5 Weeks In

Time is rushing by as we are settling in with a routine and learning everyday about the park and the surrounding areas.   This weeks highlight was the siting of a mountain lion crossing a bridge in the park. It was Carmel color, very healthy, black on the tail and powerful looking.  I was thrilled to be in a car for the observation. What a chicken I am.  The women I was with has lived here 25 years and has never seen one. They are very elusive but not this week.  My fishing area is near the stream where we saw this beautiful animal.  I think I might change my destination. I want to see you all in the fall.

We had 3 solids days of rain.  Not to worry, the native plant nursery had a wonderful warm greenhouse with lots of plants to prune and take care of. It felt so good to touch and work with plants and meet the volunteers. I will enjoy this job as well as I like the visitors center.

Walter and I went to a brown bag lunch with a presentation of the artist in residence here in Glacier. He writes symphonies based on National Parks.  His presentation showed how his inspiration came from the nature around him. We wrote rhythms based on the mountain heights. The centennial of the parks is 2016 so these amazing pieces will be presented   Inspiration is all around us.

Weekend trip to Placid Lake where Katie's Grandmother has a home. Chris and Katie were visiting so we had the opportunity to share in the Burgress family get together.  Lots of family, pancakes, fishing, and socializing.  I even felt the baby kick. Wow. She is into her last trimester.  Time is flying by.

Tip of the day:  Don't  run from a mountain lion.  Fight back!!!  Look big!!!

Wally the nature photographer. Fiddle heads 

Glacier orchids peeking out from the resent snow storm

Amazing sky's 

Bears and orchids

Another amazing week here at Glacier. The weather still holds out but even with some rain we still get out, wear  the rain gear and see the sights.   This week was Bear 1 training. An entire day devoted to learning about what is going on with bears here and what to do if you have an encounter. First identify if it is a grizzly or black bear.  If you have an encounter, decide if it is predatory or acting defensively.  Next, decide to back away quietly or fight back.  When do you use the bear spray?  How do you think we will do in this situation?  I think we should take a vote. Who is the wimp and who will stand their ground and be able to stay calm and collected.  Personally I have no need to see one up close and personal. I here they smell pretty bad.   When you bike you should still carry your bear spray on your handle bars or in the water bottle cage.   The old Girl Scout motto:  Be prepared!!

This week I went to an orchid tour around the park with a group of intense orchid lovers. Wow what a show of lady slipper, calypso, mertensiana   and bog orchids.  They are beautiful plants and you need to search for them on the forest floor.  When you think of orchids GNP doesn't come into the forefront of your mind.   I now know where to go for the show.

The highlight of entertainment this week was the theater in Whitefish which presented The Hitmen.  The group of guys were part of the Four Seasons, and a few others that had sung with Carly Simon, Elton John, Paul Simon the Doors, and wrote the theme for Grease.  It was a small venue and these guys rocked your socks.  We are not so far out in the sticks.  What a performance.

Unfortunately we had to pick up stakes and move to another camping site today.   We have been spoiled to have the best site in the campground.  Now we have neighbors and are more out in the open.  It is like moving to a new neighborhood.   We need to adjust to our new surroundings. I was just feeling like it was home.

I went to the nine hole golf league this week   Found a lady I had met on the trail and she invited me to a Monday hiking group.   The locals have been very nice. I feel like I am starting to have some community.   In addition to golf I am picking up a kayak this week to add to the sporting activities


available.   No rest for the weary. Walter is off to hike 14 miles with one of the back country rangers. He is really getting into shape.

I start helping out at the native plant nursery on Tuesday and am hoping to do some GPS of invasive plants on my hikes.    Need to work on that angle.

Chris and Katie are coming to MT this coming week to visit her family.  We will be lucky to visit  and share some time with the family.

Back Country Ranger training is next week while Wally is in NYC. I will need to pass on the
knowledge and hope I survive the training.  Our first guests arrive too so we are thrilled to have Phil and Sally  share our summer home. Planning a night at the Glacier Symphony in the park.  Reminds
us of the Central Park events.

Snyder Lake

Lots of snow on Going to The Sun Rd 

Know wonder the road opens in late June

Full moon over the camp

One avid orchid enthusiast 

Can I eat this one?

