Glacier National Park

Today’s travels brought us to higher elevation and we drove by Flathead Lake which is huge; 15 miles wide and 30 miles long.  It is the largest freshwater lake in the west.  






Glacier National Park is the 6^th National Park to be established and is called that because immense glaciers carved the area many, many years ago.  Unlike rivers, glaciers erode wide bottomed, steep-sided, U-shaped valleys.  Deep glacial lakes like Waterton, Saint Mary, and McDonald, fill the bottoms of some larger glacial valleys.  

We entered Glacier National Park from the west entrance and went to the Apgar Transit Center where we parked the truck and got in a line to wait for about 45 minutes to catch a bus.  That bus took us to Avalanche Loop where everyone gets off the bus and gets in line for the ‘small’ bus which takes you to Logan Pass.  The small buses can navigate the roads so much easier than the big ones. The roads are quite curvy and there isn’t much of an edge protecting vehicles from a humongous drop off the mountain.  Taking the bus makes enjoying the spectacular scenery possible for everyone and they are environmentally friendly.  The only problem we see is that you can’t just pull over and take a picture of one of those spectacular sites, you just go on by them.  We did see quite a few very nice waterfalls from a distance.

Once at Logan Pass which straddles the Continental Divide, the 1.5 mile (one way) hiking trail to the Hidden Lake Overlook is in a beautiful setting.  The lush meadows of wildflowers are surrounded by jagged peaks.  We did see Mountain Goats on the hike, one walked right to us and then crossed over into the midst of some trees. 

Mike walked all the way to view the Lake, but Judy quit about 45 minutes away because of ‘old’ knees.  It was a fun 8 hour day.  

Thirsty Mountain Goat

Walking the boardwalk on Hidden Lake Trail

Hidden Lake

Sunning Mountain Goats

Meadow with Wild Flowers

Big Horn Sheep Blend So Well Into The Mountainside

Famous Red Tour Buses

                                 The next day we left a little earlier than yesterday and headed to St. Mary Visitor Center. We are staying by the West Entrance to the park and that is at the East Entrance to the park.  We weren’t three minutes in to the park when we saw two little deer run across the road right in front of us. The difference between taking the bus system yesterday and driving today is we were able to make stops where there were overlooks and capture some of the beauty in pictures.  One of our first stops was by some white water rushing by.  When getting out of the truck Judy saw a bear walking on the other side of the water and pointed it out to Mike.  He (the bear) disappeared before we could get a picture.  That makes two for two of not being as quick as the animals!  We made a few other stops along the way. We walked down to the water and were able to take some pictures of the gorgeous views we had.  

They are doing road work on the way to St. Mary so we were stopped a few times, the delays were never very long, but what a mess it made of the truck!  It went from a medium to dark grey, to a very light grey from the dirt/dust from the gravel road and the water truck trying to improve the dust situation.  We then left the park via the East Entrance, drove on regular highway, and then entered the park again to go to Many Glacier.  That road was also very rough, but the                                                                                  scenery was worth it.  

Waterfall Running Below Road

Riding The Edge

Enjoying The Scenery

                    Ride The Edge With Us

We stopped at the Many Glacier Hotel, what a gorgeous setting and view.  The hotel is located along the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake and is the largest hotel inside the park  The great northern railroad built this historic hotel in 1915 to accommodate the many tourists passing through Glacier National Park.  Many Glacier Hotel is built in the Swiss Chalet style and the Swiss theme is carried through the interior of the hotel as well.  This quaint hotel provides world famous scenery, with panoramic views of nearby Grinnell Point and Mt. Henkel.

Our last day (fifth) in Glacier we we drove an hour and a half, heading to Two Medicine, near East Glacier.  We were lucky enough to find a parking spot not too far from the boat launch.  We got tickets for the boat ride on Two Medicine Lake which takes you across the lake.  A guided hike to Twin Falls is only offered at 1:00 and 3:00.

The boat we were on  was the Sinopah which was built in 1924 and holds 49 passengers.  It’s amazing that it is still in service, but it is safe and licensed to do its job!  Kiley, our boat captain and guide, explained about the rock formations, plants and trees we saw on the hike.  The weather was perfect for the boat ride and the hike.  Mike had on a sun-shirt and Judy wore a light jacket when needed.  The trail was slightly up-hill, but not difficult, and there were many tree roots to avoid.  There were a couple of wooden bridges to walk across crossing the river with only one rail to hold on to.  We also had to cross a mud-hole on slippery rocks.  

Twin Falls

The Other Twin

After disembarking we walked back to the truck and headed to Running Eagle Falls, also known as “Trick Falls.”  One waterfall is supposed to tumble over a cliff and another pours out of a huge hole in the cliff wall.  Since August is towards the end of the season, the upper falls had dried up, leaving the lower fall apparently springing from solid rock.  The hike was short and very easy and we remembered it from previous visits.

