The Humble Walker

We really enjoyed our two week stint as campground hosts. We met so many wonderful people from around the world. Over half of the campers were from someplace other than US. Our duties as hots consisted of checking people in during evening hours, educating campers about bear safety and fire safety and driving or walking around to check status of sites. John and I had our individual areas of expertise. He was very good about welcoming people and going over all the rules about fires, bears etc, while I asked folks about their plans and recommended drives, wildlife watching spots etc. I also warned them about winter weather conditions if they planned to go over any passes.

A typical day included riding around in golf cart each morning to check if people left sites, picking up micro trash left on the ite, and ensuring all fires were out. At lunch we often covered the office while ranger hsd lunch break.. At 4:00 we were at the ranger station checking peolpe in (this is when most people arrived) and 8:00 pm we drove around to be sure all generators were off and no one was having a crazy loud party. If we found an issue we didn’t have to confront the offenders, just radio the law enforcement rangers. (this didn’t happen on our watch). We really enjoyed our tasks and I have to say we did a pretty good job. We were told by the ranger to keep our uniforms as they would like to have us return next year. 😀

On our days off we drove thru the Lamar Valley looking for wildlife (we saw a lot) and we drove over the Beartooth Pass, something that has been on Donna’s bucket list.

The ride over Beartooth Pass was truely increadible – beautiful and a little scary at times. There was quite a bit of snow at the top and a number of lakes. We traveled 68 miles from Yellowstone East Entrance to the community of Red Lodge Montana. Red Lodge was a great little town – several restaurants, a great children’s consignment shop and very friendly people. I hurt my ankle the day before and went to the local health center to have it checked out. The people there were super nice and only had great things to say about the community. The provider who saw me actually also applied for a job at Waldo Hospital in Belfast about 15 years earlier but decided to move to Montana instead. There seemed to be a strong community spirit in the town. If it wasn’t so isolated, I might even want to live there. 🙂

We spent the night at a bed and breakfast and headed back to Yellowstone over Chief Joseph Scenic Byway – this was almost as impressive as the Beattooth highway. If anyone is out in this part of the country, we highly recommend this loop to Red Lodge and back to Yellowstone!

We arrived at Yellowstone thru the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana and checked out the Roosevelt Arch. The Arch was dedicated by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 and features the inscription “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People. Yellowstone is the oldest National Park in the world and is truly an amazing place. We had reservations for Indian Creek Campground, a beautiful and somewhat remote campground about 6 miles from Mammoth. We set up and had a visit from the campground hosts to welcome us and to go over the rules and bear and fire safety. One thing led to another and by the end of the day we had an appointment with the campground. manager at Mammoth Campground about being NPS Yellowstone Campground hosts. It just so happened they needed hosts for a few weeks and the hosts at Indian Creek were convinced we would be a good fit. We went on a beautiful hike up nearby Bunsen Peak while we thought about whether or not we should volunteer. We have always been interested in volunteer hosting and this would give us some experience. Also we would get full hook-ups, free propane and free laundry. And it would give us a break from traveling for a couple weeks. We would work 3 days on and 3 days off.

Bunsen Peak Hike

Bunsen Peak named after the German chemist Robert Bunsen (inventor of Bunsen Burner) for his early work on volcanic geyser theories. It is a three hour hike with 360 views from the top. If you are ever in Mammoth we highly recommend the hike.

Our hike up Bunsen Peak to think about the hosting opportunity convinced us to do it. It was a beautiful day and the views were magnificent. Even though the Mammoth area is crowded we only saw a handful of other hikers. At the top we could see all the way to the Tetons. We came down from the hike and let the campground manager know we would like to host. We completed some paperwork, received uniforms and headed to our new host campsite at Mammoth Campground.

