Thursday, April 12, 2018

My Hiking Journal - Entries 9 and 10

Whitefish River
It's been a while since I wrote a post about hiking ... so many other topics have crowded it out.

But it seems appropriate, now that temperatures are warming and only a few tiny islands of snow remain in the yard, to flash back to last summer with a double feature - kayaking AND hiking.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017 - Whitefish River - 10 miles

Our first kayaking trip ever on Whitefish River, we learned about the River while simultaneously gaining a general kayaking refresher.

One of the downsides of kayaking is water ... well, what I mean is - I can't have my camera (my phone) out all the time for fear of water damage or, worse yet, accidentally letting it join the fishies and river reeds.  So generally, you will find fewer of my pictures in this and future posts about kayaking.  (Taking a picture involves stopping on the shore, unhooking the waterproof bag, unrolling it and digging into the towel protecting the phones and car keys.  You can see why Man with Hat might not want to do this every 5 minutes!)
Launch Point - Kay Beller Park (internet)

We launched our 2-person inflatable kayak near downtown Whitefish and paddled upstream to Whitefish Lake.  It wasn't far, but our arms could definitely feel the current.  Once pointed downstream, I felt like Superman freed from the grip of Kryptonite - strong!!!  In Riverside Park, kids lined the pedestrian bridge, taking turns to jump or flip into the water below.  (This only happens in the spring, when the river is high enough to offer a safe depth for jumping.)
Pedestrian Bridge (internet)
To escape the downtown area, the river flows underneath Spokane Avenue, via two massive culvert tunnels.  This was a new one for us.  Would we be able to navigate the return journey through the culvert?  What if there were unseen obstacles in the tunnel?  Fortunately, a couple of hard-sided kayaks floated by while we dithered, and passed through without mishap.  So, we took a breath and entered the tunnel ... the water gathered itself into a strong current centered in the middle of the culvert, which pulled the kayak along.  Quickly, we emerged into sunlight on the other side.  But that same sunlight revealed a casualty - the fishing pole of Man with Hat was gone!  It must have snagged on a willow branch while we pondered our course of action ... not an auspicious beginning to our kayaking season and a true downer for Man with Hat!

Putting aside our disappointment, we paddled on.  The river reveals its true beauty once past Spokane Avenue.  A female common merganser with 5 ducklings.  Plentiful magpies and red-winged blackbirds.  A footbridge with a picnic table under a gazebo.  Canada Geese parents keeping careful watch over 7 goslings.
(Internet)

After some time, we turned the kayak back to the west (and the Superman effect rapidly disappeared).  Paddle, paddle, and paddle some more.  How can water that looks that calm have such a strong current?  When we arrived back at the tunnels, we quickly concluded that we would not be able to propel our way through its current.  Our only option was to portage up and over the road - I am sure we made an odd picture waddling awkwardly across the road with our bright yellow kayak!

We covered 10 miles in 4.5 hours; it was a valuable refresher, but losing a fishing pole, paddling up river and the portage were not experiences we wanted to repeat again in a hurry!

Monday, June 5, 2017 - Crater Notch Trail - 8 miles out and back

On the road again ... to nowhere.  If you've been following my blog, you know that 25% of the time we have been thwarted with a planned hike, always due to snow.  June 5 did not improve that record!  As you can see in the picture below, the road to the Camp Misery trailhead (appropriate name!!!) was impassable beyond this point.  Man with Hat maneuvered the car backwards quite a distance before he reached a point wide enough to turn around, and even then it was a 12-point turn!
That is Man with Hat in the distance, checking out the road.

Having packed all our gear for a lengthy hike, we weren't prepared to give up that easily, and opted for a nearby trail, a spur off the Broken Leg Trail we had seen on May 29 (follow this link for that post).


Crater Notch Trail earns its name from the 'notch' in the mountains that is revealed after 3000 feet of elevation gain, which ultimately leads the able hiker to Crater Lake.  The trail has dense foliage, and given the rain the previous night, our boots and pants legs were soon drenched.  (At the end of the hike, there was not much improvement.)

I found it curious that we did not see many flowers on this hike given the proximity of paradise we experienced on Broken Leg, the next ridge over.  Upon reflection, it makes sense - the thick foliage does not allow for as much sun ... nevertheless, I spied a few newbies (for me).
Upper left - Baldhip Rose; Upper right and Center Left - Bead Lily
Center right - Bear Grass; Bottom - Broadleaf Arnica

As always, we kept our eyes peeled for wildlife, especially bears, but the most we saw of the four-legged creature was scat on the trail (picture not included!)  We startled a pair of blue grouse; one flew into a tree but the other one ran ahead of us on the trail for quite a distance before he finally got fed up and scuttled into the bushes.


