Montana Part 4

I thought I would include a photo of the fireplace at Many Glacier since I talked about it last post.  Cozy!

This day started early because I was under the impression that we were scheduled for a boat ride this morning.  So up we get and have a quick breakfast and get down to the boat dock to pick up our tickets for the 9:00 am trip.  Imagine my surprise and Cheryl and Mare's dismay when we are told our tickets are for tomorrow.  Opps.

So we decide to take a hike and this is what you see at the start of every trailhead:

OK, if this does not make you think twice...

We did not have bear spray, we had our bear bells and made lots of noise.  And there were lots of other people on the trail that did have bear spray, so I felt, I really will only have to outrun one person, so off we went.

The air was clean and sweet.  It was warm, well for northern Montana in September and I was happy I had a hat on.  

It was a beautiful morning even if we were not doing what I thought we would be doing.

We took another hike that afternoon, part way around the lake.

This was the only wildlife we saw, we whipped out our bunny spray but he did not seem very aggresive so we walked slowly by and made it back ok.

The next morning, we get up to actually take the boat/hike/boat/hike thing I thought we were doing the day before, exept this time we were actually at the right place at the right time.

We started on a boat right in front of the hotel on the Swiftcurrent Lake.  We took the trip that had a guide to give you a little history and tells you how the mountains and park was created.  Glaciers.  Plates moving.  We found out that Glacier is not named Glacier because there are so many glaciers, it is named Glacier because glaciers created it.  Glaciers moving slowly over a long time creating valley's and lakes and waterfalls and just beauty wherever you look.

So the three of us hop on the boat and head off across Swiftcurrent lake.

At the end of the lake you get off the boat and take a short but very steep hike to the next boat on the next lake, Josephine. 

It was another beautiful day.  We got off the first boat and Cheryl I and continued on for the hike, next boat, hike.  Mare took the boat back to wait for our return or to send help if necessary.

We got off the boat at the far end of Lake Josephine and hiked to Grinnell Lake, about a mile and half thru the forest.  The trail was well marked, there were quite a few of us doing this hike along with our cute little guide, Julie.  She was a nursing student who worked at the park during the summer.  This was her second and perhaps last summer, since her nursing program now became a 16 month program with no breaks.  She was hoping to find her way back to Montana once she became a nurse.

So anyway, our hike.

We made it to the Grinnell Lake. You can see Grinnell Falls in the background.  There are lots of things named Grinnell here in Glacier.  The joke is that if you don't know its name, just call it Grinnell and chances are you may be right.  All named for George Grinnell, an early Amercian conservationist who is one of the reasons Glacier is a national park.  Thanks George.

We ate our lunch here and then hiked back to the boat, hiked over the hill, got on the next boat and returned to Many Glacier.  Oh and I forgot to mention the suspension bridge.  It is funny the look on peoples faces when those words are uttered.  I'll just say that compared to the Carrick-a-Rede suspension bridge in Ireland, this one was a piece of cake.

Mare was happy to find out that she did not need to make calls to our families that we had be lost to bears.

It was on this hike that we were told that the estimates today are that there will be no more glaciers in Glacier by 2020 - 2030.  What will happen when the glacier's are gone?  Well, the experts don't know. Will there be enough snow every year to have waterfalls?  All the lakes are glacier lakes, will they dry up?  What about the animals?  What have we done to this planet?

On our last night at Many Glacier I reflected on how incredible it all is, how the people that made this all happen (no matter what their own goals) deserve to be thanked for saving all this for the future.  How what we have seen over the last few days has been magnificent and no matter how many words I put in this blog, there are not enough words in my vocabulary to describe the beauty of this place.

One other thing, Many Glacier offered a cheese from the Poor Orphan Creamery in Montana.  If you ever see ANY cheese by this small goat cheese maker, grab it.  You will not want to share it with your loved ones, but be nice and give them a taste.  Yummy!

Montana Part 3

So it is time to move from the Village Inn at the west entrace of Glacier to the Many Glacier Hotel in the north/east part of the park.  This requires another trek over the Going to the Sun Road, this time with one of us driving.  That one, would be my beloved, Cheryl.  She got behind the wheel and away we went.  As we got further towards Logans Pass and the continental divide again, it started to snow a little bit.  We were able to stop more since we were not in the Red Bus.

