The locals say this is their BIGGEST holiday of the year. The revelry began last night and will continue, they tell me, into next week. The official fireworks display is held, interestingly enough, in the parking lot of the shopping mall.

Lolo Pass is now behind me. MacDonald is still ahead.

Laying over in Missoula for a couple of days.

I'm still in that mountain zone where I allotted myself too much time. I keep arriving early! The schedule evens out a bit after the Rockies...once I hit the Badlands.

At the top of Lolo Pass

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