If we had the extra time, staying in the area of Seeley/Swan/Flathead Lakes would make for a great way to spend a few days. We didn't realize that when laying out our schedule, so we must move on. Moving on wasn't so bad though, as our next stop was Glacier National Park!
We entered Glacier on the west side, knowing that our time would be spent mostly on the east.
We wanted to get a sense of it all, so we stayed at Apgar for 2 nights. The campground was very nice, but our research said the west side was more congested, and it was. It was very, very busy.
Here's our site at Apgar, which you can see did offer privacy and a feeling that the crowds were kept at bay.
While there, we had a few repairs to do. I try to involve the boys as much as I can in this side of camping. They spend a lot of their year either in school or on electronic devices, so our summer is quite a shift, in many ways. Here's Owen helping to put plumbers tape on our hose joints.
While on the west side, we toured a bit around Lake McDonald and visited the lodge.
We then travelled around the south side of the park to our destination for the next 6 nights, St. Mary's Campground. It was a great drive. When we arrived, we couldn't believe this would be home for awhile! We prefer to not be around the crowds and amenities...this was more like it!
That's us in the picture!
The way the camper was positioned (shoehorned), we had 100% privacy and a view to kill for.
Being in bear country, it was a little concerning that we could be snuck up on easily. But we lived. We did see some wildlife from the site though. Here is a bald eagle (which happily, is not all that rare to see. Even back home.) that flew above our site often through the week.
We also had a fox that used our site as a thoroughfare. I was standing at the back of the truck and he walked within 5' of me heading one way...10 minutes later, he came right back through but with a ground squirrel in his mouth. We were apparently staying on his hunting ground.
Of course, we drove "Going to the Sun" on our very first day! It was amazing. Fortunately, it had opened just 4-5 days before we arrived.
We hiked as far as we could to the "Hidden Falls" from the visitor center at Logan Pass. The trail was blocked at a certain point due to snow. We could see dozens of falls in every direction anyway, so we didn't feel much loss.
While at the top of Logan Pass, we had our first bear experience in Glacier. We were watching a group of sheep on the mountainside, can you see them?
When, suddenly, the group got up and ran a few hundred feet higher. It was strange and we couldn't see why. Well, not 30 seconds later, momma and her cub come out of the tree line. She did make a short run for the sheep, but didn't try to hard. I guess she knew the sheep had the advantage.
The bears didn't have lunch, but we did get to watch them for 20 minutes or so.
In hind sight, I wish we had pushed ourselves to hike more. This year, we did more relaxing than hiking. We did manage to get in one lengthy hike at Glacier, and it was one of our all-time favorites! We did the trail up to Grinnell Glacier. Again, the trail was blocked by snow just before the Glacier (which was upsetting), but the trail was still amazing up to that point.
The whole trip, we were aware of the risks hiking in bear country, but seeing these signs that bear are active in the area puts an extra skip in your step.
The wildflowers were everywhere, the weather was PERFECT. With scenery like this, I believe I could hike twice as far as I normally might.
The entire hike, we were running into people saying they saw "digs" on the trail, etc. So we made sure to make lots of noise. None the less, we still turned the corner and were faced by momma and cub.
They were up the hill from us by a hundred feet or so. We paused for a second, we were already singing, so I told everyone to keep moving like we were and keep singing. I figured she knew we were there before we saw her and since she was not bothering to stop foraging, we must have been "okay". The cub did show too much curiosity for my taste. But luckily didn't move from momma.
It was an amazing experience to meet up like that. It is such a different experience than a zoo. Us and them...cohabiting a space, even for just a moment. It was an adrenaline rush for all of us and a memory we'll always have.
At the end of the trail, we did give out a few extra hugs. We were thankful that it was a positive experience and knew that it could have gone any number of other ways.
For a lot of our visit, the wind was viscous. It was too much to enjoy being outside on a day or two. So, we had some slow days. We enjoyed being at camp, which wasn't so bad.
The boys got to practice at a few other chores. Learning how the generator works for one. You can see here that I keep the generator in the truck. It is cable locked to a tie down and the cap locks, so I figure it is safest there. It also makes it convenient to not have to move it to use it. We drag it out on the tailgate and pull the cord.
They also learned how to keep up with the plumbing and water system.
By the end of our stay, we were ready to leave, but knew we were in a very special place. I doubt we will return, at least while the kids are with us. It is such a drive for us to get there. At this point, we were the furthest from home that we would be on the trip, and over the next few weeks we would come to realize just how far that was.
Thank you Glacier for a wonderful experience!
We entered Glacier on the west side, knowing that our time would be spent mostly on the east.