There was a bit more snow on the mountains on this trip over them

It was not alot of snow, but it was snow and we were on a narrow road up and over mountains. It was a little nerve wracking at times, but Cheryl did a great job and we landed at the the loop

thankfully the only switchback on the road.  We got up to Logans Pass and again used the lovely pit toilets - they do not get any better no matter how many times you use them - then we were on the other side.  Funny thing to get to the other side of the park you have to leave the park.  

So out we go, take a left go a few miles and take another left onto one of the worst roads ever.  A few miles down the road was the ranger station where you buy your pass.  We had come into the park after the ranger station was closed and had not gotton a pass yet.  So Mare whips out her drivers license and gets a senior pass that covers entrance into the park for life and all that for $10 bucks!  Yup, that could just be the reason you see so many seniors in national parks.  Although it is getting harder and harder to tell them from us.

We drove down the road, bumping and avoiding bumps, stopping to take pictures.

I will tell you that I thought East Glacier was spectacular - well West Glacier is more spectacular!  We came to our final destination in Glacier and home for the next three days - Many Glacier Hotel.  

From the bellmen in leiderhosen to the view

yes, this is the view, the mountains reflected on Swiftcurrent Lake, we knew we were somplace special.  The history of how Glacier came to be is interesting and how this little alpine chateau came to sit at the edge of this lake is a tale of big hopes, knowing the right people and strong backs.

The hotel was started in 1914 and completed by the summer season of 1915.  The winters here are harsh to put it mildly, but many men labored thru it and there it stands today, looking just about the same as it did 100 years ago.  Except it now has heat, running water and electricity - makes it a little easier to be there - except it is only open for three maybe four months out of the year.  The rest of the time, it is boarded up and has a caretaker to make sure nothing bad happens.  

You walk into a big lobby with a huge fireplace that is kept going 24 hours a day by the bellmen in their little shorts and suspenders.  It is elevated about a foot off the ground on a stone platform, there are chairs and couches all around and a very homey feeling.  People are friendly and help you spot bears up on the hill.  People that have hiked all day or climbed a mountain or something come in and tell their tales.  

One guy came in, he was a very outdoorsy looking guy, shorts and a sleeveless shirt and a bandanna wrapped around his head (by the end of the time there, we were pretty much convinced that he was bald under that do-rag like Hulk Hogan).  He had obviously been here more than once and knew alot about the place and proceeded to tell those around him about it.  The most interesting thing he said was that the big horned sheep that was over in the corner of the lobby had fallen thru the sky light on the roof one winter and was not found until spring.  They stuffed him and there he sits in a corner forever wondering what made him take that last step...

The Northern Pacific Railroad was behind the building of this place and their plan was to be the only way to get close to the hotel.  They would bring them as close as the railroad would come and then bring them the rest of the way by stage coach.  Then came the automobile, which made access to all the parks available to lots more people, but they did not need the railroads to get there, so eventually things were sold and the National Park Service took over.

I think I could really go on for a long time about the history of this magical place, but I won't bore you with it.  Let me just say thanks to the men and women that saved it from burning down.

Until next time.

Montana Part 2 - Going to the Sun!

Going to the Sun Road!

The weather - oh man.  The day we arrived it was warm and the sun was shining.  And then... overnight it snowed in the mountains.  I woke to beautiful low hanging clouds over the mountains and lake.  I wrapped up in a blanket and sat on the porch watching the sky change minute by minute.  I did wonder if we were going to be able to take our Red Bus tour or would the road be closed.  Well, hell it takes more than a dusting a snow to stop things from happening in Montana!  Our Red Bus pulled up and we loaded up and off we went.

Spectacular people!  Just spectacular.  We experienced this road the first time on a Red Bus Tour.  The drivers are called Jammers and our Jammer was Karl.  As all good tour leaders should be, Karl was full of information and I'll share some of it with you.  The buses were original White Motor Company 1936 buses first used in the park, sort of.  While the chassis were new and they were redesigned by the Ford and were made to run on gas or propane.  The propane thing has not worked very well, so a face lift will begin on that soon.  Seems that at one point all the National Parks had these buses, Yellowstone had yellow ones, Glacier had red ones, the Teton's Green.  Glacier is the only one that still uses them and they are fantastic.  The top rolls back and when the bus stops you can pop up and take pictures.  They provide blankets (not enough) and a running commentary that is both informative and funny.  As Karl said, if you are every on Jeopardy and they ask what color these buses are:  they are Mountain Ash Berry Red.  He does expect a cut, which I think is fair.  

