Jefferson Creek and Memorial Falls, Dec. 22, 2013
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The day looked nasty as we pulled out of the 4B's parking lot at 8:30 a.m., with snow blowing in Great Falls, but despite some doubts, we headed out to the King's Hill area to snowshoe up Jefferson Creek and hike to Memorial Falls, Just as predicted, the snow stopped by the time we arrived to produce a sunny and basically windless day. A bit cold, but with the snow breaking we had to do, we all stayed warm. We had about 6 inches of fresh snow over a thin base, so the rocks still reminded us that they were there.
Sheri, on her firs trip with us, decided to take a nap on the bridge--you have to see the picture to believe it. She said she actually felt comfortable. She is now our resident expert on ice, as she is an experienced ice fisher. At the campground, we had a snack and then headed back to the car and a quick stop at Bob's bar in Neihart for a hot chocolate and sweet potato fries for Katie and chicken strips for Sheril. We aren't telling who had schnapps in their hot chocolate! We got back around 3:00, just in time for Toni to catch the second half of her Seattle Seahawks' game. See Katie's pic |
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Silvercrest and Memorial Falls, Dec. 14, 2013--On Halos and Snow Angels
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We started the day at 8:30 a.m. with a halo over the Little Belts as we rode into the sunrise toward King's Hill. Six of us road in Kathy M's car, while Jessica McG and Charlene met us at Silvercrest.
On this rather warm (in the upper 30s and 40s) but breezy Saturday, we had a triple adventure. First up was a two-mile snowshoe around the trails at Silvercrest. The snow was pristine powder but without a base, we had to do a bit of trail-breaking and some ended up with a posthole or two, giving our quads and calves a workout. The trail is mostly in the trees, keeping us from feeling much wind chill, but we got a taste of it at the overlook, where you can view the Showdown ski hill, the fire lookout on the top of Porphyry peak, and surrounding mountains. We left our mark on Angel Field, a wide open area, as several of use made snow angels. Again, the lack of a base caused some issues: getting back up provided a challenge. After some flailing around and help from our friends, everyone was able to regain their feet and head back to the head of the trail, where the SnowFest volunteers were serving chili, hot chocolate, and keeping wood on an open fire for roasting marshmallows. A gorgeous Great Dane with a velvety coat with her morkie (maltese-yorkie cross) friend entertained the small crowd at the Snowfest, seeking pets from snowshoers and skiers alike. Not as many people as usual came to the Snowfest, but it is usually held in January so the change of date may have been to blame. The second leg of the trip included a quick lesson in cross-country skiing for five of the gals and another quick trip around the short one-mile snowshoe track for another. Kathy M really got the feel of kick and glide, on this, her second try at skiing. Christi and Lisa made it the entire way without falling on their first attempts on skinny skis. After skiing and a cookie or two, we loaded up the trucks and headed back a few miles toward Neihart to hike to Memorial Falls. The lot had quite a bit of snow but we took a chance, since both vehicles had four-wheel drive. Before we got to the falls, we came across a field of ice, formed from the underground spring running into the creek. Usually, the spring creates a few feet of ice but with the recent below zero weather, the ice became a field totally covering the creek, providing a treacherous 50 steps or so before we arrived at the lower main Falls. The main falls looked much different from their usual winter appearance with about 6 feet of solid bottom, again, due to the recent cold snap. There wasn't as much lacy effect as the falls usually have. Everyone made it to the upper falls, which had a few tricky parts on the way up and down, resulting in one fall but no one hurt. On the way home, several emergency vehicles passed us,sirens blaring, so we hoped no one was injured in the festivities of the day.And one vehicle lost a Christmas tree. For animals, we say several ravens at Silvercrest and a bald eagle on the way home. On the trail, we saw many little critter tracks: squirrels and rabbits. Who went: Katie, Kathy M, Gail, Lisa, Toni, Christi K, Charlene, Jessica McG Link to Kathy's and Katie's pics |
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Crown Butte, Dec. 1, 2013
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Katie and Lynn braved a windy day to climb Crown Butte, just sneaking in a hike before the weather turned. We could see the storm come in from on top, so with it threatening, we didn't have time to hike clear around the butte; but we did have time to walk to the far side to see the view of Shaw and Square butte in the distance.
It was Lynn's first trip with the GIG; although she had signed up for hikes before, they were always cancelled or something else came up. Link to pics |
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Avalanche Lake, Oct 26, 2013
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On Tamaracks and MushroomsWhat a glorious day with the Western larch/tamaracks putting on quite the show in their yellow glory. Most of us couldn't recall a fall day as nice as this one--a bit frosty but no wind.
