There's a WHAT????

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Before I begin, let me add a few notes that I forgot to include in yesterday's post:

There is such a thing as a "chinook scar" which you will find on some of the trees in Glacier NP  They are caused during the winter when the sap has retreated into the base of the tree.  The chinook winds blow through and can raise the air temperature as much as fifty degrees in five minutes, causing the trees to think it is spring. They send the sap back up the trunk;  then the winds drop and the temperature plummets again, causing the sap to freeze and expand, cracking the bark.

There are also some trees that are scarred by the sap freezing
from extreme cold and bursting the bark.

When we were at the Rock and Roll bakery, Patrick told us that bear spray is $48.00!  You can also rent it in some places, but you don't really know if it has already been used.  The new can will spray as much as thirty feet!!

The name of the boat we cruised on yesterday is Sinopah, which is also the name of the most-photographed mountain on Two Medicines Lake.  Sinopah was a Blackfoot princess and was the beloved of the first white man ever to be accepted into the tribe. Actually, a woman's name would end in "aki", but for whatever reason, the mountain's name doesn't!  We noticed that the restrooms say "Women" and "Akiiks" and "Men" and "Ninnaks".

After we got the corkscrew, we tried the Montana wine.  It isn't great.  But after the first glassful, you don't really notice!

Now then, on to today.  Well, actually, let's talk about last night. I'd already stepped outside twice to watch/photograph the bright lights in the sky.  I was ready to call it a night, but the fireworks were still going strong at 12:22 when a siren went off and blared for well over a minute!  I saw a police car go by and then the siren quit.  I thought it was a "stop the fireworks" signal;  but, alas, they continued for another twenty minutes or so.  I figured that at midnight it was no longer the Fourth of July and that should be that!  Ah well.  Eventually it got quiet and I fell asleep!

Frog in the hole for breakfast is a yummy way to start the day, and we are starting to load the car when we see the lady who cleans the rooms.  We stop to chat and tell her that she doesn't need to change any of our linens;  all we need is for the garbage to be collected.  She is grateful for one less job to do and tells us that she also runs her grandmother's B&B down the road, The Bison Creek Ranch.  Everyone here seems to work REALLY hard during the tourist season so they can afford to live through the winters!  Yesterday we left a note on our door, attached with two band-aids because that's the only sticky thing I had!

Back we go to the park and chalk up another twenty-five dollar savings.  The lady at the booth is from Massachusetts.  She works the summers at the park while her husband stays home working for the state park system and taking care of their cats.

We return to yesterday's parking lot, having a much easier time finding a place to park.  Yesterday there weren't any spaces, but as we were trolling the lot a space opened just for us!  While we are still sitting in the car we catch sight of a Columbian ground squirrel.  We take this as another good omen! 

We gather our things and head for the trail head. There we encounter a man who has just come back down the trail.  He and his party turned around because they saw both a brown and a black bear on the trail and they showed no signs of wanting to get off the trail!  He even shows us pictures!  I want one!!

We decide to give it a try and head out.  Marilyn is clapping and yelling "Bear!  Bear!"  to announce our presence;  but she isn't thrilled with this outing.  Eventually I offer to lead.  Several different groups of hikers pass us and we tell them all about the bears.  One group is a mom and dad and four little kids, another is a family with bear spray!  We decide to try to keep up with them but they are quite speedy.  The family with the kids turns back.  The dad says, "I've got two babies to worry about" and we applaud his decision.  

One of the beaver ponds along the path.

This is not a happy face.

I thought I'd found a bear!  Obviously it was only a tree bear.

It occurred to me that yelling "Bear" to scare the bear left us with nothing to yell if we actually saw one!  I start yelling "Unicorn" but it makes Marilyn laugh and she loses her breath!

Marilyn is ready to turn back but I want to continue.  It seems to me that if all those people are ahead of us, they should have cleared the trail.  Also, all the people who came back and saw the bears were unharmed.  Sounds to me as though the bears couldn't care less about us!  I keep leading and at one point I hear the trees creaking, just like in the redwood forest.  I keep going.  Marilyn is calling my name and when I come back to her she is backing down the trail and pointing.  I don't see anything! Turns out she heard the trees and thought it was a bear growling.  In all fairness, it could have been;  but I never saw a bear and the noise coincides with the wind.

