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Joe's Journal
Written September 1, 1999
Prologue It seems Steve would rather read his books than right so I got his permission to use this book. This trip started taking shape one year ago when Mom and I decided to sell our condo at the shore. We spent 10 great summers there enjoying watching the children playing on the beach and in the water, but now they are so big and grown. We have been to many places in this great country of ours together yet we had neglected the most beautiful places we had seen without the children 20 and 25 years ago. So since they were so big I thought we could attempt to do together what we had done alone before. I managed to get three weeks off in a row from work. Jim got three weeks off before me. Probably the last time we could swing this since younger guys in the group will be getting their full vacations. Nothing much happened in getting this trip together since Jim and I got our vacations worked out early this year. The only thing that did occur was in my mind. I worried we might not get along well. I thought we'd take all three weeks and drive and camp like the Claudette and I did, a replay with the kids. That thought didn't last long. I started taking opinions from the family about what we could do after we sold the condo in March. I didn't feel I had much support for this trip from Lisa and Teresa since all they wanted was to spend all their free time at the shore with your friends. Claudette didn't seem very enthused either. Perhaps to get my own interest up in I showed Steve and Regina the slides Claudette and I took on our trip. That did it for Steve. He was ready to go the next day. It was great to feel his enthusiasm. We decided camping and driving were out. Finally during the first week of June Claudette and I agreed on a two week trip to Yellowstone, the Teton’s and Glacier National Park. I wanted to take a few extra days that would had taken us into the Labor Day weekend but Lisa would have to miss senior orientation. I spent time planning the trip that week. We got flights in and out of Great Falls Montana via Salt Lake City. I picked this City since it was centrally placed between Yellowstone and Glacier. The lodging was more difficult to book for an optimal trip. We could not get lodging in the Tetons and settled for Southern Yellowstone hoping to rearrange the trip closer to the time of departure or even after arriving. A book we bought at the large bookstore at the mall in the late spring was my little guide, Bible and constant companion that week of planning. The girls got an adequate dose of the shore from a combination of the week we spent in Ocean City and their numerous day trips (especially Lisa). Claudette took two long weekends at the shore (weekends I must note I had to work) with the kids which also helped. One was the infamous week with Paul and Paullie who came to visit from Florida which ended in a poor way. I had some of my own unusual difficulties at work with Doug and cash flow. That and worrying about this trip lead me to two visits withe Finneran(my therapist) before the trip the morning before we left, to much of Claudette's dismay. Claudette of course did the special shopping such as hiking shoes and early school purchases. And don't forget the canteens, all of which turned out to be most useful. The only visitors we had for a swim this summer was the Ardire’s which of course was a lovely time except Andrew got sick the next day. Carmela was kind enough to inform us. Regina then got it including an ear infection which I decided to treat on my own especially since she got it on Sunday. I almost forgot about Regina's special new walk which spontaneously occurred after a fight with Steve in the pool when Steve had some friends over. It was kind of a limp without much of any pain. I brought her to see Dr. Fields(pediatrician) and for x-rays with nothing showing up. I also took her to Dr. Baker(family therapist) which might've done the most good. Now I could worry about her leg and ear and whether she could walk the trails which of course was one of the main activities planned. I had two days off before we left and the kids had no activities except to register for Bishop Eustace which helped to make the preparation's easier. The departure and fight were not a problem. DAY 1 August 18,1999. Great Falls What a great feeling arriving at Great Falls. Immediately before arriving we flew right past the Tetons which from 30,000 feet did not at all look very impressive. I actually felt I had been cheated in someway seeing them in such an easy and relaxed fashion when before I had to drive two or three days to catch their view. Great Falls was another world, with friendly people, wide open perfectly clear blue skies and warm dry air. We picked up our Grand Caravan which was a little scary since Claudette had just broken down though hers had 70,000 miles on it not 11,000 miles. We headed for some lunch off the beaten track to “Top Notch" a little hole in the wall eatery with local people. The waitress was special. What we knew as soda they called Pop served an old fashion glasses like my mom used to have. Kiddingly I told the girls they should have liver and onions. We left and taking the waitresses advice we went to see the Charles Russell Museum. It seems I had missed out