Summer Adventure 5-Day Reading Planنموونە

I’m on the patio of Blackbird Espresso in Spearfish, South Dakota, waiting for my van to be repaired. My family is tubing Spearfish Creek and my job is to figure out where we’re camping on the Montana leg of our adventure. There’s a broken line on my Montana map that diverts from highway 89, south of Livingston. The symbol on the map legend means that it’s an “unimproved” road. My favorite. Even better, at the end of the road there’s a campsite and a creek. I can tell the campsite is in the pine trees and from previous experiences on Montana creeks at this elevation, I’m certain there will be wild trout. 

“Shouldn’t you make a reservation?”, my wife asks.

“No. We’ll be fine. This is Montana, not California.”

She’s not convinced and presses the issue. I reassure her and remind her of my vast camping experience. The mechanic calls and our van is ready. The belts are fixed but the radiator fan isn’t working great. He asks if I want it fixed. I tell him no. I’ll just take it easy. I’m anxious to get back on the road.

“We have camped all over the West and as a result have slept in the most beautiful places our great country has to offer. We’ve awakened to pine trees and rivers and waterfalls, mountains marked with glaciers and aspens, and deserts so vast you’d think the earth might be flat after all. We’ve also awakened in truck stops.”

We turn south from Livingston and my wife drives so I can navigate. We find the unimproved road, a combination of crumbled asphalt and gravel, rising up a steep incline into the canopy of pines. I have a feeling this will be the best campground ever. The engine struggles and the thermometer rises dangerously. My wife is nervous. I’m excited. 

“Don’t worry, the engine will be fine.”

It’s not. We crest the last hill and the red buzzer goes off and the van overheats. I tell my wife to cut the engine and just coast into the campground. 

The campground is beautiful, shaded under pines, and I can hear the gurgling of the creek. 

“See”, I say. “Everything will be great.” 

The campground host greets us at the van and I excitedly announce that we’re here to camp a few nights.

“Did you make reservations?”

“No,” I say, sheepishly. 

“Sorry. Campground’s full.”

  

Adventure Action Steps

• Book a campground.
• Double check your dates and campground reservations to ensure everything is what you think it is.