GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – CROWN OF THE CONTINENT

So we are now in Montana and finally on the home stretch to our most talked about park. We have been asking lots of locals if they thought we would make it to Glacier before the snow cuts it off and have been so lucky with a mild Autumn. We know that the Going to the Sun road is mostly closed for the higher reaches and the complete East side, though this is due mainly to road works. The park is never completely closed but many roads become impossible to pass with the snowfalls.

We traverse through wonderful lands taking a route through the Flatheads lake area and this is just beautiful. Lakes and forest hug the West side of Glacier reaching down through the Flathead Indian Reservation. It is getting really cold but we still manage to find a camping spot right on a lake in a State Forest to end a day of traveling. We wake to the retreating mists over the water chased away by a rising sun. It is the beginning of a day full of the promise of Glacier and its treasures.

This area is often called the ‘Shining Mountains’ or the ‘Backbone of the World’, Native Indian names for this spectacular region. This is the Northern end of the mighty Rocky Mountains. As the range crosses into Canada it becomes the Waterton National Peace Park. In 1995 the Waterton-Glacier National Peace Park was designated a World Heritage Site, this meaning it is considered of significant importance to the whole world. Another interesting fact is that it is home to a very rare spot where the Continental Divide meets from three different directions, the reality being that if you poured a bucket of water in this spot it would divide and be delivered in part to the West and the Pacific, the East and the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi and to the North to Hudson Bay. Sadly this hike is well under snow at this time of year.

This is a land that was carved by the massive glaciers of the ice age and today much smaller glaciers work on the landscape, shifting and lifting the massive slabs of rock. Like Yellowstone there are many scientific researchers working on programs within Glacier and it is another feast of opportunity to discover so many things. Sadly it is predicted that the glaciers will cease to exist by 2020 due to the climate warming. It is really a short time in which to capture a memory of the glaciers.

We head into the visitors centre for maps and, after the advice of the ranger, head around to the East side of the park first, to take in the Many Glacier trails and Two Medicine trails, before the snow comes in the afternoon. This is about a 100 mile journey to our farthest destination and it is sad that by the time we get there the snow is already falling. One particularly gorgeous part of the journey has been closed, obviously the West side ranger was not informed of this as it was one of the highlights she advised us to see and do. We have to make the decision to retrace our steps without hiking into Many Glaciers trails. Sadly it is not going to be our chance to see the glaciers here. The snow is really falling and it is not safe to venture too far. We do call in to Two Medicine, once the main entrance to the park, and enjoy the views and a picnic here before heading back around to the more mild West side.

We head into Avalanche along the Going to the Sun road and begin a series of small trails in to the sights along this valley that is Lake McDonald. This is the largest lake in the park being 10 miles long and 500 ft deep, and is the direct result of glacier carving. We are treated to spectacular vistas of waterfalls and massive carved rocks, testament to the power of the ice.

The other amazing sight here is the evidence of the 2003 wildfire that scorched through the park. Glacier experiences on average 14 fires a year burning about 5,000 acres. The 2003 fire was more devastating taking out 145,000 acres, approximately 10% of the park. Along the North side of Lake McDonald one can see the devastation of the wonderful Alpine forest, luckily the Western Red Cedar old growth in this area was spared. Fire is essential to the park as it cleans the forests and germinates new growth but this was just a little too much all at once. Still it has provided yet another area to study as regeneration takes place.

It is evident that we were probably a little too ambitious and should have stayed this side and done more walking and less driving, a lesson for the future. Still we gave it a go and really enjoyed our day of adventure, not quite what we expected and hoped for but still amazing. It is at this point that we have had to make some other tough decisions. It was in the plan to head from the East side up into Canada to take in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper and Rogers Pass before heading back down into the States. The forecast is for a lot more snow to fall over the coming days so we have opted to stay State side and head on toward the West coast. Our time is flying by and there is a lot more to see. Having read the posts that relate to the North of America you will have noted lots of bucket list entries. Will just have to come back again to experience so much more that this whole diverse area has to offer.

