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A Lost Civilization
An unnaturally early winter drove us from our mountain sanctuary. Earlier this year, we’d sought refuge in the jeweled peaks of Montana. With parks and RV sites being forced to close down, we wanted a remote location to ride out the worst of the pandemic.
It worked. Until the surge started all over again. Our drive south gave plenty of indications as to why.
I’d volunteered at a campground and during the season saw plenty of tourists come and go from all over the country. Most followed the rules. They kept their distance. Wore masks. My interactions included full mask and gloves.
The precautions might not have been enough.
When we left Flathead County, COVID cases were on the rise. Last winter had protected the remote, snow-bound population from the initial outbreak. A brief summer tourist season invited in the virus from nearby Washington, Oregon, California, and beyond. Now, they’ll be huddled in close quarters against the chill with the disease.
As we headed south to warmer weather, the virus remained on my mind. I’d routed us around hotspots, both literal and figurative. Our original plan had us crossing Wyoming and the east side of the Rockies through Colorado.
A sudden cold snap along with hundreds of thousands of acres of wildfires prompting evacuations and closing…
