Getting my (camping) mojo on!

March 15 marks the day we can enter a lottery for back-country camping reservations in Glacier National Park, and I am caught up in memories of picturesque pit toilets, gourmet meals on a camp stove and wine as an end-of-hike treat.  What better way to celebrate this moment than to highlight an epic trip from last year?  Hoist your backpack and come along with me!

My nephew and his girlfriend embarked on this pilgrimage with us, an epic trip covering 37.3 miles and 10,090 feet of elevation gain in the first 4 days of August 2023.

Does it look like we left the house at 4.45 am?  That's what you do when you want to make sure to get a parking spot in Glacier National Park!  Here we are, fortified with breakfast burritos and ready to go at 7.15 am!

This is Mineral Creek with Heavens Peak in the background.  Below is a picture of my nephew on a seasonal bridge - this means that every fall the Park Service takes it down, and every spring it is re-installed.  From this point, the trail rises to Flattop Mountain, and along the way we passed through the thickest huckleberry bushes we have ever seen, and every one was laden with luscious fat hucks.  We already have a plan to return here this summer!

As we reached the plateau that is Flattop Mountain, a delightful waterfall (see video below) greeted us and provided soothing pools for our feet in the afternoon heat of August.

Not long after, we arrived at the campground.  My nephew, in the lead at the time, shouted "I see a pit toilet!"

A forest fire that went through this area (in 2005, I believe) meant there was little shade to be had.  Flattop Creek had a few trees, and cooling waters - a pleasant respite from the relentless Montana sun.  The flowers thrive there too!

We closed the day with a few hands of cards, and a chicken and curried rice dinner, a specialty prepared by the father of our nephew's girlfriend.  Delicious!

Day 2: since the day held only 7 miles of hiking and the least elevation gain of the trip, we had a leisurely start.  The crisp morning gave way to shorts and light shirts as the sun moved overhead and numerous jagged mountains came into view. Around the cooking area that night, a Park Ranger would tell us that the area is called Fifty Mountain because you can see fifty peaks on a clear day!

 Getting closer.

We paused at this dry creekbed for a break, and I couldn't stop taking pictures of the flowers that lined its banks in undulating waves of Arnica yellow and Aster purple, with an occasional splash of Paintbrush red.

August in the high country can pose water supply challenges, and although we had verified with the back country office that water is available at Fifty Mountain campground, hearing it first-hand from a fellow camper is priceless.  Three fellows described the location of the water source in detail, which enabled us to choose the prime campsite when we arrived to a deserted campground.  Hubby and I came up empty with our goat observations, while the other two went on an excursion.  As the sun dropped, more hikers arrived until 3 of the 4 sites were taken.  The latest arrivals were making quite a racket until Spousal Unit got of our tent to hush them up!  We wouldn't normally do that, but we had our sights set on an early morning departure, and we needed some shut-eye.

Day 3: the moon hung over the cooking area/food hang when we emerged at 6 am, planning for a 7.30 am start.  It must have been the slow gas canister, or watching the pot boil, that turned into an 8.15 am kickoff!  As we trekked the 12.5 miles and 3,283 feet of elevation gain that day, we were easily distracted by the jaw-dropping views around every twist in the trail.

Up we go.

 Toward Cattle Queen Creek.

This waterfall came right out of the rock!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Can you see my nephew and his girlfriend standing the creek-bed of Cattle Queen Creek?  And he is 6 feet 7 - these mountains are GRAND!

If you look carefully at the photo below, you can see a trail descending the far mountain - we came from over there!

In 2021, I wrote several posts about our first Glacier hiking trip with my nephew (July 25, 2021, August 8, 2021 and August 15, 2021).  In the August 8 post, Helen Lake - a veritable slice of paradise - was featured.  Wouldn't you know that this current hike offered a spur with an overlook of Helen Lake?

And did I mention it was our anniversary?

It may not be apparent from the photo, but the overlook was peppered with about 20 people, more than we had seen in the previous 48 hours!  We were tickled that we timed our departure to have this refreshing stream to ourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

We were glad of cool feet as we finished our ascent to the Granite Park campground, arriving around 4.30.

Water was scarce there - we had to walk upstream quite a ways to find even a few small pools.

We weren't late to bed - as they say, early to bed, early to rise!