The day started out at 6 a.m. with a dark drive through fog. A quick stop at Browning and then the Goat Lick (no goats, just a train) to snap a few pics and we were in West Glacier before you knew it. At 10:30 we were on trail and had the chilly, but beautiful, carved-out Avalanche gorge completely to ourselves as we shot a ton of photos and wandered over the heavily used banks of Avalanche Creek. Katie could never remember a time when no one else was there. Along the trail, we took numerous photos of mushrooms/fungi as they were very prevalent; we also enjoyed the moss-covered ground and trees along with seeing the aftermath of a large avalanche that swept down Mount Cannon a few years ago. It came down and then up the side of the gorge, causing trees to fall uphill. We also really enjoyed seeing some different foliage that we don't often run across on the east side: cedar and yew trees, fungus, tamaracks. After a frosty, foggy hike, we arrived at the lake by 1 p.m; two other parties were there ahead of us and a couple more came while we enjoyed our lunch in full view of the mountains snow-capped Mount Cannon, Brown, the Little Matterhorn and Bearhat, After lunch, we continued up the trail to the head of the lake, with hoarfrost covering the ground to make our steps crunchyand put a chill in our bones. We had lovely views of the waterfalls (Avalanche Basin Falls and one other). We arrived back at the car around 3:30, stopped at Apgar for a view of McDonald Lake and a few souvenirs and finished the day with a yummy meal at Essex. As a side note, Kathy D and Mary earned their entrance into the 100-miler club, having hiked that many miles with the "grils." They join Kathy M, Susan and Katie. Who went: Kathy M, Kathy D, Gail, Roni, Catherine, Katie, Susan, Jeanne, Mary, Christi K Katie's Pics Kathy M's Pics |
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Ryan Dam South Shore, October 18, 2013
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Hike to Cochrane and Ryan Dam along the South Shore of River's Edge Trail
Despite wind and mud, we made it all the way to Ryan Dam on the South Shore of River's Edge Trail. Ryan Dam looked very different and pretty from this side, and the island was in stark contrast to the amber colors of autumn with all of the green grass. It was a sunny day, with beautiful ground cover, but the return trip against the wind made us feel like we had hiked 15 miles instead of 11.2. Susan W completed her 100 miles, the second "girl" to do so, so far, behind Kathy M. Check out our pictures--interesting, we saw guys working on Cochrane Dam, luckily strapped in. Katie's Pics We left at 8:30 and finished at 3 p.m. Who went: Doris, Bonnie, Susan and Katie |
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Morrell Falls and Tamarack Festival, October 12, 2013
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Although we didn't find any morel mushrooms along the trail to Morrell Falls, we saw many other forms of fungi and toadstools.
We left Great Falls at 6:30 a.m., with Kathy M driving, and many deer along the way. The walk to the falls is a fairly easy one, except for one short uphill section and having to watch out for tree roots. We were worried that the falls wouldn't have enough water to be pretty, but we were wrong. The wispy look this time of year just presented a different view, revealing more of the rugged rocks that the water tumbles down. The autumn colors were beautifu,l but the tamarack/larch trees weren't quite at their height of color. They were a lime green instead of an intense yellow, but pretty none-the-less. After the hike, we enjoyed perusing the booths at the Tamarack Festival in the town of Seeley Lake. We found some sweet/hot gourmet habenero jam called Angel's Firethat we all liked, and a few of us found knitted items. We finished the day with dinner at Lambkin's in Lincoln. We were surprised at how soon we finished our hikes as we arrived home around 6:30, an unusually early end to the day for the "girls." Link to Katie's pics Link to Kathy's pics Who went: Katie, Kathy M, Bonnie, Jeanne, Catherine, Susan |
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Ptarmigan Tunnel, Aug. 10, 2013 and Sept. 15, 2013
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Aug. 10--What a wonderful trip we had to Ptarmigan Tunnel. Everyone who wanted to make the tunnel did! And we helped a few people along the way again: a boy left his water bottle at Ptarmigan lake where we had lunch so Kathy Meier carried up to the tunnel for him. His family said he was out of water so they were very appreciative. And it was not a small effort for Kathy. Any extra weight to haul up those last 1,000 feet couldn't have been easy.
Then one of our hikers from group two--sorry didn't catch who so help me out ladies with the name--gave a water bottle to hiker who ran out and needed some. Then Christi Virts ran into a friend from college (Dillon) and Kathy Dunn ran into a friend from Great Falls. Besides people, we saw a mother ptarmigan and her brood--how appropriate; pesky ground squirrels and cute chipmunks, and big horn sheep ewes with their babies playing on the rocks. It was quite an effort to make it all of the way to the top but oh, so rewarding. The views of Elizabeth Lake, Mount Merrit with the Old Sun Glacier were amazing. Dinner at the Swift Current Inn was so amazing but then it could have been that we were very hungry after a long hike. Check out Kathy Meier's and my pictures at the links below. Please feel free to right click and download any that you like. To keep our Skydrive's clean, they may not all be there next week. We will post the links to the wiki too, so visit girlsinglacier2013.wikispaces.com to check it out if you lose the links. A special thanks to Kathy Dunn for driving and also leading a group of hikers and to Doris and Kathy for leading as well! Everyone pitches in and we all have a grand time! Who went Aug 10: Gail, Kathy D, Kathy M, Katie, Mary, Sue, Bonnie, Susan, Doris, Christi V, Sara Who went Sept. 15: Tammy, Beth T, Susan D, Mary W, Patka Katie's pics Aug. 10 Kathy's pics Aug 10Link to Beth's pics from Sept. 15 It was another gorgeous day in Glacier and we had the opportunity once again to push ourselves just a little bit more for the goal at the end of the hike. Mary said it is like childbirth. You work hard, go through the pain and when you get to the top and bask in your accomplishment and the beauty you will never experience any other way, you forget how hard it was. Susan was already saying that on the way down. Yay! |
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Cracker Lake Sept. 14, 2013
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What a beautiful day it was at Cracker Lake!
