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 Next stop--near Calgary where I pick up my good high school/scouting buddy Tim Whitney.  He agreed at a last minute request to join me, thankfully encouraged by his wife Robin.  I hadn't finalized campsite reservations and found an opening at Sibbald Lake Campsite in the Kanaskis Country area.  I set up camp, making sure this time Tim had a blanket!  (Sorry again, Paul). The campsite was in deep forest with good separation from other campers.  I took a little hike before setting out to Calgary airport an hour away with a shopping list and directions to Steven Avenue, a popular bougie street with open air restaurants and bars in central Calgary for dinner, since Tim's flight didn't arrive until almost midnight.

Stevens Ave., Calgary

  

The weather was a bit wet and rainy and while I worked the next morning, Tim explored the area on foot various hiking paths, (a little cautious not only for bears but a new wildlife threat--Cougars! 

That afternoon we visited the Kananaskis Visitor Center and hiked along the Kanaskis river to see the "Widowmaker" and Canoe meadows which, like Durango, attracts Kayaking and Whitewater Rafting enthusiasts and competition Gates, Waves, and other watersports wonders. 

We then tried our hand at what we so far can only call 'casting'.  Fishing being only aspirational at this point.  One kayaked while the other casted on beautiful Barrier Lake. 

We saw a couple beautiful White-tailed adolescents with velvety 8 point antlers.

R

 I was just over 30 miles to the Canadian border by this time.  Sunday was a move day for me and I headed for Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada.  The crowds of Glacier visitors fell behind me and I again had the road to myself for long stretches.  Though Yellowstone and Glacier are beautiful, and I'm glad appreciated by so many so they are preserved (hopefully), I like to be in less crowded places.

  I was the only crosser at the border--the agent was in a house and had to come over to the booth when he saw me approach.  My passport was in the trailer, and I had a passport card in my wallet that he took a brief look at and off I went!  It took about 30 seconds.  I didn't plan to go far in Canada not knowing what inspections or forms I might need to have.  

The Canadian Rockies did not disappoint.  They are massive!  And beautiful! 

Waterton National Park is actually part of the first International Peace Park.  A joint effort with the US it is really an extension of Glacier National Monument.  There is a slice through the forest in a straight line along the border maintained in alternative years by the US National Park Service and that of Canada. We need such international cooperation these days!

Entrance to Waterton Glacier International Peace Park

I parked in A10 at Townsite campground.  Townsite is next to Waterton Park, a quaint little resort village with a few restaurants, markets, bars, ice cream shops, art galleries, trekking outfitters, boat rentals etc.  Yet there was a deer calmly munching on the grass a few feet from where I was setting up. 

 

My site had full hookups (electric, water and sewer) which is not bad thing since today I am sitting in thick clouds which might be insufficient solar power to keep the fridge and starlink running.  

After setup and a quick lunch, I asked around to find fishing spots and went to Cameron Lake 25 minutes away. The tourists are very diverse here and I saw groups of Sikhs, First Nations/Native Americans, Ukrainians, Indians, women in hijab, and Philippinos and other Asians among them.  

I tried my luck along the beach in a few cleared places between the heavy forest.  I was happy with my casting but not my catching!  So while concentrating on the former, I was startled by a snort right behind me.  I quickly turned and my heart skipped a beat when I spied a large and very close...  deer!  Thank heaven! Though I had my bear spray at my belt, it would not have been a comfortable experience had it been a bear within 5 feet of me.  

Visitor

It was getting later and I wanted to try fly fishing a stream at a picnic area I saw on the way up.  It was empty by then of tourists and I opened up my costco reel and rod and the flies I bought in West Glacier.  I assembled the kit when an excited Brazilian couple came rushing in the  parking lot exclaiming they saw a bear in the creek.  We looked but by then we could not find it.  The man showed me a picture that he took. I think was a black bear.  It was actually brown and somewhat blonde, but did not have the characteristic shoulder hump of a grizzly, the other bear to be found here. I kept my bear spray close and made noise and sang so as not to have a surprise visit, but did not see the bear.

I was happy with my casting--mostly keeping the hook out of bushes and trees!  Catching--not so much. 

On returning, I did see a Mountain Goat perched on the skyline.  

This morning it rained all morning with a pewter lid for a sky, ad thus I am caught up with this blog! 

(Bou)Quet

Highline Trailhead 

Having a whole day to myself, I made breakfast and decided to do the Highline Trail that parallels the 'Going to the Sun Road'.  The road's name, same as a nearby mountain, comes from local legend of  the story of the deity, Sour Spirit, who came down from the sun to teach Blackfeet braves the rudiments of the hunt. 

