[Harry Moon]

Freedom Route 4 Day 4
Up early again and as no one woke us up in the night the campground remained dry. The river we camped next to was amazingly quite given the volume and speed of the water in full flood. When the water is lower it roars and splashes around the rocks making camping by a river a noisy experience.
Breakfast by Chuck again and we were gassed up and on the road around mid-morning heading east on highway 3 this time up into some pretty high country although the climb was a little gentler than the day before. His time it was bonanza pass at 5036 feet that tested us. Shortly after we met up with drew swan in his Land Rover Ambulance at the turnoff for Rossland/Trail (4000 feet). Now with 12 MV’s in the convoy as we climbed back up over Nancy Green Summit (5170 feet) there was a lot of snow still on the ground and felt like winter in the fog. Onto Rossland (3356 feet) and then Trail (1444 feet), the steepest part of the trip with runaway lanes every few hundred meters with evidence that they were well used. The odour of burning brakes wafted over the convoy as some newer drivers let their speed get up a bit much or lost a gear (or transfer case slipped into neutral). The convoy spread out and the lead took a wrong turn but eventually we all had a chance to cool off our brakes (not to mention our dry mouths) at the local Legion Branch in Trail. Looking over the Columbia River it is a fantastic little Legion.
After an all to brief a visit it was back on the road up a steep climb (like there is any other kind around there) up through Montrose (1986 feet) and through to our destination at Salmo (2198 feet).
Drew and Tammy Swan live in Salmo and while he couldn’t bring his ferret (the armoured kind) Tammy brought her Harris Hawk (the feathered kind) to give us an up close and personal demonstration of this bird of prey. Nice little show on Main Street and then we formed up and with a color guard from the legion we were marched to the legion for dinner.
After a great homemade meal we set up in the municipal campground for the night and none too soon. Thunder and lightning preceded a deluge that kept the kibitzing to a minimum. Salmo is a lovely little town with beautiful mountain views.
Fred Robson was able to catch up with us after taking the jeep home and returning with his Ranger adorned in Canucks livery.
Day four, 147 Kms