Images of Glacier

Avalanche Lake

 (Jack)

Today started off as it usually does.   At 6:15 dad, our chief morning guy, woke us up to a song, tickling, and poking.   He also pulled our blankets and covers off, leaving us exposed to the cold Montana morning. We groggily pulled on clothes, ate a quick breakfast that is now no more than a memory, and stumbled down to the transit center to wait for a bus to pick us up and take us to the Avalanche Creek stop. We arrived at Avalanche campground with a half hour to wait for the ranger program, so we wandered down to the lakeside, where we disturbed a stranger doing tai chi by the creek. 

Shortly, we met the ranger and set off with a group of 25 on the ranger guided ranger tour up to Avalanche Lake. It was a 4 mile round trip hike, easy, well shaded and comfortable.   We hiked through the only cedar/hemlock forest in the entire park and it was scenic and fun.   Some of the trees were 13 feet in diameter and 500 yrs. old.  The ranger wasn’t very personable which was lame, and I made a mental note to not be like that when I work at Glacier later in life.  It took us 2 and ½ hours to get the 2 miles up to the lake, due to frequent educational stops by the ranger where she told us about the ecology and geology of the area where we were hiking.  When we got to the lake, we ate our picnic on some rocks overlooking the back of BearHat Mountain.  It was really pretty and there were many waterfalls up on the peaks which surrounded us.  When we hiked back down we did it without the ranger, and the crowd, and it took less than 40 minutes.  

When we got home we relaxed and went into the village area again.  When we came back, there was an old man measuring out our campsite to see if his 36ft rig would fit. Then he asked all these questions about when we were leaving because it’s first come, first serve in Apgar campground and he wants to grab our site when we leave tomorrow.  It reminded me of that grouchy relative that we all hear about, waiting for you to die so they can get your money.   

Today ended as it usually does.  Dad just won our nightly round of National Parks Monopoly, and we are settling in for the night.  Maybe we will even hear the bagpipes again – somewhere in the campground a bagpipe master entertained us with some great music last night.  It was pretty cool.

 

First days in Glacier

Will….

        Yesterday we woke up at 6 AM because we wanted to get a spot at the Apgar Campground in West Glacier.  It is first come first serve. We did get a spot and while we made breakfast at our new spot, people circled like vultures looking for a spot. It is a nice campground -and has been full since we have been here.  We relaxed and went into the village.  We went swimming at Lake Macdonald and after dinner, we went to the Campfire program.  Ranger Liz was one of the best we have seen.  She really got into her descriptions of the nighttime animals of the park.  We really loved some of the stories she told us about skunks and the antics

      Today we slept in and I woke up at 9. We took a shuttle to Lake McDonald Lodge. We got to the shuttle station 20 minutes early but when the shuttle got to the station WE DIDN’T FIT ON IT. We had to wait 30 more minutes until another came.  When we finally got to the Lodge it was lunch, so we ate at the lodge.

         When we got back to the R.V., it was time for our scenic float trip with dinner included.  We didn’t see any wildlife but the Flathead river crystal clear and the scenery was spectacular!  Our guide Jeanette cooked us dinner and the food was excellent!   She was super nice and really personable. We swam lots even though it was really cold. It was a really cool trip.

        Our trip is going really well and everyone is safe and in good spirits. Keep commenting!!

Looking for the Sun!

Today we awoke early for our “Red Jammer” tour.  We walked the trail to the Apgar Transit Center and met our guide, Matt.  He was a fascinating man.  In the summer months, he lives in staff housing in Glacier and drives bus number 97 almost daily for a nine hour tour, chatting with passengers.  In the winter months, Matt lives in a log cabin 1 ½ hours north of Glacier, almost at the Canadian border.  During that time he lives without: electricity, modern plumbing, phone, computer and internet.   He skis 2 miles to retrieve his mail, and get to his truck in order to go “into town”.  We really enjoyed our day with him and the other 10 passengers.  Highlights included some grizzly bear sightings, and a warm cup of tea/hot chocolate at Many Glacier Lodge!