Man with Hat searching out the trail






After about four miles, we could get no further due to snow.  Foiled again, Batman! 

Imagine the irony when we arrived back at the trailhead and I took a closer look at the trail sign: This trail is normally free of snow by mid-May.  Ha!

This spring and early summer we are likely to see comparable conditions since our region had snowfall akin to the previous winter.  One of these seasons, we will learn which trails to avoid until later in the summer!
Upper left: Bear Grass; Upper right: Mariposa Lily
Lower right: Western Blue Virgin's Bower

Linking to:

All Seasons


Floral Friday
Copy this image and its link to place on your blog

Mosaic Monday


Nature Notes


Saturday's Critters

Skywatch Friday










46 comments:

  1. I'm sure you'll learn the trails over time. It's great to be adventurous when you live in this beautiful area. I hear ya, on cameras and kayaking. Just getting in the kayak can set me toppling into the water. LOL. Love the bird shots. Happy to hear you are seeing something besides snow these days. 12 point turns are not my favorite! Happy weekend to you~

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  2. I had to wonder about your location, because some of the photos seem so familiar, so I checked — you are almost equidistant from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley where I grew up, and Medicine Hat, Alberta, where I now live. Even though neither is a small town any more, I can relate to the snow here and there, and the flowers here and there, and the rushing water as Spring comes...even the boys jumping off the bridge into the water. My young brother (no longer young now) and his friends used to jump off a railroad bridge into the water, no matter how many times they were told to stay off.
    So...I enjoyed this post very, very much, so much of it familiar.
    Kay
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  3. Thanks for taking us along on both of these adventures! The kayaking (downstream) sounds like fun. I think I would be tempted to invest in one of those little waterproof point-and-shoot cameras. They take pretty decent photos and are usually waterproof down to about 30'.

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  4. Beautiful birds and wildflowers!

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  5. Beautiful scenery and I love all the bird and plant life.

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  6. I'm sat here at the PC in awe of your adventurous and undaunted spirit, whatever the elements and fate throw at you. Mid-June and snow drifts - no thanks. I wonder if you should invest in one of those waterproof cameras? Never tried one but I think they would be better than having to keep your camera hidden away.

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  7. lovely nature images. I had a kayak earlier but sold it as it became to heavy. Still miss it. :(

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  8. ...nature in all its glory, thanks for taking me along.

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  9. You have some very beautiful photos! Thank you! Have a wonderful weekend1

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  10. oh that wiley mother nature. I got sunburned yesterday on my neighborhood walk, and today woke to ice balls, snow and gray skies.

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  11. What a wonderful hike and gorgeous series of nature photography!

    Namaste,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  12. What a lovely adventure. I'm sure you'll have many when the weather gets better. You live in a beautiful state.

    Have a fabulous day and weekend. ♥

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  13. Even getting out to try and hike and kayak is an adventure! You saw beautiful scenery along the way. I remember going up to a place one May long weekend, thinking we'd hike, only to find the entire valley still blanketed in snow. We traipsed through it, getting soaking wet, but still had a lot of fun.
    Happy weekend, Angie.

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  14. Beautiful trails, rivers, lakes, land . . .
    Loved the bridge where the kiddoes jump from in the spring . . .
    What a wonderful place to live!

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  15. Wow - what with 'Broken Leg trail', snowy scenes even in June and a super woman effort in the kayaks I'm impressed. Of course the first thing that jumps out at me from my crowded part of the world is how beautiful everything is, the fresh air, and that expression you are truly 'at one with nature'... and maybe Man with Hat needs a waterproof camera for Christmas?!

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  16. My husband would love to be out and would be able to do the hikes, but I would not so I will enjoy via your adventures and photos... Regarding my blog. I do repeat certain posts to help refresh my mind and maybe someone else's. I took a small mammal rehabilitation class recently and bunnies are so fragile that it seems a very good thing to check before we mow as they are everywhere.... Thank you for reading my posts. At the 10 year mark I slowed down and readership has dropped off, but I did get 435 spam comments already this month...Michelle

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  17. Way out hiking, a beautiful Merganser with its babies on its back, superb.

