Westwards to North Cascades

Watching the scenery pass by as we drove out of Glacier NP I reflected on the beauty of this wild place. The amazing colours of the rocks from the mountain tops to the lake beds had me wanting to return. So in order to distract my thoughts of leaving we drove to Whitefish and spent a day mountain biking along the Mt Lion Whitefish Trail.

After a brief stop in Kalispell we continued south to Flathead Lake where we camped for a few days. We went swimming in the surprisingly warm crystal clear water and watched sail boats glide on by in the distance. All the while in camp squirrels were busy collecting their pine cones after harvesting them from the tree tops.

Flathead Lake

A few days later we were laughing at ourselves for being sucked into a tourist trap at the Bison Range where we spotted at most 3 Bison.

Tourist Trap

Here the evenings were still balmy but the leaves on the trees in the campgrounds were turning yellow a sure sign that winter would soon be making its presence.

There was always something interesting that caught our attention and the Hiawatha Bike Trail was one of them. We had successfully avoided the Interstates preferring the quieter back roads for exploring but on this occasion we needed to drive several miles out and back along the Interstate to purchase our tickets from a ski resort. We arrived at the trailhead shaken to pieces after experiencing the worst Interstate ever.

Hiawatha Bike Trail

But it was all worthwhile as we had a fantastic day riding the old railroad trail through 10 tunnels, one of them being nearly 2 miles long, and over 7 high trestle bridges.

The first tunnel

One of the dark and very cold tunnels

It's fun going downhill

It was so peaceful and scenic that we decided to ride the 15 miles back up to the trailhead instead of catching the bus.

Riding back up

That evening when driving out I noticed several dispersed camp sites along the way. We camped in one that had a creek running nearby. It was interesting to see each site had neatly cut firewood beside the fire grates but with a total fire ban in place all we could do was admire how well looked after campers were in Idaho.

We had crossed Idaho’s panhandle and back into Pacific Time and as the days became considerably shorter I was conscious of the fact our journey would be coming to an end in 7 weeks time. That night in the Okanogan National Forest John woke me from a deep sleep with “can you hear that"? As I cleared my sleepy head I suddenly heard the yipping cries emanating from a pack of Coyotes which were echoing loudly across the valley. I was instantly on high alert as adrenaline pumped through my body and fear of my safety took hold. After the initial shock passed I relaxed a bit and was able to take in what was an amazing wildlife moment.

The days had been nice and sunny and our evenings at camp had continued to be balmy but now as we drove up into the North Cascade mountains it was as if someone had flicked a switch. As we drove higher to Washington Pass the clouds hugged the mountain tops and obscured our view. We stopped at the lookout at Ross Lake but the wind was so cold we quickly got back into Dude and drove down to Colonial Creek campground and made camp.

Thunder Creek

It began to rain and very little light penetrated the thick canopy of trees. It was a beautiful place but a feeling of gloom crept over me.

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