Sidestream

On a return to the river, this little sidestream remains ice-free while the main body is covered with thick ice; hiding the strength of the water moving beneath. There are already ice jams downstream on the Big Blackfoot near Missoula. The little Bitterroot will start jamming soon. Several years ago, the jams took out a major bridge and we only had 2 bridges to get to the other side of the river. Population is equal on both sides, so two widely spaced bridges proved to be a dangerous situation as far as emergency services were concerned. We can only hope this isn't going to happen this winter.