Whirlwind Tour of Yellowstone Highlights

Since we would be starting our volunteer gig right away we took a day to do a drive to all the Yellowstone highlights. Navigating the 142 mile Grand Loop Road would enable us to see much of the hightlights of Yellowstone. We left around 7 a.m. and headed to the Norris Geyser Basin. Norris Geysr is the oldest and most active volcanic basin in the world.

We then drove on to the Old Faithful area where we ran into large crowds of people. Old Faithful erupts about every 90 minutes and peope are there 30 minutes ahead of time to get a good seat.

We made it back to the campground around 8;00 pm, exhausted but happy to see the sites. Tomorrow we will shadow the other campground hosts and then will start to work two days after..We will have time for another hike in the park. More on our that in the next post.:)

Overhanging Cliff near Tower

We arrived at our campsite at St Mary Campground on another windy afternoon. The St Mary section of the park is on the Blackfeet reservation. It is on the eastern end of the Going to the Sun we had biked the week before from West Glacier. There are a couple motels and campgrounds outside the entrance as well as several restaurants but not much else. We headed out to buy some groceries but the selection was very limited and expensive. We decided we would make do for a couple days and restock in Missoula. We found a pizza place and decided on a take out pizza for supper. We found St Mary to be much different than the West Glacier side. There were way less people around and it was much more laid back. The pizza place was mostly patronized by locals. We really liked the vibe here and at Many Glacier. I guess you could say it was less touristy. We also stopped at the Visitor Center to get a few recommendation for a hike the next day.

The next morning, we set out on the “Three Falls Hike” This hike was 10 1/2 miles round trip and took us along the shore of St Mary Lake and to three distinct waterfalls. Part of it was thru a section of forest that had burned a number of years ago which cleared the way for beautiful mountain views and lots of wildflowers.

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We headed back to our campsite had dinner and a campfire. The stars were amazing when it finally got dark around 10:15. It was a great day overall. We always feel great after a day of hiking thru beautiful landscapes 😀. The next day we headed out toward Missoula. We needed to pick up some caulking sealant at an RV dealer to fix the leak in our camper as well as to get supplies. I booked a campground just outside of Missoula for the night. We picked up our groceries and supplies then headed into Missoula to check it out. The city was much smaller than I expected. We found a watch patty for No Kings Day and chatted with folks there for a while. Once people found out we were from Maine, they all wanted to talk about Graham Platner and Susan Collins. (And also about how beautiful the state of Maine is) If they hadn’t been there before, it is on their bucket list.

The next day we continued on our way towards Yellowstone National Park. We stopped for the night at Missouri Headwaters State Park. This small peaceful state park only has 17 campsites and it marks the confluence of the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers which join to form the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark camped here (separately) as well. The manager of the campground let us borrow a ladder so John could work on the camper, something the national parks would not let is do due to liability concerns. The park was next to the cute town of Three Forks. We would definitely stop here again if we are in the area.

We had a great night sleep at Missouri Headwaters. The park was so quiet compared to our site in Missoula the night before. It seems we have covered much of the routes Lewis and Clark took over the past month or so. Our next stop is Yellowstone!

We left Waterton, Alberta and headed back to the United States. The border crossing into The US was not as smooth as entering Canada and the process took a bit longer. I had just purchased eggs in Canada and had them confiscated by the border control agent. When I asked why he told me concerns about Avian Flu. I also had to give them two of the three avacados I had in the camper as they were from Mexico.. Luckily they took our word that I gave them all the prohibited food and they didn’t have to enter the trailer. Once back in the US, we headed to Many Glacier in Glacier National Park. Many Glacier is a beautiful and remote area in Glacier National Park. It is very difficult to get a campsite at that campground. I went online the night before we left just to see if there was anything available and I found many sites. Apparently, they decided to open a week earlier than planned and in fact opened the day we arrived. While remote, the nice thing about camping in Many Glacier is that it is in walking to the Swiftcurrent Inn which has a small store and cafe and about 2 miles from the famous Many Glacier Hotel. It also has a small lobby with internet.

