SKYLINE FALLS

Last year when Big Bore and I were at Rocky Mountain National Park, we hiked up to The Loch, 3.1 miles one way.  As we sat on the rocks having a picnic, we admired a waterfall up in the distance, maybe a mile or so, and thought aloud that it would be fun to try to make it that far.  A sudden snowstorm, however, thwarted that idea and we hustled on back down the mountain.  The idea of hiking to Skyline Falls, however, stuck with us.

So, when we returned to RMNP after leaving Yellowstone, we decided we'd try again--even though Big Bore had been nagged by a sore left Achilles heel tendon ever since we'd left home. He'd suck it up and be all right.

So, off we went, and BB was, indeed, fine on the hike upwards, more or less. I kept checking with him..."Are you sure you want to keep going?"  It seemed the longer we hiked on past The Loch, the farther away the blasted Skyline Falls became.  He kept saying things like, "Just a little farther." It's not too far away." "I think it'll be just around the next bend."  But it wasn't as close as we'd anticipated, and, at last, his heel was starting to hurt.

When some hikers who'd been to the falls approached us on their way back down, I asked about the part of the trail we still had to complete.

"Well, on up ahead you have to scramble up boulders to get to the overlook."

That did it. Big Bore and I are not the scrambling type. I was afraid he'd end up with his bum ankle permanently lodged between rocks.  And he'd be like that guy in the movie "127 Hours" and require an amputation to get free.

So, we agreed to admire the falls from afar (above pic), have our little picnic, and then head on back to the parking lot before it started raining. A fine plan...until Big Bore discovered about 10 steps into the descent that going DOWN the mountain was a lot tougher on his Achilles tendon than going UP.

The pain showed on his face. Concerned people we encountered on the way down were patting him on the back and inquiring about his condition:  "Are you okay?"  "Are you going to make it?"  "Are you dying?"

"Don't say that!" I chastised the woman who made the last comment. "I've got a bad back and can't carry him down!"

But he made it...eventually. "I don't have any other choice," he said, midway down the mountain.

I think it's safe to say that this may be the last we've seen of The Loch and its Skyline Falls. At least until next year.

GOING YELLOW (or "Seeing all this water keeps making me have to pee!")

After four days at Glacier National Park, we headed off to Yellowstone. I've been there twice before, and if you've seen one bubbling pot of steam, you've seen 'em all--but Big Bore had his heart set on meeting Yogi and BooBoo, so Yellowstone it was--if only briefly (one evening and part of the next day.)

This visit turned out better than my previous two for several reasons. 1. Since we were there after Labor Day, the traffic wasn't as bad; 2. We saw some areas I hadn't seen before (Mammoth Hot Springs and the north visitor center, which is the old Fort Yellowstone filled with lots of historic artifacts); and 3. We got to see the Beehive Geyser make its daily eruption. It's bigger than Old Faithful and lasts longer. And we all know that bigger and longer is oh, so much better!   

After seeing the Beehive blast away, we went off to Old Faithful Inn so I could shop.  Big Bore was more fascinated with the inner structure of the building, which is, indeed, amazing.  

Big Bore says his favorite sight to see at Yellowstone was the Mammoth Hot Springs (above).  Mine was taking the hikes to see Lower Falls from both the overlook and at a distance (first pic). He said he would have liked the hikes a lot more if his left Achilles tendon hadn't been on fire. 

We ended our stay at Yellowstone with a picnic at a lake overlook. And who should pull over at the same spot at the same time but people from Kansas City who have relatives I know in, you guessed it, Eureka!  To borrow a catch phrase from another famous tourist trap, "It's a small world after all."  

Tomorrow:  Rocky Mountain National Park and the burning question: Will Big Bore's aching Achilles be ready for one last big hike?         

BEAR FACTS

Grizzly and black bears live at Glacier National Park.  I don't know how many, but rangers say "a lot" and that bear sightings are common. Hikers are advised to carry bear spray (we did) and are given all sorts of tips on what to do if a bear shares a trail with humans.

Now, some park visitors are all gung-ho about having a close encounter of the bear kind, but not The Flaming Bore. No-no-no. I'd just as soon not have the pleasure.  Oh, we saw a grizzly dashing up a hillside, which was cool because we were safely tucked away in a parking lot at the time...and we came across a large deposit of "scat" (the nice word for you-know-what) along a lakeside trail, which was not cool.

But nothing quite prepared me for a morning near miss outside our cabin. I was packing up the car for our daily journey into the wild when a man staying in a cabin down the hill a bit started yelling, "There's a bear!"

The sun was blinding me, so I couldn't tell which way he was looking. After a few more shouts, I turned his direction and yelled, "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes! There was a bear just to the right of your cabin, but my yelling scared it off!"

"Well, thank God you saw it instead of me! I would have peed my pants!"  Not to mention been so totally clueless about my surroundings that I would have invited the bear into the car for a ride.

About that time, Big Bore came out of the cabin to see what the commotion was all about.

"There was a bear next to our cabin, but I didn't see it."

