An eventful exit from Flathead Lake

The sign read “Caution: Water over road,” a warning that filled me with dread considering we were in a car with only a couple of inches of clearance.

During a visit to Flathead Lake last week I’d awoken on the morning of our departure to a steady downpour. It was a bit unsettling. After years of drought, I’d become more comfortable with rumors of rain than the real stuff. Now it was pouring, and I was beginning to question our choice of vehicle: Barb’s Mini Cooper convertible.

Instead of taking our big SUV or my lifted pickup on the trip, we thought in light of the high gas prices it would mak...