A soggy field trip to Kerr Dam, southwest of town on the Flathead River.  Three buses went and, lucky for me and my group, we stopped at the dam first while the other two went down to the power station.   See one of the other buses down there?!

There are over 200 steps down to view the dam, but the climb is worth the effort.

They are filling the lake now (the lake is allowed to drop over the winter, partly to leave room for runoff but also to keep docks from being damaged by ice) so very little water is coming through the gates.   Runoff should have the lake at “full pool” by June 15 this year and then the gates will be opened to keep the lake at summer level.  I had never been to the lookout so was glad for the chance.

Then we took our turn down at the power plant.  I’ve been to the park area there to run the dogs along the trails that lead down to the river but never had a tour.  An impressive operation, the dam was completed in the 1930s.  The second picture is a bearing that connects a turbine to a generator; there are three of these.  It is moving VERY fast.
This was one field trip I was happy to tag along and be a student!