Letting Go of the Bay Leaf: January 2022

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Mosaic Monday #165: Inching Along

My January 9 summary "775 Miles Alongside Man with Hat" whet my appetite to write more about hiking, so lace up your boots and don your hat. Join us for our 12-mile journey around the Quartz Lake Loop on September 28, 2017, Entry 24 in my hiking journal.

This hike is a superb example of why we hike on fine Autumn days. Cool temperatures (28 degrees at 9 am) fostered a rolling mist, lending a mystical air to Bowman Lake as we began the hike.

Several Grouse dotted the road on the way to the trailhead, and more populated the trail. They have a funny way of running ahead of you on the path, rather than flying away.

Dry leaves rustled underfoot, raising that unmistakable Autumn aroma into my nostrils. I breathed deep, relaxing into the solace of the wilderness.

At the proverbial fork in the trail, we chose the left, heading to Upper Quartz Lake. Deep forest envelops you, and you quickly lose sight of Bowman Lake. Gentle elevation gain and two hours later, we had earned our first view of Lower Quartz Lake. (Yes, we are heading to Upper Quartz, but the topography offers Lower Quartz first.)

Dramatically, the trail drops in a descent to the valley floor. On the way, we glimpse Upper Quartz on the left and Middle Quartz on the right.

The beach at Upper Quartz Lake offers a full-on view of Bighorn Mountain. For future reference, we note that the campsites are right on the lake and situated close together. Wouldn't you like to wake up to this panorama?

We quickly encountered this bridge between Upper and Middle Quartz, and just as rapidly learned that Middle Quartz is not accessible. Thick Alder guards the lake edges, which spin away into the distance, forming an impenetrable barrier (unless you are a Moose!)

The afternoon sun sent slanting rays through the trees, and fluff from Fireweed floated lazily in the air, seeking a winter resting place, fertile ground for reproduction.

The path between Middle and Lower Quartz Lake undulates like a kiddie rollercoaster, and sports many recently downed trees, likely victims of a wind storm.

At Lower Quartz Lake, the camping sites are more secluded, and not all have views of the lake.

The climb from Lower Quartz back to the ridge was short but steep. But for me, the descent to Bowman, a series of many switchbacks, was worse - a quad killer! The whole day, we only saw six people on the trail, and all of them were on this section. A middle-aged couple (with no bear spray) was just hitting the trail and hoping to make it to Lower Quartz. I always wonder if these are the people we hear about on the news!

With the day's sun, the mist had burned off and we had stunning views of the lake, Numa Ridge, Mount Peabody, Rainbow Peak and Mount Carter.

Can you believe the two photos below are the same view, just 7 hours apart?

Although it does not show up on the photos, the mountains had a dusting of snow, as though someone had shaken a little powdered sugar on them!

On the way home, we stopped at the Polebridge Mercantile for their famous baked goods. Just a few miles further on, a road-side sign advertising Huckleberry Margaritas enticed us to pop into Home Ranch Bottoms - it was as good as it sounded!

But perhaps best of all was the evening sunlight, casting its special glow on the already-golden larches and aspens.

***There will be no Mosaic Monday on February 6; come back and link up February 13!

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. Tuesday (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.

Sunday, January 23, 2022

Mosaic Monday #164: Idaho, Here I Come!

Last week, we helped #1 Son move from Montana to Idaho Falls as he prepared to start his new job on January 17. Of course, we were sad to say goodbye, but it was also a joyful moment given that his job search took over a year, and he waited for his security clearance for 5 months! On December 21, the day he was told about his clearance and his start date, I made several signs that were waiting for him when he returned home from his temporary job at the burger joint.

I mobbed him as he came through the door; the long wait was over!

The intervening three weeks flew past, full of anticipation and the myriad of details that accompany a move and a new job. Back in Fall 2020, Spousal Unit and #1 Son enjoyed a cross-country road trip to complete the relocation from Ohio to Montana; all of #1 Son's belongings fit securely in the back of his Toyota Rav (well, actually, some he left at the home of one of his aunts!) This time, we gave him a starter kit of items for his apartment, and also made sure he took with him possessions that we have been storing for years (I lost count of how many Lego sets we had!)

The entry of the house was stacked with boxes, and the last morning I eyed it with some skepticism. But the boys managed to fit all of it into the Toyota Rav or my Toyota 4Runner. We were ready early, but #1 Son had an appointment for a booster, so we waited until the appropriate time. And would my car start? No! And could #1 Son turn around and come back? No - he had to make his appointment. We had just enough room to pull Spousal Unit's rig out of the garage and give me a jump. Whew! I suppose it was good to get that out of the way - the rest of the trip was uneventful.

We were blessed with good weather (only one big patch of dense fog near Missoula) and the drive went quickly.

As part of his benefits package, #1 Son receives temporary living until his apartment is available on February 8. He checked into the Candlewood Suites (we had also booked a room there for one evening) and we promptly started ferrying boxes from the vehicles to his room. We made no attempt to organize anything - it was already late and everyone wanted food and beverages!!!

After dinner, the booster started to kick in (headache, fever), and we were also weary from the drive. So we bid each other goodnight, with a plan to touch base in the morning.

#1 Son was still dragging in the morning, so Spousal Unit went shopping for him - just a basic shop to get him started. And then it was the moment we had been dreading - the good-bye!!! But I managed to get through it - partly because we know we will be seeing him again in February!!! We have a ski trip/visit with my brother and his wife in Utah planned for late February, and we will visit #1 Son on the way down and back for one night each. How cool is that? And by then he will be in his new apartment, so we will get to see him in his native habitat!!!!

On the way out of town, we passed the Giant Eagle Waterfall Nest sculpture. Unlike most city fountains, this one is left running in the winter to create the magical ice sculpture effect. I am thrilled for #1 Son that he has a whole new town to explore, experience and make his own.

Maybe it was a sign that, on the drive home, we saw at least 50 raptors (hawks, eagles, kestrels).

The house feels vacant now; we are re-experiencing the empty nest syndrome all over again. No late-night shouting from downstairs while he plays video games with friends across the globe. No creaking floor boards from upstairs when he retires to bed. No headlights sweeping the driveway when he returns from town. He did leave me a box of photos and knick-knacks he did not plan to take to Idaho Falls - going through it today, I came across this cross-stitch my Mom made to celebrate his birth. The star was born, and the star has been launched!