Lady slipper orchid

Bear Grass

Tip of the day:  bears line their dens with this soft grass

Becoming part of the community

It has been a busy week. Continued training for the visitors center which is part of the interpretation division of the park system. Speakers from the different divisions addressed the group which is composed mostly of  20 something's here for the season. The topics included the geology of Glacier, fish of the area and management, plants of the different ecosystems, and ungulates, do you know what they are?  The park is tagging mountain goats and seeing how they are integrating with human contact up at Logan Pass on Going To The Sun Rd.

Went on my first Back Country Ranger patrol with Walter and the head of the division.  We pushed bear scat off the trail so you can see if  new piles appear on the way out. Now you know if the bear is around.  Who would know!  Hung a backpack on a high wire to keep bears from eating your food in the back country.   Not easy! Made a fire ring smaller.  It should look like Wilma Flintstone's necklace, six rocks the same size.  We also had to report a back packer who was not following the rules.   Eating in the tent area and having a fire in the tent area.   This division is part of the law inforcement group.  Wally is now part of the rule following gang.  No fireworks!!!

We hiked 9 miles with a 2000 ' gain yesterday.  The legs held out and the destination well worth the time and energy.  Thinking about biking up to Logan Pass again today while the road is still closed. We are starting to get into some kind of shape for the summer season.

We are getting to know the people at our new Saturday night restaurant 2 miles away.  Music and great food plus a nice bar. They know our name which makes us feel like part of the community.
We had mussels, rock fish and a side of Mac and cheese.  Wow.  The wine is tasty too!

Tip of the day:  We used to think that oh well the apple core or orange peel is biodegradable so just pitch it into the woods, but that is bad!!   You are feeding the wild animals and they get dependent on your food and not foraging for themselves. The chipmunks, squirrels and other small or large animals like bears if they get your lunch get used to counting on you. They get aggressive which we have seen with the chipmunks up in the woods at lunch stops.  Throw out all your trash including the apple cores!!

Plant of the day. Spring beauty. Watching the wildflowers open one species at a time. Amazing.

My yoga room

??

Official 

Home sweet home

Life at the KOA

Two weeks into the MT life style. We are creating our life here with jobs, training, grocery store locations, restaurants and physical exertion.  Both of us have started learning Glaciers's hiking trails as well as flora and fauna. The learning is coming from both our activities at the visitor's center as well as the back country ranger program that is taking Walter into the woods climbing over snow fields and clearing trails.  I love working in the visitors center on Saturday's helping  people plan their travels around the park.  It is slow now but I hear the summer is crazy busy.  This is the perfect time for me to learn the ropes.

We have hiked 5 trails so far and had another learning experience or I was just plain stupid. Hiking up to Apgar lookout  in the heat of the morning about 75 degrees in the open, sweating, our destination 1800'  up,  at the top thunder bumpers closing in. Wind whipping as the hail came crashing down and me with no jacket or rain gear.  Lessons that have been learned many times before but seem to still get lost in the memory banks.  I won't forget that again.

Part of our understanding of our new home included an 8 hour trip to the east side of the park. Different look with the plains hitting the Rocky Mountains. More snow on that side of the park due to the higher elevations. I wanted to know what I was telling visitors from my own perspective.   Beauty  that is not easy to describe.

One of Walter's projects included a need for a group to remove a huge carcass of a elk with a huge rack from a back country campsite. He is in heaven with this job.

Having my first social activity with a pot luck dinner with Interpretive staff which includes the visitors center volunteers.  Making friends is not hard out here. Everyone is very friendly and wants to chat including the visitors. Right up my alley.

The Ralston so far is not too small. We have been getting along quite well in our little home.
Organizing our clothes and extra stuff is a work in progress. Wally built a nice shoe shelf in our closet.  I actually have too many clothes.

My tip of the day. The Glacier lily is showing its head after the snow melts.  This lovely wild flower blooms yellow with such grace. The bears like the bulbs and root around to dig up the tastie morsels.

Many Glacier Hotel

Two Medicine Area

Biking along Going to The Sun Rd while closed

Avalanche chute on the way up the mountain

Going To The  Sun Rd is closed until at least June 20th. 

Lake McDonald. Not a ripple in the water 

The Glacier Lily

Avalanche Creek