The flying eagle is prominently displayed on the road into Libby.
Our first stop was Kootenai Falls. This is my first selfie picture using my new selfie stick, which, by the way, did not fare well the rest of the time. It would take like 15 shots in a row or it wouldn't work at all. Hmmm, I think that's not how it's supposed to work ... just sayin'.
This is as far as Gary and Sadie ventured on our hike to the falls. The steps on this monstrosity were made from metal and were the kind you see at ski resorts to let the snow fall through, so they were prickly and open ... Sadie's poor little paws would have fallen through and she's just too heavy to carry up and down steps this high. I bid them farewell and continued on the journey.
The fabulous falls ... so beautiful!
No, I didn't use the selfie stick ... I asked someone to take my picture in return, I took theirs!
We bought lunch at a food stand at the falls and ate in the car -- nothing like a fine dining experience. By the way, Costco hotdogs are cheaper and way better tasting!
Our next stop was the Libby Dam.
Built and maintained by:
Here's some trivia about this group. First, they are under the U.S. Army and have approximately 37,000 dedicated civilians and soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 130 countries worldwide. They have been involved in building and maintaining government buildings, infrastructure and memorials since 1791 when under the original direction of President George Washington he commissioned Pierre Charles L'Enfant to survey and plan for the new capital.
It was a hazy day due to all the smoke from wildfires both in Montana and the surrounding states--with the biggest wildfire affecting our air quality being in southeast Washington.
The Libby Dam (which sits on the Kootenai River) is one of several upper-river storage dams in the Columbia River system. These dams store water from rain and snowmelt in the spring to prevent flooding. They release water in fall and winter, when electricity demands are at their peak. The Kootenai River is one of three main tributaries of the Columbia River in the U.S.
Lake Koocanusa, created by the Libby Dam, is 370 feet deep at it's fullest and holds 13% of all the water stored in the Columbia River system. After leaving Libby Dam, water travels through 16 other dams on the Kootenai and Columbia Rivers.
There's a small "museum" at the dam headquarters and here are some of the fascinating finds hidden within its four walls ...
This cookbook was published in 1917 and holds secret strategies used by Libby, MT women!
On our way out, we were greeted by these does wandering around the grounds surrounding the dam parking lot.
We ended our day on the road back to Kalispell witnessing the newest fire breaking out on the hillsides close to Whitefish.
Isaiah 35:4-6
Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you. They the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the Arabah.
