On our third day in the Belly River area, we saw a slice of paradise, and it is called Helen Lake. (See previous postfor the first two days of the camping trip.)
The day began indulgently. With no need to break camp, we could sleep in a bit. Our nephew took advantage of this, while we grabbed some coffee and headed down to Elizabeth Lake. A fellow camper told us he had just seen a moose, but there was no sign of it by the time we arrived at the beach.
Spousal Unit relished his fishing, while I enjoyed observing a plover working the shore edges. Ducks dove under the water repeatedly - could they have been fishing as well? Eventually we made our way back to camp for breakfast, and joined in a lively conversation with the three campers that had arrived late the night before. One of them was the person who had seen the moose, and I eagerly looked at the photos on his camera. They reported seeing a bear on the way in, and the lady camper showed us a brief video. We learned they live in Pittsburgh, but we still liked them after we ascertained they are not Steelers fans!
We set off for Helen Lake, sparingly loaded for the 2.6 mile trek. Once again, stunning vistas enthralled us. Abundant waterfalls threaded through avalanche chutes on their way to the valley floor. Above them, two glaciers shone down with their unique blue-white color.
On the final approach to the lake, a waterfall with a "single-lane" log bridge greeted us. It's hard to imagine something more picturesque.
Here is a video of the falls. The turquoise water sparkled and shimmered in the afternoon sunlight as the men took a dip in the crystalline lake.
This panorama shot by my nephew captures the spirit of Helen Lake, which we decided was the best part of our trip thus far.
I wandered the shoreline, taking in the pristine meadows. When I returned to the men, they suggested I point my binoculars to the distant hillside. A moose! We took turns observing it until the large mammal disappeared into a copse of trees. We lingered, and watched clouds start to scud across the mountain tops. Then, the young ranger we had met the day before appeared, and when we asked her about the weather, she noted that some lightning was in the forecast.
We headed back to camp at a steady clip, but we still got caught in the downpour. Neither man had his rain coat (breaking the first rule of mountain hiking), but even with my rain coat, I was drenched below my knees! The rain ran straight down my legs, and the heavy brush contributed enough water that my boots squelched loudly as we re-entered camp. Our nephew had run ahead since we had also left tent flaps open! We know better than to assume a sunny start to the day means it will end that way, and this was a good reminder. We got lucky that the rain didn't last long, and came straight down so that nothing inside the tents got wet. Whew!
We hung wet clothes to dry and headed to the beach. While the men fished (yes, again), the mist clung stubbornly to the mountains. But there was enough sun to dry our boots for the next morning. Nephew had the clever idea to take out the insoles, and that sped up the process.
During the fishing, Spousal Unit spotted a moose in the bay, beyond the sight line of me and my nephew. We scrambled for a better view, and my nephew captured a few still photos and a video. Two moose in one day! My cup overflowed!
That evening, two couples and a single female hiker joined the cooking circle. The two couples, one from Wisconsin and another from California, were hiking as a group and, while cordial, kept pretty much to themselves. The solo hiker seemed to need some company (and some help, such as hanging her food bag). We were intrigued (and I was privately alarmed) to learn she planned a total of 110 miles of hiking in one fell swoop. She entertained us with a number of critter stories, including one about a marmot that stole her solar charger. (She got it back by waiting for the marmot to come out of its hole and then putting her arm down there ...) As much as we wanted to hear more, we planned rising at 6 am the next day to dry our tents prior to departure, so that also meant an early bedtime. As I drifted off to sleep, visions of Helen Lake flickered before me like frames on a movie screen. It was so close to perfection that, if I hadn't seen it myself, I could have been convinced our little slice of paradise was nothing more than clever CGI.
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
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As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I
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Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join
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Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.
My goodness, the first of August! July spun past like a ride on the Scrambler at the county fair - fun, fast and leaving me just a little bit breathless! So this post will be quick and quirky - a few happy highlights from July!
Summer just isn't complete without some guacamole and a margarita (or two) to wash it down.
Spousal Unit celebrated a birthday during the month. In keeping with the fish theme, he received a new fishing rod, a reel and some new line. (Truth be told, he ordered it and I put bows on the packages!)
I am sure we are not the only couple that gives presents this way ... And then sometimes you just go ahead and get something you need want. Such as the new binoculars I bought this month!
The trail cam didn't deliver much in July, but sometimes one terrific picture is enough!
Of course, one of my posts would not be complete without a few plants ...
I think it's fitting to close with a sunset from a recent evening, kayaking with my Dear Neighbor Friend. I hope July was a sweet month for you!
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.
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.
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.
One of the many benefits of getting away from home for six days? The changes in the garden jump out! It's as though the plants have exploded in volume and color. Upon our return, even #1 Son commented on its beauty and the multitude of butterflies. I am thrilled to give you a peek into my oasis!
My fellow gardeners will not be the least bit surprised to read that the bee balm is the most significant butterfly magnet in my garden.
Of course, some species seem to prefer other plants, such as the coreopsis (upper left) or yellow penstemon (bottom).
Today, I was surprised to find a host of tiny grasshoppers hanging out on the prairie coneflower. They weren't the least bit fazed when I leaned in for the close-up.
Speaking of critters, my commitment to let nature run its course with my native plants is a strategy that seems to be paying off. The caterpillars that nibbled on the goldenrod do not seem to have had a lasting impact; if anything, the munching caused the plant to branch out and produce even more flower heads. The aphid infestation on the asters has not destroyed any part of the plant. And I wonder if, by allowing the aphids to linger on the asters and other plants, it kept them from flocking to the non-natives such as the burning bushes; the last two summers, those bushes had tell-tale leaf curl from aphids -- but not this summer.
In general, I am delighted that the garden has started to "fill in". As faithful readers will recall, we started with minimal plantings three summers ago. Through natural seeding, as well as my own strategic sowing of seeds collected from the garden, several beds have begun to take on the full, higgledy-piggledy prairie look that is my goal.
The "big picture" views excite me, and close-ups are also a source of joy.
The fence baskets and deck pots are also coming along nicely.
The rock garden near the front of the driveway is still a work in progress, and that makes sense given it has only been in place two years.
I may regret planting this lamium, a perennial from last year's baskets; they are not native and can quickly take over a bed. But for now, they provide color and interest while the rest of the plants get up and running. Just another part of my garden journey!
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.
