GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD

9/18

     Praise be! Today Going-to-the-Sun Road is open!! Here on the east side of the park, the day is warmer and brighter than yesterday. Our plans are to go on to Yellowstone tomorrow, so we have no time to lose. So off we go, with a lot of other people as well, who were usually filling up the pull-outs to take pictures at the same time as we.  Not a phenomenom we have encountered much on this trip. ( Sure glad we didn't come in the summer! ) We stopped to take some photos of places we had been yesterday when it was gray-- the sky today was a vivid blue. ( for awhile.)

When we got up to Jackson Glacier, it was shrouded in clouds and not visible at all, so we were glad we had taken our photos yesterday.

    By the time we had gotten to the top of the mountain where road work was being done, the clouds that had been hanging around began thicken,and soon it was raining.

Nonetheless, the clouds frequently would thin and pull apart in places so that we could see the huge green bowl of the glacial cirque, the steep drop-offs from the narrow road's edge, the winding river below and the long, long waterfalls on the other side.

 This road can be a hold-your-breath journey, as in some places, there is no guard rail. However, we definitely could see the recovery dollars at work here; masons putting up low stone walls as a barrier on the cliff edge, and workers widening and repairing the road in places. It's been a huge undertaking that's been going on all summer. Major work is done from 9 PM-7 AM, and there would then be delays of about 5 hours, should one choose to go over the road at that time.( But, who would?)

   The journey to Apgar Village, almost at the end, took about 2 ½ hours, from the time we entered the park at St. Mary's.  Coming off the road, the lower mountains are textured with various shades of greens, golds and oranges from the aspens, while the pointed Engleman spruce, lodge pole pine and Douglas fir (which stand straight and very tall ) contribute a cool deep green. In Apgar Village we stopped in at Eddie's and had a huge buffalo burger, half of which we brought home for supper-- some good!! The trip back took us only about 1 ½ hours this time, and by late afternoon, the clouds had pretty much shrouded all the views. The line of cars going back was sparse, and we could go along at a greater rate of speed ( 40!!) until we got back to the east side where the weather was much better. We like it here- it's seems much more open than the west side. The west side gets much more moisture than the east, encouraging this forest growth. On the east side there are desiccating winds ( we can attest to that!) and the land is more open.

   Before coming back to the camper we stopped in to have a glass ( or three!!) with some folks I had met in the morning, Gil and Jeanne, and their dog Oliver Twist ( part hound and a Dickens of a dog!) The Freys have a Casita, an 18 ft camper that is outfitted quite nicely with all the amenities. It's room enough for two people to sit on the queen size bed and two people in the padded chairs in the dinette. And that's plenty of room for 4 people to sit and sip wine and chat. Cozy and intimate. Oliver is usually in the camper with them as well. Bill's head touches the ceiling of the camper, but Gil and Jeanne are not as tall as we are.

If you think that sounds  crowded-- and it's not for them- imagine the camper that moved in beside us yesterday. (blocking off our view of the lake) This is a 26 foot long camper with no slide-outs. It contains 5 children ranging in ages from 2-11 or so. And of course, Mom and Dad.  From Northfield, MA, they're on a 3-week journey to national parks and other sights. The kids are being home-schooled, and what a great opportunity for them all, to have a traveling classroom and access first-hand to this awesome country.!( Still in all, I think I would call it crowded-- but they do not.) At night you can hear the shrieks of laughter coming from inside- we think they're having a grand time! We may be older, but we are having a grand time, too!

    Xian has had a difficult time, though. It may be a schedule disruption coupled with his dislike of traveling like this. On some days he frantically barks every time we stop, whether we get out of the truck or not, and he needs to go out sometimes three times a night. Bill has much more patience than I do. But, we would not think of leaving him at home, so that's just the way it is. We try to wear him out as much as possible with the ball. MANY people travel with their dogs, as you might have guessed!.

DAY OF SURPRISES

 9/17

Surprise! Surprise! The forecast had been predicting snow, but only in the upper elevations. However, we woke up to several inches of the white stuff with more coming coming down fairly heavily. Going-to-the-sun road was closed about 13 miles up much to our disappointment. Since the road would close for the winter in two days, we were a bit anxious about whether we'd get to the other side at all..Our answer to that dilemma was to have breakfast at Johnson's ( French toast about an inch and a half thick out of their home made bread....) and then decide.

Our next-door-neighbors, Pam and Bill, have been traveling in a camper Pam bid for and won on Ebay! They're quite enthusiastic about camping and have been to Glacier numerous times, so they have been advising us on what to see. They travel with Cody, a spirited Shetland sheepdog-- who can resist such a face?! Pam and Bill came for chat last night in our camper, and today before leaving, Pam gifted us with some delicious taco soup-- nice and warm and spicy!