knowing about the most famous western and Indian artist whose home and studio were in Great Falls both preserved in detail. His heyday was 1900. He had some beautiful works of Indian and cowboy scenes which he knew so well since he worked as a Wrangler for 11 years prior to working full-time as an artist. The local people dug into their own pockets to preserve it, so much pride do they have! Then we went to the Lewis and Clark museum run by the US Park service. There we bought an eagle pass for the parks and learned a lot more there than I ever did in history class. Lewis and Clark followed the Missouri River to its headwaters. To get out of Great Falls the had to portage around the Falls. Our only disappointment with Great Falls was the fact that there was very little water going over the falls. The larger falls were further away and are damned. We were told it would not be worth the effort driving there since there was no water going over them either. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3804689.pdf Next it was time to go to the hotel which was difficult to find. I asked directions from a gentleman in a convenience store who did his best but I think he must've seen the confusion on my face. When I got into the car to our surprise he pulled next to us in his blue pick up truck and motioned with his hand for us to follow him. He proceeded to lead us right to the parking lot of the Heritage Inn best western. We had dinner. Regina swim in the pool. The girls did the hot tub and talked with some other teens. DAY 2 August 19 Monmouth Springs The next morning started out cloudy and cooler. We went to Elmer's next door for breakfast. Pecan waffles! We took 89 south. I was a little anxious how the drive would go. Shortly after leaving we saw signs for S89 closed which when I looked at it I thought it read 589 closed. So I happily kept going enjoying the drive down the almost completely deserted road. Only the road ended at a barricade. I came to realize the sign said S95 closed (that is South 95) not 595. I turned around feeling very embarrassed but a bit better realizing what could've been 100 mile detour was just 10 miles. We got on the correct road and enjoyed the drive along the very deserted road, at first across slow rolling dry hills and pastures then to forested winding mountainous roads. By then the skies had cleared making the drive even more enjoyable. We came to flatlands that seemed to go on forever. It took three hours to get to Livingston Montana where we stopped for lunch at 1 PM. More bacon for the kids. Steve had a bacon burger and Regina had a BLT. We were excited now since we were a one hour drive from Yellowstone. Got gas and continued up into a valley following the Gardiner river to Gardiner and the Yellowstone entrance. Some cars on this stretch of the highway now as apposed to almost nothing prior to this point. Just after entering the park we saw people pulled to the side of the road having a staring contest with Big Horn sheep on the side of a steep brown hill on the left. Lots of excitement. We took lots of pictures. Then to Mammoth Spring's. We checked in around 4 PM. We had rooms on the second floor across from each other. Stinks in the room, bathroom and shower across the hall. We went out for a walk. The springs were like large steps with different colors. We followed the boardwalk. A group of elk were close by on the flats. Regina walked a little funny but seemed to be doing fine. Then we did a little trail up close by to the springs. Very nice to be in the woods. It didn't go too far. It was getting late. Clouds and thunder came and a little rain. We were making our way back when the ran came down hard. We went to the restaurant at 6 PM. Not at all crowded. Many of the workers were of retirement age some from Florida. All were very friendly. Hans was our waiter. Nice dinner, ice cream for dessert next door then showers. I spent 45 minutes with a nice young lady named Jody from Wyoming. We spent this time rearranging our entire itinerary in Yellowstone after having a family powwow in our room after dinner. I have forgotten to mention the phone call I made in Great Falls which got us two days lodging in the Tetons. Jody changed the trip for the better with the two days in Canyon lands, two days in Grant Village, two days in the Tetons and back to Roosevelt for one night before driving to Glacier. We decided to drive nonstop from Roosevelt to Glacier national Park when we were in the Tetons. I made reservations for a cookout and morning horse ride at Roosevelt. Everyone seemed to be getting along well with the exception of some car “fights” that always occurred at the beginning of the long drives until everyone settled in. About this time Teresa started coming down with a bad cold which she got from Regina. She started going through lots of tissues and generally was not feeling well though she kept her spirits up for the most part. Day 3 August 20 Canyon Village I was the first one up and went out for a walk. It was a sunny morning with blue skies and some chill in the air with that welcomed smell of evergreen. A whole group of elk showed up for breakfast on the green grass across from the post office. You could get very close. I went up to tell everyone and we all came down to watch them together. After breakfast and pictures with the elk