Going To The Sun

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2014 trip so far:  pronghorn, horse, llama, elk, bison, grizzly, bighorn sheep, mule deer, Uinta ground squirrel, wolf, black bear, moose, coyote, fox, bullsnake, bat, white-tailed jackrabbit, mountain goat

     *Birds we’ve seen on our 2014 trip so far: bald eagle, grouse, osprey, magpie, red-tailed hawk, Canada goose, great horned owl, American kestrel, sandhill crane, mountain bluebird, cliff swallow, Ferruginous hawk

 [Click on any photo to enlarge.]

Now some of you are probably going to have a hard time believing what I’m about to tell you, but it’s true.  For the first time in about 20 years Russ and I went tent camping…yes, really…for 3 nights.  Since it had been so long, we set the tent up in our drive way the
   week before to make sure all of the pieces were still there and filled the air mattress to check for leaks.  Then we packed the car with plenty of provisions, and of course, Abby, and headed for Glacier National Park (www.nps.gov/glac).

 

Our drive found us passing through the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and we even took a little back road that we could not have taken with the RV when we visited the park 5 years ago.  Though we stayed outside the park back then, this time we made reservations at one of only two campgrounds that take them, and it just so happened that the only 2 days available at either campground during the entire month of
July were the days we were looking to stay.  Definitely must have been a sign.  (Depending on how those 2 nights went would determine whether we’d stay longer. J)  Though our campsite at St. Mary’s Campground
      offered no shade (and it was fairly warm while we were there), we had a lovely view, and since things cooled down in the evening, we were able to enjoy a campfire each night.

 

With such a long drive to get there (about 400 miles), we didn’t do much that first night other than set up camp and go to the St. Mary’s Visitor Center followed by a campfire.  However the next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we took off to drive the 50 mile Going-to-the-Sun Road.  Our plan was to go only as far as the summit at Logan’s Pass (elevation 6,646 ft.) which sits atop the Continental Divide, but we ended up going about another 15 miles before turning around to head back
(not much to see past that point other than lots of evergreens).  There’s road construction being done on the road this summer, but the delays gave us the opportunity to stretch our legs and enjoy the scenery like tiny Wild Goose Island situated out
in the middle of St. Mary Lake with majestic peaks rising in the distance.  Continuing on our drive, the views along the way were still as breathtakingly beautiful as I had remembered.  Russ said he had forgotten just how beautiful the park was so neither of us was disappointed.  There wasn’t as
much snow on the sides of the road as during our last visit, but the waterfalls cascading from everywhere were spectacular.  (There was a definite haze in the air from some Canadian forest fires so some of the photos might not look as sharp.)
 

Snow was still quite evident at the Logan Pass Visitor Center despite the 80 degree temperatures, and kids were having a blast sliding down the snowbank.  From behind the center one can catch the Hidden Lake Trail, a 3 mile roundtrip hike up the base of Clements Mountain, and if you look closely at the photo below left, you can see plenty of folks making the trek (not us).  There was plenty of other snow in the area for us to walk on without a hike!

One of the highlight attractions along the Going-to-the-Sun Road is the Weeping Wall (though while we were there it appeared to be more sobbing than weeping!)  This 100 ft. long geological formation is fed from snowmelt in the mountains that makes its way down and
      through the rock formations.  During the spring, it’s wise to roll up your windows as you pass by, but during the summer, snowmelt slows to a trickle so chances of getting wet are rare.
 

 

The road itself is an engineering marvel that was completed in 1932 after nearly 30 years of planning and construction.  The Triple Arch Bridge, built in the 1920s, spans 60 ft. across a gap in the mountain, and there are two tunnels, one measuring approximately 408 ft. long and the other about 192 ft.

Since we had all survived 2 nights sleeping in the tent, we decided to see if we could get another night here instead of moving to Many Glacier, a first-come first-serve campground some 20 miles away. We’d heard that we would probably need to be there by 8am to find a spot.  As it turned out, we got another site at St. Mary’s and only had to move everything a few yards.  After another hearty breakfast, it was off to visit the Many Glacier area of the park, often referred to as “the heart of Glacier”.  Though this area doesn’t
have many easily seen waterfalls like along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, it’s still beautiful, and our main goal here was a stop at the historic Swiss alpine themed Many Glacier Hotel located on the Swiftcurrent Lake.  The views from
       the huge back deck are spectacular, and as we made our way back out front to the car, we got to see a family of sheep crossing the road heading towards the back of the hotel.

 

  We decided to head back to the Going-to-the Sun Road and Logan Pass.  We were treated to the sight of several bighorn sheep passing through the parking lot at the visitor center and grazing in the nearby brush.  Though Glacier doesn't have as many animals as Yellowstone, we were delighted to
see bighorn sheep relaxing in the snow across from the visitor center one day and mountain goats in various locations.  We did briefly catch a glimpse of a grizzly not more than 20 ft. off the road, but unfortunately by the time we could turn and pull over to take a photo, it was nowhere in sight.