Pam and Bill advised going to Many Glacier and seeing the old lodge built in 1912, so that's what we decided to do. The snow had stopped by then , but the Going- to- the- Sun Road was still closed, and the day was still rather gray and gloomy. Glacier puts on a fine show in the snow, however. The rock faces take on greater contrast and texture, the clouds float above and below us, and the mountains take on a mystery I doubt they would have on a sunny day.

 

The Many Glacier Lodge sits on huge Swiftcurrent Lake surrounded by mammoth mountains, and its character is old European.












We met Jeff Walker painting from the window-- a piece he had begun outside before it got so cold and damp. ( He had been an art teacher for while, too, but for most of his life has been making his living from painting. )

 Lots of people were sitting around the great free-standing fireplace, reading, knitting chatting while a violinist played quietly over in the corner.We were still full from our huge breakfast, so we returned to the car and started down the mountain.
 

The day had gotten a bit brighter by that time, and it wasn't long before we came onto a "bear jam"-- many cars pulled to the side of the road, people lined up with cameras all pointing at the same spot. Sure enough, across the river, a big grizzly was foraging for berries.

 He'd investigate some bushes and then stand up to pull off the berries, loping off quickly to find the next cache. On his bottom was stuck a yellow leaf, that looked from a distance like a light-colored tail! There was no doubt about the fact that he knew were all looking at him-- "Jeez, you humans could give me a break. Can't you see I'm busy? I gotta get ready for winter, when all you have to do is go back to your restaurants and kitchens!" His foraging took him along the river bank with his band of fans following him on the other side, clicking, whirring and snapping their cameras until he disappeared amongst the brush.

And that, folks, was our BIG excitement of the day!! After coming off Many Glacier Road, we went up Going-to-the Sun Road once again to stop at some of the geologic exhibits and taking a short hike in Sun Rift Gorge, where a tremendous water fall empties into an active stream. It's rather fun to travel with one's own geologist, as Bill can answer all of the questions I have about rocks, textures, ripple marks and how they were made. He is the Ultimate Glacier freak, ( I'm calling him Glacial Erratic) so I can get all the knowledge I need about those. But please don't ask me to explain it all here!!! ( or ever!) The layering of the sedimentary rocks that prevail here, the U-shaped valleys, the sheer height of the basins, the austere ruggedness of the mountains, the many waterfalls-- all are stunning, and that's what I need to tell you! A piece of heaven. Oh, and don't ask me to name any mountains, either-- there are just too many of them!

(Some not-so-X-rated photos of cute butts.)

    Just a bit further, and near to the "Road is Closed" sign, we stopped to see Jackson Glacier, one of the only ones you can see without taking a hike or a tour. In 1850 Glacier had 350 glaciers, and today there are only 30 In spite of its diminishing size, Jackson is still pretty impressive!!

EASY DOES IT

 

Flat Top Mountain- we can see it from our camper!!

 9/16

Today was a slow day, having dawned gloomy, and we finally got going after lunch. ( Couldn't resist having more beef soup at Johnson's- it's really the only soup they make!) We stopped at the Visitor's Center at the St Mary entrance to the park, and then decided to go a short way up the Going-to-the Sun Highway. Of course, we must pull in at every photo op. When I got out at our first stop, a family was taking pictures of each other. They asked if I would take a photo of all of them, which I did, and then we all got to chatting. It was one of those instant bonds that happen with people. Kevin and Leslie Saba and their gorgeous twins, Brooke and Ashley are from Waterville, NH. ( Two other siblings were not along on this trip.) As we spent time talking, I told Kevin that I am a potter, so he began asking me questions. Had I ever done gas-firing, etc, He told me about a small private school in NH that had just had a gas kiln installed a few years ago, and it turns out that this school is Holderness, Bill's alma mater! In fact, Bill was in on helping to get a gas kiln into the art dept there. Ashley and Brooke graduated from Holderness in 2005, Bill in 1955!! Bill even had a grungy Holderness canvas bag in the truck, which he brought out for the photo. It's such fun when things like this happen, and we were sorry that the Sabas weren't hanging out longer in Glacier. We're looking forward to keeping in touch and seeing them again in the new year.

Brooke, Bill and Ashley

    After leaving the Sabas, we spent a bit more time taking pictures. It seems like I cannot take get enough of this wonderful place, and I take photos of everything. Fortunately, for you, I will delete all but the best!

                                              St Mary Lake-- 9.9 miles long!!!

