"I'm twitching," Bob said. On a recent Saturday, a group of Ambassadors gathered for lunch break, sitting at socially-distanced intervals around the table. Somehow, the talk had migrated to fishing. "In July, my feet twitch for ski season. Right now, my arms are twitching for fly fishing." All of us nodded in understanding, and the room grew quiet, each person lost in thoughts of spring and summer. Images of flowers and long summer days blossomed in my mind's eye. It inspired me to take a break from winter and highlight a hike. I could have chosen any one of 50 hikes, but I certainly needed one with more than a monochromatic palette. So, here we go: this is Entry 35 in my Hiking Journal - May 21, 2018 - the Boundary Trail from West Glacier Old Bridge to Lincoln Creek, 10 miles round trip. Enjoy!
We immediately learned that the "Old Bridge" is called the Belton Bridge. Built in 1920 to replace an unsafe wooden truss bridge, the Belton Bridge served as the primary entrance into Glacier National Park for nearly two decades. You can click on the photo below to read more details.
We crossed the bridge and headed east. Much of the Boundary Trail meanders along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, offering mesmerizing views. In May, the river is high with snow melt, and brown with silt. Later in the summer, it is clear or even blue from glacial flour and the rocks on the river bed. (June of 1964 saw the worst flooding in Montana in recorded history. Bridges, dams, towns and railroads were all dramatically effected. The west side of Glacier was cut off and isolated. If not for the concrete arch of the old Belton Bridge, it might have been months or years before access could be restored. Heroic efforts after the flood quickly constructed a new bridge on the existing concrete arch and the west side of the Park was re-opened in only 3 weeks. Meanwhile, it took two years to re-build the bridge at West Glacier and restore that entrance to the Park.)
Spring flowers abounded along the trail: Wild Strawberry, Biscuitroot, Serviceberry, Trillium, Blue Violet, Fairybells, Blue-eyed Mary, False Solomon Seal, to name a few. I was delighted to find a number of my favorite orchids, the Fairy Slipper (also known as Calypso Orchid) (see picture at left). In 2018, I still had a lot to learn about the flora of Northwest Montana. In my journal, I note one plant as "unidentified". Now I can tell you that it was Wild Sarsaparilla. The roots were used by Native Americans and pioneers as a beverage flavoring. Native Americans also used a poultice of wild sarsaparilla to treat fevers, stomachaches, coughs and skin ulcers. (Sarsaparilla is also the common name of a soft drink that was trendy in the 1800s. Contrary to popular belief, the drink was made from another plant called sassafras.) I had seen plenty of sarsaparilla on our hikes, but it wasn't until I spotted the flowers underneath that I was able to make the identification.
Occasionally, I come across an uncommon plant, and that is a cause for celebration. On this day, I was over the moon to meet the Striped Coralroot, a member of the Orchid Family. This plant was the only one we saw on the entire trail (5 miles one way), and I have rarely seen it since. It is a parasite that gets its nutrients from soil fungi and dies when removed from this association. Therefore, they are rarely cultivated or transplanted successfully.
The Striped Coralroot prefers a moist soil, so it is not surprising that a stream with a waterfall was nearby.
The trail began to climb more steeply, leading us up and away from the river. As the terrain changed, so did the flowers.
We reached a plateau, and we were fascinated by this stand of lodgepole pine, reaching to the heavens. Lodgepole typically grow up in thick stands, whereas this area appeared to have been thinned in a systematic manner. Thinning is not a normal practice by the National Park Service, so we wondered how this happened. It is still a mystery to us!
Shortly after this point, we arrived at Lincoln Creek and its swing bridge. A sign warned that only one hiker should cross at a time. We followed that advice!
On the return, we saw a train snaking its way along the tracks on the other side of the river. Burlington Northern Santa Fe has a good safety record; anyone who loves Glacier National Park would abhor an accident that would spill oil or other harmful products into the river.
Sometimes, on the return journey, you see views you did not catch the first time. Isn't this a beauty?
Yep, I am twitching. But this post will have to scratch that itch for now - mid-May and hiking the trails is a long way off!
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.
January 2021 is treating me well. From winter recreation to Whitefish Winter Carnival merriment to the invigorating inauguration of President Biden, I have a myriad of reasons for celebration.
La Nina may not have delivered the mounds of snow that we expected, but we have enough to support our winter sports, including downhill and cross-country skiing. And it's only January 24; lots of "winter" remains!!!
