Virgin Ground - Kootenay Valley

Glacier was cool even the second time but when its all new its all cool.

We left Whitefish early, there was a chill in the air so stopping to add layers was the first stop. The second was the border crossing in Porthill Idaho, sort of reminiscent of those border crossings you see in the movies with a guy with a drop arm gate..it was small, and out of the way. The border agent for Canada was a women in a uniform... ya getting me?

After the crossing we worked towards rt 3a or 31a I don't recall but it snaked along the Kootneay Lake that it followed the shore for the first 40 miles. There is a lot more but the road turned to the lake and we ended up on a ferry. It was 300PM on my clock and we made the cut as they pulled the ramp behind us. No small ferry, it had a coffee shop and 4 sets of restrooms.

The ride from the ferry to Keslo was another great stretch as it winded along the shoreline for another 30 miles. Crystal, clear water and real goose egg rocks lined the shores. They lake lies between the Kootenay Rockies chain with 8K tall peaks along its shores.

Kelso and all the other lake towns are here for two reasons Timber and gold. They would float miles of timber down the lake pushed by stern wheel tugs and the hill had gold in them. The town of Keslo restored the last stern wheeler from the lake the retired in 1957, it went up and down the lake for the 59 years prior to its retirement. Its said if its made of iron it was halued in the SS Moyie.

This is the SS Moyie today.

This the view out the back of the Laundromat! Not kidding.

This the deck of the ferry.