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.