Going to the Sun Road is an engineering marvel.  It is 50 miles long, took almost 30 years to complete, all the retaining walls are built from local rock, the tunnels were carved by hand!  Two tunnels - one about 190 feet long - they could carve about 5 feet a day.  Back breaking work.  There were two competing thoughts on how to build the road, luckily the smart guy won!  Only one switch back on the mountain instead of 15!  The grade on all parts is only 6% because cars needed to shift gears to do anything higher.  The road crosses the continental divide at Logans Pass and here you can stop and see a trail called the Highland Trail.  7.5 miles across a pretty flat trail, where you can hike to a chalet that will have a bed and hot meal for you.  But if you plan to do this, make your reservations cause there are no walk ins.

Three men died during the construction of the road and when you drive it, you wonder why that number is not higher.

Going to the Sun is open all the way only  a few months of the year.  This year it finally opened in mid June and will close sometime in October or earlier, depending on the weather.

We planned our trip for pretty late in the season on purpose.  We wanted to avoid the crowds.  One of the downfalls of this planning is that some things are closed.  Like the "real" bathrooms at Logans Pass.  So we and everyone else on the road had to make use of four pit toilets.  While a little smelly, not the worst ones we have run into (literally) but by far the coldest.  The top on the bus had been down for quite a while at this point and most of our bodies felt frozen anyway, so it was appropriate that our asses get caught up with the rest of us.

We went down the other side of Going to the Sun to St. Mary's - the end of the road - had lunch and started back the other way.  Thankfully the top got put up for the ride back.

On the ride back we were treated to the site of a black bear not fifty feet off the side of the road eating. We were also treated to the stupidity of people.  Everywhere you look are signs, everyone you talk to tells you that the wildlife is WILD.  Stay at least 30 yards from a bear, don't approach it, photograph it from a distance.  And every year someone is hurt or killed because they get too close.

Well we witnessed a couple of idiots, they were on a motocycle (that is not why they are idiots) but they stopped their bike near the bear, the woman got off the back of the bike and hopped over the barrier and approached the bear, turned her back to the bear so her side kick could take a picture.  The bus driver was telling her to get back on road, people in the area were calling her stupid, she just posed for the picture and then the ranger pulled up.  I am hoping they got a citation of some sort.  We drove away with a great picture of the bear (taken by my beloved from inside the safety of the bus) and wondering how long before that woman got eaten by a bear.

Next up - day 2 - Driving the Going to the Sun Road on our own.

Montana Part 1

So, on to Montana!

I have got to say Montana is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been.  I will however not tell very many people this because I do not want to ruin it.

We left Idaho and continued up route 90 and as you know always on the look out for a rest stop we found the first one across the state line.  It was clean and shiney and had a couple of old Marines in a little red trailer selling drinks and cookies to raise money for Toys for Tots.  Lovely way to start a day.  We drove for a bit and came around a corner and saw this.

This was just the first stop of many along the side of the road.  We did a lot of gasping!  Things really are this beautiful.  We travelled a long way north and east.  Thru little towns and thru lots of land.  The people that live out here have got to be hardy strong people.  We commented at one point about where do they buy groceries and holy shit what if you forget something. 

We travelled into the Flathead reservation and all I could really think about was man, the white man sucks. This was not their country, they were pushed here by people that wanted what they had, even their land.  But man, this was beautiful.  Flathead Lake is big

We stopped along the road to take this photo and met an old man travelling by himself.  He came over to me and asked what lake this was.  I told him this was Flathead Lake.  He asked if I was sure.  Yup, pretty sure.  We just came up here (I showed him on the map, because I can read a map and believe that anyone that replies soley on their GPS or phone really need to get out without them and see where they end up) and we are right here.  Flathead Lake.  Oh ok.  Thanks.  He went back to his car and we drove on.  I did wonder where he was going and if he would get there.