I took the advice of fellow campers to take the shuttle from the St. Mary Visitor Center rather than drive due to parking constraints.  The view from higher up was much better than driving as we headed toward Logan Pass Visitor Center.  The day was cool and cloudy, I was prepared with rain gear, lunch, and bear spray.  

St. Mary's glacial valley

The path starts along sheer cliff with hose-wrapped cable to hold onto if needed.  A group of hikers pointed out the flock of bighorn resting in the valley. I would cross waterfalls, forests, and meadows as well. 

Initially I intended to go the 12 miles to the 'loop' and take the shuttle back but the weather closed in and I was in dense cloud and rain.  Fellow hikers pointed out a large Bighorn Ram some 30 feet away that I could not see in the fog initially.  After 4 miles, ascending almost to the apex of the trail at Haystack Point, I decided to turn back.  It didn't look like I would be able to see much anyway. 

On my return, a bighorn descended to the trail.  It was not far away and I kept my distance.  It was interesting to watch him feed on the grasses and scrape the ground to get at roots he like.  He found a nice lunch spot and stayed there for 15 minutes.  Eventually I decided to go off trail up and around--it seemed he would be there awhile!

As I neared the trailhead again, another bighorn jumped the trail in front of me and I spied a weasel feeding on the wildflowers nearby.  These beautifully arranged bouquets--reds, yellows, purples, whites--were everywhere in abundance!  No florist could hope to match it!

Park Rangers

 I said goodbye to Paul at the Glacier international Airport in Kalispell, MT 3o minutes from the park entrance.  The airport has the rustic mountain cabin look that befits the area.  I was able to have labs drawn to follow up on my parathyroid surgery 10 minutes further. I was to be on my own for awhile.  Joyce asked me how I felt and I said good but with a bit of an anticipatory lonely feeling.  It was really great to reconnect with him--we had roomed for 2 years during his undergrad/my medical school years.  

That was a work day so meeting (with decent internet connection) kept me busy.  The bathroom faucet started dripping when we connected to "shore" water at the campsite despite my use of a pressure regulator.  When instead I tried the camper water, the pump pressure also caused the drip.  Nuts! I will have to turn the pump off after each use which will be a pain. The front desk gave me some cards of RV repairmen that come to the camp for fixes and I scheduled a recommended one for that afternoon.  

At lunch break I took a quick look and found the dripping stopped if I shut off the cold water supply line.  I could live with that for awhile so I cancelled the appointment.  After work I found a how-to video, called the ACE Hardware 20 minutes away who had the part, and I was able to fix it myself for $25 in parts.  (Yay!)

I ate salmon and wonderful asparagus from the Bear Cafe at the resort (marinate the asparagus in lemon juice, paprika, garlic, onion and salt, then sprinkle more smoked paprika on just before serving).  Turned in early as the next day was a move day.

Thursday, July 13, packed up and headed to St. Mary's Lake Campground this time in East Glacier National Park.  En route, stopped at Goat Lick overview, and saw a family of Mountain Goats.  They were on the far side of the river gorge walking on nearly a 90 degree slope as if it was a sidewalk, so did not get great photos. 

Upon entry into the St. Mary Lake Glacier NP entrance, I met some really nice guys who inspected my boat again for mussels.  They were members of the Blackfeet tribe which extends East of the park and a little into Canada.  There is dispute with the government about where their land ends and the park begins.  

There are ranger talks at 8 PM every evening,  I love the passion and knowledge of these talented people and the way they convey the information.  I always learn so much.  The arrow is pointing to (I think) the Triple Divide mountain.  A continental divide is the place where water falling on one side ends up flowing into the Pacific and on the other side to the Atlantic.  At the triple divide, there is yet another watershed to the Arctic Ocean!  We are very near to Canada here.  

Hannah, the National Park Ranger explaining the Triple Divide

My Backyard for Dinner
St. Mary's Campground, Glacier NP

Friday morning I work and after that went on a 3.5 mile hike around beaver pond loop.  I had my bear spray with me as is advised, and a middle aged couple exiting warned me that they saw a juvenile Grizzly cross the trail up ahead where I was going.  Hmmm...  I actually want to see a grizzly, but there are parameters about how close.  We are encouraged to make noise (talk, sing--apparently "bear bells" which ring from pack movement don't help), carry and know how to use bear spray, and be alert.  You can bet I was alert the whole time!  (Un?)Fortunately I did not see a bear.  Nor did I see a beaver as other other hikers had stated.  Nor a weasel. Nor a moose.  But I talked to people who had--does that count?  I did see the beaver lodge, though, and getting out felt good on my legs.  

