Glacier!

Team Breitmann took the "road less traveled" into Big Sky Country.  We headed North out of Post Falls, ID thru the towns of Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, where we picked up Hwy 2 and crossed over into Montana, at the lowest point in the State, right near this sign.  Elevation 1,820'.

Here's a scene right out the "West"!  Just before we crossed into Montana, we are greeted by this fellow and his two horses.  Looks like he just walked off the history book circa 1850's!  

The drive along Hwy 2 was simply awe-inspiring!  I'm so glad we chose not to take the interstate!  We were treated with views like this all the way...views of the Kootenai, Bitteroot and  Flathead rivers, along with lakes Thompson, Little Bitterroot, Smith and Hungry Horse.  Most of these had mountain back drops like Snowshoe, Meadow and Blacktail peaks, as we entered the foothills of the Flathead Range of the Eastern Rockies.

Our Montana "homestead".  We camped 2 miles outside of the tiny town of West Glacier at a place with the unoriginal name of Glacier Campground.  It is nestled in between the Flathead National Forest to the northwest and the Great Bear Wilderness to the southeast.  During our stay, the camp hosts told us that a very large black bear was spotted up near the bath house.  So, we took necessary camp clean up precautions to prevent a "Yogi Bear" visit to our homestead. 

Montana school house! Yep, it ain't all fun and games!  Stacey finished out the last school year with both girls and now I've been "hired" as an additional school teacher this year!  This is my new student!  Since we don't do school every day, we essentially have to do school all year.  We had a small break from the past school year but, now it's back at it.  

This is what brought us to this part of Montana.  

We are not unaccustomed to black bears in Florida, however when they mean bear country here.... that means.....Grizzlies!  And wild animals also include mountain lions, elk and moose.  Believe it or not, moose kill more people every year than mountain lion or grizzly bears.  Moose are very temperamental, territorial and did I mention HUGE!  They typically get upwards of 2,000lbs and when they charge at you that don't stop until you are are trampled!   So, special care must be taken not to quietly hike thru the trails and surprise our wild friends.  Make plenty of noise and carry "bear spray".  What is that you ask?  Well, it's a highly concentrated pepper spray in a large pressurized container and is highly effective against not only bears but all other wildlife...including humans:).  I purchased a canister and wear it just like a pistol holster for quick access.  It has an effective range of about 30 feet.  I also have a 9mm side arm but, that is a last resort against such large animals.  It would more than likely just enrage a full grown moose or grizzly, unless I got off an unusually accurate head shot.  Something probably not likely in a high stress situation! 

In the Discovery Cabin near the Apgar Visitor center in Glacier Natl Park, Heidi shows off a Grizzly hide.  You might make out the size of the claws in the left portion of this photo.  Yikes! 

Now there's a pretty long-horn sheep!  Heidi shows of the horn of a long horn mountain sheep.  They are very common in the higher elevations of the mountains in the park.  We ended up seeing two of them with our binoculars, on a mountain near Logan Pass Visitor Center.  Very cool!

The girls said I'm a spitting image of "Elliot" from the animated movie "Open Season".  What I have in my hand is not from a deer but, from an Elk. I quote back with a line from the movie..."Listen, simple!  Let's get going!" 

Near Marias Pass, Heidi shows off a dandelion as big as her face!  "Hey Dad...I don't have enough breath to make a wish!  I gotta shake it to make all the shoots come off!"  

Yes,  they get a ton of snow here!  Many roads in these parts are summer-only accessible and even the ones that are open year round require chains.  Stacey says..."no way" are we moving here!  

At a ranger program, we learn about beavers and river otters.  Did you know that the average human has about 100,000 hairs on their head? By comparison, a beaver has about 75,000 hairs PER SQ. INCH!  And the river otter has upwards of 150,000 hairs per sq. inch!  Wow!  That's some thick hair!  

Hailey and I study the diverse rocks found in the rivers. Here, she brings me a purple colored rock from Snyder Creek near Lake McDonald Lodge. It brought back memories of my childhood trip "out West",  when I was fascinated by all the different rocks and mineral deposits!   Hailey seems to be just as fascinated. 

Hailey earns yet another J.R. Ranger badge at Glacier Natl Park.  

We attended a play at McDonald Lodge Hall. Heidi poses with an actress that portrayed Josephine Doody, who along with her husband, Dan Doody, settled a homestead within Glacier National Park, long before it became a national park.  

Heidi and Hailey enjoy skipping rocks into Lake McDonald.  

