“Far away in northwestern Montana, hidden from view by clustering mountain peaks, lies an unmapped corner – the Crown of the Continent.” –George Bird Grinnell, “Father” of Glacier National Park. One of the wonderful things about living in Kalispell, Montana is its proximity to Glacier National Park. We can get ready, leave in mid-afternoon, see […]
Glacier National Park
Avalanche Lake Hike – Beating A Record
Many times I don’t want to go to Glacier, though I usually end up enjoying myself while I am there. I think I imagine that I would be doing something more fun and exciting at home. It was quite the same when plans were made to hike to Avalanche Lake after the tour of […]
I Will Survive – Cycling to the Loop on the Sun Road
Rain and snow create an opportunity. Rain, and an additional 35 inches of snow that had to be plowed delayed the scheduled opening of the Going to the Sun Road. It was our good luck that it turned out that way (if you call the opportunity to make your legs nauseous, lucky). My family and […]
An Everlasting Jewel
A protected haven for the mountain goats, A place for bears to make their den, Where eagles swoop down to catch a fish, And ground squirrels burrow deep down. In summer months the flowers bloom, Indian paintbrush is a deep red, Glacier lilies grow up out of the snow, Beargrass waves its stalks […]
In Search of the Elusive Hose Tower – Glacier National Park
Heading into the Clouds How would you feel if the sun was shining, your family was bored, and all you could come up with, for fun, was to take a ride to look for a hose tower? I mean…it was something I wanted to do, but, eventually. I didn’t think I wanted to waste a […]
Are Glaciers Like the Circle of Poo?
Well, it just goes to show you that “What Goes Around, Comes Around”. Last summer we stopped to listen to a ranger talk at Logan Pass. The nice ranger was speaking to tourists about climate change, which I consider newspeak for global warming, and spouting the standard rhetoric about shrinking glaciers. Don’t get me […]
Hey Bear!
Upon hearing the story of Erin Bolster and her spirited horse Tonk charging a grizzly to save an 8 year old boy from imminent danger while on a trail ride in the Flathead National Forest near Glacier National Park, I thought of my brave little girl Eileen and our intrepid trail guide Esther. I’m sorry […]
Word of the Day – Krummholz
“Word of the day” is one way in which I encourage my kids to increase their vocabulary. For years a word was written on a piece of paper and attached to the front of the fridge with a magnet. Now I write a word on the white board in the sun room. Phrasing it “Word of […]
Karma Came and Got Me – Hiking the Highline Trail, Glacier National Park
Sunday morning started out favorably as I woke up to find a blurry picture of myself on the front page of the Daily Interlake. We had attended the Mountain Man Rendezvous on Saturday in search of trapping and skinning demonstrations. None of those activities were to be found, but we did try our skills at […]
Momma Told Me Mushrooms Are Poisonous
I have never been fond of mushrooms. There’s just something about eating fungi that doesn’t appeal to me. It’s not particularly the taste, it’s mostly the texture…kind of like chewing a piece of rubber band if you know what I mean. Not to mention, my momma always told me they were poisonous. I suppose […]