Northern Rockies

We finally left Washington State behind and crossed Idaho on Sunday, September 7, and saw just enough to fall in love with the Pend Oreille area. We'd planned to camp on the river there, but the campground was closed for the season. With great disappointment, we continued into Montana where we found a fabulous campground in Libby. We listened to the sounds of the creek as we fell asleep. It was there that we did laundry and our first blog update. Since it seems we were headed for Glacier National Park, we called Tom & Jody, who live in Columbia Falls, to see if we could pop in for a visit.

They graciously welcomed us and gave us a tour of their gorgeous, uniquely-built home. They had been gathering antiques and historical architectural elements for MANY years and built this home around those possessions. They should be very proud of themselves as everything went together beautifully. It is a one-of-a-kind home and so warm and welcoming. We'll be back to see you, Tom & Jody, and we hope you'll come to see us in Gig Harbor!

We got one of the last campsites in Glacier that night, then headed to Lake McDonald Lodge for a ranger talk on artists who have specialized in capturing Glacier National Park. Many mediums were represented: watercolor, oil, photography. The ranger had really done her research. We certainly learned a lot. Lake McDonald Lodge is one of those historic, log hotels where "Easterners" would come for a summer visit. That cute Chaplin face greeted us from the camper window as we returned to the truck.

The next day, we got up early (7:00!!) for a Red Bus Tour in one of the historic vehicles that tour the park. Debbie take note: Our driver, Robbie Lucke, has lived in the area his entire life and knew every nook and crannie of the park. He schooled us on the various animals, trees, and geological formations to be found in the park. He really made it fun and the historic vehicle is a charmer. See that gorgeous shade of green in the lake? There's nothing like the glacial run-off water. That night, it was pretty chilly and poured rain. Nothing like listening to the rain on the roof of a camper...But the peaks in Glacier received a dusting of snow that night.

Jody had mentioned that we might see wildlife in Two Medicine on the East side of Glacier National Park. Since we hadn't seen anything wilder than a two-year-old by that time, we decided to take her advice and try to see mountain goats at the natural mineral lick...no luck. And hiked around Two Medicine Lake scanning the hills for signs of grizzly...no luck. Guess we were just too late in the season. Two Medicine is a gorgeous spot and well worth the trip. We still made it to Great Falls, Montana, that day in order to refresh prior to heading to Yellowstone.

Great Falls was a specific destination for me as I wanted to see the Charles M. Russell Museum in that town. His studio was intentionally built as a log cabin in 1903, despite the fact that his house next door was very modern for its day...it had two indoor bathrooms! Russell's works of art fill the museum--everything from watercolor to sculpture. Such a talent. One of our favorite tunes is "The Gift" by The Sons of the San Joaquin. The lyrics go something like this:

God made Montana for the wildman. For the pagan and the Sioux and Crow. But his greatest gift was Charlie. Said to put her all down before she goes.

And that's what Charlie did...

Well, we just about froze our ya-yas off in Yellowstone. After Clint BBQ'd a yummy steak dinner, we sat around a campfire listening to a ranger talk about bear safety and the elks bugling. The elk bugled all night. Boy, was that ever cool! I don't think we slept much...plus, it was 17 degrees! Yikes! It was definitely a two-cat night!

The next day, we planned to see Old Faithful, but we hadn't planned on getting wet from it! Oh well...the camera still works! We then hiked around the geysers and found those gem colors amazing. That day, we also hiked to a powerful waterfall and saw Big Horn Sheep along the way. What a treat! We did, of course, see elk and bison in Yellowstone, as well. But figured you knew what those look like! HA

Our first glimpse of the Grand Tetons was so exciting! It has, for many years, been my favorite National Park. We'll see if it will still have that standing by the end of this journey. Jackson Lake beckoned to us, so we took a boat tour. If Jan's leg had been in better shape, we would have kayaked...next time. We learned a lot from the captain of the boat, too. Like the fact that last May, he took a couple of snowboarders across the lake to the base of the tallest peak. They hiked to the top slid on down to the lake, where the tour guide picked them up. What Class A thrill junkies! We're no thrill junkies as our idea of excitement was to flute and drum up a storm. No worries...we were the only people in the campground!

On the way to the town of Jackson the next day, we saw a mama moose and her baby grabbing some breakfast along the roadside. We know how dangerous they are, but they look so sweet. We were also the recipients of falling pinecones compliments of a very industrious squirrel. That little guy was working so hard. Jackson was FULL of people as they were conducting their annual arts benefit with a wine and food tasting. Many beautiful works of art were available and the shops were full of nice things. But, you know, there's not a thing we needed. Except a beer since we were hot. So, we strolled on into the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar where we sat on saddle barstools and quaffed a cold one. Clint had many good memories from his last trip to Jackson. He was riding his Harley with buddies on their way back from the Sturgis, South Dakota, happening. Apparently, he spent many fine hours in that bar. He probably didn't have as much fun with me around! Then, it was back to the Grand Tetons for the night (the RV Park in town wanted 6 times as much for a night's stay as the National Park did! Yikes!). Clint fluted while Jan watercolored on the edge of the lake. A mother mule deer with two fawns ambled alongside us. So special.