Just as we got settled into our campsite it started to rain. It was a cold windy rain. We drove over to the Many Glacier Hotel and went to the ranger talk about the geology of Glacier National Park. It was very interesting. We walked around the hotel a bit. It is on list of Historic Hotels and we would like to stay there sometime. We got back to the site and it started to pour. We called it a night early. Unfortunately, we woke up abour 3:00 am to the sound of dripping in our camper. Donna moved her legs and found the blanket was soaked. We turned the lights on and found water was coming in thru the light fixure on the ceiling. We put a bucket under and once it got light, drove to St. Mary to look for a tarp or some cauking to fix. We determined it was coming in from where the solar panel is attached to the camper. It was likely the 50 mph winds we had in Alberta pulled the panel away where it was fastned to roof. St Mary is very small and mostly had convenience store and couple restaurants and hotels so we didn’t have much luck but we did get a small tarp and headed back to attach to the camper. It rained again during the day and again overnight but the ceiling did not leak with the tarp on it.

We woke to a more favorable forecast the next morning and decided to hike to Iceburg Lake – a 9 mile round trip excursion. Several of the popular hikes were closed due to grizzly bear activity and attacks but Iceberg Lake was still open,. We were told the last mile or two was snow so we brought our ice cleats just in case. It was also cold and we again bundled up before heading out.

Hiking at Glacier is always an experience. We had one can of bear spray between us and had to stay close totether. Whenever we came to a hill or turn we would yell ahead in case a bear or other animal was around the cornier. A couple miles before the lake, we ran into snow. We trudged thru the deep snow for about an hour. When we got to the lake, it started to snow and sleet and was very windy. The glacial lake was still frozen. We looked around, took some photos and headed back.

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We made it down the mountain finally. It was an awesome hike. While I went to take a shower at the lodge, John cleaned up a bit at the campsite He was getting something out of the truck and he looiked up and about 20 feet away was a grizzley bear looking at him. He stood there unsure what to do. He slowly waked backwards and into the camper and got his phone to take a photo. He should have also grabbed the bear spray but wasn’t thinking straight. When he got back outside, two rangeers where coming down the road and chased the bear back into the woods. John texted me hat ere was grizzly bear at our site and to buy another bear sptray before I came back. I texted back “Are you serious”.? Where ? is it safe to come home? are you ok? but had no replay. I didn’t know if he had been mauled or what happened so I bought more bear spray and carefully went back to the site. John was there and ok, his phone had died and he was talking to neigher about the bear which is why he didn’t answer. As far as photo of bear it is below, greatly blown up as John was obviously stunned and didn’t get a good picture. Needless to say we each carry oor own bear spray where ever we go now.

The next day was cold, windy and rainy when we woke up so we decided to take a drive to Bowman Lake , a less visited section of West Glacier to look for wildlife. A fellow camper we met in Wallace a couple days ago told us it was worth the longish drive on mostly dirt roads to get there. We headed out and after driving about 40 minutes came to the off the grid “town” of Polebridge which only consisted of a general store/bakery known as “The Merc” and a couple of cabins. We got out of the truck and were greeted by the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries. We both chose a delicious huckleberry cream cheese croissant that had just come out of the oven and also bought a loaf of garlic cheddar bread to have with our dinner.

We got back in the truck and headed for Bowman Lake, another 6 miles down another dirt road. We carefully scanned the woods and fields as we drove looking for wildlife and didn’t realize how much time went by since we started driving – it was at least 45 more minutes and shouldn’t have taken that long to go 6 miles – een on a dirt road to the lake. Of course we had no cell phone coverage the entire time we were in Glacier and I couldn’t pull a map up on my phone. I found the paper map they gave us when we entered the park and quickly realized we were going the wrong way. In fact, we were almost to the Canadian border on a road that had no border crossing. I realized this as we had been following a large fast flowing river, the North Fork of the Flathead River and there was no river near the road leading to Bowman Lake. We turned around and found the road to the lake just past the bakery. We took it and headed for the lake. It was very bumpy and full of potholes from the recent rain and thaw.