Beaver Lodges at Beaver Pond

On to Glacier

We were camped at the Lewis Lake Campground in Yellowstone, situated at over 8000 ft elevation and though warm in the afternoons was cool in not downright cold at night.  Paul kept commenting on how freezing it was but once I was in my bed I was very comfortable and wondered if Paul should check his thyroid.  Little did I know that his bed was made with sheets and a bed cover but not the blanket which was stored in a drawer underneath.  Glad we figured that out after a few chilly nights!  Looking back I may have made his bed before he arrived.  Sorry Paul! 😬

We befriended the volunteer Camp Hosts, John and Darlene, in part because they were Airstreamers, too.  Just like motorcyclists acknowledge one another when passing, Airstream owners wave or flash their lights when passing and ask about one another's adventures when meeting in camp.  

With Camp Hosts John and Darlene

We tried out luck at fishing in Lewis Lake to no avail and also got the Kayak out and paddled around.  That morning, the motor on John and Darlene's inflatable motorized raft failed to start but they paddled out in it and had the same result as us.  They rounded as we were fixing a dinner of Brats and we invited them over later for campfire singing.  They accepted but insisted we join them in their pop up screened 'clam' where we shared songs, stories and a beer or two.

We proceeded down in elevation to our next stop, now in Montana, at Missouri Headwaters State Park.  We were luck to arrive as they were serving Hamburgers, chips, cookies, local brew all free courtesy of the John Colter running club fun run in the Park.  We were also treated to a fascinating talk about John Colter who, among other things in the area, accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expeditions in the area. He made quite a history for himself in the region and had some close encounters with danger on a number of occasions. 

We lit a fire and played guitar and sang that evening, amidst the mosquitos.  It was warm still.  A poised 21 year old Abby from a neighboring campsite saw us and asked if we minded if she sat and listened awhile, explaining that her grandfather, who played guitar and sang, had died a year ago.  Her dad, also a guitar payer, stopped playing after his father's death, and Abby wanted to remember.  We started with "The Eagle and the Hawk," which brough tears to Abby's eyes, and she remained with us and joined us in singing several songs.  

It was to be 94 degrees the next day and we thought we should proceed higher or further north rather than stay at this pleasant but rather unremarkable campsite.  Paul was game and helped drive the nearly 300 miles to Glacier National Park.  The views were beautiful.  It was a long day and since we didn't have reservations, we had to look for a campsite.  We failed to find an unreserved site at the first campground but were able to get 1 night at Fish Creek Camp inside Glacier National Park.  It was a beautiful spot within the trees.  By then, though, our battery had diminished to 25% and we resorted to the generator for the first time to charge the battery a bit to keep the fridge running and to avoid a low battery beeping alarm in the middle of the night.  The trees also blocked Starlink. OK for me Monday when I don't work but a  problem for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Glacier is very popular this time of year but I found 1 available spot at a KOA resort a few miles outside Glacier National Park. This was truly "glamping" with hot showers, a pool for families and a separate one for adults with 2 hot tubs, activities, a restaurant, live music, water and electric hookups, a laundromat, WiFi and a couple bars of cell service.  We were able to work with no interruption.  

Going to the Sun Road is a spectacular scenic route at Glacier.  50 miles of narrow winding roads confined to vehicle 21 feet or less in length and no trailers, it winds along a deep channel canyon rife with waterfalls, overlooks and even clouds.  It now requires timed entry passes and we had one for Monday 1-3 PM.  The U-shape of this canyon occurred due to a huge glacier that persistently piled snow upon snow each season without an interim complete melt.  The snow compressed to glacial ice which slowly 'flowed' downhill over years carrying abrasive rocks which carves the ground below under the enormous pressure leaving this steep-sided bowl shaped valleys. I had been told to take that road by AJ as well as a neighbor in Tucson.  It is well worth it!

Before we went, though, we discovered a slow leak in one of the trailer tires, and as a result, the tread was worn to bald.  Thank goodness for Paul who looked at how to extract the spare from below the A frame of the trailer.  I pulled the good wheel onto a leveling chock to lift the bad tire off the ground.  We had all the parts.  Costco of Kalispell 30 minutes away had the needed trailer tire and room on their schedule and we were able to bring the bad tire and get it fixed and back on the trailer in time for our time slot!  Challenges and learning opportunities abound!

View from Going to the Sun Road

Clouds pouring through the passes

New Blood

Joyce and I had a very short 38 mile trip the next day, July 7, to Gros Ventre Campsite in the Grand Tetons National Park. The solid grey, iconic peaks of the Grand Tetons at over 13,500 feet dotted with Glaciers are stunning after the more green and rolling mountains elsewhere. We set up camp and Joyce was sure to get our National Parks Passport book stamped with Grand Tetons Stamp as we have been collecting the stamps from across the west. The camp is a short walk to the Gros Ventre (Big Belly) River and just 20 minutes from the Jackson Airport (JAC) which delivered my brother Paul that afternoon, and allowed Joyce to escape back to the Tucson furnace the next day.

