Our stay at the Chalet Motel included muffins and juice for breakfast (score!). Then we leave Whitefish (which is apparently a bit of a hoity-toity upscale resort community) and drive back to Glacier National Park.
First, we have to wait in line to actually get into the park (during which time I grumble that there is not an express lane for park pass holders. Also, it doesn't matter which line you take - inevitably, the line you choose will contain someone slow and ponderous - yes, the exact thing that happens at the grocery store). Once we get into the park, we then get to wait about 20 minutes at a roadblock, because they're doing road work. Argh! Not many alternatives, though - there's only one road through the park. And, in the long run, it's better than doing NO road work (as Saskatoon has discovered). I would just prefer that they do road work while I'm not there, that's all.
Anyway, eventually, we get going, and we head back up to Logan's Pass, because today we're going to do a hike - yes, we are! Bernadette is so excited, I can't even tell you! She mutters something about her ankles and cartilage and arthritis, but I pretend not to hear. La la la la! Can't hear you!
We're doing the Hidden Lake hike, which is 1.5 miles, I think? Maybe a bit more. Bernadette hasn't brought a jacket, so she pops into the Visitor Center before we go, and she buys a Glacier N.P. bunnyhug (or hoodie, if you prefer). Now we're hitting the trail! It starts off with a board-walked path, with lots of built in stairs, because you're heading up towards the mountain (and FYI, that little snow pack in front of the mountain is no longer classified as a glacier; it is now a snowfield - as I thought, Glacier National Park is a bit sparse on glaciers these days). Up you go, and then you can stop and catch your breathe on a rocky overlook that looks back to the visitor center. Then, you can continue onward and upward, and sometimes the boardwalk disappears and you'll just be walking up trails as the path winds around the side of the mountain.
There are mountain goats that have come down from the upper rocky areas to munch on wildflowers - mama goats and cute little baby goats. And yes, where there are animals, there are also lots of people standing around and taking pictures. Me, too, sometimes!
As is often the way with these trails, any time you think you're near to your objective, there's always another rise to climb over, another bend in the road. The visitor center is long gone, far out of sight behind the mountain. Poor Bernadette did not bring her asthma puffer, but she keeps trucking along, muttering various recriminations under her breath.
Finally, we really are reaching the end. There's a platform overlook where you can view the aptly named Hidden Lake from above. It's one of those glacier-runoff lakes that is a very lovely perfect blue. Stalwart trekkers continue down the trail towards the lake, but Bernadette's ankles aren't up to that challenge (and I didn't bring my trekking poles either), so we just chill out for a while and enjoy the view before starting back. Some guy gets me to take a picture of him and his girlfriend, and I have a brief moment of camera envy, because that was a REALLY nice camera.
I know some people say that going down is just as difficult as going up, but I beg to differ. Going down, gravity is your friend! Gravity wants to help you down! Now, you don't want to give in to gravity completely, but it's still a lot easier than hauling your carcass UP a mountain. Of course, I suppose I only say this because my knees don't have any issues with descents. (Although I did fall off my bike this summer and smash my knee, and it hurts at weird times, it doesn't seem to have any mobility issues.)
I hop and skip down the trail, and Bernadette (whose knees are not quite so cooperative) curses me like a troll beneath a bridge where cute-little-billy-goat-me is trip-tripping along.
We meet some old guy coming up the hill - 'old' as in 'with a long white beard.' He's got the trekking poles and the gear and stops to talk to us. I like kick-ass old guys who still go climbing and hiking - I hope I end up like that. He and Bernadette talk about arthritis for a while (yes, really), and he has a blog about hiking - glacierhikers.com.
Whew! That was a nice hike. As we're driving down from the mountains, we have to wait for road work again. You guys are killing me!
We're now heading down towards Yellowstone. Originally, I'd wanted to head for Gardiner, but it looked like we'd be getting there late. Arriving late near a national park usually means no vacancies. So, we headed in that direction, eventually arriving at Bozeman around 7:30 or so. We stop at a motel to ask if they have vacancies. They say no, and that there probably aren't any rooms available in Bozeman. What?! Why not? Because it's orientation week at MSU. Those damn students! However, the desk clerk asks where we're headed, and then she calls another hotel en route to Yellowstone to see if there are rooms available for us. There are rooms available at the Lodge at Big Sky, and so we take it.
Now, how to get there? The lady on the phone says it won't be in our GPS - we should just head down the highway and call them when we get close to Big Sky and they'll give us detailed directions. Okaaay.
The sun is setting as I drive out of town. I'm in a hurry, but still have time to roll down the window to scream "MFU, you MSU!" to any passerby's who look like they're student-aged, or like they might be parents of students (basically, anyone and everyone). "You Bozeman bozos!" (I'm sure they've never heard that one before.)