LEWISTOWN, MT TO ST. MARY'S AT GLACIER

9/15

We're on the road again, with Glacier really in reach! Our travels to this little camping spot have were uneventful, but pleasant. And, by gosh, this campground- dubbed a Rest Stop"- is also a free campground courtesy of the Kiwanis of Lewistown, Montana. Now, here is a town we could live in-- in my next life I will plan for it! After breakfast, we went in search of some auto items, and this took us into the town with its wide and endless Main Street, lined with interesting businesses- the first of it's kind we've seen in a long time. People driving by waved to us, people on the street wanted to chat, and we're always up for that! A sign for Big Spring Market took us to a food coop/bakery/ wine seller. For coffee, they directed us to the Rising Trout Cafe on Main St.owned by the same person, who turned out to be Leaf Star Arnotti, also an artist. Leaf's cafe is a small haven-- free WiFi, small bookstore, and CD collection, not to mention excellent coffee and baked goods from her Big Spring Market bakery. Leaf's mural of trout is stunning, and there is a wonderful ambiance in her cafe. So we lingered awhile, since we didn't have a huge drive to our destination.

We really love the openness of the country out here. Somehow it seems quite liberating to be able to see for miles and miles. At times it's been field after field of hay bales dotting the landscape; some are rolled and left to dry by themselves while some form sculptures with the stacked bales. Sometimes it's a barren field populated only by an abandoned building or two. Why were they abandoned and who lived here once upon a time?

    Coming to Glacier from the south, we began to have glimpses of what we will be seeing soon.

That little speck you can see on the left side of the road? That is a recumbent biker, and the hill she was about to maneuver was VERY steep!

Finally we arrived, late in the afternoon, to St Mary's where Johnson's ( world famous even!) campground / cafe/ motel and gave us a prime site with a view of St. Mary Lake from our doorway. We set up and then Johnson's Cafe welcomed us warmly with its log walls and checkered tablecloths, and friendly waiters. We were glad to eat the delicious family-style food, with a specialty beef noodle soup just like our moms would have made.

MILES CITY TO LEWISTOWN, MT

 9/14/

Spending time with friends is always enriching, and so it has been the last two days with our friends, Ruthie and Cliff Pollert in Miles City, Montana. We met these wonderful folks in New Mexico 4 years ago, and have been in touch ever since. On our aborted trip to Glacier in 2008, it was here that we took “shelter” for 4 days when it snowed at Glacier and impeded forward progress! We generally just hang out beside their house; drink a few beers, visit, share meals, laughs and stories. Cliff is a scroll saw craftsman par excellence and their home is filled with all sorts of intricate artwork that take the patience of a saint to create. We are also the recipients of some lovely gifts, the latest of which is a funky road runner who will grace our future camping spots as we go on our way! Watch his legs become a blur when the wind comes up!

It's been a quiet, relaxing time, and we really enjoy not having to rush down the road, hunched over the wheel! I'm getting caught up on the blog and making it TOO long; I've been reading HarlenCoben murder mysteries, and putting off cleaning the camper. I've done laundry in their super front-loading machine using a home-brewed detergent that won't hurt the environment or the septic.....and actually gets things clean. I have the recipe,and it makes GALLONS for just pennies. ( You had better watch out, Proctor and Gamble!!) Bill's been tinkering on the camper, taking naps, walking with Cliff and Trixie, the Pomeranian, and plotting our course further. Xian's been eating the cat's and dog's foods and chasing Pixie, the black cat .

Tomorrow we'll be on the road to Glacier, probably arriving there on Thursday. .

THE WALK WE NEVER INTENDED TO TAKE

9/10
Last night was wild. The campground was lit up with strobe lights, and the thunder rolled in a continuous game of bowls. The lightning angled sideways, the rain pounded the camper, and then came the hail. In the morning a woman told me that a month or so ago they had hail the size of bars of soap in the town below us! Gee, maybe that would have enhanced the character of the truck even further!

    Around noon today we decided to go for a walk. Both of us had had breakfast, and we weren't yet ready for lunch. We were going to walk for about an hour or so and then come back for lunch, but we took lots of water, as the day was sunny and hot. We followed the signs to the Black Hills Overlook, ( someone had told me it was a wonderful hike ) intending to go just until we got a bit tired and hungry. Our trail started just above the campground and led us through the cool Ponderosa forest, where Bill spotted a great horned owl-- his second and my first! Yellow eyes, blinkety blink. How beautiful!