we drove off to climb Mount Washburn. We stopped momentarily at Tower Falls. Very pretty drive. No animals to see. Rolling high hills with scattered forest. Some remains of the 1988 fire could be seen. At Mammoth Spring's we could see how the fire came to top of the hill but not down into the valley. Mount Washburn was our first real event. It was a 3.5 mile hike with an elevation gain of 1400 feet. 1/3 of the way up Teresa got large heel blisters. I went back to the car and got her sandals. I changed from my hiking boots to sneakers so I could move faster. I took a quick potty break. Back up I went as fast as I could go. We got used to the walkie-talkies. The walk seemed especially long because we could see our destination the whole time which was the observation tower on top of the mountain. After a few stops and one pee break we made it to the top. We could see the Tetons. the whole valley, Yellowstone Lake and part of the canyon. It was kind of grim however at the top for several reasons. There were no plants or trees. The sky was gray and dark. There were scattered storms across the skies with rain, lightning and thunder though none were close enough to be an immediate threat. We were hungry and tired. We didn't have any food to speak of though in general we might have been too tired to eat. This is when Claudette shoulder was starting to really hurt. The pain had started before the trip but now there was much more pain and anguish shown on her face. We started down with Claudette being in a big hurry, I guess because of the pain. Steve went with her. I stayed back. Regina did very well though she still hobbled slightly. One of the storms came close with some thunder, lightning and rain. It rained lightly for about 5 to 10 minutes. We broke out the ponchos but did not need them for long. Shortly there after it got sunny again I for one was much relieved when we got back to the bottom. I was tired and hungry and had a headache. It wasn't far to Canyon Village Lodge. We checked in and got two cabins pretty far from each other. Steve and I took the small cabin which didn't have a bathroom. Up until this time Claudette, Steve and I were sharing a room and the three girls were sharing the other. We all were very hungry having skipped lunch. The dining room opened at 5 o'clock and it was 4:30! So we had a dessert first next-door in the ice cream shop. Now much more relaxed we were the first people in the restaurant. We had a funny French waiter. We all had a good laugh at Claudette's expense. According to Lisa she was anxious to tell the waiter all the things we had done. “and you want to know why?” And then we did —-. “and do you want to know why?” Nice dinner and good steak. A big storm came through with lots of rain and lightning. The electricity went out. Our waiter came out pronouncing in his French accent “nothing to worry about”. “Everything is under control.” Claudette asked me to call Paul. Since we had left we could not make up our minds who was going to Florida and when in relationship to Grant’s christening. That night was the last time you could get a spirit flight for $69. We decided taking all of us down would be a bit much for such a short time. We also ruled out Halloween. We needed to do college searching for Lisa. We made our phone call relating to the above forgetting about the two hour time difference but Paul and Claire were still up having a late dinner. Steve and I bedded down. We had separate twin beds. The room got cold that night. It was the first night I had some trouble sleeping. This night really brought back the camping memories because of the cold. Day 4 August 21 We had breakfast in the dining room (one of many buffets) then went to the upper and lower Yellowstone Falls. The lower Falls were as spectacular as I remembered them. The view from uncle Tom's Trail (https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/hiking/hike-yellowstone-national-parks-uncle-toms-trail/) allowed me to demonstrate to the children how staring at the falls caused a vision trick of making the canyon wall appear to move upward. Then to artist point to look back at the falls down the canyon. There we caught part of a range or talk learning about hotspots that push through the earths crust. The ranger used kids as props. We also learned the cauldron is a hotspot. We had packed a light lunch of cheese and crackers and went for a walk on a short trail to Crystal Lake where we sat together for the first time separate from the crowds. We were all delighted. We did see a few people though. At this time I found my boots not to be very comfortable with regular socks and got tiny blisters. I could sympathize with Teresa who by the way was getting worse with her cold but her blisters were better. We had a lovely view from a little offshoot of the trail of what I guess was the beginning of Hayden Valley. We then drove to the other side of the canyon which wasn't too exciting. It was getting close to 4 o'clock and Claudette wanted to go to mass or service but we persuaded her to take a short trail to the top of the lower Falls and get to the service late. It was a longer walk than expected but well worth it. I didn't bring any cameras having thought we had enough pictures of the canyon already. The view was right over the precipice of the falls down the canyon which was holding