To see an aerial view of the trail and lake with mountain and other names, use this link: http://goo.gl/l0ecm We had many additions and cancellations, but in the end, Christi K, Chrissie, Katie, Christi's friend Allison and Sue drove up to Many Glacier and met Christy O from Bozeman at the trail head--after a bit of searching around a very full Many Glacier Hotel parking lot for a spot and to find Christy. One last thing, Allison brought Montana Bear, her three-year-old son's, stuffed animal, so she could take pictures of the bear at the lodge and the lake. We got on trail at 9:15, encountered a few horse riders along the way, and just two other parties. We arrived at the lake at 1:15 and reached the red rock outcropping, the traditional lunch spot, at 1:30, about a half hour later from projections. At the lunch spot, several parties were there, including some of the horseback riders. Those who had been to Cracker Lake before were surprised to see riders clear at the lake. Usually, they turn around at the Cracker Flats Loop about 2 miles in. Some in the party said they had seen three grizzlies, silverbacks, with one reported cub sighting at the far end of the lake. We ate lunch, all the while looking and looking for the grizzlies, but didn't see any. As we were packing to leave, Chrissie said she spotted one and she did. Katie used her binoculars and saw not one, but three, all silverbacks. Then everyone started seeing them as the bears roamed the creek bed that feeds into Cracker lake. Christy K got some pictures of two of the grizzlies--and we don't mean Montana Bear! Please share them, Christi! We saw the mine tailings as well as some leftover equipment from the old Cracker Jack mine but we didn't see the cracker lake goat (or mountain goats in general). As we were preparing to leave a second time, whom did we see coming up the trail but Tammy! We had thought she was hiking Piegan Pass but she decided to go to Cracker Lake as well. We also met Mary, from Kalsipell, who didn't want to hike alone, so she joined our group and may hike with us again. The grizzly sightings and chatting with Tammy put us a bit later getting headed back, so we hustled, taking three hours instead of the four+ it took us to get to the lake. Unfortunately, at the Cracker Flats turn off, we got stuck behind a trail ride that was traveling more slowly than we were so the last mile wasn't too pleasant following the behinds of the horses. Not much for berries left. We saw a few snowberries, a handful of mountain ash, Redosier dogwood, two bunches of beautiful but deadly bane berries and a few huckleberries, but most had been eaten. For flowers, a few remaining showy asters, some yarrow, a harebell or two, fireweed gone to seed and that was it. For mountains, on the way up, we had Mount Allen on our right, Mount Wynn on our left and Siyeh and Cataract to the front, with what is left of the Siyeh glacier draining into Cracker Lake. On the way back we were looking straight at Altyn Peak. As we arrived back at the trail head, Tammy had caught back up to us. We decided to eat at Swiftcurrent together, but there was at least a half hour wait, so instead we dropped Chrissie at the camp ground with Tammy and headed down the road to Two Sisters, after sending Christy O ahead to get us a seat. We were sad to learn that the Park Café had closed, and for good-- the owner has sold it. So we don't know if Pie for Strength is a thing of the past. Glad I have my t-shirt to remember it. Johnson's was closed as well. The season for Glacier is almost over, so we were glad to catch the end of it. Looking ahead: Link to Katie's photos--right click on any you want to download Christi K's pics |
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Triple Divide Pass, Sept. 1, 2013
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On Sunday, Christi K took up the challenge of a 14.5 mile trek up Triple Divide pass with Katie and Tom. It was another hot day even with a 9 a.m. start, but with a blue sky that was cloudless. We happened upon a friend, former East Glacier teacher Lou Bruno, as well as a Continental Divide trail hiker, who had four days to go in his journey, which started April 17. He was on his fifth pair of shoes and looked like he could eat a few good suppers to catch up on calories lost on the trail.
We saw a fool’s hen on the trail but the real surprise was at the pass. We heard marmots calling to each other, so I kept looking at the snow fields, knowing how they like to glissade down them on their bellies. “There’s one,” I shouted but my husband looked and said, “No, that’s a wolverine,” and sure enough it was. Then we spotted two of them and watched them run from rock to rock, pausing long enough to hide so we couldn’t see them until the ran out again. Amazing. At the end of the hike (we finished at 5:15 p.m.), all we could think about was a shower and with Christie staying at a campground without water, we gave her a token for a six-minute shower at Johnson’s and told her to get the huckleberry ice cream cake and a huckleberry jammer soda. She said she would start with dessert and couldn’t wait. On Monday, we headed to Two Medicine. On the hunt for moose, we walked the south shore of the lake to the Aster Falls area. Not seeing any there, we then headed to Paradise Point to sit by the lake and look for moose some more. Instead of moose, we happened upon a black bear playing in the water and swimming on the shore. Soon, a cub joined her! We watched the pair for 20 minutes until the “Sinopah,” the tour boat motor scared the bears. The passengers shouted to some hikers on the trail that a bear was in the area. About five minutes later, we heard a high pitched scream. Obviously, the hikers saw the bears! Since we still didn’t see moose, we decided to go to the top of Marias pass and hike to Three Bear Lake. We did but no moose, so we headed home after a stop at the Rock Shop. FYI, the road is still very torn up on the way to Choteau: six miles of gravel road. Bought some bookends at the shop and that concluded on awesome weekend. Katie's Pictures which also contain the Haystack Butte hike the day before Christi's Pix which also have Haystack |
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Haystack Butte climb, August 31, 2013
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On Labor Day weekend we labored and conquered a bunch of firsts: first time off-trail for most of the “girls,” first time hiking in the Cutbank Creek area of Glacier for some and the first time that most of the gals climbed a mountain.