Our day is coming to an end, though it is an hour longer due to the end of daylight saving, handy. The rain has really set in and it is decided that we will head for a hotel, sadly missing a camping in the car opportunity as we try to camp a much as possible. Dry and cold is fun but everything soaked would be a little hard to sort out in Jetson. What a wonderful time we have had in this remarkable world.

This will be a changed environment in just a short time as the glaciers shrink. These incredible mountains will no longer be carved and shaped by the power of ice. Once again it will be a whole new world to study as it adapts to change. Whether you are a believer in us being the cause of Climate Change or if it is just Natures way the surest thing is that the world is changing. My thoughts are that it has always been changing and that we must adapt and embrace whatever there is to come. Because we are aware and we are intelligent beings we should be able to study and preserve and work with whatever comes. If we all just try to keep our impact to a minimum whilst still enjoying this wonderful planet, future generations will flourish. We must minimize our waste in all avenues of our life, from the packaging of our food to the resources used to power our world. Every little bit helps but it is the big industrial powers of the world that must take the responsibility. Just a little message toward the cause.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album MONTANA.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – A WONDERLAND OF WILDLIFE AND THERMAL GEYSERS

Yellowstone was the first ever National Park established in the United States, and in fact the whole world, in the year 1872. One can understand why it was decided to preserve this area for future generations. It is a geothermal playground of about half the world’s hydrothermal features, over 10,000, in one spot and is truly unique and beautiful.

The park is home to some wonderful wildlife including bison, bear, elk and wolf. It is a subalpine forest dotted with all sorts of eco systems created by the bubbling earth. Couple all this with over 300 geysers and many waterfalls it is a feast of wonder to explore. It is also home to many strange and wonderful microscopic organisms called thermophiles (heat lovers) that live in the acidic boiling waters, a scientific wonderland.

Apart from the obvious hydrothermal wonders this park is also very important to the restoration and conservation of wildlife. This is particularly true of the wolves, extinct in these parts until a restoration program began in 1995, seeing a previous population of about 40 double, not very many is it? There are many research efforts protecting the wonderful creatures living here and it is comforting to know that they and their environment will be here for future generations.

There are some roads closed due to road works so it is a little difficult to decide a plan of attack but our first day we spend working our way around the Yellowstone Lake toward the south of the park and take in our first look at the steaming geysers. We cross over into Grand Teton National Park. This is a smaller park but amazing with large snow capped mountains towering over the magnificent Jackson Lake. We arrive late in the day when the light is spectacular and perfect to view gorgeous reflections in the glass like water of the huge lake. As the sun sinks behind the mountains we are treated to the colour changes of the clouds reflected beneath the mountain. Hope these photos come out well.

This is as far as our journey today can go as we have run out of light so we head back into Yellowstone and set up in the southern camp ground for the night. There is snow on the ground and there are light falls wafting in the air as we set up Jetson. Needless to say it is quite a chilly night to camp but we are quite cosy under our newly purchased sleeping bags. In the morning we wake to explore our surroundings to find evidence of animal tracks of birds, elk and some other small creatures, unfortunately (luckily) no bear prints.

In the morning we have to back track around the lake but this is not a difficult task as it is just beautiful. The colour is a deep slate blue and around the edges in patches the ground shoots steam into the atmosphere and then there are spots where the snow reaches the water edges.

Our morning is off to a wonderful start when we are stopped in our tracks by a passing heard of bison plodding along the road. The early morning snow is sticking to their gorgeous woolly coats. It is a large group with quite a few young, so cute. We are speechless as they almost rub against the car and we whisper quietly to them and tell them how beautiful they are.