the sky in it's cupped hands. I didn't know what was more beautiful, the sky, the clouds, the canyon, river or Falls. The sound of the falls and smell of the mist added to the intoxication. We went back for an early dinner since we had no real lunch. This dinner was not as enjoyable. Claudette’s arm and shoulder were now hurting very badly. She left the dinner table twice. Steve was very concerned. I hadn't seen that same level of pain since she had her sinus thrombosis headaches and subdural hematomas. These are not the memories I hoped to be having at Yellowstone national park. I found that there was a walk in clinic open until 830 at Lake Village just down the road about 25 minutes. We left the children to themselves and drove as quickly as we could. There was an eerie beauty to the drive at dusk going through Hayden Valley following the Yellowstone River seeing bison along the way. There was also a little snow on the road. We reached the clinic at 8:25 and Claudette was seen any out by 9:15. The doctor thought it to be a rotator cuff strain or possibly herniated cervical disc. He had Naprosyn and Valium to give her. Of course the Motrin had not done a thing. I felt more relieved and satisfied I had done all I could to make her feel better. I hoped now we could all enjoy the trip more fully. Steve was greatly relieved I took her to the doctor. Day 5 August 22, Sunday Lodging at Grant Village We left relatively early the next morning to drive through Hayden Valley. Steve was most excited about our spotting the bison during our evening drive. We bought some donuts, milk and bananas as a portable breakfast. The fog was fairly thick but we saw the bison. At first you could only see those close to the road but as the fog slowly lifted you could see many throughout the valley. Some stood on the road preventing traffic from going by. They seemed to do this deliberately. The fog suddenly completely lifted revealing the full extent and beauty of the valley. We then came upon the mud pots which were kind of cool. I remember the elderly men pushing the seemingly more elderly lady in the wheelchair and them arguing over the leg rest. One being higher than the other and her insisting it would go down and him insisting it wouldn't. He said “you are being ornery today” and she said “you are the ornery one.” The skies were blue and the air was warm. We went to Lake Lodge for lunch. Nice lunch! Fancy restaurant. The waiter was not very friendly. We took a nice loop trail through a meadow and along Yellowstone lake. We saw otters, a ground hog like animal and many bear droppings. The forest had no signs of fire. It was very monotonous with many dead trees on the ground which I suppose did not decay because it is so dry. We then went to Grant, a more contemporary area with multi story motel. We had a lake view. We had dinner in a cafeteria like setting, Italian restaurant, right on the lake. No crowds. We saw a movie at the Ranger Station about the 1988 fires. This area had a lot of fire effect. We helped Claudette do a lot of wash that night. Everyone was happy. Claudette was feeling better. Teresa still had a bad cold. We took an evening ride on the road leading to Lewis Lake looking for wildlife. We were rewarded with a large male moose eating his dinner in a meadow close to the lake. Nice evening. Unremarkable sunset. We went out later to look at the stars. It was a very clear night, however the moon came up early cleansing the sky of stars though it was still good and Steve was happy. He had remembered me telling him how Claudette and I could see by the starlight when we were in the Tetons. Day 6 August 23 The morning brought a cloudless day. The girls were up very early for some reason to see the sunrise and then went back to bed. Claudette reprimanded them for going out alone. We had breakfast at the same restaurant as we had dinner and headed to old faithful country. Claudette found a trail that led up to lone star Geyser. It was more like a service road which went up along Fireholl river. There were remarkable wildflowers Teresa took an interest to. At the end of the trail was the geyser which Regina called a geezer. A notebook with records of its eruptions was right in front of it. It last went off at 11:45 and now it was around 1:15. We saw a minor eruption. It was very peaceful sitting by the stream running through the meadow. I asked Teresa if she wanted to know a secret. I told her it was my most favorite place in the world. Our patience was rewarded by a major eruption which we enjoyed all to ourselves except for a middle-age lady who walked back with us. She was very sweet and knowledgeable about flowers. She carried a book about wild flowers of Yellowstone and the Tetons. She was there with her mom. We made it to Old Faithful just in time to see its next eruption with a couple of hundred other people. We were very hungry at this point and Claudette and I settled for cafeteria lasagna and meatloaf which I wolfed down. The kids held out for hamburgers and ice cream at the grill across the way. I went looking for an ATM machine at Old Faithful Inn. There was much effect in the area from the forest fire of 1988 but luckily not along the trail to the geyser. We walked a short way on the boards and saw a newly erupted geyser (Giantess). We thought about doing the Mystic Falls