some time in the not too distant past there had been some really nasty slides. The roadbed which had been carved out of sheer cliffs was, in many places, being held up by what looked like spit wads of concrete. If I’d known I was driving across those Band-aids I would have had a heart attack for sure!

Needless to say you will have to go elsewhere for photos of this All American Highway. I sure as heck don’t have any and I have no plans of EVER have any. At least not unless I hire a car and driver to take me.

For those of you who can’t wait to give the Beartooth a try I make this suggestion. If at all possible start from Red Lodge instead of Cooke City. I’m pretty sure the views that made this highway famous are best seen going east to west. The way I came the views were always in the rearview mirror. And do it in the morning or you’ll have the sun in your face. I’m certain you will find it an exciting and beautiful drive which ever way you go, especially if you get to be the passenger.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

WILLITS, CRESCENT CITY & THE DREDDED TURNAROUND

Well, thank goodness. The tax stuff is done and we are on our way again. Our first stop was at Willits. We were going to spend some time there but it was too wet and rainy so we spent the night and pushed on to Crescent City.

Crescent City is the last town on the California Coast before you get back into Oregon. The town itself is not so much but it is surrounded by some of natures best. There's a harbor, we love those, and there is access to forests. We love those too.

We thought we had a place picked out to stay, Hiouchi, but mom didn't pay enough attention to the location and in route she realized it was going to be a long way from the harbor. We were headed up 199 when she decided to turn around. She picked a road thinking there would be a place to turn around. Well, she picked one and it wasn't a good one.

When you tow a car on the ground you can't back up. So, you need to be careful you've got room to execute your turn. Well, mom picked a loser and she jack knifed little Shadow who ended up sitting in the road. Thank goodness it was a road less traveled. It had rained all the way up here so everything was wet and muddy. She had to unhook Shadow, move Clementine and then hook Shadow up again. But, good old mom, she just got out there and got after it.

We went back to town and found a place to stay. Over the weekend quite a storm went through and we were without power for about 7 hours. We've done a little exploring as you can see from the photos. Last night's sunset was pretty cool.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

We Have Launched!

Without preamble; we have begun our winter journey.

I'm going to have to be careful with my posts. I just got told by my aunt Jane that my typos and grammar are appalling. Woe is me. :)

Really, I am going to try harder.

Anyway, we set off at about 9:00 am. Believe it or not there was very little bloodshed this time. I think mom is beginning to get the hang of this RV'ing thing. The drive along Lake Koocanusa was so very beautiful, an auspicious beginning

 Tonight we are in Spokane. It's raining. It took us five hours to get here as we kinda just cruised along in no particular hurry.

Tomorrow Clementine gets a check-up. Hopefully, mom will take me somewhere cool whilst Clemmie is being worked over.

Until next time ...
LAKOTA SUNRISE

©Kinsey Barnard