This was our fourth visit to Glacier National Park and we still enjoy it.

                                                                        Trick Falls

St. Ignatius, MT

St. Ignatius Mission about 50 miles north of Missoula was our first stop on our way to Glacier National Park.  It is currently on the Flathead Indian Reservation and dates back to the mid-1800s when Jesuit missionaries founded the Mission.  In 1891 Indian people and missionaries began construction of the building using local materials.  The bricks were made with local clay and the lumber was cut in nearby foothills, and the striking interior murals were created by the mission’s handyman/cook, and extremely gifted self-taught amateur painter, Brother Joseph Carignano.  He was an Italian Jesuit and hand-painted 58 murals adorning the walls and ceilings.  They are amazing and appear as fresh as if they had been painted just yesterday.  The pictures depict scenes from the Old Testament of the Bible as well as portraits of several saints.  The mission complex is also home to a log cabin, which was the original residence for the Sisters of Providence when they first arrived in the 1860s to start a girls’ boarding school.  It is now a small museum.  There is also a small chapel which we were not able to go in. 

Sisters of Providence log cabin

Missoula, MT

Since 2000, Missoula has been the second most populous city (110,000) in Montana.  It is home to the University of Montana and was founded in 1860 as Hellgate Trading Post while still part of Washington Territory.  Its population is approximately 66,788.  Missoula is a hub for outdoor enthusiasts with its great hunting and fishing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, skiing, snow-boarding and snowmobiling.   After touring the city both of us decided that we like Spokane better than Missoula.

It’s been a very long time since we have stayed in a Yogi Bear Campground, but we are doing it here in Missoula, Montana since our first choice had no openings.  It was in the 90s today, but comfortable.  Judy was in the trailer and Mike was doing stuff outside when he said that Yogi was roaming around.  Of course we had our pix taken with him!  We are surprised to see that there are not very many families with children here.  Poor Yogi when he made his rounds!  Well, we found out why all the motels, hotels, and campgrounds are so full…….tomorrow night Paul McCartney is performing here.  The people across the road from our site told us they paid $300 per ticket and they will be sitting 5^th row center.  Wow! 

We have noticed that it is more important this year of camping to have/make reservations because the baby-boomers are camping and the campgrounds are fuller than they have been in many years!

Our first stop was the Smoke Jumpers Base and Visitor Center. Smokejumpers are a highly skilled, rapid response and operationally focused fire resource that provide initial attack suppression on emerging small wilderness fires to sustained suppression on longer, larger fires.  They are the elite of the elite!  They come from all over the country and from many different backgrounds.  Several common characteristics of successful smokejumpers include a high level of motivation, a good work ethic, excellent physical fitness, a passion to protect and restore public lands, and a willingness to challenge themselves and others.  Besides needing background in the line of work of the position to be filled, having a total of 12 months general experience, must be at least 18 years of age, be between 5’ to 6’5”, weigh between 120 and 200 pounds, and must be able to do 7 pull-ups, 45 sit-ups, be able to run a 1.5 mile in 11 minutes.  Those last three listed I guess leaves us out!!!!!  They really must be physically fit.  Rookie smokejumpers must also pass a 110 pound pack test on flat terrain in 90 minutes, and many other physical and mental challenges.  Usually 40% of the trainees drop out on their own or per their supervisors.

In 1910 a series of wildfires roared through the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains, burning 4 million acres of land.  These fires began in remote areas where firefighters didn’t have the resources or ability to access or contain them.  This devastation brought about the idea of parachuting into these remote areas to suppress small lighting-caused fires quickly and efficiently.  Almost 30 years later in 1939 the first smokejumping organization was established and practice jumps were made.  In 1940 the first operational fire jumps were made and in 1952 Congress authorized $700,000 for the construction of the Aerial Fire Depot in Missoula, MT.  In 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower visited Missoula to dedicate the first Aerial Fire Depot.

Kern County is on Bottom Right

The tour was extremely interesting, seeing all that the jumpers have to wear and carry as they jump from a plane into an area a mile away from a fire that has no roads to it or is too difficult to get to by vehicle.  We heard about the two types of parachutes used, the planes, and the gear used by these dedicated men and women.  There is a hallway with uniform patches from Fire Departments all over the world.  We found that Kern County was represented.  When a fire alarm sounds they can be dressed and in the air in ten minutes. 

Survival Gear and food rations

Fire Fighting Tools

Equipment

Transport Plane

Ready Room (They can be dressed and in air in 10 minutes)

Post Operation Parachute Inspection Room

Our next stop was to see shops on Higgins Street in downtown Missoula.  This was rather disappointing, but we did enjoy a snack at Catalyst Café before heading to see the Carousel we were told to visit.  We found it and saw that parking was pretty next to impossible, so kept on going to our next stop; another micro-brewery!  They have six in town, but Mike chose the one that had dark beer, which is his preference. 