Now we're driving into the hills in the dark. Dark and winding hills. And we're not sure where we're going. What could go wrong?
On the positive side, there's no one working at the road construction, and we can just drive on through.
Eventually, we see the Big Sky signs up ahead, so Bernadette calls, and we get directions where to turn, then drive up the dark and winding roads until mile marker 8, then turn left, then right, then left. Somehow, we actually find the place!
It's almost 10 when we check in, but we're happily surprised that we have a super big room - two queen beds, a couch with a closet next to it, bar fridge/sink and microwave, and a nice big bathroom. And Lucia (the maid) has even left a welcome message on the night table!
We left her a reply. :-)
First, we have to wait in line to actually get into the park (during which time I grumble that there is not an express lane for park pass holders. Also, it doesn't matter which line you take - inevitably, the line you choose will contain someone slow and ponderous - yes, the exact thing that happens at the grocery store). Once we get into the park, we then get to wait about 20 minutes at a roadblock, because they're doing road work. Argh! Not many alternatives, though - there's only one road through the park. And, in the long run, it's better than doing NO road work (as Saskatoon has discovered). I would just prefer that they do road work while I'm not there, that's all.
Anyway, eventually, we get going, and we head back up to Logan's Pass, because today we're going to do a hike - yes, we are! Bernadette is so excited, I can't even tell you! She mutters something about her ankles and cartilage and arthritis, but I pretend not to hear. La la la la! Can't hear you!
 |
| Logan's Pass - Hidden Lake Trail |
As is often the way with these trails, any time you think you're near to your objective, there's always another rise to climb over, another bend in the road. The visitor center is long gone, far out of sight behind the mountain. Poor Bernadette did not bring her asthma puffer, but she keeps trucking along, muttering various recriminations under her breath.
Finally, we really are reaching the end. There's a platform overlook where you can view the aptly named Hidden Lake from above. It's one of those glacier-runoff lakes that is a very lovely perfect blue. Stalwart trekkers continue down the trail towards the lake, but Bernadette's ankles aren't up to that challenge (and I didn't bring my trekking poles either), so we just chill out for a while and enjoy the view before starting back. Some guy gets me to take a picture of him and his girlfriend, and I have a brief moment of camera envy, because that was a REALLY nice camera.
 |
| Bernadette (and her new bunnyhug) at the Hidden Lake overlook. |
I know some people say that going down is just as difficult as going up, but I beg to differ. Going down, gravity is your friend! Gravity wants to help you down! Now, you don't want to give in to gravity completely, but it's still a lot easier than hauling your carcass UP a mountain. Of course, I suppose I only say this because my knees don't have any issues with descents. (Although I did fall off my bike this summer and smash my knee, and it hurts at weird times, it doesn't seem to have any mobility issues.)
I hop and skip down the trail, and Bernadette (whose knees are not quite so cooperative) curses me like a troll beneath a bridge where cute-little-billy-goat-me is trip-tripping along.
We meet some old guy coming up the hill - 'old' as in 'with a long white beard.' He's got the trekking poles and the gear and stops to talk to us. I like kick-ass old guys who still go climbing and hiking - I hope I end up like that. He and Bernadette talk about arthritis for a while (yes, really), and he has a blog about hiking - glacierhikers.com.
Whew! That was a nice hike. As we're driving down from the mountains, we have to wait for road work again. You guys are killing me!
We're now heading down towards Yellowstone. Originally, I'd wanted to head for Gardiner, but it looked like we'd be getting there late. Arriving late near a national park usually means no vacancies. So, we headed in that direction, eventually arriving at Bozeman around 7:30 or so. We stop at a motel to ask if they have vacancies. They say no, and that there probably aren't any rooms available in Bozeman. What?! Why not? Because it's orientation week at MSU. Those damn students! However, the desk clerk asks where we're headed, and then she calls another hotel en route to Yellowstone to see if there are rooms available for us. There are rooms available at the Lodge at Big Sky, and so we take it.
Now, how to get there? The lady on the phone says it won't be in our GPS - we should just head down the highway and call them when we get close to Big Sky and they'll give us detailed directions. Okaaay.
The sun is setting as I drive out of town. I'm in a hurry, but still have time to roll down the window to scream "MFU, you MSU!" to any passerby's who look like they're student-aged, or like they might be parents of students (basically, anyone and everyone). "You Bozeman bozos!" (I'm sure they've never heard that one before.)
Now we're driving into the hills in the dark. Dark and winding hills. And we're not sure where we're going. What could go wrong?
On the positive side, there's no one working at the road construction, and we can just drive on through.
It's almost 10 when we check in, but we're happily surprised that we have a super big room - two queen beds, a couch with a closet next to it, bar fridge/sink and microwave, and a nice big bathroom. And Lucia (the maid) has even left a welcome message on the night table!
We left her a reply. :-)
Comments
Post a Comment