We wanted to get a sense of it all, so we stayed at Apgar for 2 nights. The campground was very nice, but our research said the west side was more congested, and it was. It was very, very busy.
Here's our site at Apgar, which you can see did offer privacy and a feeling that the crowds were kept at bay.
While there, we had a few repairs to do. I try to involve the boys as much as I can in this side of camping. They spend a lot of their year either in school or on electronic devices, so our summer is quite a shift, in many ways. Here's Owen helping to put plumbers tape on our hose joints.
While on the west side, we toured a bit around Lake McDonald and visited the lodge.
We then travelled around the south side of the park to our destination for the next 6 nights, St. Mary's Campground. It was a great drive. When we arrived, we couldn't believe this would be home for awhile! We prefer to not be around the crowds and amenities...this was more like it!
That's us in the picture!
The way the camper was positioned (shoehorned), we had 100% privacy and a view to kill for.
Being in bear country, it was a little concerning that we could be snuck up on easily. But we lived. We did see some wildlife from the site though. Here is a bald eagle (which happily, is not all that rare to see. Even back home.) that flew above our site often through the week.
We also had a fox that used our site as a thoroughfare. I was standing at the back of the truck and he walked within 5' of me heading one way...10 minutes later, he came right back through but with a ground squirrel in his mouth. We were apparently staying on his hunting ground.
Of course, we drove "Going to the Sun" on our very first day! It was amazing. Fortunately, it had opened just 4-5 days before we arrived.
We hiked as far as we could to the "Hidden Falls" from the visitor center at Logan Pass. The trail was blocked at a certain point due to snow. We could see dozens of falls in every direction anyway, so we didn't feel much loss.
While at the top of Logan Pass, we had our first bear experience in Glacier. We were watching a group of sheep on the mountainside, can you see them?
When, suddenly, the group got up and ran a few hundred feet higher. It was strange and we couldn't see why. Well, not 30 seconds later, momma and her cub come out of the tree line. She did make a short run for the sheep, but didn't try to hard. I guess she knew the sheep had the advantage.
The bears didn't have lunch, but we did get to watch them for 20 minutes or so.
In hind sight, I wish we had pushed ourselves to hike more. This year, we did more relaxing than hiking. We did manage to get in one lengthy hike at Glacier, and it was one of our all-time favorites! We did the trail up to Grinnell Glacier. Again, the trail was blocked by snow just before the Glacier (which was upsetting), but the trail was still amazing up to that point.
The whole trip, we were aware of the risks hiking in bear country, but seeing these signs that bear are active in the area puts an extra skip in your step.
The wildflowers were everywhere, the weather was PERFECT. With scenery like this, I believe I could hike twice as far as I normally might.
The entire hike, we were running into people saying they saw "digs" on the trail, etc. So we made sure to make lots of noise. None the less, we still turned the corner and were faced by momma and cub.
They were up the hill from us by a hundred feet or so. We paused for a second, we were already singing, so I told everyone to keep moving like we were and keep singing. I figured she knew we were there before we saw her and since she was not bothering to stop foraging, we must have been "okay". The cub did show too much curiosity for my taste. But luckily didn't move from momma.
It was an amazing experience to meet up like that. It is such a different experience than a zoo. Us and them...cohabiting a space, even for just a moment. It was an adrenaline rush for all of us and a memory we'll always have.
At the end of the trail, we did give out a few extra hugs. We were thankful that it was a positive experience and knew that it could have gone any number of other ways.
For a lot of our visit, the wind was viscous. It was too much to enjoy being outside on a day or two. So, we had some slow days. We enjoyed being at camp, which wasn't so bad.
The boys got to practice at a few other chores. Learning how the generator works for one. You can see here that I keep the generator in the truck. It is cable locked to a tie down and the cap locks, so I figure it is safest there. It also makes it convenient to not have to move it to use it. We drag it out on the tailgate and pull the cord.
They also learned how to keep up with the plumbing and water system.
By the end of our stay, we were ready to leave, but knew we were in a very special place. I doubt we will return, at least while the kids are with us. It is such a drive for us to get there. At this point, we were the furthest from home that we would be on the trip, and over the next few weeks we would come to realize just how far that was.
Thank you Glacier for a wonderful experience!
I get it guys...keep me honest. Don't let me off being lazy! ๐ Okay, so here is an actual update.
So, we left Yellowstone a bit down on the trip so far (being honest). Little did we know, but the best was ahead of us!
