Wish Upon a Shooting Star

So, Tuesday I headed back into the Many Glacier valley (apparently, I can't stay away from that place). The weather was great. It was sunny and in the upper 30's, but it was super windy. The two and a half hour drive over to the east side was pleasant with beautiful views for most of the way. I made it to Babb by noon, stopped at the Post Office for Jeff's mail, then headed to the gate to begin the hike in. Eric and Leah had made it in on Monday and were lucky enough to be able to ski in most of the way. I was not so lucky. I walked the entire road, plowing through the wind as I paralleled the reservoir (at least I had the warm sun on my face!). The hike in was uneventful but beautiful nonetheless. The road was polka-dotted from all of the snow-shoers that have been in recently. I made it to the cabin by 2:30 where I met up with Eric and Leah. They headed out shortly after my arrival for Fishercap Lake while I stayed behind to relax. Jeff and I played some cards and later Leah cooked us all an awesome dinner (a trend that is very characteristic of those two). After dinner, the four of us played a couple games of 500, ending the night with a 1-1 tie.

Wednesday, Eric, Leah, and I headed out to replace the deer legs on the three wolverine sites at Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. It was very windy and tough to cross Swiftcurrent Lake but nothing compared to the crappy weather at Lake Josephine. It was even more windy and was snowing by the time we made our way across Lake Jospehine. Thank goodness I had my googles and the fancy wiper blade on my glove to clear the ice off of them. After setting up the third site, Eric and Leah headed up to Grinnell Lake while I headed back to the cabin (I've been there many times in good weather, so I certainly wasn't motivated enough to ski up there under those conditions). The ski home was awesome with the wind pushing me from behind. What a breeze! When I got back, I kicked Jeff's ass at cards while waiting for Eric and Leah to get back. We had another fantastic dinner courtesy of Leah and continued the 500 tournament. We ended the night at 2-2.

Thursday, the weather had improved a bit, but Mt. Wilbur still didn't want to come out and play. Eric, Leah, and I headed out to the wolverine site near Cracker Flats in the late morning. With a bit of fancy pole-dancing, Eric was able to replace the deer leg. After the work was done, we headed out for a ski back to the flats and eventually made a big loop back around to the trail. It started to snow while we were out on our journey even though the sun never stopped shining! We came back, ate some lunch, then Leah and I laced up our ice skates and headed out on the lake. Swiftcurrent Lake is great for ice skating right now thanks to that wind that's been blowing non-stop for the past week. A little known fact: Leah is an awesome ice skater and has lots of cool tricks and stunts! I thought I was pretty good for the average skater. Let the record state that I was wrong. Later that night we had yet another awesome meal then departed for a night ski up the Iceberg Lake trail. The wind had finally died down and the moon was shining in all its glory. It was a wonderful ski with a few inches of fresh snow on the trail. While relaxing before heading back, there was an incredible shooting star that skidded across the ski. It was a streak of blinding white. We all yelled in unison when we saw it (well everyone except Leah whose view was apparently blocked by Eric's big head). The boys skied down a steep stream bed while Leah and I enjoyed a peaceful ski back on the trail. When we finally arrived back to the cabin, Leah and I protested against another round of cards. The guys eventually gave up on harassing us to play, and we went to bed. So, we're at a standstill in this tournament with 2-2 being the finally score.

I awoke to blue skies on Friday, jumped out of bed, and ran outside. Finally, there was an amazing view of Mt. Wilbur! Who needs coffee in the morning with a view like that? I headed out of Many Glacier by 10 am. Despite the litte bit of snow we got, I still had to walk the entire road out, but at least the wind was at my back. The sun was so warm (we reached 48 degrees!), and it felt like spring time. The mountains were so beautiful on the drive back. They all had a fresh coat of perfect white snow. Now, I'm back in civilization with fresh produce, good wine, and gray skies.

Going for a Ride with Elvis

So, I got these photos from Shayla and wanted to share them. These are the pics from our last trip into the Many Glacier Valley. Lucky for some of you, I have refrained from putting the pics of the dead goat on here. However, if enough people ask for them, I may be able to be persuaded to put them on.

Upon returning to Whitefish, I took the train out to Portland to get my car. It was a fourteen hour train ride (which is nothing compared to the forty-five hour ride I took back in the fall), and I arrived Thursday morning in Portland. Unfortunately, I don't have much to say about the crazies on the train since it was an overnight train and most of them were snoring away. The weather in Oregon was ridiculous. It was 60 degrees and sunny! It took a little work getting Elvis (my car) up and running, but he's feeling much better now. Jeff's parents, Dave and Pattie, and I enjoyed a nice jaunt around the neighborhood then Mexican food and margaritas later that night. I took off early Friday morning to make the long drive back to Montana. Isn't it interesting that it takes the train four hours longer than it takes me to drive? That just doesn't seem right.