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  18. Hello, I would have to leave my camera behind during a kayak trip. The birds are awesome in your area, I love the Blue Grouse and Magpie. The Merganser and chicks are adorable. pretty wildflowers. Pretty collection of photos and scenery! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Thanks also for the comment. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

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  19. Awesome landscapes and love the blue grouse and magpie. The wildflowers are beautiful!

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  20. Good luck in moving into your new home as you commented on on my blog ~ thinking of you ~ xxx

    Namaste,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  21. it is amazing to be out on the water...in a kayak! i have only done it once and plan to go more often this spring/summer!

    i did not take my camera...i have all the pictures in my head!! have a wonderful weekend!!

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  22. It looks like a really pretty trail - nice shots.

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  23. I'm impressed. You guys really get out and try stuff out. I was intrigued by the kayaking trip. Does an inflatable kayak work for you? I would like to get one for ease of transport but the reviews are kind of all over the place.

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  24. Great series of bird pictures and other fine images of nature. I have never tried a kayak, but I did canoe quite a bit when I was younger, but I would imagine it would be an ideal craft to get close to wildlife. Interesting, well-illustrated post.

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  25. What a fantastic kayaking and hiking trip! Beautiful wildflowers and scenery!!! Loved this post so much. I have actually been in a canoe with my camera out. SCARY proposition! Did it twice. I didn't even have a waterproof bag to slip it into when not taking photos. And we weren't seasoned canoe-ers either, plus had our five-or-so-year old grandson in the middle between us, and at one point he had to respond to the call of nature over the side! :-) I have to get the photos out and share them some time (not of THAT but just of the canoe trip in general! :-) )

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  26. Looks like a wonderful trip

    I haven't been in a kayak for many years now

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  27. What great scenery! I can't hike much so I appreciate your photos :)

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  28. hello Angie, I see my comment didn't get through last week, sorry - sometimes when it's crazy busy I forget to come back later to check, if I got through the chapta:) Wow, you covered a lot of river in four hours! Beautiful trip with lots to see, even if there were not many flowers!
    This makes me want to go in an area like this and paint! Hope to see you this new week back at All Seasons!

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  29. I enjoyed your kayaking trip and hike, thank you very much. Living it virtually, the portage was kind on me. Once in my life, that I had to take part in portage. That was enough. Until later, Angie!

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  30. Lovely area to hike and love the birds. Red wing black birds are one of my favorites.

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  31. That Blue Grouse is a beauty isn't it? Well, your hiking destinations are very different from ours. We had to turn back on a trail one time because of a swarm of mosquitoes! But I think that's the only time we've been 'foiled'! Beautiful photos my friend. Hugs

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  32. Okay ... my comment may not have gone through ...it's snowing here now, and that sometimes has an impact on internet connection - in California!!
    Love the melting snow at the crater notch, and the wildflowers. Sorry for losing the fishing rod:( An inflatable kayak looks very practical to me! Many thanks for sharing your trips with All Seasons and have a delightful week!

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  33. You two are intrepid hikers and I would say already died-in-the-wool Montanans..... that is a lot of snow to deal with and not easy hiking even without it. And kayakers too!! I'm in awe. Those birds must be so great to see -- and it is lovely seeing the merganser with babies.

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  34. What a great hike. I would love to go but my back screems.....NO!
    Great to spot a pair of Grouse!

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  35. Well, those are adventures I would never go on in real life so thank you for the virtual trip alongside you on the water, in the snow and on the hike!
    Thanks for being a part of MM again this week, love your company.

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  36. Angie, What a great memory. The kayak looks like it should be light enough. Thanks for sharing and have a great week. Sylvia D.

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  37. What a fun trip. I don't know that I would have wanted to kayak through a culvert. I'd like to hear more about your kayak. We've rented kayaks in the past because we've never had a place to carry them. I never thought of an inflatable one.

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  38. As far as I can see, Angie, you’re a superhero going up stream or down and a true adventurer. What a fun post to read from the coziness of my chair. Thanks for sharing your journey.

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  39. what an amazing place for a hike. You live in a beautiful part of the world.
    Amalia
    xo

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  40. I would love to hike (walk) in these wonderfully nature filled areas...Michelle

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  41. amazing scenery that you have been hiking through. We went bushwalking today, but nothing as scenic as yours! Happy travels and thank you for stopping by my blog this week.

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  42. the scenery looked great. Too bad the snow cut things a tad short.
    Mary (Cactus Catz)

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  43. Amazing scenery! Such a wonderful place :)

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