Bowman Lake is a secluded glacial lake with crystal clear water and a trail that runs along the 9-mile length of the lake. We hiked about 4 1/2 miles and then turned back as the sky was looking ominous. .By the time we got back to the campsite the weather had cleared and we had a campfire and made plans for the next day. We decided we would bike the Going to the Sun Road again as it was so awesome the first time and wh knows when we would be back.

The next morning we woke to brilliant sunshine and after a quick breakfast, we packed a lunch and headed out to bike up to the Loop again. Even though we had bikes the same route a. Purple of days ago, things looked different and even more beautiful with the colors and shadows of the early morning sun. Of course we took more photos.

One of the hikes we had hoped to do was the hike up Avalanche Lake. We planned to do it the next day but the weather called for cold temps and rain all day. As we ate our lunch at the creek we decided to do the hike after lunch despite being tired. The trail head was close to where we parked the truck for the bike ride.

The hike to the lake was beautiful but the view of the lake was amazing. Several waterfalls cascaded down from the top and the water was crystal clear with beautiful multicolored rocks at the bottom. We were so glad we decided to hike despite being tired. It truly was a beautiful but exhausting day.

We were very excited to visit Glacier National Park and have a total of 11 days at the park. For the first part of the trip we had reservations at Apgar Campground. We had a great site and after we set up went for a quick walk to check out Lake MacDonald and the Apgar Village. We also got our bikes ready as we planned to ride the Going to the Sun Road the next day.

The Going to the Sun Road is an epic road that connects West Glacier to the east side of the park. It usually opens in late June or early July. There is a brief period where they let bicyclists ride the part of the road that is plowed but not yet open to cars. When we were there, cyclists could ride 8 miles each way to what is called the loop (a sharp hairpin turn on the road.) The day we arrived the road was open even past the loop for cyclists but that day there was an avalanche and it was closed again to the loop. We were very excited to ride our e-bikes on the road.

The next day we got up and drove to Avalanche Campground where we would start our bike ride. The Avalanche campground there isn’t until July and they let the bikers park their cars in the campsites. It was almost full when we arrived at 10:00 am.

The ride up Going to the Sun Road was spectacular. We were in awe after each corner. It was so beautiful and truly a once in a lifetime experiene. It is hard to describe or show in pictures. It was cold and we did bundle up with hat, gloves, and jacket, especially on the way down.

After our ride, we headed to the McDonald Lodge to find a cup of coffee. We saw folks headed out on the famous red bus tours. It looked like fun but not as much as riding our bikes up the mountain.

That evening I headed out to catch sunset at the lake. It was a bit early as sun doesn’t set till almost 10:00 each night. John met a young couple from Germany, Stephen and Katarina, here for a year traveling around in an RV they purchased when they arrived. We invited them back to our site for a beer. We had a great conversation and it was fun to hear about their adventures around the US. We even exchaned contact info with them in case we are ever in Munich. .

Our first full day at Glacier was wonderful and we are looking forward to more adventures.

Our next stop was Wallace RV Park in Wallace, Idaho. It is a really a nice park that caters to bicyclists. It has a brewery and restaurant on site as well. It is directly on the Coeur D’Alene Rail Trail, about 5 miles from the eastern end of the trail. It is also about 12 miles from Lookout Pass on the Idaho/ Montana border and the start of the Route of the Hiawatha. We planned to ride on both trails and had 3 nights booked at this campground. We needed to get supplies and found a Walmart about 14 miles away. This was also location of traillead to one of the more scnic section of the Coeur D’Alene Trail according to our campground host. The Coeur d’Alene Trail trail is 73 mile long paved trail that spans the Idaho panhandle. It has nice picnic areas and rest rooms on the trail and is very popular. We just planned to bike one section of the trail. The trail was really nice and we enjoyed our ride

The next day we woke up to rain and 35 degrees We decided to do the Route of the Hiawatha anyway. We heard it is great rain or shine and were hopeful the rain would stop. We put on long underwear, packed our winter jackets, winter hats, gloves, rain jackets and rain pants, and headed up Lookout Pass.