On Saturday we left Great Falls at 5:30 a.m. and hit the Highline Trail at the top of Logan Pass by 9:30, with a stop at the St. Mary Visitor center to pick up Christi K who was camping for the weekend at Cutbank Creek, a remote portion of the park with 15 primitive (no water even) spots. She camped by herself in a tent in known grizzly habitat. She impressed us all! Anyway, after the thrill of hiking on this very high (above the Logan Pass road), on a narrow trail that has straight-down edges and only a cable to keep us from tumbling, we arrived at the Haystack pass saddle by 12:30. Instead of eating lunch on the saddle like most of the hikers, we climbed a rocky ledge (off trail) on the side of Haystack Butte. As we finished eating, we heard a commotion below us on the trail. It was a grizzly quickly moving up the valley and crossing the trail several times. We saw people with their bear spray out, others stupidly running down the trail, some hiding behind a rock and the true idiots stepping closer to the bear to get a better camera angle. Seeing a grizzly is a special sight but we were happy to be up on the butte at the time. We then headed around the butte (off trail) for the approach to climb it. Of the seven gals, five made it to the top! And it was a first for most being off trail and climbing a mountain. Everyone should be so proud--Katie basically said, "Climb up that slope," and everyone did! Congratulations to Catherine, Kathy D, Kathy M, Christie K and Roni. The climb is very steep and quite a thigh burner. After the fact, we thought we should have dropped the packs; however, it is not a wise thing to do in griz country, especially after just seeing one. After the climb, we found the heat of the day to be almost unbearable as we headed back. We arrived at the Logan Pass Visitor Center at 5:45 p.m., so it was quite a long day. We had dinner at the Two Dog Flats Restaurant in the Rising Sun Campground. This may be the last time to eat in the restaurant as it is, since Xanterra won the concessionaire contract from Glacier Park Inc (GPI). We sure hope the new company doesn’t make too many changes to our favorite places in the park—or take away the huckleberry ice cream or jammer sodas. We have loved our GPI restaurants and camp stores. Along the trail, we enjoyed eating grouse whortleberries or mini hucks, a few huckleberries and thimble berries. We saw elderberries, mountain ash, red twin berries,black twin berries, twisted stalk berries, snow berries, buffalo berries, kinnikkinnick berries (also called bear berries) and false Solomon seal and lily of the valley (star Solomon seal) berries. So the bears have planty to eat. After dropping Christi off at the St. Mary Visitor Center, the group continued on the Looking Glass Highway to drop Katie off in East Glacier, where she stayed over with her husband. Then Christ and Katie climbed Triple Divide Pass the next day. Katie's pictures which also include the Triple Divide Pass hike the next day. Kathy's pictures Christi K's pics, with close up of the griz |
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A Take of Two "Shakes" Waterton Trip August 23-24, 2013
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What a fantastic trip we had to Waterton (A Tale of Two Shakes). Our first day, which started from Great Falls at 5:30 a.m.) included trips to the Waterton townsite to shop and look around, the Prince of Wales Hotel (when Mary started singing, "The hills are alive" and other tourists sang the next lines back to her), a hike to Blackiston Falls and Red Rock Canyon with a mother black bear and her cub sightings. After shopping and looking around Waterton, we had dinner at the local hotspot Zum's followed by a takeout order of wild berry pie.
After Waterton, we traveled to our bed and breakfast (Rocky Ridge) in the dinky town of Mountain View. After a few dirt roads, we wondered what kind of B and B Katie had chosen! But it ended up being a fantastic place to stay with our host Josh fixing a super breakfast of ham and eggs crepes, mixed berry baked oatmeal or blueberry pancakes with secret family recipe maple/French vanilla syrup that Mary claims was delicious. Then we headed to Cardston for the play All Shook Up, which surprised us all at the quality: not a bad voice in the production, no missed high notes and a whole lot of young energy and great acting along with a few very exceptional voice. We loved it and most of us would go back. On day two, we headed back to Glacier for the International Peace Hike, also called Shake Hands around the Border. It's a beautiful hike around Waterton Lake to the International boundary, where you "shake hands across the border." It is led jointly by a Canadian Park Interpretive Guide and U. S. Park Ranger from Glacier. It used to be they had Canadians on one side and Americans on the other to do the shake, but now they just have half the group on each side. The trip ended at the head of the lake at the Goat Haunt Ranger station, where we received a "goat" stamp on our passports and a relaxing ride home on a tour boat. Our guide, Kevin, was very informative, and even though the tour is generally given on the first part of the boat trip, he informed us about the lake and park on the way back. We arrived back in Great Falls around 11. Much cattle on the road prohibited fast travelling. We learned a few things: Catherine may be willing to give up a house payment to stay in a suite at the Prince of Wales: price $775 per night plus GST and tourism bed tax (lowest rate is a small room off-season for $199 per night). Tony was disappointed to find out that the towns were "dry" so she couldn't have wine to go with her pie for strength. The towns are on the Canadian Mormon Trail. Kathy D found out her husband's boots weren't so comfy after all. We were all surprised that it took us seven hours to travel eight miles and it felt like the rangers were rushing us. Gail and Catherine has personal bests on this trip. Who went: Kathy D, Kathy M, Catherine, Gail, Mary, Toni, Katie Here is a link to the pics. Feel free to post your thoughts on the wiki |
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Scenic Point --August 4, 2013--Are We Cougars?
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!This hike was supposed to be the biggie: Dawson-Pitamakan, but Katie was stranded in Denver due to tornadoes and couldn't get back to lead it. Instead, Kathy M did a super job of rerouting the group to Scenic Point.
Who went: Mary, Kathy M and Doris Kathy's pictures As we approached Appistoki Falls, we met two young men (probably in their early 30s) and stopped to visit with them. Both were from St. Louis and were working in Shelby. One of the men was in good shape, hiking-wise, and one was not as physically fit. As we visited, the one took off like a bolt of lightening up the mountainside, leaving the other in the dust (our dust)! Since the men were not familiar with the area, they just pulled into the Scenic Point parking lot thinking they were going to go on a "short hike." Little did they know what they were getting the other....that was another story. We older ladies had to keep encouraging him to keep going. We stopped quite frequently to catch our breath, and I know he was quite appreciative of that. As we ascended the mountaintop, we kept telling him that he was doing great, and we encouraged him to keep going. By the time we got closer to the top, the faster guy came down the trail stating that he had been waiting an hour for us. As it turned out, we told Nick that there was NO way that his friend was going back down since he had come this far, he needed to get to the top. So, with that, they took off and ascended the rest of the way on their own. We met them at the top, and the one was so proud of himself for making it to the top of the mountain. He had to call his mom, his wife, and everyone else he wanted to call to inform them that he made it to the top of a mountain. We had a bit of ribbing and teasing at the top, and the one said his friend needed "help" and that a small "group of cougars" (imagine us....cougars?!! ha!!) had to carry him up to the top. We got a good laugh out of that! After they left, we met some wonderful people at the top and visited with them about our GIG. People are always interested in our GIG, that's for sure!! We have a special gift....us girls!! We descended the mountain after we lingered up there for an hour. The weather was spectacular. Not too windy and not too cold. Cool breezes along the descent made the trip down a bit more tolerable with the warm sunshine. As we got closer to the bottom, Mary had problems with her knee so we just took it slow until we got to some level ground. We ended the day at Brownie's for ice cream. What a fabulous day. |
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Iceberg Lake in Many Glacier, July 9, 2013 and Sept. 15
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Say a prayer for a hiker/climber as one died in Many Glacier today, a rather somber ending to an otherwise glorious day. We were delayed on the road during the helicopter recovery on our way home.