One thing that we have had trouble with since we arrived is dressing properly.  You might be scorching hot on the beach at the lower altitudes, then freezing cold in a cloud at the higher altitudes.  Well, I had a lot of wardrobe regret today!   In the rush to get out the door, and in my haste to actually look presentable, (earrings and clean shirt today), I found myself in an open top bus in the clouds in a skirt and freezing my tush off!  Yes, I am sure that I gave more than a few hearty souls a great laugh as I tried to muster a smile through clenched, chattering teeth! 

Our nine hour adventure took us all the way across the Going to the Sun Highway, from the West Entrance where we have been camping, to the East Side.  Near the East Side, we passed out of Glacier, and onto the Black Feet Indian Reservation, then back into Glacier near St. Mary’s.  The Going to the Sun Highway runs 50 miles and is very slow going.  Many sections have steep cliffs to one side, and traffic is slow and winding, especially if there is a wildlife sighting!  Our driver stopped at many locations along the highway for rest stops, leg stretching, and sightseeing.  We had an hour and a half at the Many Glacier Lodge for lunch.  From the porch, Mike and the kids were able to see a mother grizzly and her two cubs clambering up the shore opposite us.  I missed out because I was searching the gift shop for something warm to wear.  I settled on some really tall, but very goofy, brown colored socks with a bear and Glacier National Park embossed on them.   Got them out of the bag and onto my feet, then back into the bus, and what do you know, the sun came out!  (God has a great sense of humor!)

We all learned a lot today about geology, wildlife, plants and glaciers.  We are back at the campfire for dinner and roasting marshmallows.  Life is good…. 

A few pictures

Having trouble getting pictures loaded due to slow access.  Here are a few more from the past few days.  Enjoy!

The last few days...

Will….

        Friday we woke up at 6 AM because we wanted to get a spot at this campground.  It is first come first serve. We did get a spot and while we made breakfast at our new spot, people circled like vultures looking for a spot. It is a nice campground -and has been full since we have been here.  We relaxed and went into the village.  After lunch we went swimming at Lake Macdonald.  We had a very relaxing day.

      On Saturday we slept in and I woke up at 9. We took a shuttle to Lake McDonald Lodge. We got to the shuttle station 20 minutes early but when the shuttle got to the station WE DIDN’T FIT ON IT. We had to wait 30 more minutes until another came.  When we finally got to the Lodge it was lunch, so we ate at the lodge.

         When we got back to the R.V., it was time for our scenic float trip with dinner included.  We didn’t see any wildlife but the Flathead River crystal clear and the scenery was spectacular!  Our guide Jeanette cooked us dinner and the food was excellent!   She was super nice and really personable. We swam lots even though it was really cold. It was a really cool trip.

        Our trip is going really well and everyone is safe and in good spirits. Keep commenting!!

 

Emma….

Sunday was a really tiring but very fun day.  Dad came around with a wakeup call at six fifteen and we sleepily pulled on our clothes and shuffled down to the Apgar Transit Center to be there when the first shuttle bus arrived (it was the express and would allow us to get on the trail before the masses).  Upon climbing in for the one hour ride, Jack, Anna, Will, and I fell asleep against the windows and stayed that way the better part of the drive. The views we did get to see were amazing though. Our van moved slowly down the Going-to-the-Sun Road which weaves tightly on a narrow strip between a steep wall of rocks and a sheer drop to the bottom of mountains. When we arrived to the top of Logan Pass we all clambered out and promptly froze. The temperature was below fifty degrees for the first few hours we were there and we were wearing shorts and rain jackets, so you can imagine how motivated we were to hike fast and keep warm!   On both of the hikes we went out on (we stopped for hummus and olive sandwiches in between) we were able to see marmots, mountain goats, a few bighorn sheep, and lots of ground squirrels right up close to us and even some babies.   While Will and I were napping on the sidewalk, one brave little squirrel even came within a foot of our faces. The second hike wasn’t as pretty as the first but it was still amazing to look straight below you and see small cars and tiny people moving down there.   For a lot of the trail, we had to hug the side of the rock face. We had started out this morning cold and wishing for hot chocolate and ended up sweating and eating ice cream by four in the afternoon.   To end our day, we went to a ranger talk about wolverines which was super cool and then we cooked Jiffy pop over the fire.   Also, please pray for some good rain because fires are starting to rage (we saw one from the highway a few days ago in Missoula that we heard is still going) from all the dryness over here. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

The last few days...