So, I'm back in Whitefish and this time I have some wheels to get me around. This will definitely make getting into the park much easier! Yesterday, Jimbo and I took a ride out to Tally Lake. It was an unusually bright blue day, and I couldn't stand the thought of staying inside. Apparently, Jimbo likes to do things the hard way because he led me down this snowy, rutted out road for several miles before we finally got to the lake. Once we had arrived and my nerves had settled a bit, we walked around the lake for a while, taking in the sunshine and fresh air. We departed from the lake (the easier way, from the other side that required only a half mile on snowy roads) and headed to the Stillwater Bar. Here, we were able to enjoy the beauty of another frozen Montana lake, this time with beers in hand. I love Montana! We saw no wildlife on our outing (boo!), unless you count the locals at the bar (only kidding). I miss having bighorn sheep for neighbors!

Well, I think the plan is for me to head into the park tomorrow morning. I will be heading out to either Many Glacier or Two Medicine. I will keep you posted on the happenings! Hopefully, there will be some good wildlife reports.

As a side note: I hope I don't bore you with non-Many Glacier stories. I will try to keep my blogs strictly about the outdoor world in Montana (except, of course, when there is a crazy redneck festival to report on).

Does a ??? poop in the woods?

Alright, I am going to take a stab at this blogging thing and I hope I can make it interesting. The last three guests(Heidi, Shayla and Jesse) left on Tuesday so the terrible plumbing here will get a much needed break. That afternoon I set out for the spot where the baby goat had fallen, I was very curious to see how long it takes the predators to get to the site. When I arrived there was not a thing, not even tracks.
My guests all brought a lot of food so I have been gorging myself on the fresh stuff and the leftovers so I don't waste anything. The home life this week has pretty much been eating and Olympics, but I step out to see the stars at least a couple times a night. Remember when you were a kid and you had little glow in the dark stars all over your ceiling, that is what the sky here is like. The stars just pop and seem so close, and the moon is amazing with how much it can illuminate the valley. The 28th is the next full moon so if anyone is thinking of visiting that would be the time.
On Wednesday I worked and then headed back out to the goat site. I had gotten a dusting of snow so it made the ski a little more pleasant. When I got within eye shot of the goat I could see some movement around it but had to use the binoculars to see that it was only two ravens. The ski back I was successful in staying on my feet the whole time, I think I might be getting this cross country thing down.
Today after the blah of prepping rooms I was leaving to head back to the goat and a helicopter buzzed right over the cabin. The intrusion was sending the sheep on the mountainside into a frenzied wave of a herd that flowed in arcing patterns. Park service told me that fish and game was out doing goat surveys and they forgot to let me know. I know that they saw me in my bright orange jacket on the lake and the least they could do to make up for all the noise was offer me a ride, don't ya think.
When I got to the edge of Lake Josephine there were already tracks all over the place, most were coyote but the 4 inches of snow that fell this morning covered up the rest pretty well. The goat was gone and where it was brought to the woods there were no drag marks in between. There was fur, some red kool-aid and a big pile of poo. I have no idea what made that poo but it had to be big and I couldn't find tracks among the mess of all the others. The ski back was beautiful and overall the day was amazing. There is a perfect stillness after a snowfall that is impossible to describe with words and pictures,but I hope you have all experienced it. I constantly have to just stop, look around and listen to remember why I am here. This place never fails to blow my mind.

P.S. sorry about the poo picture but I couldn't help it!

When Nature Calls

Well, I'm beginning to settle back into civilized life. This weekend was Cabin Fever Days out in a tiny town called Martin City. The festival consists of lots of drinking, carny food, and the bar stool races. This year they had to haul snow in to cover the road for the races. Lots of people raced down the hill on make-shift skiing devices. There were some cool ones like an old school desk on skis, a stage with a pole dancer, and a bear that was ridden by a man wearing fringe. After the races we headed to the bar (what else is there to do in a place like that?) to have some drinks. After the bar, we spent some time in jail (don't worry, it was only a horse trailer with a keg that was made into a pretend jail), and then eventually ended up back at the bar for some good music and dancing.


Sunday, Shayla, Jesse, and I hiked into Many Glacier. The road was still clear, so we strapped our useless skis to our packs and started the exciting seven mile trek in. The weather was warm with a light wind. We spotted a coyote, a downy woodpecker, two grouse, and lots of bighorn sheep. We arrived at the cabin by 3:00 pm. Shayla and Jesse headed up the road towards Swiftcurrent to finally test out their skis. (I reluctantly stayed behind to publish the blog for the third graders.) Just a few hundred feet up the road, Jesse spotted a lynx! (That S.O.B.!) Poor Shayla hasn't spent much time on XC skis, so she was busy flailing on the ground and missed the sighting. They returned a bit later with Jeff's other guests in tow. Chelsea, Mike, and Conner came into Many Glacier a few nights before us to explore the wilderness and keep Jeff from going insane. I would say the four of them dank more than their rations of whiskey during the visit. Later that night, the whiskey drinking continued as the men (and Chelsea) played beer pong from their seats on the couches (how lazy!). Shayla and I were happily the lame-O's and chatted in the other room.


