We got in to Eureka at about 8pm (after a twilight tour of the Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge and a dark tour of the Libby Dam!) and had an early night in preparation for our early start the next morning, as I had agreed to run the Snow Joke Half Marathon (hehehe get it?) with my host Lat and some of his Cross Country athletes that he had coached that fall. (When I say "run with" I mean line up at the starting line and start running at the same time and that's about the only 'with' that happened... but that was fine!)
We headed out at 6:30 to Seeley Lake, MT, to get our bibs at about 9:30 and wait with Lat's fellow coach and athletes for the race. There was much debate about proper clothing (which was of course different for them than for me as they were going to be running a lot faster than I was) but we headed out of the Seeley Lake Elementary Gym for the 11am start reasonably confident in our choices. We experienced another bout of changeable weather as I remember it being reasonably clear when we left the elementary school, but it soon turned snowy as we ran north in the southbound lane of Route 83. Being that I had not trained hard for this race and I started out standing near Lat and his friends, I had difficulty getting into the right headspace to run 13.1 miles. I was winded from even starting to keep Lat's pack in my sights, and also had forgotten about the elevation thing (not as high as Rwanda, but not low at all) and I was upset already about the length of time Lat would have to wait for me. Running in the slush with some middle schooler and his mom constantly passing me and walking was not that fun. However, when we turned off of the main road onto dirt, the run got a lot brighter (running on white instead of on slush) and my mental attitude improved enough to keep going. This race is famously run by MANY MANY dogs (leashed of course)... so it was really fun to see the dogs pass and see the family members who had driven out to points on the course to help the runners/dogs with water and de-icing the dog's paws. There was a beautiful pair of springer spaniels running with their owner who were near me a lot of the way, and they were so cute! I was beginning to think the lake was a total mirage, but we did eventually get to a few points where we could see the lake (there was a lovely bridge that I really enjoyed) but mostly it was just very nice forest with large trees and houses, a lot like the Milk Run but longer, and fewer hills. There was a lot of downhill on the dirt road stretch, so that was lovely, and I also decided around mile 7 that I would run/walk because I hadn't trained very well. I ended up finishing only 3 minutes slower than Norway... which was a little disappointing considering that I had trained much more intensively for that race (haha me and running is not really that intense) but I was proud that I was able to get over my terrible mood to continue and finish and I enjoyed my playlist with all my good songs and had fun. Now I have 3 half marathons in my continent quest finished and will continue to make plans for Antarctica 2020 and deciding where to go in Asia, South America and Australia.
We headed back (smelly Ellen and fast Lat) to Eureka and Lat made dinner (He cooked a lot and I thoroughly enjoyed it... Thank you Lat!) and we passed out. On Sunday we decided to take it easy and embark on a stellar driving tour of Eureka. We drove to the Canadian border, saw bighorn sheep (I was not that impressed as we only saw girls, who should apparently be called medium horn sheep) and tons of deer!! Deer are everywhere!! (Or large rabbits that can wreck your car, as Lat calls them) We counted up the businesses and their types in Eureka and figured out that indeed, Lat lives in Enosburg, Montana... except the nearest other towns are further away, and there is a bit more tourist infrastructure than in Enosburg. It did seem like a very similar place. We drove out a little way to have a scenic view of the 1972 Army Corps of Engineers most scenic bridge, the longest and tallest in Montana! The Koocanusa Bridge is very long, we walked across it to stretch our legs and kick snow over the side... and while at first I was like 'Oooo a bridge'... I did learn to appreciate it as we fully experienced just how long it was. As you can see it wasn't terribly clear much of the time I was there, so no amazing mountain photos, but it was a very beautiful place! And I am sure the mountains exist under the clouds!
We went out bowling (Dairy Center, Montana anyone?) with Lat's friends on Sunday evening and had a great time (Boys vs Girls is always an excellent idea, especially when the girls win!).
On Monday, I was recruited to dust off some random Powerpoints in my Google Drive and present to Lat's students about my various travels. I thoroughly enjoyed myself (I do like talking) and Lat was able to get things done, so it was a win-win. We (mostly Lat, but I will say we) made dinner for some of his friends Monday evening and tested how many people can successfully fit in his kitchen, and then I got to sleep in Tuesday while he went to school until it was time to venture to the airport. We dropped of the glass recycling and arrived sufficiently early (Ellen loves being early and Lat is not a fan) to fulfill my requirements, and I started my journey back home. (Short flight to Salt Lake City and then red eye to Boston and Megabus to Burlington on Wednesday. Claire I was kind enough to come get me and I was fed in Bakersfield before being chauffeured to Enosburg to fully complete my world circumnavigation at 7:30pm on Wednesday March 1st! Whew!)
GIANT THANK YOU to Lat and my family who made the final leg of the trip wonderful (I really thought I would be sick of traveling and sick of loading/unloading my backpack, but it was never really that big of a deal, just kind of reality) and even stocked my house with groceries upon my return! (Thank you mom!!! I am undeserving!!!)