Day 4: We improved our process, and we left camp 25 minutes earlier than the day before.  Our destination?  Swiftcurrent Lookout, almost 2,200 feet of elevation in a couple of miles!!!  And why?  For goat observations, of course.  And for the views.  Except, the day dawned with low clouds and rolling mist.

 

It was surreal and a tad disconcerting to see my hiking partners disappear into the clouds.

 

 

 

 

 

Momentarily, the Lookout peeked out from the mist. (It's the little square on the top of the mountain.)

Check out this video of the clouds rolling over the mountains.

Despite the mist, we were able to observe 3 goats.  Yippee!  

And even more special, a little pika entertained us at the lookout.  We heard a squeaking among the rocks, and a little patience earned us a photo of this adorable critter.

And then it was down, down, down to the Loop, our starting point three days before.  In August, the last three miles are a dusty, dry, downhill slog - the views don't change and you are ready to be done.  Inevitably, we see people on this stretch who are dehydrated and not faring well.  We gave them electrolyte tablets and a bottle of glucose water and advice to take it slow.  Almost everyone rejoices with a splash in the pool below the bridge, just a quarter mile from the parking lot.  We add some adult beverages to round out the picture!

So, here's to winning another extraordinary back-country trip in Glacier!

*****

Joining LeeAnna's I Like Thursday.  Prompt this week: "What is your favorite spring flower?  Do you try to grow them in your house or yard?"  Since moving to Montana, my favorite is the Glacier Lily.  I have a few in my yard, but they occur naturally - I have not made any attempt to plant more.  Maybe in the future, someone will get to see a blanket of them in my yard, such as the picture below, taken on Beartrap Mountain in May 2017.  Happy Spring everyone!

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Mosaic Monday #94: Family Fun

Hello everyone - thanks for returning after a week's break from Mosaic Monday! The visit from #1 Daughter and her boyfriend was memorable, and extra special since #1 Son is already here and joined in the frolic when he wasn't occupied with job search activities.  On their first day, it was already mid-afternoon by the time we got home from the airport, so we made no plans other than showing The Boyfriend around the house and property.  Vacation calorie intake began in earnest with a afternoon snack of huckleberry pie and ice cream.  (And of course, Head Chef prepared a dinner fit for kings - ribs, smoked turkey, cornbread, salad.)

As we planned the activities for their visit, the duo asked us to challenge them physically.  "Wear us out," The Boyfriend said.  So, the next day, the Montana workout began.  Kayaking on the river sounds simple enough, but it requires logistics such as dropping off one vehicle at the takeout point, and ensuring that the right gear is in the correct vehicle.  We managed to get all five of us out of the house on time, but the takeout point was not well-marked, and we arrived at our first destination, Polebridge, with 2 rigs.  Oh well.  Not the end of the world.  We snagged some home-made baked goods from the famous Polebridge Mercantile, settled all of us into one vehicle and drove the short six miles to Bowman Lake.  Its spectacular surroundings never get old.

We backtracked to the put-in point near Polebridge, and left the "kids" to inflate the kayaks and pack raft while Spousal Unit and I took his truck to the takeout at Coal Creek.  A Mercantile member of staff gave us directions, and in no time we had returned to inspect the boats and were ready to float nine miles of the North Fork of the Flathead River.  At this time of year, low water means rocks and log jams are nearer to the surface, requiring vigilance and carefully chosen channels.  Early in the trip, Spousal Unit and #1 Daughter collided with a tree and tipped over, but in such shallow water that it was not a major event.  It was a warm, blue-sky day and we made one stop to swim.  

We had hoped for smoke-free skies during their stay, and we got our wish.  Haze can make for interesting sunsets, but I would prefer my air without particulate!  That night we enjoyed tasty lasagne on the deck, with an ever-changing sky for entertainment.

On Day 2, Spousal Unit and The Boyfriend went fishing while #1 Daughter and I engaged in retail therapy followed by a picnic at the beach.  In keeping with the "workout" theme, fishing entailed a 2.5 mile hike (one way) to Lupine Lake, and paddling a pack raft as needed throughout the day.  Lifting a margarita at the beach was a little less strenuous!!!  The Boyfriend caught a half-dozen fish, and perhaps more importantly (from my perspective), he saw a bull moose on the way to the trailhead.  We call that visitor's luck!!!

