Glacier NP

We were driving northwards through the Gallatin NF after getting up close to the Grizzlies at the Discovery Centre in West Yellowstone. It was a lovely scenic road where every now and then we’d get glimpses of trout fisherman casting their flies along the river.

Grizzly at the Discovery Centre

Then a decision was made easy for us about whether to arrive at the East or West side of Glacier when we read vehicles over 21 feet were prohibited from driving over Logan Pass.

Going to the Sun Road "Logan Pass"

Arriving in Glacier NP we got a sense that it’s beautiful, tranquil scenery belied a wild and rugged side. The impact of last winter’s epic snow fall was still being felt. Road works were under way and with such a short season it seemed impossible they would have it completed before the onset of winter.  Sperry Chalet was already closed for repairs due to avalanche damage and all available Rangers we searching for a hiker….missing for 3 days.

Tranquil beauty

A sign at the campground suddenly had my mind reeling, it read “Avalanche Campground will close after Labour Day”. Wow, I wasn’t prepared to start thinking about the end of our journey just yet. Then another sign “Shuttle buses will cease service after Labour Day”. With this in mind we began to explore the East side first.

We called into the back country office and walked out with lots to think about. Did we want to navigate our way over an avalanche to get to the campsite, the ranger commented hikers were getting lost trying to go around and some had injured themselves scrambling over. A bridge was out and the river would have to be forded around thigh deep. The pass was still covered in snow and more snow was forecast in the next few days. Trail closures limited our options due to a bear encounter and lots of bear sightings. Taking it all in, it occurred to me, this could be the makings of a survival tale. It didn’t take long to come up with a new plan.

Since we were camped at Avalanche Campground we decided to join a Ranger led walk out to Avalanche Lake. Douglas, our spritely 85 years young Ranger led us through thick Cedar and Hemlock forests out to the lake while entertaining us with interesting snippets from his 50 years of life as a park ranger.

Avalanche Lake

The next morning we arrived in time to catch the 7.15 express to Logan Pass. It was one of those perfect sunny days as we made our way up to Siyeh Pass. Along the way we could hear hikers ahead discussing treats of home made goodies which had us thinking we should join them as our trail mix and biscuits didn’t seem nearly as interesting. Upon reaching the Pass we were rewarded with expansive views of Glaciers and Lake Mary. One of the best things about the day was on the way down we came across some very pickable Huckleberries…!!

The following morning we had the same routine up to Logan Pass. This time we were going to hike the Highline trail. As we stepped off the bus we were blasted with a cold wind and grey cloud that looked like at any moment it would snow.  We set off hastily wearing our beanies and wind jackets that was only just keeping us warm. It turned out to be a short hike because an avalanche during the night had closed the trail. While deciding how to spend the rest of the day we walked out to the overlook.....it started to snow. Bear sightings had closed the trail down to Hidden Lake and so we sheltered behind some rocks sipping hot chocolate to try to warm up.



Enjoying the elements as we walked out to Hidden Lake overlook

It was time to head to warmer temperatures so we caught the bus down to Mary’s Lake where we hiked out to some very scenic waterfalls.

Ever since Colorado I had been talking about going for a horse ride and today was the day we got to saddle up. We made our way to the horse corral and in no time John was sitting on Big Red and I was sitting on Nick.



All saddled up and ready to go...

Then in a cloud of dust we set off on our 7 mile ride up to Sperry Chalet. It was a very relaxing riding up through the forests and crossing streams and with the valley below opening out before us we reached the top. It was time for lunch.......but by now our legs had stiffened up and faint cries of pain could be heard echoing through the mountains as we stumbled off our horses. We were joined by a goat as we made our way over to the cliff to eat our lunch. We quickly realised that our uninvited guest was as intent on eating our goodies as we were and only the more persistent was going to eat......!!

Don't mess with me....check out my horns...

Then making our way back down we realised 14 miles in the saddle had been a bit ambitious for our first ride and we were really......really glad to arrive back at the horse corral.

Trail leading up to Sperry Chalet

Before leaving Glacier NP John got to celebrate his Birthday. Thinking about how we would have celebrated compared to finding ourselves in this beautiful wild wilderness was poles apart but equally amazing. Birthday wishes from family and friends and the phone call from wonderful friends house sitting in Asia really made his day memorable.