Trail but decided we were all too tired. Showered and to bed to be awakened 1/2 hour later at 9:30 by the fire alarm. We waited outside and in the lobby across the way until 10 PM. The Asians in 221 were cooking in their room and then arguing with the fire inspector. Day 7 August 24 Tuesday Lodging at Jackson Lake Lodge Tetons We collected some donuts the next morning and headed to the Tetons. They still were spectacular and not spoiled by my viewing them from the plane. We had a very nice lunch at Jenny Lake Lodge, a very exclusive $300 a night place that does not let young children stay. A beautiful view of the mountains close up to our table. We then took the trail around Jenny Lake skipping the boat, up to the falls and inspiration point. They had changed the direction of the trail around the falls and more to the right to save the vegetation. We went a little further up the canyon then returned via the boat. A guide said a week ago you might have to wait one hour for the return boat and since we were doing this to save time we were very happy. We made it back to the lodge for our 6 o'clock dinner reservations. Spectacular view and dinner. Spectacular sunset. Claudette's arm was bothering her so she got up for a walk and just missed a bear sighting. No bears when we got out there but there was a Ranger who is very nice and gregarious. The people were nice. We met the people who were driving the truck with the Steamboat Springs sign on it who'd we had been following since Canyon lands in Yellowstone. We witnessed an incredible sunset. I went to the top of the hill to take pictures. Regina went with me for a very short time but then I was by myself. The rooms were very nice at the lodge. Day 8 August 25 Another beautiful sunny morning greeted us. We did breakfast at the grill which reminded me a lot of the Melrose diner in Philadelphia. There were only counters. We then went to Coulter Bay for a short easy walk on the Heritage Trail. It was a poopy trail. We seemed to be a little cranky on that walk. We bought a few snacks at the store and bug spray and went to the lodge to get to our raft ride. Our guides name was Brett. He did a lot of talking and entertaining. He was a cool dude doing seasonal work in the mountains and Ocean resorts. The lodge company has very rigorous training for their guides. We were the only people on the raft doing any talking. It seemed Brett could answer any question about the animals or geology. We saw at least seven bald Eagles and one Osprey. He told a joke about the rumor of pinion feathers on a crow and a story about his doing stupid things and got attacked by a black bear. The views of the mountains, streams and trees were breathtaking. We rode back and found that the father of the other family grew up in Highland Park and graduated from Rutgers in 1968. We made it back in time for all of us to shower and go to dinner respectable. Another great dinner! Probably the best food and service. Of course the best view. The view was so good that the couple next to the window thought it best to move the window shade back and keep it back with a large breadstick. It was the best laugh I had on the trip. We went out to watch the sunset and saw a female moose feeding at the bottom of the water just below us with its calf. That night everyone join me on the hill for the sunset then we went to a campfire talk at Coulter Bay about aliens. Plant aliens which are invasive species. I had taken a picture of what I thought was a pretty flower when I was here with mom and it turns out to have been an invasive species! They had a real campfire and Regina practically sat in it. We had a good nights rest Day 9 August 26 Lodging @ Roosevelt Lodge The morning brought another beautiful sunny day. I got impatient with our slowly moving older girls. We had breakfast in the big dining room and said goodbye to the Tetons heading to the Western route up to mid Yellowstone then through the center to Canyon and up to Roosevelt. We could only get reservations for the Roughrider cabins. No running water and communal showers. I tried every night to no avail to upgrade. We got there around 3:30. The cabins were like ovens so we open the windows and went back to Tower Fall's. It was very cool down near the falls, a welcome change from the heat. We headed back for the cookout. I was a hungry cranky daddy. We were to show up at 4:45 ending up waiting till 6 PM to get onto the wagons. It was hot and we were tired and hungry. I felt a little bad for the guy playing the guitar trying to entertain us while we were waiting. Some people seemed to enjoy it but I was too cranky. The wagons took us to a pleasant Valley, a cool place with shade and a little stream. The food was good, Steak of course. After eating we went over to see the horses and talked to a nice man from Flint Michigan who reminded me a lot of my cousin Ronnie Palumbo. Then there were stories and the ride back to the cabins. The moon was so beautiful rising over the hills. The drivers were good guys and all. Ended happily now that my stomach was full. Steve and I took a shower together as we did at Mammoth Spring's. It's good to have help at the communal showers. Claudette told how Teresa moaned and groaned about not getting in those raunchy showers but they finally persuaded her to get in. That night was kind of cold. Day 10 