"Well, that's no surprise. You wouldn't notice a bear if it was standing right in front of you."

"I guess I won't be roaming by myself around the cabin anymore," I said.  "Rats."

Next time I go to a national park that is heavily populated with bears, I'm going during the hibernation season.

HIGHLINE TRAIL

There are two trails at the Continental Divide, Logan's Pass, in Glacier National Park. Hidden Lakes Trail involves walking up and down a lot of boarded steps, so as to preserve the tundra. And then there is Highline Trail. It starts out innocently enough, through a meadow, where we met up with three cute mountain goats (here's one)....

....and then the next thing you know it winds around a cliff, the path narrows, and YIKES!  Hikers are greeted by the first scene above. Hang on to that guide wire!  It's going to be a wild walk, for sure!

Big Bore took one look, started reeling, and refused to go one more step.  "The mountain is moving!" he said.  

I wasn't going to push him to do something he didn't feel safe in doing, but I just HAD to keep going.

"Do you mind if I at least go on to the bend?"  I pointed to a spot about a quarter mile on down the trail. "I really want to do this."

 

"Go ahead.  I'll wait here," he said, turning green and clutching a boulder.

So off I went, walking stick in one hand and guide wire grasped by the other.  It was just TOO cool, and I wanted to keep going and going to see how this trail would end up, but I had promised Big Bore I'd only go to the bend, so, drat, that would have to do. When I got there, I put down the stick, got out the camera, and tried taking a self-portrait with the valley below.  It didn't work too well, but you can sort of see where the drop zone is behind me.  

When I headed back, I encountered other hikers who were just starting out.  "Did you see a big bear of a guy back there waiting for me?" I asked one.

"If you mean the man clinging to a boulder and practically hyperventilating, then yes."

Well, my experience on Highline ended way too soon.  Big Bore was relieved to see me...but If I ever get back to GNP (alas, doubtful), I'm making a beeline to that trail and going the distance. He can wait in the car.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Well, after travelling 3,573 miles in 12 days, the merry vacationers are back home. Bags are unpacked.  Laundry is done. Time to post a few pictures from the trip. The above pic is from the Hidden Lake overlook at Logan's Pass on the Continental Divide, Going to the Sun Road at Glacier National Park in northwest Montana.

This is my second visit to Glacier.  The first time I was three-years-old, and I have no recollection of it--just a few pictures verifying I was there.  Big Bore suggested I strip down to my panties to recreate the picture of me wading at Lake McDonald in 1952.  I decided it might me safer for everyone concerned if I just stay dressed.

Our favorite hike at Glacier was to St. Mary and Virginia Falls. Here are some pictures from that beautiful day in the forest.

This last picture was in a windy, cold area that was sort of tucked away from the main trail.  I'm about ready to blow away.

Tomorrow:  Hiking the Highline Trail

READY TO ROLL

Big Bore has been operating in overdrive today getting ready to head out for Montana tomorrow. He is a master of list making and packing.  I'm just sort of going along for the ride, pretending to be the navigator. He claims we're leaving at 4 AM sharp.  I claim he's dreaming if he thinks I'm going to be ready to go at that time, in view of the fact that I usually never go to bed before 1 AM.  

"Just stay up a few more hours and you can sleep on the way," he's suggested.  That might not be a bad idea.

I'm trying to be a minimalist and cockeyed optimist with the vacation wardrobe this time around. I think my bag of books to read along the way weighs more than my suitcase. I've probably forgotten to pack something that I will later come to regret, but as long as I have a credit card and Tegretol, I'll be fine.  Oh, and the camera. And my glasses. Everything else is replaceable. Even the well-worn Atlas book of road maps.  

Time to go shave my legs, clean out the cat litter boxes, and get ready to hit the road.  T minus 12 hours and counting.......

PACKING IT UP

At long last!  Blast off for our trip to Glacier National Park is just four days away.  Big Bore, Mr. Organization, has had his bags packed for several days now. I'm just getting started--with under clothes. Earlier today I put out an APB for my favorite sports bra, missing in action.  Where in the heck can a bra get lost in this little house? I wasn't going to pack anything else until I found it.  

I poked around in every drawer, looked behind the washer and dryer, even dug into the black hole of the bedroom closet. Nothing. Big Bore suggested I look underneath the bed and inside the washer, which is almost filled to the gills with dirty clothes.  Good ideas, but I still came up empty.

Then it dawned on me to check all the door knobs, because when I was a kid I was notorious for slinging just about every piece of clothing I owned onto my bedroom doorknob.  It became sort of a contest to see how much crap I could balance on the knob before my roommate, Big Sis, went totally ballistic:  "Mother!!!  Make her hang up her clothes!!!"

And that's where I found my favorite sports bra--behind the French door to the walk-in closet, wrapped around the knob.  Hooray!  Now I can proceed with the rest of my packing.  Hopefully nothing else on my mental list will elude me and I'll be able to get my suitcase zipped. Packing for a trip is half the fun.