Otherwise, we did some "helping" on the trail. We helped new friend Mary make it past the scary steep parts so she could join her family at Iceberg Lake; Otherwise, she would have waited at Ptarmigan Falls for their return or headed back down the trail on her own. Kathy M gave a bottle of water to a very tired and thirsty hiker who had underestimated the water she needed. We also briefly met up with the gals from Canada just before Ptarmigan Falls, but never did see them again. We met a new friend in Christina from New York, with whom we talked at the lake. She lives in New York and visits national parks by herself. Interesting side note about Mary: Doris's son lives in Pittsburg too and she walks down the street he lives on most days. What a small world! Mary invited us to come to her home state and do some hiking there. At the lake, Katie, Kathy and Bonnie stood on an iceberg and froze their toes, but it was worth it. After dinner at the Swiftcurrent Inn and a brief stop at the Many Glacier Hotel, we drove back via St. Mary to get some pie for strength at the Park Cafe. We were on the trail by 9:30 a.m. and ended just after 4:00 p.m. katie's pics Kathy's pics From Kathy What a fabulous day! Like I said, "Did I just die and go to heaven?!!" Anyway, it was such a gorgeous day, and I am so blessed to have all of you as my friends. It was especially nice to meet amazing people along the way such as Mary and Christina. I hope that we can share our GIG wiki with both Mary & Christina. Also, a note about my back pack for anyone who is interested. I bought my "day pack" at Big Horn, and they have different lengths, so depending on your height, you may want to have Chris or Amy at Big Horn fit you with the right pack. I love mine- it's an Osprey. Even though it may seem so heavy when it's filled with water, the weight doesn't bother my back. The bladder I have is a Platypus, and it is very easy to take apart and clean. If you buy a bladder, have Chris at Big Horn show you how it comes apart. Another bonus with it, is that you don't taste the plastic. All I can say is that it is going to be ONE hard day at work today!! All I will think about is Glacier! Who went, July 9th: Kathy M, Katie, Bonnie, Doris Who went Sept. 15: Mary and Chrissie |
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Muddy Creek Falls, July 7, 2013
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Seven gals, including Kia from Finland, hiked into Muddy Creek Falls. The only person we saw was a man on a mule who said he was from Whitefish but he didn't know where he was going and ask about where he was and what was over the hill to the north. He passed us, then came back, saying he had run into a little bear, but he didn't know what kind and he would go up ahead to scare it away. I don't know if he thought we would panic or what, but then he went his way over to the Blackleaf Canyon.
We saw beautiful woods lilies, something I had never seen in this area, as they usually prefer a moist area. Many other flowers dotted the trail, from blanket flowers to bedstraw to bergamot. A stop at the Bynum rock shop and the Dinosaur museum, followed by a stop in Choteau for Wilcoxson ice cream rounded out the day Who went: Kathy D with guest Kia from Finland, Katie, Kathy M, Gail, Catherine, Debbie M.. Muddy Creek is hard to find: Here's how to get there Go to Bynum (out of Choteau) and turn left at the Wildlife Sanctuary --it's a bar and it's red The road will turn past the school Take this road--the Blackleaf Canyon road, 13.9 miles. then turn left--you should see a Blackleaf sign Drive one mile and turn left again.--you should see another Blackleaf sign Go 1.4 miles and turn right Go 1/2 mile and stay right onto a two-track narrow road Go .2 miles and reach an arched gate that you need to open. Close it after you. Go 2.5 miles up this narrow road to a parking area and gate. Walk the road and then make your way up the creek and into the canyon. It is a bushwack with no clear trail. Just keep followiing Muddy Creek to enter the canyon. To return home, reverse your steps with two left turns followed by two rights. Link to Kathy's pics Link to Katie's pics |
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Our Lake, July 6, 2013
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It was a day for orchids! We saw lady's slipper, fairy slipper (calypso) and striped coralroot! So amazing. We must have seen over 50 other flowers as well.
The day was cool, under 70 degrees so perfect hiking when you have some elevation to gain. The trail wasn't overly crowded but we did come across about five other parties. No animals besides little critters, but oh, what a gorgeous day. Who went: Gail, Kathy M, Doris,Katie, Kellie, and Jessica G (and her daughter Jasmine), Link to Katie's pictures Link to Kathy's pictures We started out at 6:30 and came home at 5:00 after a stop in Choteau for some ice cream. |
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Bullhead Lake, July 2, 2013, with the Canadian hiking group
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So much fun to hook up with the gals from Mountain View, Canada, on a hot, hot day--in the mid-80s! We had quite a group, with 11 of us and 7 plus two children for them. After the hike to Redrock falls and then Bullhead Lake, we had a cool drink at Swiftcurrent store and then rested at the Many Glacier Hotel. The gals from Canada were disappointed that there was no huckleberry icecream. Apparently in Canada, everything is Saskatoon berry (our Service berry), so they were sad not to get their treat at the end of the hike.
