Mosaic Monday #140: Lost for Words

Have you ever run out of adjectives to describe the beauty that surrounds you?  That's how we found ourselves on our most recent camping trip in Glacier National Park.  We used "spectacular, magnificent, incredible, majestic".  At times, it felt that only "wow" was fitting for vistas that are almost indescribable. 

One of my nephews joined us, and between the two of us, we snapped hundreds of photos!  Don't worry - we won't make you scroll through them all, subjecting you to the famed family vacation slide shows!  But I will split the trip in half to make it a bit more manageable for me and palatable for you.  Here we go! 

Chief Mountain Trailhead sits in the far northeast corner of the Park; from the parking lot, you can see the border entry into Canada.  Waterton Lakes National Park lies to the northwest.  One day, the border will re-open and the orange cones blocking the highway will disappear!  Fortified by blueberries and graham crackers with peanut butter (no restaurants were open for breakfast), we left other hikers behind, and headed south, into the Belly River area of Glacier.  We had been told by friends about the stunning landscape, and we were not disappointed.

The trail begins in heavy forest, but soon opens to alpine meadows blanketed with a bounty of wildflowers.   Sticky purple geranium.  White geranium.  Campion.  Paintbrush.  Bedstraw.  Mariposa Lily.  Aspen fleabane.  Fireweed.  Clover.  Alumroot.  Death Camas.  Yellow Columbine.  Groundsel.  Harebell.  Showy locoweed.  Prairie smoke.  Cow parsnip.

As we shot the scenery, we commented often that the pictures didn't do it justice.  The human eye can capture the macro and the micro, simultaneously.  Believe me when I tell you that this meadow was awash with flowers!

After 2 hours and 21 minutes, 6 miles and 150 feet of elevation gain, we reached Gable Creek Campground, our home for the night.  To reserve campsites in the backcountry, one has to make advance reservations or show up at the office in the morning and take what is available.  In our case, we submitted our request on line on March 15, and we received approval on April 5.  Gable Creek has 5 campsites; since we arrived relatively early, we snagged the largest, which easily accommodated our two tents. (Can you see me sitting to the left of the orange tent?)

We had a free afternoon, so we explored a bit after we set up the tents and secured the food on the bear hang.  The Belly River ranger station is located less than a half mile from the campground, and we sought out the park ranger on duty.  (When we checked in at the backcountry office, they told us that our exit route, through the Ptarmigan Tunnel, was not going to be possible; the tunnel was still closed!  But, they expected it to open well before our exit date.)  And sure enough, the ranger confirmed that the Tunnel had been opened.  Whew!

The ranger was a bit prickly; Man with Hat inquired about fishing in the Belly River, and she brusquely informed him that it was his responsibility to know the fishing regulations!!!  Behind the ranger station, can you see the two horses and the mule in the field?  My nephew politely asked if we could go see them, and the ranger said yes.  The horses would not come to see us, but the mule did not hesitate for a moment!

We saw many hikers in this area, including someone I knew from volunteering at the Food Bank!  All this way and I run into someone I know!

The pasture fencing around the ranger station was extensive, and I loved the element in our photos.

The Belly River lay in the opposite direction from the ranger station, and we discovered a delightful swinging bridge traversing it. We spent the afternoon here, each to our own devices.  My nephew hung his hammock nearby.  Man with Hat tried his hand at fishing.  I took pictures, completed some word searches, and just absorbed my environment.

I was delighted to discover a large stand of White Bog Orchid, Glacier's most common bog orchid.  I have seen this orchid countless times, but it never ceases to amaze me with its height and delicate beauty.

Near dinner time, we saw a team cross the river.  So cool!

Dinner featured spaghetti for my nephew and beef stroganoff for Man with Hat and me.  Gathered around the campfire and cooking area was a motley crew - a couple from New Hampshire, two guys from California hanging with a fellow from Montana, and a hilarious couple from Minnesota.  After dinner, a German couple arrived and said a grizzly had blocked their path on the way to Cosley Lake campground.  "Is there room for us?"  There was a spare campsite, but we would have made room for them regardless!  We closed the night with a few hands of Gin - Nephew 2, Me 1, Man with Hat 0.