On to the stop we had been looking forward to, Fuddruckers.  We split an Elk burger and a Buffalo burger.  We both liked the Elk burger better as it seemed more flavorful and leaner.

Our last stop of the day, after getting fuel at Safeway, was doing grocery shopping at Safeway since we are headed to Glacier National Park and shopping will probably be a little difficult there. 

REMEMBER: CLICK ON A PICTURE TO ENLARGE IT!!

Spokane, WA

Spokane

Spokane is the second largest city in the state of Washington.  It is in a transition area between the barren landscape of the Columbia Basin in one direction, and the forests to the east; to the south are lush prairies. Spokane became an important rail and shipping center because of its location between mining and farming areas.  Our campground is to the north of the city. The campground has a vegetable garden and we were invited to pick whatever we wanted.  So, after setting up and resting a short while, we went and picked green beans, zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes, an onion and a squash that we had with dinner.

Frank's

The next morning we headed in to the city for breakfast at Frank’s Diner and it is a place we would recommend to anyone who likes to eat good food and good-sized portions.  It was rated the #1 restaurant in Spokane by Yelp and Trip Advisor out of 770 restaurants.  The restaurant was a former dining car for the railroad president.  While waiting in line we started talking with a young couple (the Bennett’s) in their mid-30s who are also rving.  They are on the road for 6 months looking for a new place to call home, after getting tired of the Los Angeles rat race.  Luckily they came just before we did so we all got seated at the same time at the counter and could continue our conversation sitting next to each other.

The Bennett's

 Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes

Our first stop after breakfast was The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes.  Once we got there we found there was a service taking place, so we decided not to go in the sanctuary, only took pictures outside.  We wish we could have gotten a tour to learn about the Cathedral.

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist was our next stop.  As we entered we were approached by Rick who was giving the tours today.  His wife was there with their cat Oscar and they had their part in the tour we found out later!

It is one of the few examples of classic Gothic architecture in the new world.  Its detail includes the French influence.  There are only eighteen cathedrals of this style in the United States.  The structure is solid masonry with exterior stone quarried near Tacoma, WA; the interior is sandstone from Idaho, and the limestone is from Indiana.  Construction began in 1925 and was completed in 1929.  There are three chapels in the Cathedral commemorating the three congregations which united to form the Cathedral parish; St. Peter’s Chapel, St. James’ Chapel, and the largest is All Saints’ Chapel, commemorating the first Cathedral in Spokane.  In the sanctuary of the Cathedral is the official chair of the Bishop.  It is the presence of this chair that makes this church a Cathedral.  The stained glass windows are absolutely gorgeous and were created by a Boston company and a Philadelphia company.  There is a great Rose Window at one end, and others depict figures from the Bible such as Abraham and Moses; the Old Testament windows on one side of the sanctuary and the New Testament on the other.  The Cathedral organ has 4,112 pipes and one of the keys on it plays a bell in the carillon.  The carillon consists of 49 cast bells, the largest weighs 5,000 pounds, the smallest weighs 17 pounds.  The total weight, including the steel structure which supports it is more than 20 tons!  There are many beautiful arches, and they serve a purpose, not only adding beauty..……they hold up the weight of the windows, walls and ceilings. The full seating capacity is about 1,000.  

Manito Park

The Spokane Nishinomiya Garden in Manito Park was our next stop where we walked around and marveled at the way the Japanese trim trees and bushes to make them look so nice.  There was a Koi pond with huge Koi in it and one lone duck on a rock.  We walked over the bridge and to a small water fall which was all very relaxing and enjoyable.

County Court House

The next morning while driving through downtown Spokane we saw a very interesting looking building and decided to check it out. To us it looked like something that belongs in Disney Land or Disney World but it was the county courthouse.  It had many towers and was VERY ornate.  It had lots of big trees on the grounds and flowers were planted also.  It was built in the 1890s.  We found it rather different that that type of a design would be chosen for a new public building.  It was a magnificent example of the French Renaissance style of architecture.  

Riverfront Park

Our main goal today was to visit Riverfront Park, and it wasn’t easy to find because of construction, one way streets, and no signs!  Walking to the park we entered on a bridge that crosses the upper waterfalls of the Spokane River.  There is a power plant which probably derives power from the water.  There were quite a few small, pretty falls.  This is a city park that charges no admission, but if you wish to go on any of the rides there is a charge.  There was a Ferris wheel, and a carousel.  We found a table in the shade and enjoyed our picnic lunch.  It was by the Spokane River that had ducks and Canadian geese swimming.  Again, beautiful flower arrangements all over.

We continued walking around the park seeing more waterfalls. It was another very hot day and the sky-tram they usually run over the falls was not operating.  Because of the 100 degree heat the cars get too hot. What a shame for those people who mainly came for that.  It is the most popular thing in the park.