Last week we raced the clock as we tried desperately to finish harvest before the long weekend began—then a few weather delays and things weren't looking so good. Friday night we finally finished with a HUGE sigh of relief and a rib dinner to celebrate.
Weary but happy. It was a bit hard to switch gears and figure out what we wanted to do for the weekend, but we knew we wanted to pack our trailer and get out of dodge.
We decided to venture to the west side of the state this time to Hungry Horse. Its a beautiful drive through the south end of Glacier Park to get there and only a bit more than 3 hours from us. The 34-mile long reservoir, situated in tree-covered Forest Service land, greeted us with crystal clear waters and a cloudless day. Mmm, gorgeous.
The normally busy west side of the lake was closed for road construction, so we boated to a deserted campground there and unpacked for lunch. But, the deserted campground made us much more nervous about bears wandering in and finding the smell of our grilling burgers delectable. We all made fools of ourselves watching warily as we chewed our burgers and then packing in a rush to get back on the boat. Nature amateurs. Psh.
Adding to our anxiety was this deer that circled our picnic table while we ate.
Normally we wouldn't find a deer to be scary, but this one was just a bit too curious. We were afraid (since it obviously wasn't afraid) that a young buck like this could be aggressive. And what is up with that odd growth on his neck?
Safely back on the boat, the girls tried out the tube. The adults were too chicken to get in the cold water but the girls had a blast. Sarah (doing the "faster" sign) is our little daredevil.
Take us over the BIG waves, Grandpa!
Whoa. There they go.
Eva enjoyed the cuddy cabin with Grandma.
Hungry Horse is the land of the Huckleberries, and we partook (for a price since the growing season for Huckleberries wasn't ideal this year.)
Hungry Horse is also just a few miles from the west entrance to Glacier Park. We decided to spend Labor Day there, along with the rest of the state's touring population. Labor Day is the last day of the year to go over the Going to the Sun Highway before they close for winter.
I've often told my Utah friends that they should visit us on their way to see Glacier Park. It is something everyone should see in their lifetime. Here is a little taste why:
Avalanche creek, where we stopped to eat lunch.
One of many glacial waterfalls as we climbed Going to the Sun Highway.
See that little ribbon of highway next to the creek in the photo of above? That is where we started.
And that is where we are headed—to the top of Logan Pass. (It was a little hazy.)
The road is literally carved into the mountain side. Driving it is not for the faint of heart, or those afraid of heights.
The reward at the top and views along the way are worth it.
We did get to see a couple of black bears, too . . .
. . . behind an electric fence and from the safety of our car. We (ahem) may have paid a little money to see them, too. Not quite as thrilling as seeing them in the wild. I have, on previous trips, seen Grizzly Bears on top of Logan Pass.
Down the other side we decided we would try to attempt a hike to Virginia Falls. However, the more than 2 mile hike (one way) proved a bit much for this baby toting bunch, and we opted to stop at the closer Baring Falls instead and called it a day.
A makeshift sling helped a whole lot. (I must make myself one of these! I should have done it a year ago.)
Mom bought everyone Glacier Park tees and hats. (Aw, aren't they cute?)
And of course we took advantage of the plentiful photo ops.
One last stop for a photo of Lake MacDonald, the largest of many lakes in the park.
So now, I hope you are adequately tempted to take a trip of your own (and stop by to see us along the way!)
So, even though it was long, we were blessed to have a great harvest this year, and even more blessed to cap off the summer with a memorable trip. Thanks for letting me share, and I hope you had a great weekend too!