We are just coming to terms with our amazing luck and have gone for about an hour when Mikayla realizes she has probably left her retainers (orthodontic) sitting on the bonnet of the car from when we have brushed our teeth. We do a thorough search of the car and sure enough they are not there. The decision is made to return to the spot we had chosen on the lake to have our breakfast. We drive back wondering if we will even be able to see them and if we can could they possibly be in one piece? Not far back along the road we are treated to an elk wandering across the road right in front of us to join it’s companions on the other side, just so elegant and graceful. Our return journey is about complete when we spot the purple case about 50m before our spot. It is in the middle of the road. We park and walk back to it and sure enough the retainer is not inside. Mikayla is on a mission and within another 10m she spots it in the middle of the lane. She picks it up and dusts it off and to our complete amazement it is seemingly in perfect shape. How lucky are we. Not sure how many cars have passed over it without disaster striking!

Off we go again for another look at the lake, not a problem as the sun is higher in the sky and the colours are that little bit different. Oh, and did I mention we encounter the bison crew again so can get another chance to OOH and AAH. Our path then takes us into some of the most amazing sights of geysers and mud pots. Each pond is a different colour due to the minerals that are pumping up from within the earth, how they react with the atmosphere, and also those little thermophiles. Some are just bubbling mud that burps and splutters and others are bubbling clear ponds of varying colours on the spectrum.

It is such an assault on the senses; the colours are vibrant (though the cold weather is making it difficult to experience because of the steam created by the boiling hot water hitting the cool air), the smell of the sulphur is strong and the sounds of the gushing water can be a loud roar or a burp. Touch is one sense that can’t be filled as to get into these acidic pools can cause serious burns and in some cases death, it is said that the acid will burn through boots. We enter into a part of the park that is a gorge with a couple of gorgeous waterfalls. The snow is heavy on the ground everywhere we go but here we decide to have a snowball fight, such fun.

Eventually we get to Old Faithful after being assured that we will be able to fill up with petrol. This geyser is so named because without fail it erupts every 90 odd mins, give or take 5, sending a huge plume of water skyward. It is not the largest geyser in the park, that would be Steamboat that we had seen earlier in the day, but it is very regular. Our visit to Steamboat had only seen about a 10-15m eruption, it’s last large spurt being in September. We are glad to have experienced Old Faithful but it is the tourist side of town and not actually the most pretty part of the park. The trails left more on the wild side are more rewarding. We are heading out of the North of the park so start the journey up again.

More wonderful colours delight us and as the sun is sinking we spot a wolf fleeting cross our path. We are yet to see a bear, Yellowstone is home to both the Grizzly and the Black bears, and so we keep our eyes peeled. It is a conundrum; we would love to see them but not too close and not too far. There are many warnings and education on how to react to a bear encounter, getting too close is not a desired pastime and can end badly. Still it would be lovely to see another, we did manage to see a cub in The Great Smokey Mountains, but today is not our day.

We sadly run out of light to enjoy the most Northern reaches but have had a wonderful time here at Yellowstone. As we descend out to Gardiner we are treated to herds of Elk on the grassy roadside, what magnificent creatures they are with their enormous antlers. This ends our foray into the worlds first ever National Park and it has been truly amazing. We have timed our visit just right as the park will be closed completely in just 3 days. We have learned much but for all the scientists and researches in the world this is a treasure land with so much more to offer. Dare I say it, we have put a revisit on that bucket list. We finally settle for the night in a hotel overlooking the river to relax before our drive towards Glacier National Park.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album WYOMING.

MOUNT RUSHMORE, CRAZY HORSE, BLACK HILLS AND BIGHORN NATIONAL FORESTS

Another day and yet another amazing National Park.  We enter into the spectacular Black Hills National Forest, home to a National Monument that has been seen by billions of visitors from USA and around the world, Mt Rushmore. The heads of the Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson are carved into the granite mountain.  Gutzon Borglum, a sculptor who had studied with Rodin, started the project. These heads were actually mostly dynamited out of the rock, about 90%. In fact after 18 months of work on Thomas Jefferson it was decided to dynamite him away and move his position.  The whole work was completed in 14 years for the cost of just under $1,000,000.  Borglum’s son, Lincoln, often supervised the work as Borglum himself was often away. It is quite inspiring to stand below these powerful faces of history.  We opted to not pay the high parking price to get right to the base, as do many that visit this site, they are quite big enough to admire from the roadside.