The next morning, we put our fly sheets and tent ground sheets on the pasture fence to dry while we had breakfast.  When we went to collect them, we found our friendly ranger removing them; apparently they were spooking the horses and pack mule as they tried to pass by.  I was a bit chagrined, but who knew the ranger would be taking the horses for a day trip that particular morning?  We crossed the swinging bridge, and within the hour, took a short detour to Gros Ventre Falls.  (In French, it means Big Belly.)  As you can see below, the base of the falls features a large pool, perfect for swimming.  If we hadn't just started our hike, we might have indulged!

Below is a video of the falls.

A short time later, we arrived at Cosley Lake.  We explored its campsites and concluded that we would have preferred to camp here rather than Gable Creek since these sites offered views of the lake.  Lesson learned.

We carried on to the foot of Glenns Lake; from that vantage point, the views were obscured by the massive grove of sycamores.  Another day, we might travel onward and explore destinations with intriguing names such as Mokowanis Junction and Stoney Indian Lake.  For now, we retraced our steps, with Chief Mountain towering in the distance and two bald eagles circling overhead.  At Cosley Lake, we took a right turn for the river crossing. 

Sometimes river crossings are bone-chilling cold, and you want nothing more than to reach the other side as expeditiously as possible.  In this case, the water was the perfect temperature -- quite refreshing on a hot day.  So, we lingered.  Refilled our camel packs with filtered water.  Snacked.  Man with Hat gave blister pads to a fellow hiker, a young lady traveling with her family.

Reluctantly, we shouldered our packs, and the next 1.7 miles felt LONG.  Fortunately, it was broken up slightly by another water feature, Dawn Mist Falls.  In this video, you can see how the waterfall gets its name!!!

In Glacier, it has been our experience that the trail leads you only to the bottom of a waterfall.  In this case, after climbing a steep section of the trail, we found ourselves at the top of the cascade.  Fabulous!  If you look carefully in the background behind my left shoulder in the picture below, you can see rock formations sticking up from the sandy escarpment of Gable Mountain.

When we reached the foot of Elizabeth Lake, we dropped our packs and put our feet in the water - aahhh.  It was not our final objective, but all three of us needed a break!  Fortunately, the remaining 1.6 miles to the head of the lake and our campground was quick.  We put up the tents and were mobbed by flies!  As rapidly as possible, we completed the task, hung our food and headed to the lake.  Typically, flies and mosquitoes don't bother you when you are out in the open.  The rock/sand bar below became our beach for the next day and a half.

The water you see in front of the sand bar is the Belly River entering Elizabeth Lake. Now, THAT water was bone-chilling cold.  The notch in the mountains in the center of the photo is the location of the Ptarmigan Tunnel, our destination on our last day.  The highest peak on the right side of the photo is Iceberg Peak.  

As Spousal Unit began fishing, we reflected on the day's journey - 13.39 miles and 751 feet of elevation gain in 5 hours and 14 minutes - with a deep sense of satisfaction.

My nephew took this slow-motion video of Spousal Unit in action.

They caught a mixture of grayling and rainbow trout, and threw them all back.  Gutting and cooking fish in the backcountry can be like offering candy to a bear, so we don't.

We could hear a loon calling as we went back to the food prep area and made our dinners.  Although the campground has four sites, only one other couple (from Brooklyn) joined us.

One of the benefits of summer camping in the far North is the length of the days.  We still had plenty of light for the men to continue fishing.  Personally, I was hoping for a moose sighting!

Given that my nephew is new to fly-fishing, Man with Hat provided occasional advice.  No sooner had Man with Hat said "Can I give you a fishing tip?" than my nephew hooked a large grayling! 