August 27 Lodging Glacier Park Lodge The morning was cold as well and the girls were not anxious to get up. I made a little fire in their pot belly stove. Steve, Claudette and I went to breakfast and ordered side orders of bagels for the girls. We were supposed to be checking in at the horseback ride at 8:45. Our food came at 8:45 so making a scene we ran down to the stables just in time after a few bites of food after asking the restaurant to hold the check. The horseback ride took us back up into Pleasant Valley. All of the wranglers were young women who are very friendly and chatty making the ride even more special. After the ride we went back to the Lodge and restaurant to check out. I offered to pay the check but asked for some food since we didn't have time to eat ours. They were kind to give us some cinnamon buns and bananas and voided the check. Now we were off for Glacier National Park. We said our goodbyes to Yellowstone and drove to Helena. We had a lot of unhappiness and commotion in the car especially from Teresa along route interstate 90. We settled in and made our way to Walmart in Helena to pick up some film and VCR tape and other supplies. We made a fruitless attempt to find a Pizza Hut and settled for Perkins. What an oasis for the soul and stomach. The waitress was the sweetest person. A middle aged trainee her first day with the tray. This was around 3:00 in the afternoon after a 3 1/2 hour drive from Yellowstone and don't forget we didn't have a proper breakfast so I was again a grouchy dad though I tried not to show it. The remainder of the drive to glacier was interesting since the mountains slowly arose in the distance across the endless plains. The road at times disappeared into the horizon. Some road construction slowed us down in the last 50 miles. Winding roads in the foothills. We reached Glacier Lodge at sunset and what a sunset! The sky behind the mountains to the west was on fire with color. To the east was a giant double rainbow. I didn't get an adequate picture of either since the Hotel layout had me so confused trying to find the rooms and the best path there. We again modified our lodging upon our arrival. We had one large family room with three double beds and a bath. We got one more room with a double and single. I got the great idea of getting a rollaway so the children all had their own bed in their own room. The only complaint came from Steve. I'm not sure that he didn't want to be associated with the girls or felt thrown out of Claudette and my room since this had been the usual arrangement. My glee must have been self evident since Teresa said “this was no honeymoon” so I gave her a quick friendly smack on the rear to let her know that yes it was! Claudette and my room faced the mountains and we could hear the sound of the stream. How heavenly. Day 11. August 28 We let the children sleep-in that morning. Claudette went out and started the laundry. We went to breakfast at a local restaurant then off for a hike to the two medicine lake area. Not a spectacular view as compared to the following day but a nice trail. Regina was resistant since we had to go over a little suspension bridge one of the time. Even more notable was a large female moose feeding in the meadow close to the beginning of the trail. The trail led to Rockwell Falls, a large cascade of falls. Regina was excited to climb up the rocks to the top which afforded a very nice view. We almost had dinner at a local shack but thought better of it and ate in the dining room of the lodge which wasn't that great. It was very empty, I suppose the fact that there were other places close by had to do with that. I didn't know until we arrived that the lodge was not actually in the park. We had a relaxing evening. Teresa, Regina and I got a game of Scattergories and played in the breezeway. Lisa came and took my place. They all played together until 10 PM. I hated to break the game up. This was the first of three times that I knew this trip was the right thing to do. Day 12 August 29. Lodging at Many Glacier The morning delivered another beautiful day. Another Buffet breakfast and then off to Going to the Sun Road. Indescribably delicious. I was so excited to tell the elderly couple we saw on our first of many pull outs what a treat they were in for. Steve was so excited about the view of wild goose Island since I have that picture up on the wall at home. We stopped to see falls through the gorge. We stopped at Logan visitor station at Logan Pass but couldn't find a parking space which turned out to be a lucky event. We went to Lake McDonald Lodge, had lunch and took a scenic boat cruise. We were lucky to have a young ranger join us. He gave the history of how glacier formed the lake and told stories. One was of how a woman (a recent bride 9/2) climbed up one of the mountains so she could name it after herself. Sparkling water and blue sky on the way back to Logan Pass. We stopped at Cedar Trail. Very old large beautiful cedar and ferns covering the forest floor. This is at avalanche Creek. I'm pretty sure I took that trail in 1974. Back at Logan Pass we saw several mountain goats. It was easy to find parking space at 6 PM. Claudette picked to go up to hidden Lake Trail. It was especially spectacular. I felt pulled up the trail. The sunlight came across the top of the trail making me think