Will….

        Friday we woke up at 6 AM because we wanted to get a spot at this campground.  It is first come first serve. We did get a spot and while we made breakfast at our new spot, people circled like vultures looking for a spot. It is a nice campground -and has been full since we have been here.  We relaxed and went into the village.  After lunch we went swimming at Lake Macdonald.  We had a very relaxing day.

      On Saturday we slept in and I woke up at 9. We took a shuttle to Lake McDonald Lodge. We got to the shuttle station 20 minutes early but when the shuttle got to the station WE DIDN’T FIT ON IT. We had to wait 30 more minutes until another came.  When we finally got to the Lodge it was lunch, so we ate at the lodge.

         When we got back to the R.V., it was time for our scenic float trip with dinner included.  We didn’t see any wildlife but the Flathead River crystal clear and the scenery was spectacular!  Our guide Jeanette cooked us dinner and the food was excellent!   She was super nice and really personable. We swam lots even though it was really cold. It was a really cool trip.

        Our trip is going really well and everyone is safe and in good spirits. Keep commenting!!

 

Emma….

Sunday was a really tiring but very fun day.  Dad came around with a wakeup call at six fifteen and we sleepily pulled on our clothes and shuffled down to the Apgar Transit Center to be there when the first shuttle bus arrived (it was the express and would allow us to get on the trail before the masses).  Upon climbing in for the one hour ride, Jack, Anna, Will, and I fell asleep against the windows and stayed that way the better part of the drive. The views we did get to see were amazing though. Our van moved slowly down the Going-to-the-Sun Road which weaves tightly on a narrow strip between a steep wall of rocks and a sheer drop to the bottom of mountains. When we arrived to the top of Logan Pass we all clambered out and promptly froze. The temperature was below fifty degrees for the first few hours we were there and we were wearing shorts and rain jackets, so you can imagine how motivated we were to hike fast and keep warm!   On both of the hikes we went out on (we stopped for hummus and olive sandwiches in between) we were able to see marmots, mountain goats, a few bighorn sheep, and lots of ground squirrels right up close to us and even some babies.   While Will and I were napping on the sidewalk, one brave little squirrel even came within a foot of our faces. The second hike wasn’t as pretty as the first but it was still amazing to look straight below you and see small cars and tiny people moving down there.   For a lot of the trail, we had to hug the side of the rock face. We had started out this morning cold and wishing for hot chocolate and ended up sweating and eating ice cream by four in the afternoon.   To end our day, we went to a ranger talk about wolverines which was super cool and then we cooked Jiffy pop over the fire.   Also, please pray for some good rain because fires are starting to rage (we saw one from the highway a few days ago in Missoula that we heard is still going) from all the dryness over here. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Will….

        Friday we woke up at 6 AM because we wanted to get a spot at this campground.  It is first come first serve. We did get a spot and while we made breakfast at our new spot, people circled like vultures looking for a spot. It is a nice campground -and has been full since we have been here.  We relaxed and went into the village.  After lunch we went swimming at Lake Macdonald.  We had a very relaxing day.

      On Saturday we slept in and I woke up at 9. We took a shuttle to Lake McDonald Lodge. We got to the shuttle station 20 minutes early but when the shuttle got to the station WE DIDN’T FIT ON IT. We had to wait 30 more minutes until another came.  When we finally got to the Lodge it was lunch, so we ate at the lodge.

         When we got back to the R.V., it was time for our scenic float trip with dinner included.  We didn’t see any wildlife but the Flathead River crystal clear and the scenery was spectacular!  Our guide Jeanette cooked us dinner and the food was excellent!   She was super nice and really personable. We swam lots even though it was really cold. It was a really cool trip.

