Is missoula the only place on earth where a coffee shop adjoins a bait and tackle store? I think you know the answer. So as I sit at Trout River coffee struggling to recall the events of the past two days I realize this is the best job ever.
We left our friends in Pochatello and headed toward craters of the moon national park. It was a bit out of our way but we had to see this geological wonder. The park is like a million acres of ash, pumice(I think that's the right term), and desolation. No trees, no plants-just rock and wind. Idaho is like a bunch of plains winding through rugged snow-capped peaks. It's like following the oregon trail; remember that game? Lucas was bitten by a snake, kenny has syphilis, jesse broke his arm, you lost a noxon and are delayed. Fortunately none of those thongs happened, but we did loose 5 pounds of food, 30 dollars, and a roadie trying to ford the river.
We stopped to camp for Lucas' birthday between chalice and salmon, idaho. Our camp site was prime real estate along the banks of the salmon river; it was beautiful!! Kenny and I were hanging in there with our sickness, but managed to help jesse and luker polish off a bottle of jame-o and tap the rockies to celebrate the b day. It was a raucous night of campfire cooking, drinking, jamming, and lighting kenny's farts on fire(there's video evidence). The next morning started with kenny's worst morning of the tour-not from the drinking...no no...it was the geese. They woke him up at 6am which made him a crabby raaby. After 3 hours of widdling a drum stick for chet he punched himself in the face-hard-trying to get river water to squelch the fire. He hit his head on the van and decided to sleep till missoula. Unfortunately,he missed a beautiful snowy ride over the pass to Montana.
Missoula was cold, both in temp and temperament. The bright spot was david and Rosalee cates's family. They have been great to us, and so far the highlight has been david's grilled cheese with yogurt and mustard...seriously try it, it awesome.
Last night we played the top hat, a legendary club that has hosted acts like jj cale, matt guitar murphy, bo diddly, molly hatched, johnny winter, and mojo nixon to name a few. We were guinea pigs on their new sound system, which was good and bad. It is finals week here and we felt it. The saving grace of last night was a tie between having the expirence of being on a. famous stage and having access to a ping pong table in the bar. It seems ping pong tables in bars are common in the west. Is it because its fun to watch drunkards chase a plastic ball around the bar?
Yes.
Jackie Greene, the frontman last year for Phil and Friends, is playing the Top Hat tonight and we were comped on the list, I think we will go check him out on our night off.
Incidentally picture that correspond to this trip, or I should say, this blog can be found on my facebook. There will be plenty of video posted once we return, but in the meantime you can get the idea in my mobile uploads folder.
Tomorrow we are in Portland, friday and saturday are in Ashland(oregon), and Sunday I get to reconnect with an old friend I haven't seen in 12 years, comedian Mike Simpson, in Reno, Nevada.
So I'll keep taking pills and keep my nose clean. You just make sure you stay awesome.
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