you could see something on the other side. I actually ran much of the way not feeling very tired at all and was rewarded with a view of the western side of the park having walked across the continental divide. Also a deep blue lake down below on the west side. Coming down I encountered three mountain goats one of which was positioned in the middle of the trail so I couldn't go down. We both stood there for several minutes until it occurred to me that the goat wanted to come up the trail since it was its easiest path. Actually these were bighorn sheep. I walked back away from the trail giving them room to get by. Steve came along beside me at this time. Sure enough up the trail came to the three sheep and headed fast onto the meadow. I had never had a staring contest with a large wild animal before. Lisa and Regina were waiting for us at the bottom. (The following written September 4, 1999) They had decided to wait for us in the car as we went on our "short walk" which turned out to be a very long hike. They were very upset. More mad than worried. Lisa did go up the trail some way and photographed a mountain goat very close-up. The walk down was also notable for the sunset hitting the mountains on the east side with differences of light and dark shading. By the time we made it to the car the sun was almost completely set so we made only one more stop heading toward Many Glacier Lodge. It was near 9 o'clock when we finished going to the Sun Road and so he stopped for a light dinner just outside the park. I was worried the dining room at many glacier would be closed by 8:30 and I didn't want to go to bed hungry. The short drive to Many Glacier Lodge was a little spooky because the roads were so dark and poorly marked. It felt like the road took forever winding along that valley access road. The lodge was a welcome site. We registered and carried our bags to the third floor and found twins in one room and a double and a single and another. So back down to the desk it was and again we rearrange the rooms to a family room which had two rooms with a connecting bath. Claudette and I took one and Steve and Regina took the other. Lisa and Teresa took another room down the hall. All the luggage was now on the third floor and had to be moved to the fourth floor in another building on the other side of the complex via coming back through the lobby. We found the bellman. Steve and I later joined by Lisa and Teresa went out on the back veranda of the lodge. We were greeted by a faintly lit lake that was being towered over by three mountains, the mountain peak in the middle seemed to grow out of the lake and stood out above us feeling very close. The stars were out but just overhead the rest being covered by the clouds. The moonlight was barely making its appearance in the east but it's light went slightly across to the west where it lit up the clouds above the center mountain peak just like the sun will light up the clouds in the east at sunset. It was the mountain outlined with the clouds that we saw. The mountain itself was black and featureless. I took some time lapse photos. I hope they come out. We took showers and then to bed. Regina insisted on taking the double bed in their room when Steve had just slept on the floor in a rollaway mattress the night before. We finally threatened to keep her off the horse ride the next morning. Day 13 August 30 Monday Another breakfast buffet in the morning. Claudette was up early because of her shoulder and she saw two bears! This proclamation helped to get us all out of bed and down to breakfast. The horse rides were just next to the parking lot. Regina's horse was bigger than Claudette’s. It was a ride through the woods and Meadows down towards Sherburne lake, the only man-made lake in the park. Many rocks were on the trail and Leon, my horse, twice stumbled giving me visions of tumbling down the side of the hill with Leon on top of me. We saw a black bear coming down the side of the hill a couple hundred yards ahead, but did not get any pictures. Leon liked to eat along the way and he took several pee breaks as well. We headed to the dining area at Swift current lodge right next to the trail we were to take that afternoon. It was an Italian restaurant. I got a pizza, overdone on the top and under done on the bottom. It tasted great anyway. Also some minestrone soup. It wasn’t JoJo’s of Ventnor but good to eat. The trail we took was mostly flat. I have bought a second pair of socks the night before in addition to the thin liner socks I bought in the grand Tetons with Steve. I had still experienced some minimal blistering on my heels. After everyone did their potty breaks and put on their hiking shoes I put on my socks and off we went. Finally my feet were perfectly comfortable and fashionable with my cool glacier sucks. Regina joined in the woods potty break club halfway up the trail. There was a small lake with waterfalls and the other side just above was a second slightly higher valley. Very beautiful and inviting. The kids went up the waterfall rocks to the top of the falls and I took the trail to the same level. These connected through a small forested area. More pictures and then a potty break for Claudette. The sun was shining and the air was slightly warm. We walked back with a young family who had a 12-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl. The