        Our trip is going really well and everyone is safe and in good spirits. Keep commenting!!

 

Emma….

Sunday was a really tiring but very fun day.  Dad came around with a wakeup call at six fifteen and we sleepily pulled on our clothes and shuffled down to the Apgar Transit Center to be there when the first shuttle bus arrived (it was the express and would allow us to get on the trail before the masses).  Upon climbing in for the one hour ride, Jack, Anna, Will, and I fell asleep against the windows and stayed that way the better part of the drive. The views we did get to see were amazing though. Our van moved slowly down the Going-to-the-Sun Road which weaves tightly on a narrow strip between a steep wall of rocks and a sheer drop to the bottom of mountains. When we arrived to the top of Logan Pass we all clambered out and promptly froze. The temperature was below fifty degrees for the first few hours we were there and we were wearing shorts and rain jackets, so you can imagine how motivated we were to hike fast and keep warm!   On both of the hikes we went out on (we stopped for hummus and olive sandwiches in between) we were able to see marmots, mountain goats, a few bighorn sheep, and lots of ground squirrels right up close to us and even some babies.   While Will and I were napping on the sidewalk, one brave little squirrel even came within a foot of our faces. The second hike wasn’t as pretty as the first but it was still amazing to look straight below you and see small cars and tiny people moving down there.   For a lot of the trail, we had to hug the side of the rock face. We had started out this morning cold and wishing for hot chocolate and ended up sweating and eating ice cream by four in the afternoon.   To end our day, we went to a ranger talk about wolverines which was super cool and then we cooked Jiffy pop over the fire.   Also, please pray for some good rain because fires are starting to rage (we saw one from the highway a few days ago in Missoula that we heard is still going) from all the dryness over here. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Last night was one of the most memorable evenings we have had.  After cooking dinner over the fire, a huge full moon rose over the mountains, a warm but refreshing breeze picked up and despite the bright moon, lots of stars came out.  We sat around the campfire long into the night just enjoying the beauty around us.  It was amazingly peaceful.

 

This morning we arose early, ate pancakes and headed up the mountain to the entrance to the Lewis and Clark Caverns- a Montana State Park.  We left in the first guided tour group of about 36 people.  We hiked up to the entrance with our guide and headed in.  Immediately upon entering the cave, we were greeted by a small group of ~50 bats all clinging to a small outcropping above our heads.  They were moving around so were easy to pick out.  From there, we headed deeper and deeper into the cavern.  The guide was a real character- he kept telling us that he was not given much information about the caves and his only training was that he had 4 trips through the cave with a naturalist.  So he did his best to point out some of the cave features that looked like bugs bunny, Santa Claus, Romeo and Juliet, etc..  A little disappointing when compared to Carlsbad Caverns in NM, but he was certainly entertaining.  This cave required you to crawl, slide and shimmy through some of the tunnels which the kids loved.  Due to the long winters and short summers, the cave temperature was a steady 48 degrees (Carlsbad was 58)- which was very nice after the .5 mile hike to the entrance in the 85 degree sun.  Overall, it was a fun adventure and everyone enjoyed seeing all of the cool features inside the cave.

 

 

Once out of the cave, we piled back into the RV and headed for Glacier!  Well, not quite directly as we had to make a pit stop at the Walmart in Missoula, MT to stock up on jiffy pop and a few other essentials.
From there, it was another 140 miles until we reached 'Hungry Horse' MT where we grabbed a few elk burgers at the Elk Horn Cafe before arriving at our campground at 9PM.  We are 10 miles from the West entrance to Glacier and plan to head into the park early tomorrow to try and grab a first come, first serve spot in one of the campgrounds.  Not sure what kind of access we will have to the internet as we have heard it is poor but we will do our best.   Have a great weekend- we certainly will! 
Oh yeah, it is now the 26th..  Happy Birthday Tom! a few cards are on the way!

