Wrapping Up Glacier...Until Next Time!

St. Mary, Mt
Glacier NP
August 8-9, 2013


Thursday did turn out to be a cold, drizzly, dreary day. We stayed inside all day. Brian, a camp worker, stopped by while we were out with the "tan clan" and asked if we had seen any bears. NO! was the answer. He suggested our chances would be real good if we took a ride on Many Glacier Road around 6:00 pm.






I am very happy to report...I saw a grizzly! I was so excited...of course we were safe in Pearl and a Park Ranger was on hand to keep the bear safe!

At first glance...I thought the white spot was a rock. No telling how many bears we really saw and didn't even know it!


The grizzly bear is a North American subspecies of the brown bear.

Grizzly bears are typically brown, though their fur can appear white-tipped, or grizzled.


Grizzlies tend to be solitary animals...with the exception of females and their cubs.

Even though these bears are at the top of the food chain predators, much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots.



They also eat other animals...and aren't picky. Any size from a small rodent to a large moose will do.

 Most adult female grizzlies weigh between 290 - 440 ponds and the adult male anywhere from 400 - 790 pounds. Even though they are very large, they are quite fast and have been clocked at 30 miles an hour.


Friday was our last day. We did manage to get in one last hike. Destination...Ptarmigan  Falls.  This trail begins at the end of Many Glacier Road behind the cabins near Swiftcurrent Motor Inn.
 The trail starts out with a fairly steep climb...185 feet in only a quarter-of-a-mile.





The first part of the trail passes through open terrain.

In front of us was the Ptarmigan Wall...





...and to the left we could see Salamander Glacier and Mt. Grinnell.

 At one point, I found myself singing " The hills are alive" from the Sound of Music. Another one of those spectacular trails when you don't know whether to look up or down.

 I wish we had counted the water flows from the melting snow that we crossed over. Somewhere between 8 - 12 we think. Some were a trickle...












...and some were not.

 The last part of the trail was through a dense pine forest with the sun peaking in and out of the trees.  The cool air sure was a nice reprieve from the sunshine.

Ptarmigan Falls

There is a very nice spot at the top of the falls for a water and snack/lunch break.

 It was another wonderful day. Words just don't do Glacier justice...to say it is beautiful is an understatement for sure.

 I do hope in a few years we can return. Pam, we didn't take the time to stop by the Many Glacier Hotel to check out the history and pictures...next time. Thanks for the suggestion.

 The White Model 706 Tour bus was developed specifically for sightseeing in the National Park System of the US. These are the Glacier Park "Jammer buses. The park purchased 35 of them between 1936 and 1940. In 1989 the fleet was upgraded to modern specifications like power steering and automatic transmission.

In 1999, the fleet was temporarily removed from service to be completely refurbished and returned to service in 2002. The drivers/tour guides have come to be called "Gear Jammers".


 Judy...is this an Osprey or an Eagle? I hope you can tell.

 

 

Before we knew it, our time in Glacier was over.

We are headed back to Moab, UT to get in some more hiking and jeeping.

 

Our pups sure know how to enjoy a rainy day! Sally was having a very bad hair day! Jack is always snuggling up to somebody. And Dover was checking to make sure I wasn't getting out the snacks!

Until next time...have a great week!

Trick Falls

St. Mary, MT
Glacier NP
August 7, 2013


 Our fourth adventure destination...Two Medicine.

Views from US-89

 From St. Mary, it was a beautiful drive on US 89 south for about 19 miles.



Then we made a sharp right turn onto MT-49.

Looking Glass Road

MT-49 is better known as Looking Glass Road. It is a beautiful scenic drive thru the Blackfoot Indian Reservation.






Beautiful space...as far as the eye can see.

And spectacular views of Lower Two Medicine Lake...





...with views of Rising Wolf Mt.







At one time, Two Medicine was a primary destination in the park...before the Going-to-the-Sun Road was constructed. Today it is off-the-beaten-path so to speak.




Our plan was to have a relaxing day. The weather forecast had predicted a 60 percent chance of thunder showers and rain. Not a day for hiking.

It had rained earlier in the day...the ground was moist, the air was cool and the aroma of fresh fir trees filled our noses!

The nature trail is wheelchair accessible. We had the pleasure of meeting  Mr. B and his owner.

 Two Medicine is included in the over 5 million acres of the Glacier/Bob Marshall Wilderness ecosystem known as Rocky Mountain Front.

Two hundred years ago, this territory introduced Lewis and Clark to the quintessential American wilderness.

 Although much of the landscape throughout the US has been lost to logging, mining, and development, the Rocky Mountain Front is the only region in the lower 48 states that is still home to all the species present at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

 This was a nice find for the day...seeing this Black Cottonwood tree.

The bark is grey and covered with lenticels, becoming thick and deeply fissured on old trees.

 It is a large tree, growing to a height of 98 feet tall with a trunk diameter of over 6.6 feet. Some of these trees live to be 400 years old.

 Running Eagle Falls also known as "Trick Falls" flows off the river between Lower and Upper Two Medicine Lakes.



It is nicknamed trick Falls because there are actually two separate waterfalls in the same location. During spring runoff (which we missed) water rushes over the top ledge for a 40 foot drop that covers up the lower falls/


By late summer, the upper falls is dried up. Water continues to rush through a sink hole at the top of the cliff before flowing out of an opening in the cliff face...this creates a 20 foot falls.

This is the top of the cliff. You can tell where the water in the spring flows.

 The rock walls were beautiful!

 And so were all the flowers!

 As you can see...it was a gorgeous day...not a drop of rain or a single thunder storm.

Our hike for yesterday was cancelled however...why? Rain...cold, drizzly, windy rain!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time...