boy loves to read science and the little girl was as loquacious as her mom. The mom was a social worker for dialysis system at Scripps Institute in San Diego. Her voice was just like Maryann Baldwins. We showered and then had dinner at the lodge which was very good. Lisa and Teresa said their grilled chicken was the best. I had a great prime rib. We skip dessert. The waitress said it would be cheaper at Heidi's. We made it to the Ranger campfire talk, given by a female ranger speaking about mountain goats and bighorn sheep. She passed around a sectioned bighorn sheep skull and its horns separately. It was very heavy. The mountain goats never come down from the high elevations. The mountain goats at Logan Pass have taken a liking to the spillover antifreeze in the parking lot. The Rangers have taken to spraying the goats with pepper spray. The goats now move away from the approaching rangers but not from approaching tourists. It rained so we broke out the ponchos. We went back to the lodge and the kids got dessert from Heidi's. Ice cream bars and sandwiches. No huckleberry ice cream much to Lisa's disappointment. Regina lost a baby tooth eating the ice cream. We planned to hike the next morning to Grenell Glacier, first taking a boat ride across two small lakes and then up 1600 ft how long a 3.8 mile trail before heading back to Great Falls. The weather report called for rain or at least a chance of rain so I bought two more ponchos to be ready. Everyone was psyched. Claudette bought the boat tickets. We went to bed. Then the wind started to hell. The room became very cold. The winds howling was unrelenting all through the night. Day 14 August 31 Tuesday It was raining very early in the morning which then turned to sleet and snow. The mountain tops became white which the Ranger had predicted the night before. It was very eerie which reminds me about finishing up about the first drive into many glacier. So we abandoned the Grinnell Glacier expedition before it started. Claudette, Regina, Steve and I went to breakfast at 9:10 letting the other girls sleep. Teresa appeared later on the scene saying she was awake since 7 o'clock and why didn’t we come to get her. I pointed out that she didn have a watch which we so graciously bought for her. We packed up essentially the last time. The car thermometer said the temperature was 37°. The wind was so strong that it could knock you down. I took pictures of the lodge from the hill looking back at the storm over the mountains. The sleet stung my face. The car shook in the wind and the wind literally pushed us down the valley towards the Great Plains. We stopped to look back and saw and felt the fury of the storm. Looking forward the sky was blue and serene where we stood at the junction between the two. We got gas and a new map of Montana and headed to Great Falls via Route 464, Route two and interstate 15. The mountains never seem to fade in the distance always looming behind us. Teresa needed her own personal space from Steve making much of a fuss at the beginning of the ride. I pointed out to the empty endless plains and asked if I that would be enough personal space. The remainder of the 160 mile drive was easy and pleasant. I put the cruise control on at 83 on interstate 15 and never touched a break or gas until we got to Great Falls. The aborted hike and shortened to stay at Many Glacier seem to tell me that enough was enough and we were not ultimately in charge of our destiny even knowing that God didn't necessarily send that storm for my own edification. We found another Perkins restaurant in Great Falls and had an almost equally enjoyable early dinner. The difference was that I was not so weary and hungry as on our stop in Helena. The waitress was equally nice though. I found a hotel without getting lost. It was our first stop to getting home, like halfway there already. We swam in the pool. I sat on a chair and relished the sight of the four children playing happily in the pool together all the while replaying as much of our great adventure in my head as I could. I think I was pretty successful. We watched Doug’s first movie and went to sleep. Day 15 September 1 WednesdayIn the morning the children all piled into Steve's bed for the spontaneous group hug. It was then my heart was filled with great joy knowing that the trip had helped build our family and tie the connections a little tighter and stronger. We ate at Elmers, got gas. We saw —- and Jayne on the license plate of an elderly couple’s pick up truck pulling a large camper behind it at the dinosaur station. At the airport I got this uncontrollable urge to start this writing and asked Steve if he might let me use this travel journal. I wrote the entire trip back except to eat and take a short rest. I needed to finish it at home and now I'm sitting in the library at the conclusion of this episode in our lives. I thank Claudette for buying this journal so I might remember better what we said, saw and did. Joe September 4, 1999 Epilogue In the above I did not include our a surprise when we got home. The refrigerator and freezer had shut itself off and I had to clean out the most foul smelling rotting stuff. It turned out that the contractor mistakenly used a GIF outlet which somehow had tripped itself.
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