Looking at a map, it seemed the drive from Yellowstone to Glacier would be a hop, skip and a jump. It wasn't. We didn't have any sites picked out, but stumbled into an enjoyable time. For starters, we didn't make it far that first day. We restocked at the Costco in Billings. After our $9 pack of hot dog buns in Yellowstone, it was nice to buy groceries at real world prices again.
We made it as far as the Walmart in Butte, to stay for the night. This was a great overnight spot. We came down the hill westbound on I-90 to a Butte sunset that was memorable. There were at least a dozen others with us that night, and we met a few characters that made the stop worthwhile.
The next morning we set out to possibly make it all the way, but didn't go a half hour before getting hung up at the Grant Kohrs Ranch in Deer Lodge. This is a preservation of the "Open Range" cowboy experience. The ranch is still operating and you can tour the well preserved home, blacksmith and several other interests. It could be a half hour stop if you're not feeling it, but we really got into the whole mood of the place.
The boys got to dress in character!
I had a great time chatting with the "Cowboy" at the chuckwagon, who served authentic cowboy coffee, right out of the fire, with chunks and all!
And, of course, the Montana scenery was spectacular!
This stop took up a few hours, so once again, we didn't go as far as we thought we would have. We drove up to the west side of Glacier following Seeley and Swan Lakes. We found a beautiful and secluded FS campground right on Seeley Lake. Turns out, these FS campgrounds were all over the place in this area. It made for a restful one night stop, for only $10. We grilled out and had a few beverages around the campfire...a nice break from the run and gun style of staying in Walmarts and moving at first light.
This brings us to our arrival at Glacier. I hope to post this next chapter soon! Thanks for bearing with me...as I drag this out.
So, we left Yellowstone a bit down on the trip so far (being honest). Little did we know, but the best was ahead of us!
Looking at a map, it seemed the drive from Yellowstone to Glacier would be a hop, skip and a jump. It wasn't. We didn't have any sites picked out, but stumbled into an enjoyable time. For starters, we didn't make it far that first day. We restocked at the Costco in Billings. After our $9 pack of hot dog buns in Yellowstone, it was nice to buy groceries at real world prices again.
We made it as far as the Walmart in Butte, to stay for the night. This was a great overnight spot. We came down the hill westbound on I-90 to a Butte sunset that was memorable. There were at least a dozen others with us that night, and we met a few characters that made the stop worthwhile.
The next morning we set out to possibly make it all the way, but didn't go a half hour before getting hung up at the Grant Kohrs Ranch in Deer Lodge. This is a preservation of the "Open Range" cowboy experience. The ranch is still operating and you can tour the well preserved home, blacksmith and several other interests. It could be a half hour stop if you're not feeling it, but we really got into the whole mood of the place.
The boys got to dress in character!
I had a great time chatting with the "Cowboy" at the chuckwagon, who served authentic cowboy coffee, right out of the fire, with chunks and all!
And, of course, the Montana scenery was spectacular!
This stop took up a few hours, so once again, we didn't go as far as we thought we would have. We drove up to the west side of Glacier following Seeley and Swan Lakes. We found a beautiful and secluded FS campground right on Seeley Lake. Turns out, these FS campgrounds were all over the place in this area. It made for a restful one night stop, for only $10. We grilled out and had a few beverages around the campfire...a nice break from the run and gun style of staying in Walmarts and moving at first light.
This brings us to our arrival at Glacier. I hope to post this next chapter soon! Thanks for bearing with me...as I drag this out.
I'm back...finally. This has been one messed up trip report.
So far, I've covered through to the end of our Geiser Loop. If I post any inconsistencies with earlier posts, my apologies. I have no intentions of misleading, but at this point we are 4 months after the trip and reaching the limits of my memory abilities. ๐
I also have to realize that I'm not going to find the time to do the level of job with this that I'd hoped for.
The next day for us was the waterfall area. We hiked to the edge of both falls, and if my memory is correct, the upper falls hike was fairly strenuous. It was less than a half mile, but steep switchbacks the whole way. Still, it was worth it and exciting to stand right next to such power.
We picnicked in the area and saw some tourists doing dumb things...
The boys also earned their badges while in this area!
We ended every day by hanging out in Hayden Valley to animal watch until complete darkness. I think we would all agree that these evenings were our favorite time in Yellowstone.
We ventured out on some of the trails in Hayden, even after spotting a few Grizzlies in scopes. Who would have thought that walking through a valley could be such a rush.
One evening, we had an incredibly exciting event. This young elk swam across a river in front of us and started herding the geese. He played for a half hour this way.
While I'm looking through the camera, my peripheral catches to white blurs running breakneck out of the woods, through the sage and towards the elk.
