Glacier National Park

24 Jul 2013               Glacier National Park, Montana

            Our time in Spokane was over in a flash.  This far into a trip we tend to get tired and need some chill time.  Spokane was the place.  That basement was a great cave to find refuge. 

            On our way out of town we passed through Coeur d’Alene , Idaho, only 40 minutes to the east.  I was in touch with a good friend from work, Jaime.  We met at a local breakfast joint called the “Garnet,” and chatted for quite a while.  It was great to meet up! 

Katherine and Jaime

            From there, we had a long hike to Glacier.  Our plan was to get just short of the park and camp.  Then, the next day, push into the park and shoot for one of the coveted National Park Campsites.  We had heard that you can not just show up in the evening in the middle of busy season and expect to acquire one of these beauties.  So, we stopped west of the park at Hungry Horse Reservoir State Park.  This ended up being a great idea.  It put us close to the park, and we actually got a campsite!  We set up the hammocks and befriended the camp host as he came by to collect money.  I asked about bear activity and talked for a bit.  He said there is a grizzly bear the comes into camp from time to time, but it’s nothing to worry about as long as you keep a clean camp.  We had a quick meal and went to sleep.  We had to get up early to crank into the park and score a campsite.

Hungry Horse Reservoir

            That night, the deer struck Katherine again.  She woke up again to the sounds of the little monsters circling her hammock.  I had my earplugs in and didn’t hear a thing.  I just woke up and asked her the polite, “How did you sleep?”  She replied, “They got me again.  I barely slept.”  OK.  So it’s not bears to worry about so far on this trip, but the inquisitive deer population, and Katherine is a wonder for them.  I saw tracks all around the camp and surveyed the area.  Yup, there are game trails and track in every direction.  At least it wasn’t a killer grizzly, just a deer most likely wondering what those hanging beds were in their trees.  As I look back, if they are not used to weirdoes sleeping in something above the ground, of course they want to come up and see what it is.  We even read online about other hammock campers being struck by walking and running deer.   Oh well.

            That morning, we packed up camp quickly and headed into the park.  It was a little farther than I thought.  It took another hour to get to the campsite, Avalanche Creek.  It is a beautiful place!  The problem was people were just waking up from their camps and not leaving just yet.  So what do you do?  We “trolled” a little bit looking for a site and then came across one in the back section of camp.  It was perfect and backed right up to the forest.  We couldn’t ask for anything more. 

Camp at Avalanche Lake

            After we set up camp, we readied our gear for a trail run up to Avalanche Lake.  It started out fairly crowded, but then became less crowded that farther we went.  It followed the river on and off and then ended after 2.5 miles at a beautiful glacial lake.  We hung out for a little bit and ate some snacks and took in the views.  The run back was all downhill and quick.  We dodged people and at one point, I came upon a hiker unannounced.  This is a BAD idea in bear country.  The guy was with a woman and quickly readied his hand on his bear pepper spray.  I almost got peppered!  Not good.  It would have sent me to the ground crying for my momma.  I told him I was sorry for spooking him, commended him on his fast reaction, and made a note to never run up behind someone like that again.  From then on, I speak “Human Coming UP!”  If I get a chance to talk to those people I tell them this little story about spooking this guy in Glacier. 

Avalanche Lake

            Katherine was doing a great job on the way down.  It was shadowed trail, steep, and full of people.  I got ahead of her for a bit and realized that she was not behind me.  I stopped and looked up the trail.  Nothing.  OK, I get this sometimes.  Just wait a bit and she will be there.  Nope.  I walked back up a little bit and saw that she was on the ground.  She called out that she had twisted her ankle on a jump and landing.  Great….. She heard a “pop” and crunch as she landed too.  Here we went into “limp mode” as I call it.  We were almost back to the trailhead, which was our campsite.  There, we iced the lump and have concluded it is a sprain.  She gets kind of angry when stuff like this happens, not from the pain, but realizing that the next few days or weeks she has to lay off.  She was especially perturbed considering she had just recovered from another injury.

Moments before K sprained her ankle...  :(

            With Katherine injured, I went solo on a run the next day.  My route was from “The Loop” to Logan Pass.  Katherine had to drive the H3 and drop me off for this point to point run.  Operating the truck was not easy for her with the clutch and winding roads and a sprained foot.  The ham radio came in nicely for this jaunt.  She had the radio in the truck and I took a handheld on this 12 mile run.  We talked every half hour relaying info about my location and status.  No phones work in the park, well at least ours did not (Sprint/Virgin Mobile).  Every time, we were able to communicate on 146.520 MHz with mountains in the way! 

            I have to say, the beginning of the trail was no “run.”  It climbed over 2,000 feet in 2 miles.  I tried my best, but had to speed hike some sections.   I soon realized that I was in the middle of the forest and all alone, and in my haste forgot my bear spray.  My body quickly hurt and I contemplated returning to the beginning of the trail.  Once I commit to the rest of the trail, this could really hurt.  The elevation was already gained and the rest should not be that bad, right?  It was flatter and parts were downhill.  The only problem was I was at mile 4 of 12, and had 8 more to go.  I talked to some hikers and they told me about what lay ahead, that it should be easy going.  Boy, was I lucky.  The rest of the trail was some of the most beautiful trail running I have ever seen. 

            All my food was eaten and I was struggling at points, but the scenery kept me going.  I could recover at a later time.  Anyway, the next day, we would be on the road.  I could let my legs rest in the car.

            I met up with Katherine at Logan pass and was greeted by many mountain goats and bighorn sheep.  These guys were everywhere!  I think they get off on having their pictures taken and were practically posing for the tourists.  What a sight.  I grabbed some much needed food from the cooler and inspected the pass with Katherine.  We headed back to camp for dinner, but when we arrived, I crashed in the tent for a 30 minute nap.   I was in bad shape.  But after getting more fluids in me, I felt better. 

            The night was peaceful in our secluded camp.  We woke up and were quickly asked if we were leaving by another camper looking for a site.  Katherine understood her frustration in the dire need to obtain a location.  We put her paystub on the post and set her chairs in the site.  She then told us some inside info on camping in Yellowstone.  To get a “first come, first Served” site in the Summer is a chore.  You have to time it perfectly we learned. 

            On the way out of Glacier, we rounded the east side of Flathead Lake and made it to Bozeman, MT.  We opted for a hotel this night.  There was laundry to do, and Katherine needed a bed to rest her foot.  Later, we were glad we did this, even though I think of it as “wussing out” to get a hotel room.