Then finally

Our first stop was Apgar Village where we stayed at the Village Inn.  Right smack on Lake McDonald

This was literally what we looked at when we stood in front of our room or sat on chairs to enjoy the view.  Breathtaking!  While sitting here I noticed little homes around the lake.  I could see four or five from where I was sitting.  I wondered about them.  Hmmmm, must be ranger homes.  No, not at all.  Before Glacier was a national park there were people here, homesteaders.  Again hardy people I am sure.   Well, they are still there.  Glacier National Park is built around them.  Yes, private land ownership inside the park.  Can you imagine having some of the 132 acres that are still privately owned.  I tried to find some for sale, but they do not change hands very oftern it seems.

I read a couple of stories about these cottages and here is what I learned.

One woman is 87 years old and has spent every summer of her life at her family's home on Lake McDonald.  Just like her mother did before her and her's before her.  Imagine that.  She currently has 16 children and grandchildern.  She knows her magical time at this place is coming to and end and she has no idea what is going to happen to this place.  Will her children be able to come to an agreement about using it or will they decided to sell it?  It pains her, but she says she will be dead and there will be nothing she can do.

The other story is also from a women about the same age.  She however knows exactly what will happen when she dies.  Her home and land will go to the National Park Service and become part of the park.  Her children have no choice.  She has no choice.  Her mother deeded everything to the Park Service in her will, once the daugher dies the land no longer belongs to the family that has summered there for close to 100 years.  She is bitter.

It seems the Federal Government does try to buy the land when it becomes available, but is not always successful and the NPS fears what could be built and what it would do to the park.

I am not sure how I feel about it.  Part of me thinks as long as it stays in the family it should remain private, but trying to sell it should not be allowed.  Once the last person goes, it should become part of the park.  Right?  Don't know?  I just know I would hate to see some big giant McMansion or modern hotel built anywhere in this park.

Hypocritical?  Maybe.  I am about to take advantage of the early commericialization of this land and who am I to say when it should stop?

We spent two nights in this part of the park.  On our first full day we took a tour in this:

 

Going to the Sun Road here we come.

Stay tuned for Part two.

The National Park Tour - Post 1

I will admit right off the bat that I forgot the little do-hickey that allows me to easily transfer photos from my camera to my ipad, so I'll just be posting photos that I take on my phone.  Which I have to email to myself and open on my ipad.  Yes, I know I could just take photos with my ipad, but I think that looks really dorky.  So, look for more photos once we are home.

Anyway, we hit the road about 1:00 Friday afternoon, Cheryl, Mare and I in our pretty rented Ford Explorer.  We did run into a little traffic getting out of the Bay Area.  Once we got past 80 and onto 505 N it was pretty smooth sailing.

We drove up to Oregon.  Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I have lived on the West coast for all these years and rarely been north of Sacramento, much less cross the state line.  We drove past some pretty places

This was one little town we drove thru. It was funny.  

We continued on to Bend, because we thought if we stopped at Weed...

We had been told that Bend was a cute little town, but I really can't tell you.  We drove in after dark and left the next morning.  One thing I can tell you is to avoid the Shari's there.  We went for dinner, it reminded us of Denny's and thought "how bad can it be".  While Cheryl and Mare did not have any problems, this is how my night went.

I'll have a cheese omlette with potato's and sour dough toast.

Waiter brings our meals and I cut into my omlette and in addition to the cheese were all these nice consistent size bites of ham.  Vegetarian here, this is a problem for me.  

I call the waiter over, he takes the plate back.  Oh would I like a free piece of pie while I wait?  No, but Mare wanted pie for dessert so she gets a free slice of peach pie.  Cheryl and Mare start to eat.  Ten or fifteen minutes go by and my remade omlette has still not made an appearence.  Finally the waiter brings it over and sets it down in front of me and there is no toast - oh and no fork.  Waiter says toast is being made, it will be right over and my beloved grabs a fork from the next table.  I start to eat my very well done omlette while waiting for my toast, and waiting and waiting and waiting.  The manager comes out to ask how things are?  Well, still waiting for my toast - oh ok.  She leaves and toast finally arrives.  It looks like they held the toast in front of the toaster.  Needless to say I was not thrilled.  We asked to see the manager again, waiter returns and says she is not coming back out.  What?? Really?  So waiter goes back and manager comes out.  Cheryl says I don't think we should have to pay for her meal, had to wait so long, the omlette was over cooked.  Manager finally says well, just take it off the bill, I'll figure it out.  So just avoid it and I promise not to base my feelings for an entire state on the service at Sheri's in Bend.