Celebrating John's Birthday

Yellowstone - Thermal Features

Old Faithful Inn

The wood creaked as we climbed the steps and walked around the balcony inside Old Faithful Inn. Then with a Latte in hand we went out to the verandah to relax, write post cards and to take in the view.  It wasn't long before Old Faithful began to erupt.





Old Faithful erupting

We were in the hot spot for seeing thermal springs, geysers, mud pots and fumaroles....and I wanted to see them all.....much to John's chagrin.

Out on the boardwalks we walked and walked. I was captivated by the amazing colour spectacle and intrigued by the formations that I didn't even notice the smell wafting in the air.

It was late in the day when I overheard a young girl lament to her Mum "why do we have to see any more of these things, they all look the same" I didn't wait to hear her response but made a dash to catch up with John. I chuckled to myself because I knew He was thinking the same thing.

Now it's up to you to decide, with the click of the mouse, how much would you like to see.......

 

 

Yellowstone NP - Wildlife steals the limelight

What appeals to me about Yellowstone is that something interesting is never far away...

Driving northwards on our way to Canyon Village the thick forests opened out into Hayden Valley. A place where the unexpected is expected when it comes to wildlife.  



Hayden Valley

Looking out the window I got a quick glimpse of a Bison. We stopped and watched as it swam across the river. It then headed up the meadow to a bed of dirt where he lay down and rolled around, covering himself in a layer of dust. Satisfied with his covering of dust he continued across the road...narrowly missing and startling a couple of bike riders. He may have been on a promise or looking for a fight...! 

As we made our way around viewing points of interest we came across Mud Volcano. We knew we were in for something special because people and vehicles were everywhere. The Bison had taken over the area from the river right up the embankment and onto the road. It seemed everyone had "Bison fever" acting crazy and getting way too close, after all it's rutting season. We watched this spectacle for awhile and started up the board walk to the Mud Volcano only to find ourselves becoming part of the chaos. The remainder of the herd was milling around the bubbling mud pit. Males were posturing for the right to a female and scuffles broke out sending dust into the air. We stood frozen, as if the board walk offered some sort of protection from the activities all around us. It took some time to make our way back down but it was a sight I will never forget.

As we continued our sightseeing we stopped by Yellowstone River for lunch. We had the pullout to ourselves and watched the Bison way off in the distance having minor skirmishes. Eventually the skirmishes ended up on the road. Chaos ensued and a traffic jam began to grow. Then in the other direction.....something was happening around the corner. Suddenly we were in the thick of it all and we could now see the reason why the traffic had slowed in the other direction. A grand old Bison had commandeered the road as he strode with intent to reach the herd in the distance.



One afternoon we got a harsh reminder about the realities of survival here. While doing our laundry a herd of Elk and their young wondered through the car park. Tourists flocked to watch and as one man got really close the Elk started to look around in a frenzy, and the man took off in fright. Initially I though the Elk was reacting to the man but it soon became clear she was looking for her calf. She bellowed out frenzied cries and ran into the woods.....I can only guess it was too late, as she never reappeared and the herd kept moving on.

Driving through Lamar Valley the usual traffic jam had us stopping to see a Grizzly bear. Initially I was excited to see the bear in the wild but as I looked on and watched it seemed to be cornered with all the vehicles and people on the road. Surely if it was content to go the other way it would  have been on it's way. It was time for us to move on and leave the bear to it supposed freedom.

Grizzly Bear looking for a way out...

Relaxing at camp was not always peaceful.....

Elk making their way through the campground

Yellowstone NP - Hiking

Ever since I arrived in the US I had wanted to see Yellowstone NP and to finally be here was a dream come true.…

So why wasn't I feeling anything….  my usual excitement escaped me. Then I realised I needed to relax. It would take time to comprehend the vastness and wildness that makes up Yellowstone and we would have plenty of time to see everything. I'm sure it must have been the documentaries that made it seem like everything would be on show as soon as we drove into the Park.

I stared at the dense forest lining the road as we drove towards Lewis Lake Campground. I had never seen a forest as dense as this before it was impressive and overpowering at the same time.  

Shoshone Lake Trail

In no time we ventured out into the wilderness hiking an 11 mile loop to Shoshone Lake. We were walking through trees 10 to 20 feet tall, making their slow and steady recovery from the devastating 1988 fires. We arrived at the Lake in time to see a group of scouts paddling towards the Lewis Lake Channel and hurried over to have a chat with them as they briefly stopped on the shore to discuss tactics on navigating the Channels 12 foot descent. We watched them as we made our way to Lewis Lake where they were met with a vast expanse of white caps from a strong headwind. I hope they made it back okay.

