The Great Outdoors

Our first family portrait...hehe

As you may have guessed my Internet time reserved for blogging, facebook stalking, and baby shopping has been interrupted by our rotating door of visitors, as a result I haven't been able to keep you posted on all of our Montana wanderings.


Flathead Lake Campsite

We started last week, driving to Flathead Lake to set up camp and begin our journey into Glacier National Park. Our plans were somewhat stalled as we found ourselves running late, our favorite brewery closed (forever!??!) and without a campsite! We made do in the end and were able to snag a beautiful marine site, hiking 1000 feet into some brush to camp with Flathead Lake practically lapping into our tent. In the end it was worth the hassle as we took a chilly late night dive into the pristine water and warmed ourselves around the fire with creamy mushroom chicken and wild rice for sustenance.


After everyone headed to bed, Dale and I stayed up looking at the stars from the beach. I will confess, even though I live in Montana where light pollution isn't a concern, I still rarely take time to appreciate the vastness of the sky. Laying on the beach staring at the stars was surreal as you can actually see the depth of the sky; the galaxies behind galaxies, the real Milky Way, and endless constellations. Just as we were headed up to our tent Dale and I both saw what was most likely a small rock or something crashing into the atmosphere as the sky was briefly brightened by an greenish plume quickly fading into orange and disappeared as quickly as it entered the sky. Dale grabbed my hand, kissed my face and my belly and we went to bed still dreaming about those stars.


They are clearly not morning people

We had hopes of leaving our campsite early in order to get to Glacier early in the morning. However, those plans were a little derailed as not everyone in our group was an early riser. We didn't leave until 10 am and still had an hour to go. At this point, Dale was beyond irritated but was distracted when we passed a MYSTERY SPOT! Dale is obsessed with mystery spots. I mean OBSESSED! He practically made me pull a 180 on the highway. I had never had an experience with Mystery Spots and will admit that it was a pretty cool adventure as there are only 8 mystery spots in the US that demonstrate the awesome and weird power of nature that is unexplainable. I will post photos later to demonstrate this but for now, just use your imagination.


Mystery Spot, MT

After our slight detour at the Mystery Spot, we finally made it to Glacier. I have never driven the full length of the Going-to-the-Sun Road as it has always been closed due to landslides, fire, or construction. It was incredible. The mountains journeyed as far as the eye could see, casting their magnitude against our infinitely small bodies. We saw mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and deer in addition to the variety of birds and insects that frequented the area. After a long day of driving, we ventured separate ways and Dale, Sam, and I headed back to Flathead Lake to meet our friend Jarred for another night of camping.


Logan Pass, Glacier National Park

Saturday, with the arrival of my friend, Hilary, we decided to venture to the river and attempt a quiet, easy float down the Clark Fork River. Again, our plans were stalled as we got a late start, our communal intertubes taken by our neighbors friends, and credit card deposits on rental tubes. We finally made it to the river, which was flowing slowly and beautifully through the valley. Jarred, being allergic to bees, distracted us when we thought a bee had landed in his intertube and failed to notice the HUGE rock aimed towards our tube.

We didn't have time to navigate around and instead plunged in the rock, Sam flipping first, then me, then Jarred, only to get sucked into the water and struggle to find our way up. What felt like minutes under water (but was really only a few seconds) we emerged on opposite sides of the river, drenched like river rats, and scrambling to rescue the beer, sunglasses, and shoes that floated by. Alas, we managed to settle back on to our tubes and enjoy the rest of the float unscathed by any damage. My heart raced the whole time and my little one kicked me hard to let me know he was a little pissed.

The great outdoors have provided us with many opportunities and adventures and will continue to do so. For now, I am tired, sunburned, and looking forward to a relaxing few days in the comfort of my own home.