We had one person not feeling so well in the heat so some headed back sooner than the rest and one person who went on ahead and we were worried when we couldn't find her but all worked out in the end. She just ended up with a 10-mile hike! For wildlife, we saw a mama moose with twins. Who went: Beth B, Christi V, Jessica G, Sara, Michele, Katie, Kathy, Jessica M, Charlene, Susan, Gail Link to Katie's pics Link to Kathy's pics |
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Logan Pass snowshoe and flower walk on the beaver pond, June 30, 2013
We saw it all: goats, sheep (rams in full curl) and a moose, plus we snowshoed to Hidden Lake overlook at Logan Pass, with one really steep dicey part, which prompted Toni to say her favorite word, and then went on a wildflower walk around the Beaver Pond at the old 1913 Ranger Station at St. Mary. It was all topped off with dinner followed by "pie for strength at the Park Cafe.
Link to Katie's pics
Link to Kathy's pics
Who went? Katie K, Kathy M, Roni, Toni, Susan and Gail
Link to Katie's pics
Link to Kathy's pics
Who went? Katie K, Kathy M, Roni, Toni, Susan and Gail
Sacred Dancing Waters in West Glacier and Zipline June 15, 2013
Who went? Toni, Kathy M, Katie K, Deb, Roni, Mary, Katie P, Jeanne, Christi K, Catherine, Sue, Susan, Jessica V
Link to Katie's pictures
Link to Kathy's pics
Link to Katie's pictures
Link to Kathy's pics
St. Mary Waterfalls hike, June 13, 2013
St. Mary Waterfall Hike: Baring Falls, St. Mary Falls, Three Unnamed Falls and Virginia Falls, June 13, 2013
Who went: Katie, Kathy M, Kathy D, Judi, Lisa J, Sharon, Jessica M, Charlene, Sue, Susan, Jeanne, Bonnie
Link to Katie's Pictures
Link to Kathy M's pics
Who went: Katie, Kathy M, Kathy D, Judi, Lisa J, Sharon, Jessica M, Charlene, Sue, Susan, Jeanne, Bonnie
Link to Katie's Pictures
Link to Kathy M's pics
Sluice Boxes, June 10, 2013
June 10, 2013, Sluice Boxes Evening Hike to the Tunnel after work evening hike.
Who went: Lisa J, Jessica V, Jessica G, Charlene, Kelsey, Christi K, Judi, Katie
Link to pictures
Who went: Lisa J, Jessica V, Jessica G, Charlene, Kelsey, Christi K, Judi, Katie
Link to pictures
Two Med twice in two days, June 6-7, 2013
One group went Friday and one went Saturday. Some walked all the way around the lake; some took the boat and went halfway. We all saw three waterfalls: Twin Falls, Trick Falls (Running Eagle) and Aster Falls. Those who walked all the way around saw four (all the others plus Rockwell).
Who went: Friday: Sue, Lisa, Mary and Katie Saturday: Deb, Kathy M, Roni, Katie, Jeanne, Toni, Catherine, Beth, Tammy, Christi V.
Link to Katie's pics
Link to Kathy's pics
http://sdrv.ms/11AGWtx
Who went: Friday: Sue, Lisa, Mary and Katie Saturday: Deb, Kathy M, Roni, Katie, Jeanne, Toni, Catherine, Beth, Tammy, Christi V.
Link to Katie's pics
Link to Kathy's pics
http://sdrv.ms/11AGWtx
National Trails Day, Get Fit Great Falls Trip to Rogers Pass--June 1, 2013
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It couldn't be better: a walk along the Continental Divide Trail on National Trails Day, beautiful wild flowers along the way up Rogers Pass and beautiful women to pass the time with. The flowers were spectacular: douglasia, rock jasmine, huckleberry, service berry (saskatoon), groundsel, larkspur, forget-me-nots, buttercups, glacier lily, pasque flower, blue bells, Indian paintbrush, cous biscuit root, nine-leaved biscuit root, arnica, ballhead waterleaf,arrowleaf balsamroot, spring beauty, strawberry, current, gooseberry, shooting star, fritillary (yellowbell), yellowstone draba, bedstraw, bistort, Oregon/holly grape, prairie smoke (old man whiskers).
We saw moose, coyote and sheep sign and grizzly diggings in the rocks. A bluebird showed off for us but no sign of eagles or hawks today. Who went: Kathy M, Katie, Sue, Susan, Lisa F, Roni, Jeanne, Brenda, all from the GIG and newcomers Beckie, Jackie, Becky, Lisa C, Ruth and Sally. Come hike along the Continental Divide Trail on this all-gals hike to Rogers Pass, where the coldest temperature in the lower 48 was recorded at -70 degrees in 1954. Between Rogers and Marias Pass to the north are 100 miles of mostly protected wilderness with no roads in between. The pass was named for A. B. Rogers, a surveyor, who discovered this low area in the mountains in 1887. We hope you will be treated to a host of wildflowers at the top of this hike. This somewhat steep trek is about 3 miles round trip with 1,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Check out Katie's pics |
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Cochrane Dam x2 --May 28 and June 25
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Mount Helena in the Rain--May 19, 2012
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It was a steady drizzle and rain most of the way to the top, but Kathy M, Brenda, Jenn, Roni, Lisa, Toni, Jeanne, Catherine and Katie made it to the top, despite some slippery rocks and dreary skies. The views of the city were still good if a bit misty. And the wildflowers put on a show! We spotted well over 20 flowers on the hike from purple pasque flowers to yellow arrowleaf balsamroot.