Here is a video of my nephew (almost) bringing in a fish.

(The strange sound you hear in the background is Spousal Unit blowing up his pack raft.  That evening, it was still too windy for the raft, but that didn't stop them from catching numerous fish.)  Ducks flew in for the night, a frog hopped from the water into the willows, and a raptor did his own fishing in the lake.  I sighed a happy, contented sigh.  And tried to think of words to describe the joy on my nephew's face.  

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. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

MM #46: Things that go Harumph in the Night

Western Pasqueflower in seed

It was 9.30 p.m., and I was sound asleep.  "Did you hear that?" whispered Spousal Unit.  I didn't respond, until a moment later.

"Harumph?"  Splash.  Splash.

"What is THAT?" I asked, turning to look in his direction.  My inflatable mattress crinkled under the shift in my weight, and my sleeping bag rustled, both of which made me cringe.

"I can't see anything," he said, leaning on his left elbow and peering intently into the darkness through the fine mesh of the tent.

Munch. Munch.  Splash.  "Harumph?" Splash.

Bear grass - a late bloomer!

Yes, folks, the scene is in the midst of the Jewel Basin, the location of our last backcountry camping trip.  For 15 minutes, we listened to a random series of grunts, munching and splashes, with only theories about the source.

"Can you tell how far away it is?" By now I had goosebumps all over and I could feel myself trembling slightly, even in the warmth of my bag.

"Maybe 30 yards," he said, shaking the bear spray canister.  (Bear spray has to be well-mixed to be effective.)

"Harumph?"  Splash. Splash.

"What do you think it is?" 

Cow parsnip in seed

"Maybe a moose," he speculated.  Of course, the temptation was strong, to turn on our headlamps and identify the creature.  Especially knowing that I love moose.  But would this simply serve to antagonize it, whatever "it" might be?

Munch.  Munch.  "Harumph?" Splash. Splash.

"What's the plan?"  I am sure that if I had been able to see anything, it would have been an eye roll from Spousal Unit.  Yes, in retrospect, a silly question.  But it was practically killing me to lie there with no idea what was lurking just 30 yards from our tent.  I almost would have preferred to know it was a grizzly bear, if that was the case.

Crash, crash, crash (the sounds of brush breaking under foot, but growing fainter).

And with that, the critter was gone.  You can rest assured that I continued to question the wisdom of backcountry camping for the next few hours, as I tried to calm myself enough to return to the land of Nod.  Eventually I succeeded, and in the clear light of day, it was as if this mysterious visit never happened!

The next morning, fortified by a cup of coffee, we ventured down the shore line.  Given its rocky nature, it was almost impossible to see any tracks, much less anything identifiable.  We could discern divots in the mud of the lake bed, but whether they were made by a moose, elk or bear was anyone's guess.  We examined the brushy area, and it was obvious that it is frequented as a route to and from the lake - the bushes have bent branches, and the smaller plants are crushed.  But again, no clear tracks.  Sigh.  No clues to the mystery here.

So we got on with our morning business - I tended the fire and started to pack up small items while Man with Hat plied the lake for fish.  It might have been too early for them, and soon enough he was back on shore for breakfast and another cup of coffee.

A second round of fishing resulted in a few nibbles and one catch, but nothing compared to the day before at Wildcat Lake.  Yes, you're right, I am telling this story completely out of sequence, but isn't grabbing the attention of your readers one of the keys to great writing?  I led with the thrilling part!

Wildcat Lake sits in a cirque surrounded by lush alpine meadow

and dark subalpine fir forest, as well as the crags of the Swan Crest

The day before, we hiked from Camp Misery (no joke - that's its name) to Wildcat Lake.  Man with Hat wasted no time in launching his pack raft, and for the next 2.5 hours, made a full circuit of the lake, hooking at least 20 fish.  He let them all go; we didn't have a good way to keep them cool for the remainder of our hike.  I pottered around the shore, taking pictures (no big shock), making noise and playing Solitaire (I won twice!)

