Chop Chop Billy Goat

Just went on a fantastic hike to a mountain lake and waterfall. Part of the time it was snowing (what?! snow?! in June?! yes, snow!).

We are at Glacier National Park, about thirty miles from the Canadian border. Camping at Many Glaciers campground, next to a roiling river, beneath a snow capped craggy mountain.

Arrived two days ago, after a long – and fortunately – uneventful drive. As usual, Pa and I split the driving, with me driving the first half while Pa navigated (and thanks to Google maps on the iPad it is an easy job) and in the afternoon we switched roles. The kids do great on driving days. Big kid does her school work, reads (she is deep into the world of Harry Potter), and looks out the window. Little kid talks and sings, plays with his feet, looks out the window, and naps.

We all got to do some animal spotting on the drive – the ubiquitous cows and horses, a handful of pronghorn, a bald eagle, and Pa even spotted a grizzly bear (Ma missed it, as she was busy navigating the big rig on the hairpin turns).

En route we stopped in Helena to do some provisioning. It was a beautiful Montana day (sunny and sixty degrees … kind of like Tucson in January) and so we dressed appropriately, in long pants and fleece jackets. We were amused to find that once we got inside Costco most people were in shorts and t-shirts.

The season at Glacier is just beginning, with many roads still not open due to massive amounts of snow and some of the buildings (i.e. much needed showers) remaining closed for another week or two. As a ranger told me, they call this month ‘Junuary’.

We are keeping busy with hikes and walks (in the rain, in the snow, over snow banks), playing in the freezing river (big kid) and just relaxing at camp. For Barney, it is a scented paradise …. each walk has him in a frenzy as he sniffs the deer that wander thru camp, the squirrels, possibly a sheep or a bear.

Not yet sure how long we will stay here. It is absolutely breathtaking and we could happily stay for a while …. but the forecast is for continued rain and wind …. and the north country beckons ….

(p.s. this was written on June 13. will be posted whenever we locate a cellular or wifi connection …).