I don't want to go on by myself (what if she's right and I get eaten.  Who will know?) and she's determined to go back.  So we retrace our steps.  Then we meet a group with bear spray and she agrees to follow them.  We come to some bear scat.  Hmmm.  Then we come to a meadow that looks just like the one in the man's photos of the bears and she's done.  

I can't coax her into going on to the falls and suddenly it just doesn't seem right to push her that far.  After all, she didn't make me ride the zip line.  yea, never mind about the suspension bridge or the ski life!)  We got bear photos yesterday as well as waterfalls, so what the heck. We've had a good hike and life goes on!

Here's a great example of old-man's beard, the lichen we learned about yesterday.

Back at the trailhead we get our lunch out of the car and sit on a bench beside the lake and beside a lady from Akron, Ohio.  Her husband went to a small, boys' high school and every five years they all get together somewhere in the USA.  This year it is Kalispell and they are all having a blast.

The clouds overhead are putting on a display just for us!

As we're eating a gorgeous blue bird flits in, hovers about fifteen feet in front of us, and lands on a post quite a bit away!  We wait eagerly, cameras in hand, for him to come back.  A quick fly-by and he is gone for good.

The wind is very strong and the clouds are gorgeous, so sitting on our bench with PBJs and blueberries seems like the ideal occupation.  Eventually, though, it's time to go and we start back. 

This was parked in the lot.  Doesn't he look real!

First, though, we explore the campgrounds, since that's our only uncharted territory.  There are lots of campsites and different kinds of tents and three loops in which to get lost.  If you keep driving you are bound to find a way out and we do.  

But before we leave we discover a patch of real snow!  It's right by a parking area and who can resist real snow!

Nanny nanny!  You missed me!

Along the road to the exit is a magnificent stand of white birch that are crying out for a portrait.  

 That done, we go back to town to photograph the old historic Glacier Park Lodge.  It is right across the street from the railroad station and is still used by people who travel by Amtrak and play golf.  The flowers are stunning and there is a gift shop.  Life is good.

Back in town we take some shots of the signs on Route 2, discover the town library, and return to our room to download photos, have some wine and popcorn and begin blogging.  We will need to back tonight or tomorrow morning so we can check out and head for St. Mary's, to the north about forty-five minutes (not counting photo time, which is a bit like injury time in a soccer/football game!)

This metal sculpture is right on US 2, a couple of blocks from our motel.

Dinner will be at Luna's for one last slice of pie.  Oh, and dinner, too.  We considered the Bison Creek Ranch which also has a restaurant, but it feels like cheating on Zita!  Actually, when we get to Luna's, Zita has already left and we are served by Electra Omega Puccini!  Her sister's name is Leah Bella Puccini!  How cool is that?  Her father says they are related to Giacomo Puccini! Electra says that although she isn't Zita, she did make the pie crust!  And she is a wonderful waitress!

We split the Grizzly Bait, as decided last night, and Electra splits it in the kitchen for us!  When we're finished Marilyn thinks we need to do it again!  Here comes another half a sandwich and more sweet potato fries.  Lord help me!  I was satisfied with the first half!  At least we won't get dessert!  We do, however, get two pieces of pie to go so we can have them for breakfast!

When asked, Electra suggests that we drive toward St. Mary Lake for some good sunset photos.  We come back to the room to blog before leaving again on that mission.  The sun sets extremely late here for us Floridians!  And we have to pack and be ready to leave in the morning.  Shouldn't be a problem! We'll see!

So at 8:30 we drive along US 2 looking for a pull off with a view. Not too many of those;  but we choose our spot and fight off the mosquitos waiting for the show.  Although we are above Two Medicine Lake, the sun sure isn't going to be shining on it.  We wait for some excitement and finally decide that what we've seen is probably all there will be.  There are some pretty shots, though.

And so, good night!