Now, Day 3 would be the true test.  Destination: the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park.   13.4 miles and 2700 feet elevation gain.  I have written about this hike in a previous post, in which I note that we left the house at 6.45 AM in order to secure a parking spot at the Loop and catch a shuttle.  That was 2017 and this is 2020 - departure was advanced to 5.30 AM.  Glacier has become an extremely popular place, and the fact that half of the Park is closed has exacerbated parking issues.  Even with 45 extra minutes, we still experienced parking challenges!  But, as always, it was worth the anxiety. 

It was lightly raining as we began our adventure; later in the day, with the hot sun and dusty trail conditions, we would have welcomed that precipitation!  Immediately, the hike began to deliver on our expectations, with a mountain goat, massive cliffs, and abundant flowers along the Garden Wall.  It had been at least 10 years since #1 Daughter had done this hike, so both members of the duo could be heard exclaiming over the beauty, or shaking their heads at the wonder of the views.

Although this was my fourth time experiencing the Highline, we typically go earlier in the summer.  I was fascinated by the difference in the flowers one month later in the season. 

This hike offered another first for all of us - the Grinnell Glacier Overlook.  After seven miles, intrepid explorers have the "opportunity" to ascend more than 900 feet in less than nine-tenths of a mile.  In keeping with the challenge to "wear us out", it was a no-brainer.  The climb is mostly steady, but there are sections that are very steep.  I am pretty sure that we were pausing to catch our breath rather than letting other people have the right-of-way as they descended the narrow path that pitches straight down if you take a wrong step!  And here is the reward!

You may have already noticed the lack of other people in my photos.  Trust me, that requires some patience and some camera agility.  The Highline Trail is an incredibly popular hike; I would guess that we shared it with at least 250 people that day.  And yet, you can still reliably see wildlife - goats, marmots, bighorn sheep.  And this time, we saw a new animal for me - a pika.  No picture, but so adorable!

Shortly after our descent from the Grinnell Glacier Overlook Trail, we arrived at the Granite Park Chalet.  The west side of the building offered the only shade, and we sank onto the benches for a well-earned break.  Built 1914-1915 by the Great Northern Railway to provide comfortable back country accommodations, it was the last chalet constructed by the railroad.  Listed as a National Historic Landmark, it is one of only two back country chalets that have survived and it continues to provide lodging to adventurers from around the world.

Are you still with me?  Yep, now you know how the duo felt.  Four miles of down, down, down still remained to close out this hike.  But along the way, you earn fabulous views of the terrain that we had already traversed.  Can you see the faint line in the center of the picture below?  That is the trail to Grinnell Glacier Overlook.

Would a close-up help?

The switchbacks seemed endless and only the thought of the creek at the end kept the team moving.  Upon arrival, all of us threw off our boots and socks and plunged knee-deep into the glacier-cold water.  Aaahhh.  The Boyfriend didn't hesitate to go all the way in - after all, ice baths are de rigueur for athletes!  He was smiling even as he professed that the trail had "kicked his patootie".   Mission accomplished!  

Even pro athletes need rest days, and as master vacation planners, we had the forethought to schedule nothing for Day 4.  Some folks caught up on podcasts, or read a book.  The kids raided the toy closet and we played Scattergories, Sequence and Euchre.  I recently began a new cross-stitch project that will become a throw pillow for #1 Daughter and The Boyfriend.  What a treat to sit on the deck and stitch!  We closed out the evening around the firepit, with s'mores to boot.  

And suddenly, we only had one full day remaining.  Day 5 began with a short (2.7 miles one way) but technical hike to Leigh Lake.  Steep sections and rock scrambles keep your focus sharp!  (Spousal Unit and I completed this trail on May 9 and it was covered with snow.  So watch for a future post with comparison shots.)  For this post, I will just show you the family shot at the lake, courtesy of a fellow hiker.

From there, it's a short ride down the road to Kootenai Falls and the Swinging Bridge.  Once again, it was a warm day and the cool waters of the river were a welcome respite.  We marveled at the falls, once the site of filming for the River Wild.  The water flow seemed higher than normal, and I said the same, reflecting that it is odd for the time of year.  Upon further thought, it must mean that they are releasing more water from the dam upstream.  Check out the video.

#1 Daughter and I enjoyed ice creams as Spousal Unit drove home.  Ah, summer!  The duo treated us to dinner that night at the Kila Pub, and everyone was sleepy by the time we pulled into our driveway.  Sigh, the end of another family visit.  My only consolation is that I am sure the mountains will soon be calling them back!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

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