Glacier NP

9/8/2008 Still at Glacier National Park
Well today we took our time getting up and getting going. After yesterday with all of the driving and hiking we were pretty beat. So we got going some time around 10:00ish.

Off we went to do more hiking, but we decided to take a helicopter ride instead. The sky was blue and almost cloudless. We decided on the 1/2 hour trip, but before we were half way through bumped that up to the one hour tour. A one hour tour.

Unbelievable! We have the pictures to prove it. Carmen rode shotgun and I was in the back. The chopper is made to carry four passengers and the pilot. However, it was just Carmen and me along with the pilot, so I'm in the back seat taking pictures from both sides. Oh by the way, with the windows open! Damn its cold out there at 11,000 feet. No I wasn't hanging out the window, but the wind coming in was very frigid. The window is only about 12" x 9" so I couldn't stick my head out. Too bad. There is heat in the helicopter and I put my hands in front of the vent every so often to warm them up. Still a fantastic trip.

The vistas are so fantastic from that altitude they are difficult to describe except maybe majestic, spectacular, and OMG. I am including a couple of pictures we took. Yet when you look at them it seems they do not have the same feel as when your up there. We flew all around the park, even crossing the border between the US and Canada. We were in Canada for a short time, without showing our passports! We also flew by the tallest peak in the Park. I've included a picture that has a line through it starting at the lake in the bottom of the picture and running up and over the mountains further in the background. That line is the border. Someone had to cut the trees to make the border line. I'd hate to be the one that has to mow it.

We got back and if I haven't said it yet, the flight was fantastic and if any of you have the opportunity to take a helicopter ride, do it. You'll never regret it.


After we returned to the ground and became flat footers again. We decided to drive to the south side of the Park and see if there were any mountain goats at the "Goat Lick" site. On the way, we stopped and had lunch at a nice location, sorry no pictures, but I do have some bread crumbs left. When we got to "Goat Lick" there were of course no goats. Guess the didn't need to lick the mineral rocks today.


We continued our trek to "Two Medicine" a short access road on the south east side of the park. You have to travel around the park to get there. We stopped and did some hiking, first to Running Eagle Falls then at Two Medicine Lake to inspiration point.


We've included a picture of the falls. Notice the falls are coming from inside the rock! There must be a couple of holes through the rock for the water to come down that way. But, in the spring, when the water is high, the water comes over the top of the rocks to fall from the just above the current falls opening. This more then doubles the height of the falls.


We got back to the RV in a reasonable time tonight. Carmen has gone to bed early. We are expecting to get up early (6:00AM) and get going to our next destination -- Yellowstone!




Carmen:
As Bob said we were off and running to go on our hikes, but made a detour to the helicopter and took an hour flight over the park this is the third time we have flown over national parks and you just can't beat it because you really get a feel for how vast the parks really are.


As usual, when we are driving, I did the driving and Bob hung out the window with his camera and of course we had to make river, barn stop photo shots and of course trains that were double decker. The sun was out and it was about 57 degrees but beautiful.


This morning it was 48 degrees in the motor home I had to get the fire going round up the wood, kindling and matches, just kidding I flipped the furnace button and we had instant heat this is what I call camping. We made waffles for breakfast and now Bob's doing a little house cleaning with the vacuum not rolling up the tent. My job is to pickup and put things away before we head out so things don't go flying while we are on the road and of course I have the hard job of pushing two buttons to bring in the two slide outs which of course make the RV much wider.


Our next destination is the northern end of Yellowstone Park. Sun is shinning and the park where we are staying is really nice, we have gravel driveways and lawn on both sides of the camper with a picnic table.


Have to get going. See you in Yellowstone.