7.11.2012–Canoe Lake McDonald

It wasn’t an early start but early enough that there was still mist on the lake and the water was glassy smooth. Spencer and I launched from the Fish Creek picnic area and paddled up the northern shore of the lake for a couple miles. I have a short paddle for him, but forgot to bring it, but he did quite well with my favorite.

We had a chance to watch a bald eagle in a snag near the shore for quite a while, hoping that it would spot a fish, but he never moved while we were there. Tried to get a picture but didn’t get anything decent enough to share.

I was really pleased to watch Spencer figure out hand positions on the paddle and paddle well on both sides. All in all we had a great time for a couple hours on the lake. 

BJ was at the beach when we came back and got a picture of the intrepid paddler with his gear.

We spent a couple hours this afternoon at the Discovery Cabin at Apgar. He spent time there yesterday as well. The cabin is full of hands on exhibits especially for young people. While we were there this afternoon, a ranger was giving a talk about animals pelts that was quite interesting.

---

On a totally different subject, Nina & Paul of “Wheeling It” are volunteering as guides at the lighthouse in Bandon, Oregon.  She’s writing a three part series on RV-based volunteering, and the first two posts have been really good.  You can check them out at Wheeling It.

7.10.2012–Yes, Ranger

Junior, that is!  Spencer had determined which Ranger Talk he wanted to attend, so first thing this morning (at least for him) we went on a guided walk looking at some of the trees, flowers, and animals at the park including beaver. There were three other kids around his age on the walk and it amazed me how observant they were.

After the walk, and after reviewing his booklet with the Ranger, Spencer was appointed a Glacier National Park Junior Ranger. I’d heard about the program, but was VERY impressed with the educational content and it was lots of fun. He wore his badge all day.

While he thought the walk was “first thing,” Carleta and I left camp at 4 am to take her to the airport to take advantage of an empty seat on the first flight out. We’ll see her again on Friday in Spokane.

After lunch, Spencer decided he wanted to hike or look for animals and waterfalls at Logan Pass. The Going to the Sun road was everything it was reported to be. A great drive, lots of animals, construction delays, and stupendous views. A short hike at the top provided opportunities to play in the snow and climb on the rocks. I think we tired him out!

7.09.2012 All Good Plans

It seemed like such a simple idea when we dreamed this up months ago.  Carleta would bring Spencer to the Kalispell airport and drop him off so he could travel with us for several days before the wedding.  They did get here as planned, but the flight back to Seattle was full so Carleta couldn't take advantages of her pass privileges.  As a result, I'm back at the airport at 5 am to drop her off, and leveraging their internet connection for the second day in a row!

We had to subject Spencer to the obligatory "stand by the park sign" picture, and of course, the sun was in his eyes.

Of the three major parks so far, this is the one that allowed me to reserve a specific campsite.  I was so surprised to pull up and discover that I'd selected a pull through on the wrong side of the road.  We've gotten so used to having the door open towards the road that we didn't even consider driving around the loop backwards.

We drove around the area a bit, primarily to figure out where we could launch the canoe.  In the process we spotted one of the historic red buses, similar to the yellow buses in Yellowstone.  Much to my surprise, the "White" emblems were removed from the hood and a small Ford emblem was added.  I knew that the buses had been rebuilt several years ago and put onto a Ford chassis using LP fuel.  I assumed the ones in Yellowstone had as well.

Spencer took me out for a walk around the campground and found a short-cut to Lake McDonald. He determined that the water was cold, but not too cold, and proved that his shoes were designed for water.

He's already finished most of the Jr. Ranger book and has picked out the Ranger talk he wants to attend to finish it up.  We're looking forward to getting the canoe on the water.

7.02.2012 String & Leigh Lakes

We paddled String and Leigh lakes today, launching at 9 a.m. As we paddled up String Lake, we met a canoe and kayak coming the other way – they had camped on Leigh Lake the night before. There is an easy 100 yard portage between the two lakes. At first we thought we had Leigh Lake to ourselves but a rowing scull passed us as we were checking out one of the designated campsite on the lake.

Working our way along the shoreline, we marveled at the glass smooth water and the reflections. After paddling over to check out the water coming off of Mt. Moran, Leigh Canyon, and Paintbrush Canyon, we stopped to chat with a gal who had hiked in to a campsite near the mouth of Paintbrush Canyon.  Flashing her hand, she announced that she’d gotten engaged last night!

Returning back towards the portage, we met numerous boats that were just setting out.  Turns out the lake is fairly popular, especially with the middle of the day crowd.  We checked out two of the designated back country campsites on the lake (13 & 15) and thought either would be quite nice. Two tent pads in each plus a bear box and a tall hanging pole. Turns out, the backcountry sites require a FREE permit - nice price!

This afternoon we drove in to Jackson to do some grocery shopping.  Traffic!  That’s all I can say!

So far, temps have been upper 80s during the day down to mid 40s at night.  Once again, the campground is full tonight.

Driving Around in Circles

Google Maps

A pretty big circle, it seems.  Google says it's 3550 miles from where we are to where we're going and back again.  As to where we're going, that's influenced by all sorts of things.  We're going to do the route counter-clockwise so that it works out with our niece's wedding which is in some ways the biggest (but not the initial) influence.  If all goes well, it will be the first time in years that Mom and all my siblings have been in the same place at the same time.

I'm looking forward to meeting the parents of the groom.  Ellen & Pat recently moved to Ellensburg, Washington and are in the midst of fixing up an old farmhouse and the farm that goes with it. Ellen writes a wonderful blog about her transition from "city girl to country girl ... and God's great sense of humor..." Highly recommended!

Before we get there, we hope to enjoy the mountain vistas in Grand Teton and the wonders and wildlife in Yellowstone.  We'll pick up our grandson and spend a few days in Glacier and a day in Idaho before the wedding, followed by visits to Mom's place, BJ's hiking friend's place in Oregon, and ghost towns in California.

Twenty-four nights with the longest travel days being just over 300 miles.  It's a mixture of boondocking, National and State parks, Forest Service campgrounds, and commercial RV resorts.  We're looking forward to power for the air conditioner at the lower elevations.  Some of the places are going to be much more crowded than I'd like, but that's what you get when you visit popular National Parks in peak season.  Because of the schedule, we're leveraging reservations as much as possible.

We'll be moving faster than I'd like, but we need to save a week of vacation for our almost annual Green River float trip in late September.

We're all hooked up and ready to go, other than a shorter than normal day at the office tomorrow before we head out of town.  We'll try to do updates regularly assuming we can find wi-fi.