Chelsea, Conner, and Mike took off early Monday morning to head back to Portland. Jesse, Shayla, and I geared up and took a quick ski out to Fishercap Lake to get some fresh air. The weather was awesome! Eventually, we headed back to the cabin where we dined on bean quesadillas. (This may not have been the best idea since the plumming is STILL all jacked up. The toilet allows for one flush every few hours. Translation: We all had to do our business in the woods. So, if you are in the Many Glacier Valley and see a set of foot prints heading behind some tree, DON'T follow them. You might not like what you find, especially if the warm weather keeps up.) After lunch, the three of us headed back out on our skis. This time we slowly made our way out to Grinnell Lake. The snow was perfect. It was just a little bit sticky, and I think it made me a bit over confident about my skiing skills. Out on Lake Jospehine Jesse got a little over confident with his skiing skills and tried to be fancy. He started to wobble all over the place and started to fall. Somehow his right ski came all the way up and the back end stuck in snow for a split second before he came crashing down right on his tailbone. I tried in vain to sympathize, but I was laughing so hard that I couldn't even stand up straight. Jesse layed on the ice whining for a few minutes before he recovered and pulled himself to his feet. We cautiously continued on down the lake. Not far down the lake, we came across a dead baby mountain goat that had fallen off the cliffs. It's face was pretty banged up, but other than that it was untouched. It couldn't have been there long because it was still warm (yes, I sure did touch the dead goat, and I bet you would have too!). That would have been a perfect discovery for moron Bear Grylls! Well, once again we continued on towards Grinnell Lake. Everything was so quiet and peaceful out on the lakes. We hung out for a while at Grinnell then headed back to the cabin before we ran out of light in the sky. When we got back to the cabin, Jesse and Shayla posed for pictures with the pineapple that Jesse hauled all the way in to Many Glacier. It made for a silly pic being in the mountains and all. We spent the evening grilling up kabobs, eating pineapple, and playing cards (this time there was no whiskey involved).


Monday morning I cooked up some blueberry pancakes and managed to pack 50 lbs worth of junk into my pack (those downhill skis were a killer). Luckily, Jesse and Shayla are awesome and helped pack some of my stuff out for me or my pack could have been even heavier. It was super windy hiking out but luckily the wind was at our backs. We all probably looked like we were drunk swaying back and forth. We arrived back at the car to find everything in order and headed back to the west side.


Tonight I will be taking the train to Oregon to pick up Elvis (my car). If I meet any crazies (and I probably will), I will be sure to tell you about them.

Life in Civilization

Well I've been in Whitefish, MT for almost two weeks now. Life here is quite different than it is in the Many Glacier Valley. I go for a walk every morning to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. The problem is that fresh air is hard to find in this ski town. Not to mention, no one takes care of their side walks, so I am forced to walk at a pace comparable to that of a snail so that I don't break a hip. Okay, things aren't so bad, I must admit. Last weekend was the winter carnival here in Whitefish. The carnival consists of a parade and a bunch of crazy events like the penguin plunge where lots of people lacking an adequate amount of brain cells jump into the lake. (Okay, in all fairness the event does raise money for charity.) I have also been able to get my fix of fresh greens and margaritas, not to mention delicious sushi! Sunday, Vic, Allie, Ed, and I played Hearts at one of the local bars, and somehow I pulled out the win. Then, I watched the Superbowl surrounded by loads of friends, good food, and beer. (Are you feeling bad for me yet?) Monday, a bunch of us went and saw the much talked about Avatar. Wow, what an incredible movie. Let's just say that with colors like that and the added effect of 3D, someone who enjoys a little fungi would have a great time. (Don't worry mom, I'm not referring to myself here, just stating an observation.)

So, let's get on to the more important stuff. I have decided to stay in Whitefish (gasp!) for the remainder of the winter. I want to take advantage of getting to know some of the biologists in the park so that hopefully I can sneak into a job in the spring. I will be spending about half of my time on the west side of the park and the other half at Many Glacier. Jeff will be remaining in Many Glacier until the spring. Jeff is going to be taking part in this blog starting very shortly (we have to fix his computer problems first). I will report on the happenings around the park and those in Many Glacier on my visits. Jeff will keep you posted the rest of the time. I hope our extensive amount of followers (yeah right) aren't too disappointed with this minor glitch. So, stay posted. We will keep things interesting, I promise.