Road Trip! Leg Three: Missoula to the Whitetail Cabin

I honestly don't remember much of the drive from Missoula to the cabin that I reserved in Custer National Forest. Lots of freeway time with 80mph speed limits, lots of mountains in the distance, and lots of yawning. This was the only day of the trip that I felt incredibly discouraged and questioned my decision to make this long drive by myself. I was completely exhausted from my night of little sleep, and when I got on the road in the morning, it seemed unfathomable to me that I had to spend the entire day in the car, and then the entire day after that, and after that.. I was in that mode of being too tired and feeling as though I could start crying at any moment. I tried to pull over to rest my eyes for a few moments, but the car was hot, and Gracie just panted in my ear, preventing me from falling asleep.

View up the road from the cabin. 

I had to pull off the freeway several times because I felt myself getting drowsy. This is something important for anyone taking a long drive to consider. Even if you have enough sleep and caffeine, sitting on the freeway for hours and hours can lull you into tiredness, and it's important to not be so dedicated to not stopping that you neglect to pull off and take care of yourself. There were a few times throughout the week that I pulled off the freeway to find a shady spot to nap, but I wound up driving around for five minutes looking for shade, and that was enough to wake me back up. Just hopping off at an exit for a few moments was often enough to reset me.

I was super intrigued by
this little guy.

For this night, I decided to reserve a cabin in Custer National Forest. I was checking out all my green spaces on the map for a place to camp, but after evaluating the area and realizing that I would be in bear country, I thought that it would be worthwhile to reserve a space with walls and a door, especially because I had the dogs with me. I found a few cabins that were available through the forest service, and settled on the Whitetail Cabin. In order to get there, I had to hop off the highway and travel for several miles on dirt forest service roads through beautiful fields, rolling hills, and forests. It was a very isolated location. I noticed a campground just up the road from my cabin, but there was only one vehicle visible, and I didn't see or hear another person for the entire evening. This particular cabin is equipped for people who may wish to bring their horses, so I had to open a padlocked gate as well as the door to the cabin.

The axe is already there- perfect for a murder movie.

I got to the cabin at about 6pm, and I was just ready to collapse by the time I arrived. I thought to myself that I may be safe from the bears, but the cabin looked it could have been the backdrop for an axe murder film. I was pretty amused as I walked around and checked the place out. The website says, "Whitetail Cabin is a registered historic site and was once used as a ranger station for the Whitetail Reserve in the early 1900's." I learned that "historic site" may mean "slightly dilapidated."

That isn't to say that I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone passing through the area. In fact, I would highly suggest checking it out. The cabin is not in the best shape- it is super old, there are plenty of bugs inside, the outhouse is around back, it was baking hot from sitting in the sun throughout the day- but it offered everything that I could want. I didn't have to worry about bears bothering me and the dogs in the tent, it had electricity (including a stove and refrigerator), and mattresses. It was also cool to be able to read the register for all the other people who had come to stay in the cabin. It's pretty cool that we have the ability to stay in such places, though minimally maintained, they are real gems. And did I mention that it only cost $25 a night? The tent spot that I reserved in Bryce cost more!

Evening sky.

I cooked myself up some dinner (pasta mixed with a box of Thai-style soup and a can of chickpeas) and sat outside with a book. I was so wiped out that I couldn't even focus on reading, and I eventually gave up and just sat at the table with my dinner. I continued to sit after I finished eating, just enjoying the quiet and the fact that I wasn't doing anything. It is easy in the time that we live to feel like we must always be DOING something. Anytime you go someplace with lines, observe what people are doing while they wait. Especially with phones, it is easy to find ways to engage in things that are not immediately present around you. I am frequently sucked into this trap myself. I listen to my news on a podcast when I am in the shower, I watch Netflix on my computer while I cook dinner, I play on Facebook when I am standing in line at the store. Not that it is bad to sit and read a book, but it was so nice to just enjoy the moment and watch and listen and think.

Evening sky.

View from inside- getting ready for bed.

I sat outside until the sun started to settle and the brightness in the sky began to fade. (I probably would have gone to bed earlier if it wasn't light!)  I moved myself into the cabin, journaled for a little while and left my mark in the register, and got myself into my sleeping bag on the plastic-covered mattress on my bunk bed. Jake still insisted on sleeping in my bed with me, but Gracie was happy to sleep on the other mattress. I was worried about her barking at noises outside, but we slept peacefully the whole night.

Morning sky.

My breakfast at the picnic table for sunrise through the trees.

 woke up feeling incredibly well-rested and in great spirits, completely opposite from the day before. I could hear morning happening outside the cabin. The world was coming to life as birdsongs and light was beginning to fill the sky. I was surprised when I looked at my watch to see that it was a little before 5am. I took the dogs outside and made myself a nice cup of tea and a breakfast of granola and banana. (Shelf-stable soy milk is a wonderful thing to bring camping.) The colors in the sky in the morning rivaled those of the sunset the night before. Both were stunning. The day felt a bit brighter, and I wasted no time in getting us loaded into the car and back on the road while the day was new and the air was still cool.



I had to stop along the dirt road on the way back to the highway to take photos. It may just have been my attitude shift, but everything seemed more vibrant in the morning. I was ready to be on the road with another long day ahead of me.

Next leg: Whitetail Cabin to Mount Rushmore to Crazy Horse Memorial to Badlands National Park to Palisades State Park (Spoiler: It was an awesome day.)

The start of a new day.

Farm.

One of my favorite photos from the whole trip.