Lewis and Clark State Park, Montana

 

Last night after we set up our camp, we grilled chicken over the fire and then read until the campfire program at 9:30.  The Madison Campground has the most beautiful amphitheater in all of Yellowstone.  It faces a valley where the Madison River winds and twists around the Washburn mountain range.  It was truly spectacular.  The ranger (one of only 4 wildlife rangers in all of Yellowstone Park) had an interest in the park’s hotels, so he had put together a presentation on their history from the first hotels (shacks that held 2-4 guests) in 1870 to those built by the first concessionaires in the early 1900’s which rivaled the finest hotels in the country at the time.   It was very interesting and even the kids enjoyed it.

Today, the plan was to leave Yellowstone and head into Montana, toward Glacier.  On the way out, we stopped at the ranger station and had our two Junior Rangers finish their program and get sworn in.  We then headed to West Yellowstone, Montana, which is the town just outside the Montana entrance to Yellowstone.  There is a Grizzly and Wolf Discover Center there which we wanted to see.  It was very well done.  They had 8 Grizzly bears, and 7 wolves - all rescue animals.  The grizzlys were very cool to see.  It was also very sobering to see how quickly they moved and how powerful they were as they foraged for their food (the staff would hide their food in the enclosure and then let the bears in to find it).   Surprising one of them on the trail would be a very scary experience.   On the other side of the discovery center, they had 7 wolves.   They had excellent videos and information on the history of trying to bring the wolves back to Yellowstone.

We left there and started our trek to Glacier National Park.  The trip is about 450 miles so we decided to break it up and stop at the Lewis and Clark Caverns in Whitehall, MT.  We pulled into the state campground around 6, found a spot, and settled in for the night.  The campground is really nice and reminded us of the Dead Horse State Campground in Arizona (the first campground we stayed in on our last RV trip).  It was a beautiful area surrounded by mountains on all side with lots of space between sites.  Tomorrow, we plan to be at the cavern at 9am so we can be on the first 2-hour tour of the caves.  People here we have talked to have said the caves are very cool, similar to Carlsbad Caverns in NM, but far less commercial. 

Sunday through Tuesday

Hello everyone, apologies for not writing in a few days. The service has been spotty at best and it’s been busy as well.

 

Sunday we slept in, cooked a huge breakfast over the fire, dressed and went out on a hike; which was very entertaining.   We hiked the Storm Point Nature Trail.  It passed the shores of Indian Pond and then along the shores of Yellowstone Lake for about half the hike.  We got to eat our lunch while watching a bison from a safe vantage point, but close enough to laugh at the numerous tourons (noun, a tourist that behaves as a moron) as they drew up close to the powerful animal and took pictures at a very unsafe distance (bison are able to cover a distance of twenty five yards in less than three seconds). Luckily none of the dumb people were gored and we enjoyed a great rest of the hike.   

 

Later that afternoon, we rented a motor boat and toured Yellowstone Lake.  Everyone took turns at the wheel and we had a great time before we headed back to our campsite to cook dinner and get the fire going.  This was our last night in Bridge Bay Campground.  Around 10:45, we realized that our battery was critically low, and recalling our experience 4 years ago at the Grand Canyon, and knowing that generators are not allowed after 8pm, we decided to take a drive down by the marina to power up.  Anna called this the “Midnight Ride of our RV”, and it really did feel like that.  All the kids were already in bed.  They were all thrilled to be cruising through the park in the dark to a place where we could power up!

 

 

Tomorrow we are headed for the Canyon Village Campground.  When we made reservations on Saturday morning for Canyon, we had secured the last available spot.  All of the campgrounds had been full all week.  For Tuesday night, we are not going to make a reservation but see where the day takes us, and hope to get an available spot somewhere close to the west entrance so we can visit the Bear and Wolf Discovery Center on Wednesday morning before we head North towards Glacier.