Bottom Center: Huckleberry - leaves turning red!

Upper left - can you see the caterpillar?  Bottom left: Mountain Ash

Upper right: Wildcat Lake                Middle left: Baneberry fruit                     Bottom left: Angelica  

Bottom middle: Yellow mushroom the size of a grapefruit                        Bottom right: Jacob's Ladder in seed stage

We climbed out of the basin that contains Wildcat, and the trail led us down one draw (a narrow valley) and up another to stand above Strawberry Lake.  Along the way, we spotted a solitary mountain goat high on the cliffs above us.

Upon our descent to Strawberry, we found a few day-hikers, who soon departed to beat the sunset.  With the lake to ourselves, we chose a site at the head of the lake, on a spot of grass just the right size for our tent.  This "campground" differed from our previous sites (Logging Lake, Ole Creek, Red Eagle/Atlantic Creek) because it did not have pre-defined campsites, cooking area, food hanging pole or pit toilet.  In Jewel Basin, you have the freedom to camp where you like, but you have to work a little harder to hang your backpacks, make your own bathroom - well, you get the idea.  We followed all the guidelines for separating cooking from the tent, etc., but I wonder if it's just a coincidence that we had a close-to-a-critter encounter here and not at our other locations?

Ramen with re-hydrated vegies

The remaining daylight was quickly consumed setting up camp and making dinner.  We retired to the tent, played some Gin, (Spousal Unit won 3 out of 5), and you know the rest of that night's story!!

After we packed up camp, the 3 miles down to Strawberry Lake trailhead was almost an afterthought.  I was anxious to get home and start investigating Mr. Harumph.  Maybe I could find a similar sound on YouTube, and solve this mystery.  But it was not to be.  Despite several hours of searching, I have been unable to hear a similar grunt.  Maybe Spousal Unit is right - forget the moose, elk or bear - he's going with Sasquatch!

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. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mosaic Monday #33 - Roses, Rainbows and Reflections

Wild Rose

Our first back-country camping adventure is in the rearview mirror, and as with many events in the past, it already looks better from this perspective!  

Don't mistake me, we enjoyed many aspects of it, but the swarms of mosquitoes and the encounter with the black bear are not among them.  But as often happens, I am ahead of myself!

We left the house at 8.30 am and enjoyed a leisurely drive along the North Fork Road to the Polebridge Ranger Station to pay our remaining reservation fees and to watch the 30-minute backcountry video.  (We could afford to take our time since the hike is only 5 miles.)  And what do you know?  The Station was not staffed Monday morning - and a quick look around the grounds scared up nothing more than a pair of chipmunks hopeful for a handout.  We drove on, secure in the knowledge that we would have another chance to settle our debt on the way out of the Park.

On our way to the trailhead, we realized that another ranger station is located near it, and hoped to find a ranger there.  No such luck.  But we did discover a roomy restroom that had been freshly cleaned - always a bonus in the woods!  After parking, we began our final preparations.  Another car arrived and two couples emerged; they shared our destination, but only as a day hike.

The sun was shining and a light breeze stirred the trees as we shouldered our packs and took our first steps down the trail.

Quickly, I was struck by the wild roses in bloom.  To the left, to the right - all along the trail.  Mariposa lilies dotted the spaces in between, and sweet pea clusters peeked out from the rampant foliage.

Left: Mariposa Lily and Baldhip Rose   Right: Sweet Pea

Bunchberry is a low-growing perennial with a woody base - if it reminds you of a dogwood, it should - it's part of the dogwood family!  Stands of yellow penstemon waved to us from the prairie-like openings that were a feature of the first mile of the trail.  We walked high above Logging Creek and could hear its rushing waters through the canyon to our right.  In the distance, mountains with lingering snow reminded us that winter just left us and will be soon to return.