The elk turns and runs for his life. The adrenaline that started pumping in us was amazing. We thought we were going to see wolves take down an elk right in front of us! Turns out, they were likely coyote and they started playing cat and mouse with the elk. Anyway, I was on a Yellowstone adventure, so no matter the truth, they were wolves to me. ๐
On another night, we happened upon a wolf feeding on a bison calf. One of the ladies there (a pro), had a great spotting scope and she had video of the entire incident. Two adult bison and two calves were being stalked by this wolf. The bison sacrificed one of the calves to the wolf by goring and throwing it until it was dead. The wolf then began feeding. Amazing video.
Anyway, we did leave Yellowstone feeling like we had been National Geographic photographers on an adventure in the wild. Great experience!
On another day, we did the loop to the NW. This was an extremely long day from Fishing Bridge. If we return, we will move camp part way through our visit.
We were at Norris Basin just days after the young man lost his life in one of them. That gave my boys a serious respect, if not a fear of walking the boardwalk.
We also hiked the boardwalks at Mammoth.
We took a beautiful gravel road on the NW side of the park. We took our time and stopped for a picnic with hardly anyone else around. As I think I mentioned earlier, we eat all of our meals from the truck.
We drove up to near the top of Mt. Washburn. The winds were EXTREME! Literally would take you off your feet!
This is a random shot that I wanted to throw in to illustrate what camp life is like in Fishing Bridge. I doubt we would stay there again. Electricity wasn't necessary, so the cons outweighed the benefits for us.
We ended our stay at Yellowstone two nights early. We had a good time, but the excitement of what lies ahead had us too curious! We left out of the Northwest gate without ever going into the Northeast side of the park. Yes, we missed Beartooth... Gives us a reason to return someday.
So far, I've covered through to the end of our Geiser Loop. If I post any inconsistencies with earlier posts, my apologies. I have no intentions of misleading, but at this point we are 4 months after the trip and reaching the limits of my memory abilities. ๐
I also have to realize that I'm not going to find the time to do the level of job with this that I'd hoped for.
The next day for us was the waterfall area. We hiked to the edge of both falls, and if my memory is correct, the upper falls hike was fairly strenuous. It was less than a half mile, but steep switchbacks the whole way. Still, it was worth it and exciting to stand right next to such power.
We picnicked in the area and saw some tourists doing dumb things...
The boys also earned their badges while in this area!
We ended every day by hanging out in Hayden Valley to animal watch until complete darkness. I think we would all agree that these evenings were our favorite time in Yellowstone.
We ventured out on some of the trails in Hayden, even after spotting a few Grizzlies in scopes. Who would have thought that walking through a valley could be such a rush.
One evening, we had an incredibly exciting event. This young elk swam across a river in front of us and started herding the geese. He played for a half hour this way.
While I'm looking through the camera, my peripheral catches to white blurs running breakneck out of the woods, through the sage and towards the elk.
The elk turns and runs for his life. The adrenaline that started pumping in us was amazing. We thought we were going to see wolves take down an elk right in front of us! Turns out, they were likely coyote and they started playing cat and mouse with the elk. Anyway, I was on a Yellowstone adventure, so no matter the truth, they were wolves to me. ๐
On another night, we happened upon a wolf feeding on a bison calf. One of the ladies there (a pro), had a great spotting scope and she had video of the entire incident. Two adult bison and two calves were being stalked by this wolf. The bison sacrificed one of the calves to the wolf by goring and throwing it until it was dead. The wolf then began feeding. Amazing video.
Anyway, we did leave Yellowstone feeling like we had been National Geographic photographers on an adventure in the wild. Great experience!
On another day, we did the loop to the NW. This was an extremely long day from Fishing Bridge. If we return, we will move camp part way through our visit.
We were at Norris Basin just days after the young man lost his life in one of them. That gave my boys a serious respect, if not a fear of walking the boardwalk.
We also hiked the boardwalks at Mammoth.
We took a beautiful gravel road on the NW side of the park. We took our time and stopped for a picnic with hardly anyone else around. As I think I mentioned earlier, we eat all of our meals from the truck.
We drove up to near the top of Mt. Washburn. The winds were EXTREME! Literally would take you off your feet!
This is a random shot that I wanted to throw in to illustrate what camp life is like in Fishing Bridge. I doubt we would stay there again. Electricity wasn't necessary, so the cons outweighed the benefits for us.
We ended our stay at Yellowstone two nights early. We had a good time, but the excitement of what lies ahead had us too curious! We left out of the Northwest gate without ever going into the Northeast side of the park. Yes, we missed Beartooth... Gives us a reason to return someday.
