This is Heidi...Signing out for the season

Alright, we've finally reached the end! Jeff will be leaving Many Glacier in just a couple of days, and will have a couple of days to get adjusted to the real world before he heads to the big cities of San Fransisco and Chicago. I believe that he is in for quite the culture shock. As you all know, I decided to spend half of the winter in Whitefish, MT this year, so I am well adjusted to civilization. I was able to get in a couple of great pre-season hikes which made me more than happy. My latest excursion was to the Mount Brown Lookout. I was feeling the the pressure to get up there before I headed back home to Pennsylvania, and last Monday was the perfect opportunity. There wasn't a cloud in the sky when I finally turned on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. I stopped down at Lake McDonald to photograph the perfect mountain reflections in the glassy water before heading to the trail head. I hit the trail by 8 am, determined to use my snowshoes as little as possible. I passed one gentleman on the Sperry trail, but otherwise, I was alone. It felt like home being back in the woods, my feet pounding the trail and the smell of moist dirt in the air. I hit very little snow and ice on the Sperry trail, so I made good time approaching the Mt. Brown junction. It wasn't long on the Brown trail (three and a half long switchbacks) before I hit snow. Luckily, the early start and the brisk morning allowed me to hike several more switchbacks before I reluctantly strapped on my snowshoes. The woods around me were very quiet making the sloshing of my snowshoes sound magnified. I took my time climbing the trail, stopping to take lots of pictures along the way. By the time the trees had thinned out, I had given up on the trail and just headed straight up. It was easier than walking sideways on the steep slope anyway. Finally, the lookout was in sight, and I had a final burst of energy to make it the last little bit. The sun was nice and warm up there, and there was a refreshing breeze. I climbed up the snowy stairs to the lookout and baked in the sun for the next hour. I gorged myself, took photos, and lusted after the brew I neglected to bring. I could have sat up there all day, but the snow was getting softer every minute. So, I packed my things, signed the register, and headed back down the mountain. The trip down was a pain in the rear with the mushy snow but went by quickly nonetheless. I loaded myself into my car, drove until I found a deserted beach spot, then pulled off for a little rest and relaxation. I dug a homebrew from the back of my car, used a cast iron skillet to pry off the top, then headed to the beach. I basked in the sun for a full hour before I gave in to my hunger and headed home.

The next day, I heaved my bruised and sore body into my car and set off for the mid-west. I spent a night in a state park near Bismark, ND before heading to Minneapolis to meet my big sis for a Twins game. Go figure that they actually lost to Cleavland (yep, that's right) 8-1. Nonetheless, we had a great time, though that's inevitable when good friends and smuggled in whiskey comes into play. Luckily, we weren't watching the Pirates lose 20 to zip that day! Now, I'm back home in Pennsylvania visiting my family for a few more days before I head back to the Big Sky state. I will be back at Lake McDonald living the good life in mid-May.

I hope everyone enjoyed the winter blog. I'm sure Jeff and I will leave this blog up for a while, but this will be my last entry. Jeff will be posting at least one more, so stay tuned.

Here's to the many adventures that life brings!