Last week brought a wild wind storm that tumbled trees and power lines, knocking out power across the valley. We were fortunate to be without electricity for only a few hours; some waited a couple of days! We have newly resolved to purchase a generator.
Whitefish has been the home of the Whitefish Winter Carnival for over 60 years, and I have been fortunate to be involved since the fall of 2019. My main responsibility has been the design and sale of the Carnival buttons, a role I share with another Board member. This year, none of our traditional events will be held as a safety precaution. (If you need a refresher, I wrote extensively about the final weekend of 2020 Carnival in my February 16, 2020 post. My March 2, 2018 post explains many of the other traditions.) This presented an opportunity for the Board to find creative ways to keep the spirit of Carnival alive. The theme SURVIVOR was chosen, and this opened the door to brainstorm "challenges" that could be entertaining and safe. (If you have ever watched the show, you know contestants have to participate in various challenges.)
The community has enthusiastically responded - businesses have helped create and conduct challenges, and people have jumped at the chance for distraction and prizes! To mention just a few: The Great Toilet Paper Challenge required participants to guess the number of toilet paper rolls in the shop window at Imagination Station. The Virtual Penguin Plunge raises money for Special Olympics; by February 6, teams will film themselves "freezin' for a reason" - I surmise this could take many forms! The Stumptown Art Studio is hosting Technicolor Yeti, a ornament painting contest. Double the Bubble, Double the Fun is sponsored by Sage & Cedar; competitors will estimate the number of soap slices sold in 2020. First place wins this stuffed yeti and a slice of soap!
Given my role selling buttons to the businesses, it quickly evolved that I became heavily engaged in coordinating quite a few of the challenges. Imagine my delight when, for my contribution "to the realm", I was knighted last week. The Executive Director of the Museum where I volunteer lured me there early, with the ruse of a special project. Little did I know that the royalty was gathering nearby. I am not on the Board for the recognition, but it is wonderful to be appreciated! (During a knighting, the Prime Minister reads the scroll, King Ullr performs the knighting, and the Queen of the Snows places the ribbon on the new "liege of the realm". The knight is also presented with pins from the King and Prime.) I was so surprised, I was crying - masks are good for more than just viruses!
January has been a historic month in the US for several reasons; for diehard Cleveland Browns fans, the 2020-2021 season marked the first time in 18 years that their beloved team made it to the playoffs! With great anticipation, we gathered around the big screen on January 10 for the match-up with the Steelers. There is no love lost between these long-time rivals, and almost no one was predicting that the Browns could win. But win they did, 48-37. Such vindication, especially considering the head coach, Kevin Stefanski, was sequestered in the basement of his house due to COVID exposure. The following week, we battled with the Kansas City Chiefs, and eventually succumbed 22-17. I think I speak for all the fans when I write that we are very pleased with the season, and are ready for even greater things next season!
Mid-month, I was tickled to get a text from a neighbor, offering us fresh eggs. Together with her husband, she is on 28-day cleanse and couldn't use the abundance produced by her hens. It was fabulous to find this basket on our front porch the next morning; eggs in many colors and sizes, some of them practically luminous. And you know the taste is so much richer and deeper than store eggs!
A friend of ours from Cleveland came for a week-long visit; he just departed yesterday. I have christened Tim the "Best Guest from the Midwest" - he is generous to a fault, and helps around the house during his stay. Apart from our kids, he has been our most frequent visitor and the next time he comes, I will probably have a sign on the guest room door that reads "Tim's Room".
The day we visited Kootenai Falls, a train passed by and our waving prompted the engineer to blow the horn. I love trains!
The month has also seen other blissful moments. The storm I mentioned at the beginning of this post shredded my moose flag beyond further repair, so I purchased a new one. A Christmas gift I ordered for Spousal Unit (chocolate liqueurs) finally arrived. Deer by the creek, captured on my trail cam. A sunrise over Whitefish Mountain Resort on the way to work. The sparkle of a million snowflakes, glistening in the meadow as I ski with Dear Neighbor Friend. We all have our problems, and the world certainly does, but at these times, I am filled with cheer and optimism.
I will leave you with one final video. Winter Carnival conducted a Songwriter's Challenge, with several terrific entries. The winner, "Wake Me" by Big Sky City Lights, is a showcase for the talent that thrives in the Flathead Valley. It is a song about hope, about the journey. It is simple, with a hauntingly beautiful melody. Set in a Montana barn with light snow falling, it gently encourages us - it is "time to start living".
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.
