Mosaic Monday #6 - We Interrupt This Programming

I'm looking outside at the snow-capped mountains, and I just sealed the envelope on the last of my Christmas cards.  17 days until the red-suited man comes down our chimney, and I probably should be writing a Christmas-themed post.  But the sun is bright, and the skies are blue, and it puts me in the mood to return to summer material.  So here's Chapter 6 of my summer series (Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5).

The scene is the south and east sides of Glacier National Park.  The time is mid-July 2018.  The players are Spousal Unit, his parents and me.  To facilitate access to the Park, we are staying two nights in one of the cabooses on the grounds of the Izaak Walton Inn.



(Let's be real -we also chose this lodging 'cause it's just so darn cool.  Who wouldn't want to sleep in a caboose?  When we first arrived in Montana, a friend of ours clued us in about this unique feature of the Inn, and we began to look for an excuse to stay there!  When my brother and his wife visited us in October 2017, they helped us complete our reconnaissance, and the deal was sealed!)

Caboose interior - do you see the black handle in the upper left of 

the picture on the left?  It is positioned next to a narrow set of

steps/shelves - this is how Spousal Unit and I reached the bed

in the cupola of the caboose!  Watch your head!!!

In Marias Pass - yellow penstemon

Our first night in the caboose, we enjoyed beverages on the deck while Cedar Waxwings twittered overhead.  As twilight deepened, we devoured the curry Spousal Unit had cooked up at home - what is it about being outside that increases your appetite?  The next morning, a simple breakfast in the caboose was followed by a day trip to St. Mary's Lake.  Along the way, Highway 2 threads through Marias Pass, which was charted by John Frank Stevens, principal engineer of the Great Northern Railway, in December 1889.  The location of the pass had been rumored for several years beforehand, but it took Stevens and a Flathead Indian guide named Coonsah to discover it.  The pass proved ideal for a railroad, with a valley ranging from one to six miles wide, and at a gentle grade that would not require extensive excavation or rockwork.  When you look at it now, it is hard to imagine that the Pass was so hard to find - it is broad and flat and seems obvious.

Mountains on north edge of Marias Pass

The approach to the St. Mary's Lake entrance to the Park is diametrically different to the topography on the west side of the Park: the land is flat and then is suddenly interrupted by a thrusting mountain range.  This means you can see the mountains from quite a distance.  The wildflowers dance in the space between your car and the peaks, and an occasional fence arcing into the distance appears to point the way.

Trees finally begin to crowd the road and block most sights from view until you reach the edge of St. Mary's Lake.  It was our lucky day to snag a parking spot at the launching point for trails to Baring Falls and Sun Point.

It's odd now to recall that it was a hot day, and it was tempting to dip our toes in the rushing torrent of the falls.  Clouds were piling up on the mountains like a bunch of neglected dust bunnies, but they did not flow into the valley or drop any precipitation.

Left: Man with Hat on the trail to Baring Falls

Middle: Fireweed       Right: Baring Falls

We picnicked near our parking spot, and then a different return route dropped us into a construction zone, where we waited 10 - 15 minutes for a pilot car.  It was a blessing in disguise - right next to us was a rolling meadow with bountiful wildflowers (and some trash - funny how you don't see these things when you are taking a picture).

Can you see the yellow cup in the lower right hand picture?

A hot summer day is not complete without ice cream, so we took advantage of the little shop in East Glacier for some refreshment.  My mother-in-law asked for two scoops, and was shocked at the amount the staffer put in her bowl - almost flowing over (but not more than she could eat)!!!

On our second (last) night at the Inn, we had a beverage in the Flagstop Bar, a classic bar environment on the lower level of the Inn, chock-a-block with historic memorabilia.  Dinner followed on the veranda of the restaurant.  We had a ring-side seat for the flowers in the garden, as well as the Empire Builder Amtrak passenger train, if only it was running on time …  Unfortunately, on this day, the train was significantly delayed and no-one was willing to stay there and wait for it, especially in the dark.  It just means we have to go again!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

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