   Out of the forest we came onto meadow areas and continued to the sign leading us to the overlook. Up and up we went. Xian found a stick and teased us to play. Up and up we went-- it felt pretty good! We could see what we thought was the overlook, and it looked miles away. Bill said "Why not?" I said "You're kidding!"

But off we went until  a sign further on told us that the overlook would be a mile ahead, not the short distance we had originally thought. At this point Bill was ambivalent, while I said "Let's go- it's only a mile! You got me into this!"  ( We had gone probably two miles at that point, from our campground.) Through the meadows and into the cool forest of Ponderosa we hiked up and on, until we came to an area we thought was the overlook. No sign so marking it, but the scene below was breathtaking. Even Xian thought so!

 By now we were hiking on rock, and below us were more Ponderosas and rock formations. We had to keep reminding ourselves that we were in Nebraska, because this was more like Utah or New Mexico. Still, we had not come to the advertised overlook. On we went, coming to all sorts of places that would have made wondrous overlooks, but the trail still stretched  our endlessly. It seemed as if we had gone at least two miles ( always seems longer when you're going up) before we finally came to THE OVERLOOK, which was NOT marked. Compared to all that we had seen coming up,  THE OVERLOOK  was not impressive at all, and we so eschewed taking any photos. 

   At that point it was time to go back, The decision was made to return  a different way, the dirt road leading back down to the campground, instead of the steep hills we had come up. Made sense, no? 

   Did we have the campground map? YES! Had we looked at it? Of course NOT! What did we need the map for?? By this time it was about 3:15 PM, and we were doing OK for not having had lunch. Anyway, we pondered, how far could the campground really be-- maybe a mile or two?  So as the road snaked around and around, with no end in sight, I finally asked to see the map. From the map, it would appear that the road back to the campground was some 5-6 miles!  GREAT!! We would have been better off going back down the way we had come. At this point, our pace had slowed a bit, and we were getting tired. The wind had picked up and it was getting cooler. I envisioned us crawling back into camp after dark, worn to the bone; and I admit to having become somewhat anxious. By and by, as we were assessing a well- mown path that we had come to, across a meadow to the woods, ( A shortcut? ) what do we spy but a white Chadron truck, driven by Arnie the Angel. Bless his big heart, Arnie offered to take us back to the entrance to our camping area!! Immediately, Xian did a GIANT leap into the cab, leaving us in his dust—no dummy he-- and the four of us in the cab rode back to camp along the circuitous paved road. As we rode, we became more and more aware  of the distance we would have yet to travel; indeed, if it were not for Arnie, it would have been well after nine PM when we had "lunch".
Maybe we should look at the map before setting out the next time?!

Did they even bother to ask me?

And they certainly didn't bother to ask ME!!!

(Photo by my honey)

SHELBY TO VICTORIA SPRINGS -- ANSELMO, NEBRASKA

9/8
 After leaving our parking lot campground, the first order of the day was to find the Camping World and peruse its aisles. Camping World is like an department store for campers and their owners, and a VERY seductive place. Everything for your camping vehicles and then some. Toilet paper? You got it! Lawn chairs with fancy prints? Yup! Darkening film for your windows? Of course! Carpeting, strings of lights, flags, and on and on. Lots of things you also think you need, but you really don't. In Council Bluffs, Iowa ( don't you love the name?) we found the place and left with our pockets a little lighter.

       Next on the list was to find some Nature's Variety dog food for Xian.By now we're in Nebraska.  As we were on our way into Lincoln to a pet store we had researched, Bill spied a building with a sign on it announcing. NATURE'S VARIETY, so he made a quick turn into the driveway off of Cornhusker Highway.( Bill is very talented at making sharp turns and U-ies  when you least expect it.).As it turned out, this building was a distribution place for Nature's Variety, not a place to buy the food. However, the office staff is a wonderful bunch of people, and Linda Miners, the account manager, very gladly gave us a 40# bag of Xian's favorite flavor, along with a box of biscuits which are a new product. Nature's Variety is a grain-free food for both cats and dogs, and one that was recommended by Xian's veterinarian. Of course, after those gifts, Bill had to put Xian through his paces: "down-and-unders", "leave it, take it", etc. They all loved it, and Xian left a happy dog.
   After our good luck stop, we drove for many hours today. The day was gray, gloomy and windy, some rain spitting on our windshield. Because we had lingered so long in the AM, we couldn't make our original destination, but we did find our first really lovely state park-- Victoria Springs at Amselmo, where the cottonwoods arched protectively over our camper and we were the only ones in the park. Nice, but somewhat eerie.
( Och! Posted this a day late and am afraid of losing it if I delete it in the editing section.....oh well! I'm sure you'll understand! )