Lewis Lake Channel

At West Thumb we walked by a sign "bear frequenting this area" as we ventured up to the lake overlook, with our bear spray in hand.  We met a couple of geologists who had been working for the Park for over 20 years and chatted with them for some time. As we parted they said “when you reach the junction below look up at the tree on the right”, and we did.

Looking up into the tree at the junction

Then one wet, chilly, windy and misty morning we summited Mt Washburn. We were glad to take shelter in the observation deck below the Fire Tower away from the cold and blustery wind. It was well worth the hike because on the way down we came across a herd of female Bighorn sheep grazing with their young and further down we watched several yellow Bellied Marmots scampering around the rocks.

One afternoon while hiking along the Gardiner River we came across a bikini clad girl on the trail. We looked at each other bemused and mystified. Our minds were set abuzz.....the water's freezing, why would anyone be going swimming and then the answer came into view. We had stumbled across a place called "boiling water". Fantastic, just out of Mammoth Hot Springs a hot spring runs into the river. People we flocking here to soak in rock pools of hot water..... Needless to say we came back every afternoon for a soak in the hot water.

Boiling Water

Valleys, mountains, forests.......and a Grand Canyon. We rode our bikes from Canyon Village and explored the north rim of the "Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River" and we weren't disappointed. The colour of the Canyon Walls was amazing and watching the power of the water cascading over the upper and lower falls was mesmerising and intense. The day just disappeared as we soaked up these natural wonders. 

Lower Yellowstone Falls

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

Paddling on Leigh Lake

Setting out from String Lake

It was so refreshing to be on the water, the sun was shining and looking up the mountains added another dimension to the already beautiful scenery. Then surveying the view in front of me I could hardly believe we’d only packed the bare essentials…..we were packed to the gunnels and had nary enough room to dangle our legs over sides.

Packed to the gunnels

Within a short distance we arrived at the isthmus between the two lakes. John unloaded all our gear into the bear proof bin and we started the portage up the hill. In no time we were chatting to some regulars coming up behind us, smartly towing their canoe on dolly wheels and next thing Aquadude was sitting on top……..I was thinking how fortunate our timing was.  John went back for our gear and off we paddled.

Making friends during portage....helps

We started at a leisurely pace and over time got into a nice paddling rhythm. Nearing the point we saw campers lazing around on the rocks and padded in a bit to see what the campsite looked like.  Then rounding the point we came into a gusting wind as we made our way to the far western shore

Paddling and being mesmerised by the scenery

The entrance into our campsite

Paddling close to the shoreline we found our campsite hidden amongst the trees.  Freshwater from the melting snow was rushing into the lake on both sides . I can confirm it was freezing, after we tried to walk through it.

Unloading Aquadude

Following a trail through the lush undergrowth and dense trees we found the bear bin. It had survived a near miss with a fallen tree and we had to scramble over the tree to wedge ourselves inbetween it to access the bear bin….I mused to myself that it would be too spooky to come back here at nightfall.


Our lush and wooded campsite

Waking up to a nice sunny day it had been a long night for me. I guess that’s bound to happen when I start thinking about bears before going to bed....!

We packed up camp and set about exploring the lake before paddling towards our next campsite. On the way we met up with two rangers on their daily rounds checking each campsite. They really loved their work and living on the lake all season......wow, good on them.



I think John's doing all the work here....

It was getting quite warm as we neared the northern shore where some sandy white beaches where. So we went for a dip in the very refreshing water.  It was mid afternoon when we set up camp and decided to go for a hike up to two smaller lakes to stretch our legs. Back in camp we lazed by the water until the sun went behind the mountains.  We had only seen the rangers and another paddling party on route to their campsite all day and it reminded us of Papua New Guinea and our boating weekends out to the islands.

 

That night shortly after going to bed a wind storm suddenly blew up. It sounded crazy with the noise of the sand hitting the tent, the noise of the trees and the water crashing into the beach. The tent filled with sand and we got up to check that the kayak was still safe on the beach. It was so weird having all this wind blowing without any rain. Eventually it died out and we settled down and went to sleep.

All packed but reluctant to leave 

It was so peaceful and beautiful we did not want to leave and the next day it was mid afternoon before we finally pack up camp and started paddling back.