 

Monday:   OK, so if yesterday didn’t sound all that relaxing to you, just read on to see what we found to do today.  Mike and I got up before 6, and started driving toward Roosevelt Lodge, a pretty rustic lodge in the park where President Teddy once vacationed.  We went there to meet our “Wake Up to Wildlife” tour.  The four hour tour took us in a 13 passenger historic Yellow Bus.   Our tour guide was really great, and stopped frequently to let us take pictures, look through binoculars, or peek through his scope.  It was chilly, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have him roll the roof back.   The kids piled under blankets in the back in the chilly morning air, but it was really an incredible way to see the Lamar Valley.  We saw pronghorns, bison, mule deer, great blue herons, a few mountain goats, and an osprey.  With powerful binoculars, we were able to watch the mother osprey feeding her young!

We were dropped back at Roosevelt Lodge at 11:15, and got on board our RV to eat some lunch and get changed into jeans and boots for our afternoon trail ride.   We had signed up for a two-hour trail ride that started at 12:45.  The kids were a bit disappointed that this stable wasn’t as laid back as the A-OK Corral in Jackson.  They made all kids under 18 wear a helmet.  (Anna was mad because she couldn’t wear her cowgirl hat.)  Then, the woman in charge went over all the risks, including death, and we were assigned to horses.  Anna and Will rode up front with the lead wrangler.  Mike and I rode in the middle of the pack, and Em and Jack rode toward the back.

Anna...

During horseback riding we went up and down hills.  I had a horse named Cotton.  He was cute.  It was funny because there were only boy horses.  One of the cowboys rode ahead to watch where the moose was, and be sure that the trail was safe.  We rode by and you could see a moose’s antlers sticking up out of the tall grass.  It was almost time to go back to the corral.  I was happy that our ride was almost 3 hours, but Emma and Mom and Will were walking funny when we got off the saddle!  I wish that Cotton was my horse. 

Deb.....

We left Roosevelt Corral and headed to Canyon Lodge to stay for one night.  We showered (well worth the $3.75 fee) and put in our laundry while we made dinner on the RV stove in the guest services parking lot.  (There is a lot to be said about the flexibility of RV living).   Now clean and fed, we went to check out the dessert offerings at the Canyon Lodge restaurant.  The restaurant was a cute place, with some internet access, and good desserts.  Mike had some work to tap out, but unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to get our blog sent out before our session timed out. 

Emma...

Tuesday we awoke on the earlier side and got on our way to Uncle Tom’s Point (happy birthday Uncle Tommy!!) where we met Ranger Mike and three other people for a guided ranger hike at nine. The hike was beautiful and we learned a lot about the plants and animals of Yellowstone and even saw some bison, ground squirrels, and elk walking around near us. We then returned to our RV for lunch and then back out on another hike out to Artists Point, which proved a bit disappointing due to the immense zoo scene that was taking place there but if you could ignore all the people, the view of the waterfall was nice. Shortly after, we realized that we had actually been wanting to go to a different vantage point but were headed in the wrong direction so we headed back and then down. Dad, Jack, Will, and I went down over 330 stairs and were rewarded with a beautiful close view of the falls and minimal people. The only downside was having to hustle up the stairs the whole way back up (thanks Dad ha ha). Well, it’s been a great day and will be even greater if we find a place to sleep for tonight!

 

Deb and Mike...

We left Uncle Tom’s Point, and headed west toward Madison, stopping at the Museum of the National Park Ranger.  The retired ranger on duty had worked for the NPS for more than 35 years, and at over 15 National Parks.  He said that his favorite was Bandolier in NM.  We moved on from there to see if there was any space at the Madison campground.  The ranger at Madison said that all of the parks were full, so we prayed on the way.   While we preferred a campground in the park (as it meant dinner at a reasonable time as opposed to driving another 2 hours to find one outside the park that might have space) we would be happy with whatever He gave us.

I got in line at the registration area and was asked if I had a reservation.  The sign read “full”.  I said that no, I didn’t have reservation, but could there be any cancellations?  The kind man went away for a few minutes and came back to me.  “It is your lucky day,” he said.  “An hour ago, someone cancelled for tonight."  I responded that God had sorted it out for us. 

With reservation in hand, I climbed back into our bus, and told everyone the story.  We took a minute to say a prayer of thanks.  And now we are making dinner on the campfire at a beautiful campsite in the woods.  Mike is reading Swiss Family Robinson, and all is right with the world. 

