Day 5 - Big Sky Country

We made it through the Idaho panhandle and entered Montana - the state we will spend the most time in, and get to know very well.  Big Sky also means big rivers & big mountains.  Living mostly in Hawaii, Utah, Colorado, & So California, I am not used to seeing the big rivers  such as the Pend Oreille, Clark Fork, and Kootenai that drain this part on the northwest US & southern Canada - no wading across these.  I love following these big rivers which means there are only subtle elevation changes.  Thoughts for the day:

1. The early explorers were gutty beyond my comprehension.  I worry about whether I can get internet access, or a warm pizza for the night.  I have read about David Thompson for 3 consecutive days at the roadside historical markers.  I learned he joined the Hudson Bay Company at age 14 and left his homeland England forever.  A contemporary of Lewis & Clark, he was the first European to navigate the entire Columbia River.  He has been called the greatest land geographer who ever lived.
2. My pizza & salad were very tasty tonight.  I wonder what David Thompson ate on warm August nights along the Kootenai River.