Rocky Mountain High – Montana

Well, it certainly has been a wonderful 3 days here in Glacier National Park.  The sun has been fully shining with cool morning temps running in mid 50’s and the afternoon temps jumping up into the mid to upper 80’s.  It’s very dry here too.  Considering this and the number of people, which is nothing like Jasper or Banff by the way, my days have been going something like this:  Rising early to see some sights and hit a trailhead before the bear bell wearing masses arrive, enjoy a lovely hike with reasonable solitude, go back to Dora to walk and hang out with the dogs, fix a bite to eat and head over to the Outdoor Center where I met Mr. Eyes who has yet to make a second appearance.  After using their complimentary internet, I have been heading back to fetch up the dogs, bathing suit, towel, and reading material and walk the 5 minutes it takes to get from Dora to Lake McDonald where we swim, sun, and relax in the afternoon heat.  After depositing the dogs back at home, I grab my bike and tool around the hood for awhile seeing what I can see then head on home for the evening.

I find this to be a very acceptable schedule.

Tomorrow morning we’ll pull stakes and head down to Missoula and the Lolo Pass where I will play Lewis and Clark for a couple of days before working my way over to Yellowstone where I actually have reservations (if you can believe it).  I’ve really been looking forward to visiting Missoula and Lolo Pass as I’ve been reading a little bit about the Lewis & Clark Expedition and find it most interesting.  I don’t have much time this go round, but I can see coming back to spend a good bit of time wandering around the great pioneering trails of the Midwest.  Fascinating.

Below I’ve included some photos of my time here in Glacier.  Enjoy!

This first shot was taken on the Going To The Sun Road which cuts across the Park from Lake McDonald to St. Mary’s Lake on the other side.

This is Hidden Lake and is taken from the trail before it drops down to the lake.  Hidden Lake is accessed from the high pass called Logan Pass.

Another shot of Hidden Lake.  The water in the park is unbelievably clear.

Logan Pass on the way out to Hidden Lake.

I saw a band of Mountain Goats on the way out to the lake.  Is it a band?  I know it’s a band of sheep, but I’m not sure about goats.

Gaggle of Geese.  Pack of Wolves.  Litter of Kittens.  Herd of Elephants.  Pod of Whales.  Murder of Crows….

And shortly after the goats came the Big Horned Sheep.  Please notice the guy lying down in front.  He has what they call a “full curl”.

These guys were a good distance away, but I had my “Africa” camera, so was able to zoom in.

And this is Lake McDonald where I would spend my afternoons.

And finally, the Montana State Flower.  Indian Paintbrush.

Oh, I can’t end on a flippin’ flower, so I’ll throw this next one in.  Also, I remembered, it is a herd of goats, not a band of goats.

Cheerio!