Even though we missed the turn for the Lime Kiln Gulch, we still had a great time on the Power Line tail or the other half taking the old 1906 and backside trail down the mountain. A lovely brunch at the Mediterranean Grill and a bit of shopping on Last Chance Gulch rounded out the day. Here is a link to Katie's pictures. Link to Kathy's pics |
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Two Medicine on Snowshoes, May 5, 2013
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As if car troubles, a lost cell phone and bear spray weren't enough, one of the gals fell in the Two Medicine River crossing it via a fallen log. She fell in over her head, which scared us all, but she said she was fine and the river wasn't even that cold. Of course, the rest of us didn't believe her. But thanks to girls always coming over-prepared, we were able to outfit her to continue on our hike with her own extra clothes and some borrowed boots.
A blue sky day led to some heavy snow and post-holing (falling in and having to pull ourselves out), which challenged our thighs, but we couldn't believe the splendor of this day. We snowshoed in short sleeves and still were too warm. The blue of the sky was the most clear and beautiful some of us had ever seen. After about a six-mile trek that included seeing Running-Eagle/Trick Falls, Aster Falls, and Paradise Point, we ended the day with a Cinco-de-Mayo dinner at Serrano's. The day ended well: we found the bear spray; we found the cell phone; only the car still needs work! Who went: Kathy M, Katie, Susan, Lisa, Brenda Check out Kathy M's pictures Katie's pictures |
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Hike from Ryan to Morony Dam on North Shore Trail, April 25, 2013
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Last week it was bears; this week ticks. One hiker said the count was 92 total! But despite the obstacles of biting insects, the night was a real beauty, with no wind, warm temperatures and a gorgeous sunset coupled with full moon.
From hoodoos to a coyote skeleton to flowers (fritillary, cous biscuit root, phlox), and of course the Mighty Mo, the 15 of us who hiked had plenty of photo opps, which almost had us hiking out in the dark, due to all of the shutterbugs taking their time. We hope it was a grand welcome of a hike for newbies to our group: Christi V., Mary N., Luisa and Cheryl. For the record, Jeanne and Beth tied for the most ticks: nine. Who went: Mary N, Beth T, Kathy D, Katie K, Christi V, Luisa, Brittany, Cassie, Cassie’s mom, Cheryl, Catherine, Tammy, Bonnie, Susan, Jeanne Link to Beth's pictures Link to Katie's photos |
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Three Bear Lake, April 2013
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Be Bear AwareFollowing in the footsteps of a grizzlyBig grizzly footprints dotted the path all the way into Three Bear Lake at Marias pass, but we never did see him or the moose that usually inhabits that lake. Without much snow and rain coming down, we had to postpone our walk into Ole Creek and the hanging bridge, but that didn't put a damper on our long lunch at the Izaak Walton Inn, where we got to see the inside of one of the cozy caboose cabins..
Amid conversations of Hugh Jackman movies, we spotted a black bear along the highway, so we stopped to take a closer look. Unfortunately, he ran up the hill into the bushes before anyone could get a good shot. Before we said goodbye to Glacier, we took a quick peek into Two Medicine followed by a stop to photograph Glacier Lodge. We found out that there is not enough snow for our snowshoe hike the beginning of May. Who went? Toni, Kathy M, Katie, Joanne, Chrissy, Jeanne and a welcome to first-timer, Catherine Here's a link to Katie's pictures. Here's a link to Kathy M's pics Link to Catherine's pictures |
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Snowshoe Climb to the Lookout on Porphyry Peak, April 2013
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We all made it to the top! All seven of us! And three of us on brand new snowshoes. It was quite a climb and then some on a snowy, but warm day, just in front of a winter storm warning moving in, so we had to get down quickly. When one of the girls found out we were headed all the way up to the top, she said, "You're kidding, right?' No, we weren't kidding and it wasn't so bad because we took breaks and told "ring" stories. Length was about 5 miles.
We were all relieved to reach the lookout, which some of us climbed, and then relieved to see the cars at the end. All told, it took us three hours: two hours to climb up and one hour to go down. On the way up, we followed a skier and his dog; on the way down, we met a family of skiers going up. We had a great meal at the Lazy Doe in Monarch to round out the day. But we'll have to continue the 'ring" stories on the next hike when we have a lot of uphill as not everyone got a chance to tell her story. Who went? Kathy M, Joanne, Jeanne, Susan, Toni, Brenda, Katie Check out Katie's pictures Check out Kathy's pictures |
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Jones Creek, Teton Pass/North Fork Waldron Creek, March 16, 2013
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Teton Pass/North Fork of Waldron CreekMuddy was the word of day as we faced warm 40+ degree weather at Teton Pass Ski Resort and Jones Creek in the same area out of Choteau, Montana.
We had two groups, one going to Jones Creek on an MWA-led hike and others who had never hiked to along Waldron Creek to the Teton Pass area. Kathy M, Kathy D and Doris went to Jones Creek, while Katie, Joanne, Bonnie, Beth and Susan headed up to the ski hill. The weather at Teton Pass was nice to start out, in the 30s, then rising into the 40s produced a muddy trek back up the road to the ski lodge. The quinzees were a little worse for wear at Waldron Creek, the traps had nothing in them (but we did see big cat tracks and evidence that the cat had taken the bait) and the snowflakes fell nice and fluffy on the second half of the hike. We ended up post-holing quite a bit as we headed toward the bowl, the snow bridges weren't safe either, so we didn't quite make it all of the way. Both coming and going, we were treated to the sight of snow geese and tundra swans at Freezeout Lake. A great meal at the ski lodge rounded out the day. Check out Katie's pics. Jones Creek (MWA)Kathy M's Pics Saturday’s trip to Jones Creek proved to be a delightful and “invigorating” hike as Doris would say. As we started out on our hike, we donned on our snowshoes, but only to take them off about 15 minutes into the hike. Our hike leader, Len, told us to take off our snowshoes and leave them behind. As we continued on our hike, we encountered some snow in a few areas and did a lot of “post-holing” up to our knees and sometimes our thighs. Some of us got stuck and needed assistance to get out. Hiking along the rocky creek bed was a challenge, as the rocks were sharp and sometimes hard to walk on. We encountered all kinds of weather- from the sun peeking out and providing us with warmth, to little snow pellets, and then larger snowflakes. Fortunately, it was not real windy which made the trip very pleasant. Along the way, we noted that the wide creek bed had odd mounds of rocks piled up into long rows, one right after the other. They almost looked like grave mounds. We were intrigued by the wide variety of rocks that were of different colors and textures. Our youngest hiker, Jeremiah, found several fossils. Some were fossils were some type of sea shell and there was another rock that had round fossils in it. The scenery was spectacular, and as a sure sign of spring, we noted the shrubs were beginning to bud! We are all anxious for Spring! |
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Sawmill Gulch and Memorial Falls, March 2, 2013
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A surprisingly warm day at 48+ degrees with little wind awaited us as we joined an MWA snowshoe hike up Sawmill Gulch. The snow was deep but with spring-like sticky conditions. When we came to the clearing, everyone gathered firewood to build a fire, followed by our hike leader Dan setting it ablaze with a match and lighter fluid.