One thing we did notice was in some of the small towns there were public bathrooms.  We stopped at one, because after all, we are women of certain age and we like to know where the bathrooms are.  One of the things we liked about Ireland was every little town you passed thru had a very nice public bathroom, but I digress.  This little town in Oregan had a very nice public bathroom and if I could remember the name of the town I'd tell you.

We continued on to Idaho, I just don't know how you can take such a good picture while travelling at 70 miles an hour.  Technology!

On our way to Couer d'Alene.  For those of you without the google, Couer d'Alene was named by French trappers and roughly translates to Heart of the Awl.  Yes, awl as in leather working tool.  The city symbol is a very cool heart with an awl thru it.  When you think about it, it is not a great symbol.

It was very pretty.  It used to be a pretty sleepy town and is now a really big resort area.  You can see the new constuction every where and a whole lot of it looks like any place USA.

They seem to like public art here

We stayed the night, went down to the lake front the next morning and walked around

And yes, the water was cold.

And I have a question about Idaho - how do they get their flowers to grow so damn big and pretty

Everywhere I looked were hanging flowers, flowers in big pots, half pots hanging of the side of buildings.  You think they water them or something?  I'll have to try that once we get water in California again.

Then on to Montana!

Why I support Planned Parenthood

I post my support for Planned Parenthood on Facebook. I agree with all who post that Planned Parenthood is a good thing.   A place where women can get birth control.  A place where women can get medical help.  And yes, a safe place where women can go for an abortion.

Women like me.  

I recently read a story of women who made a statement, that women who get abortions live with shame.  And I realized that is what I have been doing for a long time.

Not shame because I had an abortion, shame of what I thought people would think of me if they knew.  What do I care what people think of me?  In most of my life, I don't.  But for some reason the fact that I had an abortion was different.

I want to make one thing perfectly clear, I do not regret that I had an abortion, I regret the fact that I was faced with making the hard choice.  I was 21, recently had broken up with my boyfriend and had been on birth control.  And here I was.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done.  I knew I was not ready to have a child.  I could barely take care of myself, let alone a baby.  I knew that while my recently ex boyfriend would have been thrilled at the thought of a child, I also knew I did not want to tie myself to someone that I was not sure I loved, forever.

I remember going to Planned Parenthood.  I had to go twice, once for them to do a pregnancy test and counsel me on what my options would be if I was pregnant.  They were kind and concerned and contrary to what seems to be popular belief, abortion was not all they counseled.  The next day they called me and told me I was in fact pregnant and what did I want to do?  What did I want to do??  What did I want to do?

Shit, I did not want to believe this was true.  I did not want to have to make a decision.  I wanted to cry, I wanted to take a trip in the wayback machine and not have to be facing this, that is what I wanted to do.

But, I made an appointment for termination of my pregnancy for the next day.

I have good friends, I went home and cried as I told Donna & Kim.  They hugged me and said whatever you need, we are here.  

Joanie who went with me that day, sat with me in the waiting room, took me home and tucked me in bed after.

I remember walking into the procedure room, the doctor who asked me if I was sure.  Yes.  

I remember the shape of the glasses on the face of the young woman that held my hand as I tears rolled down my cheeks.

If Planned Parenthood had not been available to me what would I have done?  How different would my life have been?  

Would it have been better?  I have a pretty awesome life, I can't imagine it being better.

Would it had been worse?

I have asked myself these questions, but you know what?  I am the only one that can ask those questions.  I am the only one that could have made this decision.  I am the only one that has to live with it.

And you know what else, I'm ok with it.  I won't feel shame about it anymore and I don't care if this story changes the way you feel about me.

What is most important is the Planned Parenthood is there for the next girl and the next and the next.

San Francisco Love

Today is my last day in a class in San Francisco.  The weather has been wonderful and playing tourist at lunch time and after class has reminded me of why I love this city.

I love it for the buildings downtown.  How many of us really look at buildings.  When we walk we hopefully look at where were are going, but we should always take a moment to stop and look up.  Always look up.  

I love it for the light.  Morning, afternoon and evening, the light constantly changes.

I love it because it has always felt right to me to be here.

Yes, I know, she has problems.  But being a visitor for a week, I can over look those and see San Francisco using the same eyes that I first saw her with so many years ago and fall in love with her all over again.