The Hiawatha Trail does have a fee and since it is mostly downhill, a return shuttle. To reach the trailhead we had to drive another 7 miles from where we bought our tickets – mostly on a dirt road. We met a guy from the Berkshires while buying our tickets. He lives in the area and works in marketing at Lookout Pass now. When we reached the trailhead head it started to rain harder. The start of the trail is a 1 1/2 mile tunnel with no lights and water dripping thru it. We had our bike lights and headlamps so were able to see in front of us but it still was a little scary. The Route of the Hiawatha runs for 15 miles through the Bitterroot Mountains thru 10 tunnels and 7 high trestle bridges. Even with the cold rain, the views were amazing and I would do it again – maybe on a sunny day. It follows the Route of the old Milwaukee Railroad. It took us a boy 3 hours to ride – stopping to admire view and take pictures.

The shuttle ride back to the top was almost scarier than the ride down. We all got in an old school bus and drove back to the top on windy one lane dirt forest roads it was definable an adventure we won’t forget!

We planned to go to North Cascade Park but found out that Route 20 thru the park was closed due to a landslide. We planned to drive on Route 20 from North Cascades to Glacier. The road was closed at the Colonial Creek Camgropund which is where we had our reservation. If we went it would mean we would have to take a 2 hour detour to get back on track. We decided to go anyway and we were very glad we did. North Cascades National Park is amazing and one of the most beautiful places we have been.

We stopped at Newhalen, an historic company town just before our campground to pick up some firewood. Newhalen was a town set up when they built a series of three dams to provide power for the metropolitan Seatle area known as the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. It is owned by Seattle City Light. When building the dams the company built housing and a post office and store for employees, To this day you have to be an employee of Seattle City Light or a contractor in order to live there. There are only about 15 house there. Newhalen is also where we found the North Cascade National Park Visitor Center.

We arrived at the campground and set up. Our sit was beutiful and surrounded by tall trees. We met another couple who owned a Geopro camper like ours and compared stories about our campers. Mick is a nuclear engineer and works as aonsultant in the nuclear energy field all over the world. He was at Maine Yankee, Seabrook, Vermont Yankee etc. He feels strongly that nuclear energy is coming back and that is much safer than before. Mick’s campsite was nearby so we talked with him quite a bit.

We had very poor cell service at the campground but occasionally a text would come through. The first morning we were there, I woke up and saw a text from John’s daughter, Molly. She was pregnant and due at the end of June. She texted that the her water broke and the baby would likely come that day. We had no service so couldn’t get any other information. I tried hooking up our StarLink Mini but had difficutly as we were under the trees. Finally, I went into the woods as far as the cord and extension cord would reach to a small clearing and we were able to get wifi for a short time. We found out the baby did come and she was doing fine. She would be in NICU for a bit as she was 4 weeks early.

After that exciting news, we headed out on a hike up the Thunder Knob Trail. Conviently, the trailhead was at our campground. It was beautiful. We saw glaciers, mountains, lakes and rivers everywhere we looked. On the way down we met a woman with a Buffalo Bills cap, originally from upstate New York. She and Donna hit it off and were talking nonstop like they knew each other for years. Part way into the conversatoin, they realized they were both Italian and decided that explained their connection.

After we returned from our hike, we headed back to Newhalen so we could call and check on Molly nad the baby. Both were doing well, We also stopped to check out the dams , Ladder Falls, and the Visitor Center again.

We loved our short visit to North Cascades National Park and definately want to retiurn. We hope to travel all the way over Route 20 and visit the northern side of the Cascades as well. The thing we really liked, other than the beauty was the feeling of being in a beautiful environment without crowds of people.