Over the course of our time in Glacier, we would pull off many times for spectacular views and sometimes even enjoy a picnic lunch on the side of the road.  From one pullout we were amazed that from that one location we could easily see 10 different waterfalls in all directions, but unfortunately I had no way to get a photo of that.  You’ll just have to trust that it was magnificent.  Yellowstone is amazing with its great diversity and the abundance of wildlife, but the beauty of Glacier just cannot be beat.

 

 

On our way home we passed what we initially thought was a herd of horses grazing on the hillside, but as it turns out it’s actually 39 steel horses that were created by sculptor Jim Dolan.  While researching what exactly they were, I discovered that they are painted blue with slashes of black
or white paint that create shadows and a three-dimensional effect, the manes and tails are made of nylon rope, and some heads rest on ball bearings so they move with the breeze.  We can vouch that from the highway they definitely do look very real!

I Love A Parade

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2014 trip so far:  pronghorn, horse, llama, elk, bison, grizzly, bighorn sheep, mule deer, Uinta ground squirrel, wolf, black bear, moose, coyote, fox, bullsnake, bat, white-
tailed jackrabbit

*Birds we’ve seen on our 2014 trip so far: bald eagle, grouse, osprey, magpie, red-tailed hawk, Canada goose, great horned owl, American kestrel, sandhill crane, mountain bluebird, cliff swallow

 [Click on any photo to enlarge.]

This was the 36th year for the Gardiner Rodeo & Parade.  We had checked out the parade two years ago, and though we couldn’t attend last year because of work, we drove the 5 miles into town for this year’s event.  The theme was “Red, White & Blue” and patriotic decorations were abundant.  It’s
   pretty much your typical small town parade, but there didn’t seem to be as many participants as two years ago.  However, there were plenty of horseback riders and most folks were throwing candy to the crowds from their decorated cars and trucks.

 

As you can tell from our posts, the animals in Yellowstone are the big draw for us from the littlest squirrel to the biggest bison and bears.  This little guy (or girl) at left was just too funny!  We also happened upon the grizzly sow again out in Swan Lake Flats but this time there

      were only 2 cubs with her.  All sightings lately have been of only the two cubs so we’re not sure what exactly happened to #3.

 

       Across from the parking lot for the Calcite Springs overlook one day, we got to watch the antics of a couple of young bighorn sheep rams.  Looks like they were practicing their headbutting for when they get a little older!

 

One of the activities you can experience while in Yellowstone is the Old West Dinner Cookout where for $57 (plus tax) you can ride in a covered wagon to a cookout with all the fixin’s while a cowboy sings around the campfire.  We’ve never been, but we get to see the wagons sometimes when
  we’re out in the Tower Roosevelt area.  However, if you’re looking for a cheaper form of relaxation, maybe you can take inspiration from the elk and simply lie around on the grass under the trees!

 

  Spotting a mountain bluebird is always a joy.  The male’s brilliant blue color is striking and easily seen, and though we’ve had a few in the campground, it seems I’ve never had the camera handy.  So it was a treat when I was able to snap this guy posing in a tree across from the Mammoth Terraces.  Since the females are less bright and grayer, we weren’t sure if we’d ever seen one but heard there was a mountain bluebird nest on the road to the Slough Creek Campground.  While out that
way one day, we found a handful of photographers, tripods at the ready, who were waiting for the male to return.  These birds are cavity-nesters, and though we never saw him, the female finally popped her head out of her hole and sat there for some great photo ops.

 

While on the subject of birds, we were thrilled to see a bald eagle flying over our site, then across the road a few weeks ago.  Though we’ve seen them throughout the park, this was the first time we had seen one here.  What a magnificent sight!  Then a few hours later we
    also witnessed a male pronghorn walking through the sage not far from our site, another critter we rarely see in the campground.  I just think they are one of the coolest looking animals.

 

     Before closing out this post, I want to introduce you to our co-hosts this summer…Ernie, Tammy, Jill, and Chip.  This photo was taken at our 4th of July campfire.  It’s been a good summer so far and we’ve enjoyed getting to know each other better.
 

 

Yellowstone Tidbits:

• Yellowstone is home to over 1,700 species of native plants and over 170 species of exotic (non-native) plants.
• The mountain bluebird is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada.  The female chooses her mate solely on the location and quality of the nesting cavity he offers her.
• Bison:  Can run 35 mph and jump over objects 5 ft. high; male (bull) weighs up to 2,000 lbs., female (cow) weighs up to 1,000 lbs., young (calf) weigh 40-50 lbs. at birth and are up walking within a couple of hours.  Bison can reach food 3 ft. below the snow’s surface.
• Bighorn sheep:  male (ram) weighs 174-319 lbs., female (ewe) weighs up to 30 lbs.; young (lamb) 8-10 lbs. at birth.  Rams’ horns can weigh 40 lbs. and their skulls have two layers of bone above the brain that act like a shock absorber for collisions during the head-on butting that occurs during the mating season.