We traveled up Montana Hwy 49 and thru the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to access the southeast Two Medicine entrance to Glacier National park.  In our studies, we learned that Lewis and Clark had split their Corps into two teams before crossing the continental divide, so they could explore the Marias River.  Lewis' group met some men of the Blackfeet nation. During the night, the Blackfeet tried to steal their weapons and in the ensuing struggle, the soldiers killed two Blackfeet.  Fearing the Blackfeet, Lewis' team fled over 100 miles in a single day before camping again.  Lewis took great pains to avoid the Blackfeet.

Running Eagle Falls.  It is named after a Blackfeet tribeswoman, who lived circa 1825.  She was unusual because, unlike most Indian women, she became a great hunter and warrior.  She was instructed to follow what was traditionally a male rite of passage.  She was directed to go on a "vision quest", in order to find her true calling.  It was said that she went on her vision quest near these falls, where she had a vision of herself as a warrior.  She was given the name "Running Eagle" upon her return. She indeed became a great warrior.  She eventually died in battle against the nearby Flatheads near the Sun River.

Me with my two wannabe "Running Eagles"!

View looking downstream from Running Eagle Falls. There were signs all along the Running Eagle trail warning of grizzly bears.

Hailey leads the way along the initial trail head to Avalanche Gorge. She sure is proud of her J.R. Ranger "status".

Heidi at the lower portion of Avalanche Gorge.

Unbelievably clear, rushing waters of the Avalanche Creek, as it surges through Avalanche Gorge! 

Team Breitmann upstream of Avalanche Gorge.

We drove the entire 50-mile-long, Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.  This road is one of the world's most spectacular highways.  It bisects the heart of Glacier National Park, following the shores of the park's two largest lakes and hugs the cliffs just below the Continental Divide near Logan Pass.  The following pictures are just a snippet of what we saw.  Again, pictures can not do the immense scale of this place the justice it deserves!  This place of wonder led us again to worship the Creator of it all!  

Rushing water just beneath this apparently frozen flow of snow, coming right down to the road.  A month previous, a massive rock slide came down on this road crushing cars and injuring park visitors.  There was some delay as crews were fixing the road way, as a result of the slide.  A reminder of the wildness of this place! 

View from the roadway!

More road vistas!

I just rolled down the window of my car and took this picture! 

Another "out the window" of the car photo!

Halfway thru the park we come to Logan Pass.  We remember crossing the Continental Divide on our west bound leg towards California and now, here we are again going east! If I'm reading my map correctly, the peak behind should be Mt. Oberlin at an elevation of 8,180'.  

Logan Pass....Mt Reynolds as the backdrop to the sub-alpine area known as the Garden Wall, due to the numerous wildflowers growing here.  

Looking the opposite direction from Mt. Reynolds.

Hailey gets her toes cold in a snowfield at Logan Pass.  As a fan of animated movies, she quotes from one of her favorites; "Horton Hears A Who!".  She quotes Professor LaRue of Who U:  "Schnow in da Schummer!  Unlessh, Whoville eshtablishezes some sort of equilibrium....Whoville will be deshtroid!"   

Heidi and I decide to take the much longer hike to Hidden Lake, while Stacey and Hailey return to the Logan Pass Visitor Center.  Here Heidi tries to ambush me with a snow ball! 

My red rose in the snow!  While there was snow on the ground, the air temp was quite warm.  Nice.  Good thing I brought some sunscreen along.  Logan Pass gets an amazing average of 100 FEET of snow every winter making this area completely inaccessible during the winter!

A view looking down into Logan Pass, as we ascend towards Hidden Lake.  Whew!  Need air....the altitude and our state of poor condition is taking it's due! 

What a nice surprise along the trail!  We come across mountain goats near a small seasonal pond!  

For our efforts, we are rewarded with spectacular views of Hidden Lake!

Hailey our "heart girl", finds this giant rock shaped like a heart!

At the east end of Glacier NP, is the beautiful and "lonely" Saint Mary Lake at an elevation of 4,484'.  Simply breathtaking lake!

Hailey shows off the "map" on our slide out of the Team Breitmann "Assault Vehicle"!  She had just placed Montana on our map!  Look out Wyoming, here we come!

Speaks for itself, doesn't it?!  We are so blessed to be able to take this "adventure" as a family! We are all gaining an appreciation of how BIG this country is and how BEAUTIFUL!  Driving it is the only way to truly appreciate it!  We are so grateful!  Thank you, Lord!