Enjoying Joyce's curry with my brother Paul
Gros Ventre Grand Tetons National Park

Paul and I were both able to work remotely and to enjoy 5 mile hikes in the evening around Jenny Lake.  Time zones played a role, as Paul whose company is East Coast began meetings at 5:30 AM MST While I worked until 6 PM.  During breaks, one of us would make coffee, cook breakfast or lunch, or perhaps go on a bike ride.  Tourists would stop alongside the road when wildlife was spotted and we saw Elk, Deer, and of course the ever present ground squirrels.  We did not meet a bear.  As it grew darker we were ever gladder of that, though some stumps and large rocks made us wary!  We missed the last boat ride across Jenny lake and did not get to see Hidden Falls either time as we ran out of light.  I guess, for us they really were hidden!  But we did see some lesser falls that were powerful and inspiring. Where the river ran more slowly, is was wide and soothing. 

We did see a number of birds including water birds like Common Merganser (similar to a Mallard), White Pelicans, Swainson's Thrush, Dusky Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Great Blue Herons, and Osprey. Paul rode a bike to the iconic and most photographed Barn.  He added his to the multitude of snaps. 

Thursday is off for me so after Paul's meeting we packed up  and headed 70 miles north to Yellowstone National Park.  These parks do have a lot of tourists.  I'm glad so that there is more support for them, but it does erode some of the feelings of getting 'back to nature'.  It was fun to introduce Paul to some of the lessons of RV travel and, being an Eagle Scout also, he was really helpful!  After setting up at Lewis Lake Campground, Yellowstone National Park, we headed up to one of the geyser fields where spouts "Old Faithful" approximately every 90 minutes.  We first had to get the kayak inspected in order to use it on the lake and the ranger there did an incredibly thorough search for evidence of invasive Quagga or Zebra Mussels (which can be smaller than the head of  a pin)!  this meant we wouldn't make the 3:30 (+/- 40 minutes) 'show' at Old Faithful and had in mind to get there for 5.  

Our timing was perfect!  Traffic slowed us and we were to arrive just after 5.  Hustling over there was a gathered crowd indicating we were not too late and just as we stepped up there she blew!  I'll spare you the video since no doubt you've seen such!

What was remarkable was the extent of the numerous geyser fields, situated right on the continental divide due to the mountain building by the chamber of magma there near (2.4 miles from) the earth's surface which heats the water forming pools, holes, geysers (where the heated water is forced through a narrowed opening causing the spraying like when you put your thumb over the hose.

I will share a picture of Morning Glory Hole with it's beautiful tinting by various algae that live within a narrow temperature range.  The cooler temperatures are near the surface and the flower like arrangement of color along with the clarity and the sedimentation of the minerals which, as a song says, is "God’s reminder that creation is a good idea". 

Morning Glory Hole, Yellowstone

Mountains

 Leaving The Gates of Lodore, Joyce and I packed up and headed out to the Grand Tetons National Park.  We had a long way to go and on line decided to try for Kozy Campground on the Hoback River some 35 miles shy of our destination.  The route took us to a gravel road, and we turned around and instead took the 191 through a lovely northeast corner of Utah and into Wyoming across expansive high plateau grasslands undulating with rivers and gorges.  We went for miles wondering why someone built this road just for us, since we hardly saw a soul on it, other than the occasional alert Pronghorn.  As Joyce says, it gives room for the soul to breathe!  The desert landscape in Arizona appeals to us for that reason. 

Kozy Campground is a first come first served with no reservations campground costing $10 per night.  Our Senior Lifetime Multiagency pass has already returned our investment of $80 several times over by now. A site tucked into a corner with a view through the vegetation of the Hoback river was our home for the next 2 days, and a great place to hear and see the yellow-rumped warblers with their young playing about in the trees.  We were alone at the camp but for a bike-packer and another couple on Monday.

Kozy Campground lives up to its name

We took walks along the river, and found out there were falls and a hot spring nearby. We slept to the sounds of the gurgling river. So the second day we drove the 9 miles up a gravel road to Granite Falls.  The tremendous thundering sound of the water was so satisfying.

Granite Falls

The hot springs were build by the CCC.  There was a large pool with a gradient of heat from the source to the edge.  Joyce found it not quite as steamy as she likes.  We met a number of folks relaxing from Rock Springs nearby but also 2 lovely young ladies--a Park Biologist and a student from Colombia that Joyce quickly befriended.  I thought about hiking the 9 miles back to camp and then thought better of it.

Granite Hot Springs

 

We made a campfire, and Joyce prepared a tasty Ginger Chicken curry from scratch in anticipation of my brother Paul joining the following day.  

Kozy Campfire