Having taken it all in we move on to a new work in progress, that of a carving of Crazy Horse just a few miles further into the Black Hills near Custer. This memorial, to honour the North American Indian, was the brainchild of Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear. On June 3, 1948 work began on this most impressive granite sculpture of Crazy Horse, an Oglala Dakota warrior, riding his horse and pointing in to the distance.  This complex is not just the worlds largest rock sculpture, all be it a work in progress of now 66 years, but a complex with a museum, and an education and cultural centre dedicated to the North American Indian, an Indian University and when possible a Medical Training Centre for Native Indians is planned. This is a life long project that shows the power of devotion and dedication. Korczak lived and breathed this project until his death in 1982.  During his life, together with his wife Ruth, he had educated and inspired his 10 children, 7 of whom, together with the grandchildren, are still working to achieve this most amazing dream.  This is a success story of mammoth proportions.  Hopefully one day we will come back to see the finished project, but perhaps the magic of Crazy Horse is the journey.

The surrounding mountains are just spectacular to view with their massive granite spires and deep, tree filled gorges and ravines. It’s worth visiting regardless of seeing Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse.  We love our time in this area and soak up the rugged beauty before moving on through Wyoming.  These North Highland Plains are just awesome, so beautiful with rich colours and rolling hills.

We move on to an area in the north of Wyoming, stretching up into Montana, the Bighorn National Forest. It is truly the wild, wild west and one of the most gorgeous areas we have come to so far, a range of spectacular mountains. The route we take traverses along the west side of the mountains and then a winding road that takes us up and over the range. We find out later that this road is usually closed in the winter and our day there shows us why.

We have an interesting journey over the higher reaches with steady snowfall. The snow on the ground has been ploughed earlier but the fresh fall sees us making a slow and careful crossing of this beautiful land. The road to the Medicine Wheel, an ancient Indian sacred place likened to Stone Henge, is beyond our reach as the snow is thick on the ground so this is one spot to come back to another time.

As we make our descent into the valley and we snake our way down through magnificent cliff faces, sunshine comes out and the temperature goes up. We pass a logging truck and marvel at how they drive these vehicles on such winding roads with certain death if ever they plunge over the edge. We stop to take in the view and watch two of these vehicles meet and cross paths and negotiate on a bend below us, careful boys. We descend into a wildlife reserve area around a massive lake and the Bighorn River.

We see many signs for opportunity to watch the wildlife at night and realize what a rich variety there must be. We stop at the visitor centre nearby and meet a very helpful young woman who shows us that we have not finished our adventure in this area. She sets up a movie for us to show us the Bighorn Canyon and all the wildlife that abounds in this area and we are very lucky to see what time does not permit us to stop and experience ourselves. We have mentioned that our ultimate aim is to reach Glacier National Park and while we are watching our movie she does some extensive research for us and gives us very valuable advice that we will be very grateful for in the coming week. Thank you so much to this lovely girl, I think she was just pleased to have something to do as we were her only visitors.

Our lunch break is over and we head off to the Bighorn Canyon. We thought we had already experienced the magnificent sights this area has to give but we were wrong. The canyon is a series of jaw dropping views over the gorges carved by the mighty Bighorn River. Below is the water that is dammed further on through the gorges It is a clear green colour and is so far down below us, with towering rugged cliffs of rocks of many colours bordering its sides. We try to throw stones to reach the water but I think so many have done this that a beach of rock is formed and the water can’t be reached. In some spots one can see the animal trails snaking there way down to the waters edge, a dangerous journey. Our only wish was to be able to jump in a boat and take a tour along the snaking waterway to experience the view back up. No boat available right now so something else to come back for.

Our heads are absolutely overloaded with sights of beauty and nature at its very best that we are quite exhausted. We drive on to Cody, a wild west town devoted to Buffalo Bill. We are lucky to find very nice accommodation with a very helpful host as we have to stop still for an extra day for Georgia to do some very important work for her return to Perth and also to get a computer glitch fixed. We are relieved to be all sorted and rested as we head for our next adventure into Yellowstone National Park, a highly anticipated event.