PNT Section 1, Day 10: Eureka, I’ve Found It!

“Eureka” originates from a Greek word meaning I have discovered it

I wonder if locals get tried of Archimedes jokes

Our first stop in Eureka, MT was the Silverado RV park on the north side. It was the only establishment in town with the option to rent rooms. We had also heard that camping was available for travelers at the city park. But once in view of the Silverado, we decided that camping out seemed more appealing. And besides that, we were surprised to learned that they were completely booked for the night. 

A friendly woman met us at the front desk and took our money in exchange for the privilege of doing laundry and showering in their RV camping bathhouse. What we were technically paying $20 for a tent site in the RV park, but one look at the gravel area surrounded by generators and unblocked from the highway reassured us that the city park was likely to be a better camping option. She gave us towels and a generous handful of 2-in-1 shampoo packets. The lounge looked to be closed until evening. Peeking inside, I spotted the casino- just a couple of video slot machines tucked in the corner. 

Other than the relatively steep cost, the RV bathhouse set up was nice for hikers. There was a bench right outside the showers with a box of old books (the RV park “library”), and plenty of sunny grass to dry our soggy gear on. No laundry detergent to be found, but Giggles shared these cool laundry leaves she had carrying in anticipation of that. They reminded me of those Listerine strips from the early 2000’s, and dissolved similarly on wet surfaces. 

The Sequence of Town Chores

Because of the two-mile-long layout of Eureka, we had to be diligent about the order we approached town chores. Walking along the side of the highway was already bad enough, without backtracking. While I normally like to find where I’m sleeping first, drop off my gear, get a nice meal, then shower/laundry/resupply, this town demanded we complete that series almost in reverse. After the Silverado, we stopped at the grocery store to resupply for the short two-day stretch ahead. Unable to contain my appetite any longer, I got a bagged salad and a fancy juice drink, and inhaled them on the curb out front. Local stared at me with concern, most of them likely unaware of the trail that cut through their town, and thus unable to distinguish me from someone down on their luck.

I’m living my best life, I swear! This is what my vacations look like!

After that, we hit up the shipping store. Giggles was delighted to find her new tent had arrived. We each sent home a box of unused gear- it felt good to ditch the crampons, knowing our time in snow was mostly over. After that, it was finally time for food. The downtown area seemed to have more shopping opportunities than restaurants, but we found a diner that was open at the odd hour of 2:00 p.m. 

I also found sasquatch

After food, we poked around some of the touristy shops. I found another post card and sticker, vowing to make these items an objective at each town stop. Giggles found a new spoon at a thrift shop- she’d discovered the night before that she had lost hers somewhere, likely while exhausted on evening after our day of post-holing. 

Never pass up the opportunity to pet a dog

When we finally arrived at the city park, we were greeted by a local in pickup truck and his friendly dog. He informed us of the scheduled sprinklers that would come on the next morning in the park, and advised we set up in a particular corner if we wanted to sleep in and stay dry. We thanked him, and picked out our spots under some small trees. The ample shade, picnic tables, babbling stream, and soft grass made us pleased with our decision to bypass the Silverado RV park.

While Giggles took time to connect with her friends and family back home, I explored the nearby Historical Village- a small collection of restored buildings and colonial-era artifacts. And it was less than thirty feet off the PNT route!

Everything was closed for the day, but I still enjoyed looking in windows and appreciating the ambiance of the plank boardwalks. I tried to imagine what it would have been like to live at this latitude, hundreds of years ago, in winter. It likely would have been a type of cold that I’ve never had to experience. Touching the side of a log cabin, seeing the hairline gaps between logs, I was evermore grateful for the technology that provided me with my warm gear- and also, in the event of it’s failure, a means to escape. 

Something else I noticed in the town of Eureka, and most notably in the historical village, was the wildlife. This village was full of semi-tame deer and fat rabbits. They barely moved out of the way as you passed them, clearly accustomed to crowds, and likely enjoying the relative protection the bustle of the town provided against predators. 

What I image my face would look like if someone came across me peeing in the woods

Not enough hikers to form a tramily, gotta get creative

Giggles and I spent the evening getting to know two bike-packers camped next to us, Darren and Kevin. They seemed somewhat standoffish at first, likely exhausted from their miles so far on the Great Divide route. But, having few like-minded adventurers to share our journey, Giggles and I were persistent in our friendliness. We eventually won them over, sharing our knowledge of the sprinkler schedule. We spent the evening talking and sharing snacks procured at the nearby gas station. We talked about the differences and similarities between backpacking and bike-packing. It was nearly dark by the time I crawled into my tent, a rare occurrence so far on the long days of this trip.

The next morning, we invited our biking friends to join us for breakfast nearby. We had a delightful meal at Cafe Jax, a cute diner clearly popular with locals. Everything was perfectly cooked, and our pancakes all had unique designs on them. Somehow, despite my already-emerging hiker hunger, I was unable to finish my generous meal of eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, pancakes, chocolate milk, orange juice, and fruit. Hmm, wonder why. Good thing the pancakes travel well.