 

Sat 7-20: Geysers in action

The plan was to travel to see Old Faithful today.  Well, the day got off to an early start as Will became our own natural geyser at 5 am – a victim of the ugly norovirus that is plaguing Yellowstone National Park this summer.   Based on the warning signs in every bathroom, and a warning from friends who had already been here this summer, I thought that it might just be a matter of time until one in our family caught it.  No worries, I had already stocked up on Gatorade, Pepto Bismol, and Tums!  We drove to the Visitor Center at Old Faithful, and parked the RV.  Will and I stayed back so he could rest and recover while the others headed out on a hike up to a great vantage point to see Old Faithful go off.    With a  little TLC, I had Will back up and we headed to the viewing area to watch the geyser with the crowds.  It teased the crowd with some small bursts, and lots of steam, before putting on its show.  We all agreed that it was worth the wait.  Anna said that it was “big, huge, and beautiful”. 

After the geyser show, we met up with the rest of our crew to take a tour of Old Faithful Inn.  Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World in Florida is based on this architecturally beautiful, old-time inn.  The 45 minute tour was probably the best free thing that we have done here, except for hiking.  Our tour guide took us back in time to visit a guest room circa 1904.  She also did a great job of describing the history, including the fact that the first floor of the inn was constructed of 10,000 trees. 

 

Tonight we will be taking a sunset cruise on Yellowstone Lake right from the marina at our campground.  Should be fun!

 

Caution: Hot!

 

Yesterday we got to do some pretty amazing things at both Teton National Park and then later at Yellowstone National Park. In the early morning, the whole family got up and dressed (very warmly because the mornings here are about forty degrees) and headed out to the marina in Teton. Boarding a motorboat, we went on a half hour narrated boat cruise and had breakfast out on Elk Island. After breakfast we took a short hike, climbed back on the boat for an interesting narrative, and prepared to leave for Yellowstone as soon as we got back. As you can imagine, there is a certain level of difficulty involved in the Dionne family leaving a campsite so we all had to pitch in to throw groceries wherever they fit, run the trash and recycle out, pack up the twenty pairs of shoes, and there was always someone yelling something along the lines of, “Dad! I don’t think you can drive with the awning out”. So with some minor delays, we were on our way to Yellowstone. We arrived and had a quick lunch in the parking lot and then we decided to go on a small hike in the West Thumb Geothermal Geyser Park. It was very hot and the pretty blue pools looked so cool and refreshing that I almost wanted to jump right in. Of course, had I done that, I’d have no skin left and I would be dead. Unfortunately we didn’t see any animals near the features but the Ranger talk made up for it. My favorite parts to see were the Cones and the Painters Pots. The Cones looked like moon craters with colored water in them and people used to catch a fish and dip it in the Fishing Cone to cook it! There was even a footprint from the early 1900s to prove it. The painters pots were really pretty colored pools of mineral water and I loved seeing all of them. After returning to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire, we read Swiss Family Robinson and snuggled into bed.

 

Happy Birthday!

        

  Today was my birthday. We went on a 5 mile hike. Before that we had pancakes for breakfast and my dad made me a giant “cake”. On the hike we saw a doe deer with her fawn and a raven. We also saw a trumpeter swan in Swan Lake and a heron in Heron Pond. We also thought that we saw bear claw marks on trees and then realized that they were made by porcupines climbing up. We had to be careful, because although they are good climbers they have been known to fall out of trees. Anna had a little trouble during the hike. (Well, more than a little.) We had forgotten the spray fan that mists and fans. Luckily, we had quench gum that kept her going.

       After the hike we went swimming on the beach. It was the same beach that we went on yesterday. It was about 70 degrees in the water. Mom, Dad, and Anna went to a bear talk while Emma, Jack, and I stayed on the beach reading until 4:30 when the talk was over. We went down to the marina and met up with the other three. Then Dad, Emma, Jack and I tried to rent a boat. It turned out that outside of the cove the wind was blowing at 25 miles an hour. The wind was making 3 ft. white caps.  Mom claimed that it wasn’t something my dad couldn’t handle. Captain Stubing was a captain after all. We called mom and didn’t get an answer when we realized that she must have had the other walkie-

talkie off so we went into the grocery store. 