Upper left: Yellow Penstemon  Upper right: Bunchberry

Hind foot of a Black Bear

After a couple of miles, the trail enters a thick, brushy section that retains moisture even during the warmest days of spring.  You betcha - the perfect breeding ground for Culicidae (mosquitoes).  And the mud of the trail reveals every creature that has passed that way - human, wolf, bear ...

But it wasn't the bear paw prints or even the bear scat that made us hoof it the remaining three miles without a stop - it was Culicidae.  Even a pause for a photo brought a cloud of them onto every exposed piece of skin.  Just not worth it!

Fortunately, lakefront must be expensive land for mosquitoes, 'cause they were scarce at the campground.  We had our pick of three sites, and within 30 minutes had our camp set up.  Tent assembled, sleeping pads and pillows inflated, down sleeping bags in place.  Backpacks hung from the provided bear pole.  Good thing, because the sky was ominous and thunder rolled across the lake with increasing frequency.  It was all the excuse we needed to doze in the tent while a light rain pattered on the fly sheet.

We emerged to clearing skies as the weather moved off to the east.  A cup of coffee revived us while a gourmet dinner of chili mac reconstituted itself.  After our meal, Man with Hat tried his hand at fly fishing while I managed the campfire and wandered the campground, snapping rainbows and reflections.  Responding to a shout of joy, I rushed to capture a fish picture, but it slipped the hook.  Fortunately, another was snagged in no time, and both were attracted by flies that he had tied himself!

Dessert was Dark Chocolate Cheesecake, and I also roasted some marshmallows over the glowing embers of the fire.  An altogether satisfactory end to the day!

As the sun began to set, the mosquitoes picked up, and it was time to turn in.  I don't think I've had 8.30 pm as a bedtime since I was a teen!  Sleeping was quite comfortable, even if turning over was noisy from the inflatable pad and pillow.  Early to bed, early to rise - my phone read 6.30 am when I awoke to the birds singing, and decided it was useless to try and get back to sleep.

Man with Hat had left the tent shortly before me and already had the fire lit, and coffee underway.  I am so blessed!  The sun was working hard to break through the clouds while he fished, and I watered transplanted trees near the cooking site.

Sign says "Please help Glacier National Park restore this degraded area by watering the native plants we have

planted here."

More coffee accompanied our breakfast oatmeal, and then it was time to pack up camp.  By 9.20 we were on the trail, and this time I was well-prepared with my waterproof jacket and mosquito head cover.  I could still hear the whining buzz of the winged ones, but they couldn't find an available capillary anywhere!

So happy I could pause and take these photos.  Upper left: Canada Violet  Middle: Sticky Geranium

Upper right: Bog Orchid         Bottom:  Bear Grass

Halfway back, I thought I heard a bear grunting, and said as much to Man with Hat.  Sure enough, shortly thereafter we saw an adult black bear on the trail 30 yards ahead of us, heading in our direction.  We went back the way we came until we could no longer see it, and then went off the trail on the downhill side since it appeared it wanted to use the trail.  We shouted all the while and had our bear spray at the ready.  After 5 minutes or so, we worked our way back to the trail and it was nowhere to be seen … So glad our first real bear encounter ended well ...

Left: Groundsel    Right: Gooseberry

The pumping adrenaline took some time to wear off, and by then we were into the dry section of the trail and could stop for a drink and a snack. Before we knew it, we reached the trailhead and it felt so good to sponge off and change into dry clothes in the coolness and mosquito-free environment of the ranger station bathroom.  

We tried to pay our camping fee on the way out of the Park, but the young ranger staffing the station said "This is my first day and I am not set up yet to accept cash or credit cards."  Oh well.  So we contributed to the local economy another way by spending the money on baked goodies at the Polebridge Mercantile.

As is our custom, we stopped at a watering hole on the way home.  What is it about hiking and camping that makes everything taste so good?

Now that we're home, a friend told us that no-one camps at Logging Lake before July 1 due to mosquitoes.  Maybe now I understand why that backcountry application was so quickly approved!

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. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter