Really, Where Are the Potatoes? Craters of the Moon and Dinosaur National Monuments (by Sunshine)

Volcanoes AND dinosaurs? What more could a 3-year-old boy ask for? Of course, the volcanoes weren't active anymore. And the dinosaurs were all dead. But we made sure not to tell him that beforehand.

On July 26, we arrived at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. We still hadn’t seen any potato fields or even land that looked like it could support potatoes!

The monument is otherworldly, a vast volcanic landscape made up of jumbled black basaltic rock, cinder cones rising into the sky, stringy lava flows frozen in time, and long lava tubes created by rivers of flowing lava that harden around the outside. After exploring the visitor center and taking in a geology-themed ranger program, we chose a campsite built into the black jumble of lava rocks.

Jumble of black lava rock and cinder cone

That afternoon, we hiked the North Crater Flow Trail (0.3 mile), which interpreted the different formations that we were seeing on the landscape. We then drove to the Caves Area of the park and joined a ranger-led tour of Indian Cave, a massive lava tube that has caverns where entire groups of people can stand. Collapsed sections of the roof created skylights that lit up the cave. We even saw a little brown bat flying above our heads.

Indian Cave tour

Entering Boy Scout Cave

Walden loved exploring the lava tubes, especially Boy Scout Cave, a much smaller and darker tunnel. We had to wear our headlamps, climb over boulders of lava, and duck through narrow passages. Even though the temperatures outside reach over 100 degrees, there is ice in the cave year-around. When we left the cave Walden said, “This is a really good day!” That evening we went to a Junior Ranger program about the different kind of rangers in a park, and Walden earned his Junior Ranger badge.

View from the top of Echo Crater

The next day (July 27) was windy and cold, and a series of storms moved through the area dropping rain and even hail. It was fascinating to experience because the monument only receives an average of 3 inches of rain all summer. I think we experienced all 3 inches! I came down with a terrible head cold, so Walden and I spent the day resting in the Burro while Jim went hiking. Jim hiked the Wilderness Trail (8 miles), which leads, not surprisingly, into the wilderness area of the monument. The trail winds through a vast plain of brown cinder cones, shrubs, and lava tree molds, where lava flowed around trees that left deep holes after they decomposed. Several flowers of yellow and purple were able to take root in the crunchy cinders. Pinyon pines were filled with Clark’s Nutcrackers poking into cones in search of seeds. He climbed to the top of Echo Crater for a breathtaking view of the storms sweeping over the landscape.

Moon rises over Spatter Cones

I was feeling better the next day (July 28) so we spent the morning exploring the cinder cones, craters, and lava flows in the monument. We drove the 7-mile scenic loop drive and stopped so I could climb a half mile up the Inferno Cone, a giant cinder mountain. We explored the Spatter Cones and peered over the edge of a crater. We all enjoyed the Broken Top Loop Trail (1.8 mi) that climbs up a cinder cone, provides close-up views of Blue Dragon lava (named for the amazing blue iridescence that shines from its surface in the sun) and lava bombs (ball-shaped rock that cooled in the air as it tumbled around), and provided another opportunity to explore a lava tube called Buffalo Cave with our headlamps.  

Posing with a large Lava Bomb

Pahoehoe lava frozen in time

Craters of the Moon National Monument encompasses 60 lava flows covering 618 square miles along the same hot spot that created Yellowstone National Park. The oldest volcanoes in the Monument are 15,000 years old and the youngest flows are only 2,000 years old. Being there is a lot like being on the Big Island of Hawaii with black rock as far as the eye can see. Below the ground of the monument is the Snake River Aquifer which is the size of Delaware. The water seeps through porous volcanic rock and dissolves the basalt creating rich mineral water that can be used in irrigation for growing – you guessed it – potatoes! After we drove southeast out of Craters of the Moon we finally saw our first potato fields. And the site of the Idaho National Laboratory because apparently desolate areas of desert surrounded by lava fields are also great locations for testing nuclear capabilities.

Even though it was mid-afternoon by the time we left Craters of the Moon, we decided to push as far as we could toward our next stop—Dinosaur National Monument. After five hours, we entered a fascinating, brilliant red canyon area. Along the road were signs explaining what types of ancient sea creatures, fossils, and dinosaurs were found in various rock layers we traveled through. We were on the edge of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in the Ashley National Forest. About 8 p.m. we passed a nature trail with interpretive signs right next to a campground. That was enticing enough to stop for the night after a long days drive.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir

We spent the night in Manns Campground and walked the short nature trail in the morning. On our way out of the area, we stopped at a scenic overlook of Flaming Gorge. It was one of several Recreation Areas we’d seen on the trip created when a river was dammed and a canyon was filled. I’m torn about how I feel about these areas. Some of them are quite beautiful with colorful steep canyon walls and deep blue water below. They are usually filled with speed boats or fishermen. They provide opportunities for water-based recreation in an area that might not have it, as well as much needed power generation, but at the same time I always wonder what the cost to the ecosystem was in altering the natural landscape.

Mid-day (July 29) we reached Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Jim and Walden were super excited for this stop. Jim had visited here with his family on vacation when he was a boy and always remembered the experience. I was intrigued but a little indifferent. Dinosaurs just aren’t my thing. The monument encompasses the original dinosaur quarry that was excavated in the 1920s, which is, of course, what most visitors stop to see. But it also includes vast areas of high desert, colorful cliffs, canyons, rivers, petroglyphs, and homesteader sites. We explored the visitor center and much to Walden’s dismay, there were no buttons to press. He did enjoy the play table full of plastic dinosaurs in the gift shop though.

Playing at the dinosaur table

Walden pretends to be a dinosaur

After we dropped the Burro at the campground and had lunch (we were expecting a desert camping experience, but were pleasantly surprised that the sites were next to a river and partially shaded by cottonwoods), we headed back to the visitor center to board the “Dinosaur Tram.” The open air tram with dinosaurs painted on the side drove us through a massive metal gate that slid open between two high canyon walls. The National Park Service did a good job of creating a Jurassic Park feeling experience. The tram dropped us off next to a glass-sided building on top a pile of crumbling rock (so crumbling, in fact, that the original building’s foundation was unstable so was closed for five years and rebuilt). The new two-story structure was built around a quarry rock wall (the Morrison Formation) filled with dinosaur bones. The area had once been a river and the bodies of the ancient creatures piled up in the mud leaving a site of unusually high concentration of dinosaur bones.

Touching a real dinosaur bone in the quarry

Walden again didn’t find any buttons in the museum, but did enjoy the Dino-cam which was a computer screen that allowed you to zoom in on any part of the bone wall. At certain points, you could click on a bone and the computer would show you what part of the dinosaur’s body it was from. (Note from Jim: Despite Sunshine's lack of enthusiasm :), it was an AMAZING experience to touch the real fossilized dinosaur bones still embedded in rock. While you can always read about dinosaurs in books or watch them in movies, touching the actual bones of these extinct beasts was a powerful connection to the reality of these creatures that once roamed the earth).

Touching a dinosaur bone on the Fossil Discovery Trail

From the museum, we hiked the 0.7 mile Fossil Discovery Trail back to the visitor center. The trail passed three areas highlighting fossilized clams, dinosaur bones, and fish scales. We weren’t able to locate most of the fossils and were a bit disappointed by the trail. Personally, I think the location of the fossils were vague on purpose because they didn’t want people to touch or steal the specimens. At the museum, I was talking to one of the rangers outside while Walden examined various rocks with a hand lens set out for visitors. I was trying to understand why the dinosaur bones were located where they were, but every answer the ranger gave me was related to how well the fossil sites were protected by state and federal law. I tried to explain that I wasn’t a bone hunter and just wanted to learn something, but the conversation felt very strained so I gave up.

Petroglyphs along the Tilted Rocks Auto Tour

Next, we drove the 10-mile Tilted Rocks Auto Tour stopping at various points of interest along the way. We saw some interesting petroglyphs, learned about the various rock formations, and explored an old homestead. All the while, Jim and I discussed how we felt like something was missing from our experience at Dinosaur. The interpretation seemed too broad and tried to cover so many parts of the monument including the two rivers it protects. Most people come to the park to see the dinosaur bones, but there was really very little interpretation about dinosaurs, other than to identify the bones you could see in the wall (and you had to make an effort with a booklet to do that). We were left with so many questions, even though we’d watched the terribly boring movie, explored the visitor center and museum, hiked the discovery trail, and read the booklet along the interpretive drive.

Hiking Sound of Silence Trail

It was a beautiful evening and a nearly full moon rose over the colorful mountains. In the morning (July 30), before the temperature got too hot, we hiked the 3-mile Sound of Silence trail through crazy rock formations in beautiful shades of red, white, yellow, and brown. Walden played his "phone game" for most of the hike, in which he calls someone (Grandma, Grandpa, Aya, Kahlo, princesses, Minions, Cookie Monster, etc.) and talks to them on the phone. In addition to carrying Walden on his back, Daddy also has to play a variety of characters and come up with interesting conversations!

Colorful rocks on the Sound of Silence Trail

Our Junior Ranger

We had been in the Utah portion of the monument. We packed up the Burro and continued our journey to a visitor center in the Colorado portion of the monument to see if they had any buttons to press (for Walden) and any patches (for Jim). On the way, Walden worked on his Junior Ranger booklet. When we arrived, there were no buttons or patches, but Walden was sworn in as a Dinosaur Junior Ranger. He certainly has quite the collection of Junior Ranger badges!

While we had lunch in the picnic area by the parking lot of the visitor center we watched motorcycle after motorcycle pull in. Most of the drivers were European including Dutch and Germans. Sturgis, an annual motorcycle rally in South Dakota, is next week and it is the 75th anniversary so we expected to see lots of bikes on the road (and intentionally planned not to be in that part of the country right now).

What an amazing diversity of things to see! Despite the lack of spewing lava and roaring dinosaurs, we had an amazing time exploring, climbing, and playing in the national monuments. Now, we're off to Grand Junction, Colorado!

Where are the Potatoes? Montana and Idaho (by Sunshine with details added by Jim)

Before we left on our journey we made a list of stopping points.

Lovely Idaho

The list included national parks we hadn’t been to, cities with famous landmarks, family, and friends. It also included Idaho. Not a special place or specific location, just Idaho. It was somewhere we both wanted to spend time but we weren’t sure where to go or what to do. We asked for suggestions from some friends who had lived there or visited before and came up with a general plan for moving through the state. Our image of Idaho before the trip was mountains, forests, and wild rivers. And potatoes. Because who doesn’t associate Idaho with potatoes?

After leaving Glacier National Park (July 18), we went to Kalispell for groceries, fuel, and Internet so we could make rare contact with the outside world. It had been rainy most of the week in Glacier, but the weather turned sunny and warm as soon as we drove away from the mountains. We learned later that a wildfire started in Glacier a week after we were there and closed down the western half of the Going to the Sun road. We’ve been fortunate avoiding the national disasters so far!

Campsite friend

South of Kalispell, we found a newly remodeled Flathead National Forest campground on Swan Lake, a large actively used lake surrounded by mountains. When we arrived, a sign announced that the campground was filled. We talked to the camp hosts to see if there were any other alternatives, and they told us there happened to be one site left… a giant, asphalt-paved double vehicle campsite. It was funny to see our little Burro in a campsite made for a massive RV! After a swim in Swan Lake, across the road from the campground, Walden saw something black and slimy on his leg and asked Jim, “What is that?” Usually it’s just a piece of seaweed that he freaks out about. But this time, it was Walden’s first experience with a leech!

Feasting on huckleberries at Seeley Lake

The next day (July 19), we continued south to Seeley Lake, MT where we found a farmer’s market which excited Walden and me. We got to sample Flathead Cherries and buy some fresh produce and locally made lavender lotion. We found a campsite at the popular Seeley Lake campground (Lolo National Forest) after being chased away from another campground by an abundance of mosquitos. The forest surrounding our campsite was filled with ripe huckleberries. Walden was in heaven… they have become one of his favorite treats. Every time we turned around, we found him plopped down in the bushes eating huckleberries until his hands and mouth were purple, ignoring the mosquitoes biting his face. It was hot so we played in the sand and water daily. Seeley Lake is a popular recreation area, and Walden had fun watching the motor boats, water skiers, and jet skis plying the waters. We even enjoyed hot showers from our shower bag two nights in a row.

Refreshing campsite shower

Master sandcastle builders

Morrell Falls

On June 20, we took a day trip into Lolo National Forest. We hiked a hot trail to the beautiful Morrell Falls (5 miles), a 90-foot cascade that tumbles over black rock steps. The bottom of the falls was much cooler in temperature providing a respite from the hot, dry hike.

We also took a scenic drive on the Clearwater Loop Road, which provided beautiful views of the Swan Mountain range and a short trail to the pristine, undeveloped Clearwater Lake. The lake was crystal clear and looked much like northern Minnesota with the addition of mountains in the background. We heard at least four loons calling and displaying their mating behaviors, and saw one mother with a young chick. We enjoyed the experience immensely and were amazed to learn that there are only 60 mating pair of loons in Montana and only 30% of the young survive.

Walden found a frog in Clearwater Lake

Crossing the bridge into our campsite

On July 21, we stopped in Missoula for Internet and other necessities. We were happy to find free wireless at a local mall with a play area, air conditioning, and lots of room for parking the Burro. I suspect this is where Walden picked up a bug that led to a cold that he and I are both still fighting. Darn civilization. That evening, we started driving up to Lolo Pass, which crosses from Montana into Idaho. This is the same route that Lewis and Clark took both on their way west and their return home. We camped at Lee Creek (Lolo National Forest) just east of Lolo Pass. We loved that our campsite had its own bridge over a creek, an interpretive trail adjacent to the campground, and several large boulders to climb.

Lewis and Clark picked a great campsite

The next morning (July 22), we continued our journey to Lolo Pass, stopped at a quaint visitor center, and hiked to see Glade Creek Camp in a nearby meadow, one of the many campsites Lewis and Clark used.

As we drove west along Highway 12, we were immersed in the Idaho of our imaginations. Steep mountains covered in pointed conifers hugged both sides of the road and the Lochsa River tumbles over boulders cutting through the valley.

Soaking in a warm pool (Walden didn't like the hot ones)

We stopped at Warm Springs (Clearwater National Forest), one of the many hot springs in Idaho. After crossing an amazing swinging bridge over the river we came to a forest service sign stating that this was a “CLOTHING OPTIONAL AREA. You may encounter nude hikers along this trail and its terminus point.” Cool! The official U.S. Forest Service logo really made the laminated sign funny. We hiked through a beautiful forest (2 miles) and found the heated water oozing from a hillside and filling small pools created with boulders along the river. The pools are all different temperatures depending on how far they are located from the river and how much of the cold river water mixes with the heated water. In the pools we saw two snakes, lots of kids, and really tan old guy with no inhibitions (Note from Jim: things really hang that low when you’re old???). You’ll have to wonder how we chose to experience the pools. That night we stayed at the Wilderness Gateway campground (Clearwater National Forest).

Lochasa Historic Ranger Station

The next morning (July 23), we continued our journey east and visited the nearby Lochsa Historic Ranger Station. This was a fascinating stop that preserves some historic log Forest Service buildings, including a ranger’s residence, cabins, and work buildings filled with historic tools of the trade. It is also an active “pack station” where mules and horses are kept for transporting supplies into the forest. What a find! We also stopped at the Fenn Historic Ranger Station further down the road, which was built in the 1930s at an incredible cost of $500,000 to serve as a model ranger station.

View of Hells Canyon from our campground

A traveler we met months before told us the Hells Canyon area along the Idaho and Oregon border was worth seeing. We had no Internet access in the mountains, and instead inquired at several forest service ranger stations as to what it offered. Despite its close proximity, no offices had information about it, nor did the rangers have any experience. We decided to take our chances and drive our little Burro to Pittsburg Landing, the only road that travels into the canyon itself. The 17 mile road took over 45 minutes to traverse due to the windy, hilly, graveled road. As we drove in, black clouds rolled over the canyon and we could see lightning and hear the thunder echoing off the canyon walls. The last five miles of the road went down into the canyon at a grueling 16% grade. I was honestly worried about our ability to pull the Burro back out of the canyon (Note from Jim: not worried at all… okay, maybe a little). The Burro was splattered in mud and gravel, but we made it safe and sound to the Pittsburg Landing campground at the bottom of the canyon. We stayed in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area from July 23-25.

Storm over Hells Canyon

Blackberry gold mine!

Hells Canyon is an amazing place. It is so remote that there are only a handful of people there at any given time, which makes it all the more mysterious. It is the deepest river valley in North America and the Snake River runs south to north at the bottom of rocky brown peaks. The valley is very dry and very hot. The second afternoon we were there, the temperature rose to 105 degrees in the Burro. There are mule deer that wander the campground eating leaves from the handful of deciduous trees planted to provide some relief from the heat. Despite the dry hot landscape, there were fields of sunflowers and the most prolific and amazing jungle of blackberries I had ever seen. Walden and I were in heaven picking as many berries as we could to fill the cooler. We were fascinated by the giant garden spiders that created walls of webs across the branches of the berry plants.

Hiking along the Snake River

On July 24, we took a 3-mile morning hike on the Snake River National Recreation Trail, which climbs and falls along the canyon wall. We watched jet boats of tourists race along next to rubber rafts filled with gear. On our way back to the campsite, the sun moved across the canyon and began to heat the trail. Apparently it was the perfect habitat for snakes because we saw four of them sunning in under two miles. Jim, with Walden on his back as usual, got awfully close to stepping on a rattlesnake, before the sound of the rattle triggered in his ear. Even though only one of the snakes was a rattlesnake, there were too many for my comfort on an 8 inch wide space hanging on a steep rock wall. We also walked a short loop trail that wound past boulders with petroglyphs carved into the surface; we were intrigued that people had once lived in the arid canyon bottom.

Water fight in the Snake River

That afternoon, in an attempt to beat the heat, we found a boulder-filled area on the shore of the Snake River where we could safely dip our feet; this wasn’t easy due to the strong, wild currents of the river. Walden tried to squirt the boats that zipped by with a water shooter. And when that wasn’t successful, proceeded to drench his parents. For dessert, I made a blackberry crisp using freshly picked blackberries (Note from Jim: SOOOO amazingly delicious!)

Hells Canyon offered more than we expected and, despite the intense heat, we enjoyed ourselves so much that we stayed two nights before making the steep and windy climb out… which, thankfully, the CRV did without a problem (Note from Jim: See! Nothing to worry about. Schwew.)

Sunset over Hells Canyon

One of our favorite meals on the road

After seeing the green mountains and rivers of central Idaho, and then the dry brown desert of western Idaho, we started to ask, “Where are all the potatoes?” So far, we’d seen no area of the state that would support farming of any type.

On July 25, after leaving Hells Canyon we went to Boise to do laundry and get groceries. We still weren’t in farming country. The landscape is dry and hilly. As it got late in the day, we needed to find a place to camp for the night. I saw some camping symbols on a forest service map around Anderson Ranch Reservoir, so we turned off the main road and were astonished when we came to the edge of a gaping hole in the earth. From the main road, the landscape looked perfectly flat with hills in the distance. To find a deep gorge filled with water was almost unbelievable.

Anderson Ranch Reservoir

Turns out our whole experience in the area was unbelievable. We drove for nearly an hour on a narrow winding road that traced the edge of the reservoir. Every campsite we encountered had post with a camping/tent symbol, but a sign underneath that read “Day Use Only.” Didn’t make much sense to us. Finally we found an information board that explained there had been a fire some time ago and all the campgrounds were now closed due to unsafe conditions. Great. We were an hour from the main road, it was nearly dark, and we couldn’t even find a pullout for dispersed camping. We decided to continue going around the reservoir hoping that the final campground on the map would be out of the fire area. Shortly after we continued our drive, a large mountain lion leaped up a hill directly in front of our car. It was our best wildlife spotting of the trip, and it made all the crazy driving and lack of campsites worth it! It was completely dark and after 10 pm when we finally found the last campground on the shore of the reservoir (Pine Campground, Boise National Forest) and were able to stop for the day. What a fascinating (and frustrating) experience!

We left early the next morning, July 26 (yes, to avoid paying the camping fee… we didn’t really use the campsite anyway!) and drove to our next destination – Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Glaciers!…or Lack Thereof... Glacier National Park (by Sunshine and Jim)

Lots of people are fascinated by glaciers. Perhaps because one can’t see them just anywhere. Perhaps because we know they are disappearing. Perhaps because if you are from Wisconsin, like we are, you’ve heard about how glaciers carved the landscape in our state. Now, if you want to hike on a glacier, explore its crevasses, see the deep blue color, and touch the icy cold surface, then we’d recommend going to Alaska. Several years ago, we hiked on a glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park for miles and never saw another person. If you just want a close view of many massive glaciers carving out a mountain and spilling meltwater into cascading waterfalls, then we’d suggest going to Mount Rainier. You can drive up the mountain and take a short hike to see multiple glaciers or take a longer hike to get up close.

One might think that a visit to Glacier National Park would be the place to experience the world of glaciers. When Jim was in high school, he went to Glacier with his family and vividly remembers starting a hike to visit a glacier, but was disappointed that the trail was too long and they had to turn back. He was determined to finish the trail this time, but shockingly, the glacier was no longer there to visit.

Mountain goat grazing in wildflower meadow

Only 25% of the glaciers that were in Glacier National Park in the early 1900s still remain. Scientists estimate that the remaining glaciers will all be gone within 15 years. There are a couple of small glacier remnants in the park you can view at a distance from roadside pullouts. A day’s hike (straight up) will take you to them, but park staff doesn’t really recommend people do this because they are dangerous to explore. The fact that all the glaciers will be gone by the time Walden graduates from high school is remarkable. So it is the lack of glaciers in Glacier National Park that we will remember.

Incredible wildflowers

Despite this, it is an AMAZING place. Here are some of the images burned into our memories. There are massive waterfalls cascading down steep mountain sides everywhere – so many they don’t all have names and when it rains more magically appear. Hillsides are coated in rainbows of wildflowers interspersed with wet mossy rocks lining trickling streams. Steep rocky peaks shoot up to the deep blue sky with craggy edges. Fuzzy white baby mountain goats munch tender grass with momma nearby rubbing matted clumps of winter fur from her side. Red and green rocks shine from the bottom of every stream; the color so deep and brilliant it looks more like paint than a natural surface. Cloud moving quickly through the mountains, storms coming and going faster than you can get out your raincoat, fog clings to valleys creating a mysterious feeling.

Driving the Going to the Sun Road

Not all of our impressions of Glacier rest in the natural world. We’ll remember the people. Lots and lots of people. Glacier is another of the parks we visited that is being loved to death. There isn’t enough parking for everyone who wants to see the park, so they have a shuttle system and it takes time and patience to use the shuttles... some run only every 45-60 minutes. Maybe it is all by design so that human impact is limited. The Going to the Sun Road is a feat of human engineering. It is a twisty narrow road that cuts across the center of the park, climbs over the Continental Divide, and hangs on the side of mountains. Due to its elevation and the massive amount of snow they receive in the winter, the road is only open for about two months of the year. The commitment of the National Park Service to clear and maintain the road is beyond impressive. Every year snow plows must take several passes to remove the layers of snow packed on to it. Log barricades must be removed and replaced along the road each season because they will be wiped out by avalanches and rock slides if they don’t. Trees along the road must be trimmed and fallen rocks removed continually while the road is open. Just driving the road is THE experience that many people have when visiting Glacier.

One aspect of the park that we both noticed is the lack of organized interpretation. There are three visitor centers in the park and only one has any real exhibits. Even those are small and lack the depth of information that such a large park can provide. There are some ranger led programs offered, but only at a handful of places, so you have to work to be in the right place at the right time to see them. The park does do a good job of telling the story of the creation of the Going to the Sun Road via interpretive panels at roadside pullouts. However, getting parking in one of the pullouts can be a challenge. We left with a lot of questions about the geology, wildlife, and early exploration of the park.

Our campsite... finally got to use the awning!

So…what did we actually do at Glacier? We arrived in the morning of July 13th, driving from nearby Hungry Horse Reservoir, for the best chance at getting a campsite in the busy park. Since the Going to the Sun Road is only open in July and August, the multiple campgrounds fill every day by the afternoon. We’ve only had to resort to getting reservations a couple of times on the trip (Yosemite and San Diego)… we try to remain as flexible as possible. Fortunately, the majority of campsites at Glacier are first come-first serve, but that means getting there early. We entered from the west side of the park and chose a campground several miles into the park at Avalanche Creek. The campground was typical of national parks in that the campsites were small and crammed together with little buffer between. But we found the “perfect site,” and it just so happened that the family camped there was leaving shortly. Well, we thought it was shortly, but it ended up taking much longer than expected. After circling like vultures about 4 or 5 times, we finally parked a few sites over and secretly watched like stalkers until the family left. Then, we swooped in. Okay, so the site wasn’t as perfect as we thought… several boards were required to level out the Burro… but the site was backed up to a beautiful forest with lots of opportunity to explore.

Avalanche Lake

The campsite was also located at the trailhead of one of the most popular hikes in the park, Avalanche Lake. That afternoon, Jim loaded Walden onto his back (as usual) and we hiked the Avalanche Lake Trail (4 miles), which climbs along a babbling stream, through a conifer forest, to a beautiful turquoise lake surrounded by mountain cliffs with multiple waterfalls, thin cascades pouring from melting glaciers above. Due to its popularity, there were crowds of people at the first access, but a short stroll along the shore led us to the opposite side of the lake, where the glacial streams fed into the waters. And best of all, we had it all to ourselves. Walden threw rocks while the sun and clouds painted moving colors across the landscape.

Along the Going to the Sun Road

The next day (July 14), our goal was to drive the Going to the Sun Road. Completed in 1932, the Going to the Sun Road climbs from 3,550 feet to 6,646 feet, crossing the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains at Logan Pass. When Jim had visited with his family, the road was still closed due to snow, so this would be a new experience for everyone. The road follows the McDonald River valley (no, not the Golden Arches) for a while before starting its twisting climb to the Continental Divide. The road was very narrow in several areas, with a vertical wall on one side that had been carved out from the cliff and a vertical drop-off on the other that made your stomach queasy, and just barely enough room for two cars to pass. The views were unbelievable. Low moving clouds hugged the tops of the snowy peaks, mysteriously revealing the mountains towering over green valleys. Waterfalls poured down literally next to the road, and a Weeping Wall dripped directly onto the road. Subalpine meadows were filled with purple fireweed that glowed in the sun.

Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at Logan Pass, the top of the road, around 11 a.m., the parking lot was completely filled with cars. We weren’t even allowed to circle to wait for a spot… a ranger directed traffic over the pass. The next several parking pullouts were also filled as people hiked back up the road to see Logan Pass. Disappointed, we continued driving down the east side where we had picked out several trails to hike, but the road was being resurfaced with asphalt and the trailhead parking areas were closed. This definitely dampened our spirits. We drove down to the bottom and had a picnic on the shores of Saint Mary Lake, a large lake surrounded by colorful mountain peaks. We watched as dark clouds began to roll in from Logan Pass, and as the first drops began to fall and we ran toward our car, we realized that we were fortunate to NOT be on the trails as we had hoped.

Walden repeating his Junior Ranger oath

We visited the Saint Mary Visitor Center (the only center with exhibits) and Walden was sworn in as a Glacier National Park Junior Ranger. Nearby, we hiked a less popular trail called the Beaver Pond Loop (3.3 miles), that led through a recently burned forest filled with wildflowers, past some small beaver ponds, and ended at a historic 1913 ranger station. Then we made the long, slow journey back over the Going to the Sun Road to our campground. In the midst of another rainstorm, we saw several mountain goats and young conveniently next to a “mountain goat viewing area.” Not exactly what we had in mind for the day, but we made the best of it! And, due to all of the rain that fell, we finally got the first use out of the awning for our Burro that Sunshine had spent hours sewing.

The next morning (July 15), we got smart and decided to use the free shuttle to reach Logan Pass, rather than fight for parking. The shuttle left from a stop near the campground and made the same journey up Going to the Sun Road. We were at first surprised at how small the shuttle buses were, with a maximum of 15 passengers. But after driving the narrow curves of the road, a small bus was a necessity. When we arrived at Logan Pass, the morning was sunny and clear. The visitor center, constructed in the 1950s during the National Park Service’s Mission 66 phase, cascades up the side of a slope. We walked the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail (2.8 miles), which climbs through a subalpine meadow carpeted with an incredible array of colorful wildflowers… purple, red, yellow waves swept over the landscape like a painting. Small waterfalls tumbled down the slopes, with hanging walls of snow still resisting the warm sun.

Meadows carpeted with wildflowers

We saw several mountain goats, one next to the trail, and others hanging on an impossible ledge. We learned from other visitors that we “Should have been here 10 minutes ago,” when they watched a grizzly bear stalk and almost catch a mountain goat. Although we missed the bear, the view at the overlook was breathtaking. The lake, colored an indescribable deep blue, was nestled at the bottom of several snow-covered craggy peaks. One of the monoliths, Bearhat Mountain, towered above the landscape like a rocky pyramid split in half. As we returned to the visitor center, Walden found a series of fun wildlife interpretive panels, drawn like comics. He also turned the wheel of a self-powered audio device to hear children describe the animal’s “super powers.”

Panorama of Hidden Lake

On the Highline Trail (sleepy boy)

We then crossed the road and hiked about 2 miles of the Highline Trail, a narrow path that clings to a vertical cliff called the Garden Wall, with the Going to the Sun Road underneath. A garden hose installed in the rock wall provided a grip in the especially narrow spots. The vast views of rocky peaks and steep valleys was spectacular. We ate lunch on a “safer” rock pile, and the trail continued through lush slopes of flowers and large-leaf vegetation, almost like walking through a jungle, fed by dripping springs. At one point, we passed a woman who gasped in surprise and told us that a small bear had just stepped out of the dense vegetation behind us. By the time we turned around, the bear had disappeared again. It made us a bit more cautious as we continued our journey on the trail!

St. Mary Falls

After hiking back to Logan Pass, we caught another shuttle that brought us to the St. Mary Falls trailhead on the east side of the park (this was the parking area that was closed due to road resurfacing). We hiked to St. Mary Falls, turquoise water glowing from within and roaring through a narrow rocky gorge. We continued to Virginia Falls, which tumbles over amazingly bright red rock called mudstone. The color was so striking… almost like walking over lava. Jim decided that Cardinal Falls would be a better name. After watching some families jumping into the deep pools of turquoise water from high cliffs along the trail, we caught the shuttle back to Logan Pass, and caught another shuttle back to our campsite again.

Water flowing over bright red mudstone

A feast of hail

Exhausted from our hiking adventure, we decided that the next day (July 16) would be a much needed rest day. A rest day for us means no big hikes but it doesn’t stop us from exploring other sites. The day marked our 10-year anniversary, and what an adventure we had chosen to celebrate! After sleeping in, we jumped on another shuttle headed west and visited the historic Lake McDonald Lodge, built in 1914. Its front actually faces the lake, since early visitors arrived by boat rather than by car or horse. We traveled to the Apgar Visitor Center at the west entrance of the park to use their free (and slow) WiFi. We also explored the shops in Apgar Village, Jim and Walden enjoyed an ice cream cone, and we visited the Glacier Nature Center, where Walden had a lot of fun interacting with other kids to make a puppet show. We also attended an interesting interpretive program on the early history of touring Glacier. After waiting a LONG time for a shuttle bus (45 minutes), we arrived back at our campground as gray clouds opened up, drenching us in a torrent of rain. We ran back to our Burro where it was dry and warm, and watched as waves of rain and hail pounded the tents around us for the rest of the evening… we were awfully glad to have the Burro. And Walden has developed a taste for hail (“Mommy, go out and get me some hail to eat!”)

Many Glacier Hotel

On July 17, we traveled again over the Going to the Sun Road, out the east side of the park, and north to the Many Glacier portion of the park. This is the best area in the park to actually see some of the remaining glaciers. Several trails lead to points where you can observe the glaciers and iceberg lakes closer. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate with us; low gray clouds obscured the view and a cold, constant drizzle made it uncomfortable for walking. We warmed up in the historic Many Glacier Hotel lodge, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary. Then we bundled up into our raingear and walked the Swiftcurrent Nature Trail that loops around Swiftcurrent Lake, where the hotel sits. The rolling gray clouds over the snowy peaks added a sense of mystery. While we would have loved to hike more, Walden was in one of his moods brought on by exhaustion (screaming bloody murder when he couldn’t get his thumb into his mitten), so we decided to cut our losses. We ate our lunch in the cozy hotel overlooking the water and mountains through a window, and then started the return trip.

Sun Point overlooking Saint Mary Lake

On the way back up the Going to the Sun Road, the rain let up, Walden went to sleep (hooray!), and we took turns exploring Sunrift Gorge, an amazing long, straight hallway that a stream had cut straight through thick rock. The stream made a 90-degree turn before tumbling over a series of scenic cascades below the road’s rock bridge. It was a peaceful enchanting place. We also walked a short trail (.6 mi) to another waterfall called Baring Falls that plummets over an angled yellow and red rock wall. When Walden woke up, we walked the Sun Point Trail (the parking area closed for construction), leading to a rocky knoll that juts out into Saint Mary Lake for an amazing view of the lake and mountains behind.

Walden interprets a "heart" burl

That evening, after a wild game of UNO (Walden likes to match and usually wins), we walked the Trail of Cedars (0.7 mile) just behind our campground. The accessible trail meanders on boardwalks through a forest dominated by large Western Red Cedars. Walden led us on an entertaining interpretive walk, “reading” the interpretive panels and telling us about the trees we were seeing. As we were walking, he would turn around and ask, “Do you have any questions?” When we would ask one, he would make up hilarious answers.  It was the perfect way to end our Glacier National Park experience. And what a place to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!