 We bought some ice cream to celebrate my birthday. (July is national ice cream month according to Hagen Daaz.) We got back to the R.V. when Dad remembered that mom had the keys. We needed to get into the R.V. because we had melting ice cream. I knew how urgent this situation was so I started thinking of another way in. I walked around the R.V. and saw an open window. I remembered that our friends got into their R.V. by going in through the window. You guessed it. We sent Jack through and got the ice cream into the freezer. My birthday was spectacular! J

 

PS- We are heading into Yellowstone tomorrow.  We have heard cell reception is so-so, but there is no data coverage so we may not be able to post for a few days.  Will update you when we can.

                    

Tuesday (the rest of the story) and Wedneday

Before we went to town yesterday we went horseback riding.   Jack rode Jill;  Will rode Lincoln;  Emma rode Apple Jack; I rode Big Dan.  My favorite part was when we went down a hill. Big Dan trotted up every mini hill.  Emma’s horse gassed a lot.  Mom’s horse liked to stop and eat the tasty tall grass. It was so much fun!

 

July 16^th:

Today we left our friends as they headed towards Park City and we headed the North end of Teton National Park.  We arrived at Colter Bay RV park and campground around Noon.  It is a very large site directly on Jackson Lake, the largest lake in the Grand Teton National Park.  We decided not to hike today but instead, to check out the park amenities and then head to the beach to swim and plan the next few days.  While this beach did not offer soft sand, the lake temperature was perfect and the view…well…heavenly is the only word that comes close.

 

Jackson Hole Fun

(this is jack)

Yesterday, after horse back riding, we walked around Jackson Hole with our friends the Policellis.

We stumbled across "the new west knife works", CAUTION EXTREMELY SHARP. We walked in and the two friendly workers let us try anything from the handcrafted double-headed axes, to switch blade stilettos (a thin bladed knife). As we poked around the guys working the place brought out 3 tomahawks and a bunch of throwing knives. they encouraged us to try them in the alley adjacent to the shop. Naturally, we accepted their generous offer. In the alley, they had set up a massive tree trunk to throw at. We tried the tomahawks first and LOVED them. Anna tried the throwing knives and will and I went with both. As we tried out our new talents, the guy watching us told us to not  kill each other and walked in to the shop, leaving a 7,8,10, and a 13 year old, throwing weapons in an alley. It was so much fun, no waiver to sign, just the Wyoming way of, you hurt yourself doing something dumb, its not our fault. I liked that policy quite a bit. Of course we loved throwing so much, Will and I each bought a "hawk" and shipped it home. Where else but Jackson Hole, Wyoming could kids have as much fun as that?

Teton Village

Spent the afternoon of the 14th in Teton Village.  What a cool place.  Skiing looks like it is not for the faint of heart.  Took the tram to the top- 10,000+ ft.

Finished the day with dinner and s'mores around the campfire.

Today, we headed to Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park.  We took the ferry across the lake and hiked from there.  Some amazing views in the shadow of the 'Grand Teton' standing over 13,000 feet high.

Some of us continued hiking through Cascade Canyon and were treated to a spectacular sight...

After hiking down, we took a very refreshing swim in Lake Jenny and then headed to Jackson Hole for a Covered Wagon dinner show.   An amazing miracle happened on the covered wagon ride up through the canyon.  Aidan, the 7 year old son of the friends we are traveling with, had an asthma attack from the dust and horses.  None of us had an inhaler with us and he was starting to struggle to breathe.  Wouldn't you know, a doctor was sitting across from him and noticed that he was struggling.  He 'just happened' to have an inhaler on him and gave it to his parents along with instructions to help get him breathing normally.  A big Thanks to God for sending him our way!
Aidan was back on his feet and playing with the rest of the gang within 30 minutes.

 

A perfect end to a perfect day!