After we completed the MWA hike, the "gals" continued on up to Memorial Falls to see the frozen waterfall. We were accompanied by our new friends, Catherine and Ed. Although the trail was a bit slick in places and they didn't plow the parking area, we still enjoyed the short jaunt along the creek. Who went? Doris, Kathie, Susan, Katie, Catherine and Jeanne. Check out Katie's pictures |
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North Fork Waldron Creek Snowshoe Hike, Feb. 24, 2013
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A bit blowy and snowy, but, oh, what a wonderful day! Six gals (Doris, Kathy M. Katie, Kathy D, Jeanne and Toni) climbed the Teton Pass ski area hill and cut down through the trees to Wadron Creek,then hiked part way to the bowl and then out to the main road. On the way to the bowl, we came across a place where a group had winter camped and built several quinzees, which some of the gals had to try out. We suspected maybe Boy Scouts had stayed there a night or two. After a nice meal at the Teton Pass Ski lodge, we made it home by 4 p.m.
Check out Kathy M's pictures |
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Lubec Lake, Glacier Park; and Izaak Walton Inn, Essex, Feb. 9, 2013
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Iced blue skies with Dancing Lady Mountain (formerly Squaw) in the background for our setting-- what started as a beautiful, if windy, day, ended up with a semi-hairy drive home in blowing snow, but luckily not too much ice.
After a great snowshoe hike around part of Lubec lake with great commentary by our leaders Jo and Donna, we capped the day with a drive to Essex and a yummy lunch (love those sweet potato fries!) at the Isaak Walton Inn, where the snow started to fall in soft snowflakes. By the time we hit East Glacier Park, the snow was starting to pack the road and blow, so the drive to Great Falls was a bit dicey at times. Who went? Beth, El, Susan, Katie, Kathy M., Cindy, Bobbi, Toni, Christi Check out Katie's pictures of our day. Check out Kathy's Pictures Check out El's Pictures |
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Devil's Glen Winter Hike, Feb. 3, 2013
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Again, no snowshoes needed on this warm (40+ degree day). We didn't make it all the way to the Glen as many wanted to get back for the Super Bowl. We had some sun and wind, but overall, it was beautiful, even though we faced much ice on the trail. we ate lunch on the banks of the Deerborn river, overlooking the limestone canyon with riffles of waterfalls. Thanks goodness for trekking poles or hiking sticks or ski poles; whatever you call them, they were lifesavers on this terrain.
Who went: Jeanne, Kathy M., Katie, Brenda, Tammy Kathy M's pics Katie's pics |
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Wagner Basin--The Snowshoe that Wasn't, Jan. 27, 2013
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We all packed our snowshoes, but this Jan. 27 day turned out to be a hike instead. With little snow, high, but warm, winds for winter time, the hike turned out on a positive note as we did see big horn sheep on our way out to the car. Besides seeing the skull tree and the beaver lodge, we enjoyed a short "sled" on our rears into creek gully before we ascended a short hill. After refreshments at the Elkhorn bar, we headed home and got in at 5:30. Hoping for better snow within the next few weeks so we can actually put the snowshoes on! We had three new gals on this hike! Welcome to Judy, Janet and Jeanne!
Who went? Judy, Janet, Jeanne, Kathy Meier, Katie Kotynski, Tammy, Toni Link to Katie's pictures (the video of the sheep has to be downloaded first; just click when prompted) Link to Kathy M's Pictures |
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National Trails Day at Silvercrest with side trip to Memorial Falls; January, 2013
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A cool partly sunny day--boy, did it feel nice when the sun was shining, March 9, 2013. Janel, Christie, Jill, Katie Kotynski, and Susan braved the weather with a trip first to Memorial Falls and then Katie P joined us on the guided hike at Silvercrest for a tour on the new snowshoe trails at this groomed tail system on King's Hill in the Little Belt Mountains.
After our two-mile hike, which included stops to make snow angels, we have a lunch of chili dogs and hot chocolate, provided by the sponsors of National Trails Day. Desset was the best: cookies from Great Harvest. We each had to have one or two, even though they cut them in half. Enjoy Katie's pictures |
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Jefferson Creek Snowshoe, January 6, 2013
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It's hard to believe we are into a new year of hiking as a group. With a brisk breeze and sun peaking out from behind occassional clouds, the day was another beauty. The snow was powdery, although the trail itself was very hammered by much snowshoe and some ski traffic. We saw three other parties on our hike, including what appeared to be a very young girl, her mother and grandmother. Any day is a great day to be outdoors, but it was fun to be wtih friends out on snowshoes, many of us for a first time.
Who went? Katie, Kathy, El, Leslie Link to Katie's pictures Kathy Meier's pics Link to El's pictures |
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