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Seeley Lake to Swan Lake  

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.  

Henry David Thoreau

As we woke this morning Seeley Lake at 5:30 AM the coolness drifted through the tent.  It was on the edge of cold.  Stirring about we soon warmed up and were on our way by 6:30 AM.  Altitude was near 4,000 and we had a day of up and down rolling hills type ride for the next 60 miles or so. 

In the quiet morning the deer were prevalent but hidden in the shadows making them invisible to the camera. There was one rise in our trip and it was marked by a beautiful lake near 4,000 ft about 10 miles from Seeley.

The loons called out as we searched for them without luck.

 Bob Leonard had mentioned (no made me promise) to stop at the Hungry Bear approximately 20 miles down the road. We arrived at the Hungry Bear about 9:00 AM and we were ready for a break. 

The restaurant was par excellent and service super, coffee and water were on the table as we were seated.   Heads of trophy animals surrounded the room and were quite ominous.  The one artifact that impressed me since I am sleeping outside most of the time was this cast of a Grizzly Bears paw.

It seemed to me that any thing this large wouldn't find something as small as I as a good meal.  When we arrived at our campsite there were lines tied in the trees where previous campers had hoisted their eatables. I was contemplating how I could hoist me and my tent into the tree and let the bear have the eatables.  This just seems more logical to me! 

Arriving at Swan Lake a jewel along highway 83 we of course found a post office, convenience store, and ice cream parlor all wrapped up into one.  Hukleberry was the flavor of the day so Jon and I ordered Moose Droppings or Tracks or something.  It didn't matter in not much more that a minute it had disappeared.  Arriving at our campsite the pickings were great and we found a secluded spot in the shade.  We removed most of the gear set up our tents and headed for the lake.  There is a great area for bikers to swim the ranger told us that the fish were already dead and we would harm anything. 

A little known fact is that Swan Lake is the Home of Morley Canoes.  This is a small wood working shop run by Mr. Morley and his son.  They produce wooden boats from Kayaks to small sail boats.  They are just fantastic and I restrained myself from touching them.