Mosts / Bests

After nearly every big trip, we develop a list of mosts and bests. Here's a first draft of this year's:

Most number of people upset by lack of lavatory service: passengers on the Chicago -> East Glacier Park, MT leg of our Amtrak® journey

Most number of mosquitos and flies: Sperry Campground

Most number of waterfalls to cross: trail from Gunsight Lake to Lake Ellen Wilson

Best waterfall that we had to hike through: On the trail to Lake Ellen Wilson

Best waterfall overall: Pitamakan at Two Medicine

Best swim: Gunsight Lake

Best stoic pose during glacier-fed lake soak: Gunsight Lake

Best wildflowers: Gunsight pass to Sperry

Most anticipated pizza meal: Jammer Joe's at McDonald Lodge

Best view from a privy (inspired by Snow Lake in Mount Rainier National Park): Sperry

Best interpretive program: Fire (at Many Glacier); runners-up Bison (at Waterton Lakes) and Curly Bear (also at Waterton Lakes)

Best front-county campsite: Avalanche (we stayed there twice, once before and once after the Gunsight Trail hike)

Best back-country campsite: Kintla (with a close follow-up by Sperry because of the view)

Best backcountry meal: soup, followed by mashed potatoes with steak nuggets and vegetables

Best lodge: East Glacier Lodge

Best restaurant meal: Bay View Inn (Waterton Townsite)

Best new flavor sensation: Root beer and aged white cheddar cheese

Best berry: Huckleberry (Jeff and Joe), thimbleberry (Lorraine and Em)

Best ice cream: Huckleberry ice cream at Many Glacier

Best one-liner: "Bambi goes prehistoric...." [in reference to the "killer deer" warnings around the Waterton Townsite]

Best sign: Caution! Slow down...people breathing.

Funniest conversation overheard: Joey get your hand out of your underwear and stop scratching your butt!

Best snore: Jeff (at several locations)

Strangest conversation: "Em! Em!", followed by "Joey, you can't get out of the tent! We're camping!"

Best survival food source: pudding from Joe's eyeglasses

Most helpful NPS Ranger: Pete Siudara

Most startling geologic feature: Frank Slide (brings new meaning to the term "geologically active")

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Animals we saw:

Charismatic megafauna

• Bison
• Black bear
• Grizzly bear
• Bighorn Sheep
• Rocky Mountain Goats (goat antelope)
• Mule deer
• White tailed deer
• Cows

Other animals

• Long-tailed weasel (with prey) (at Logan Pass)
• Marmot
• Pika (on the way to Lincoln Pass)
• Ground squirrel
• Chipmunk
• Tree squirrel
• Snake (in the water at Kintla Lake)

Birds

• Ptarmigan
• Jay
• Robins
• Tanager
• Thrush (VIreo and Hermit)
• Bald eagle
• Loon
• White Throated Sparrow
• Gull
• Raven

Amtrak®

2247 MDT Wednesday, 25 July 2007

We boarded the west-bound Empire Builder at East Glacier Park, MT about 1950 (only about an hour late, which isn't bad considering the co-usage of tracks).

The good news: we had dinner reservations for 2000, which worked out well. The toilets worked in the sleeping car (and elsewhere in the train, I presume).

The bad news: no hot water for showers. Ugh. Maybe we'll get hot water by morning, and maybe we won't. The water wasn't as cold as the glacier-fed streams we'd been swimming / soaking in, but it was plenty cold anyway.

I've developed a new-found curiosity about transportation subsidies. Perhaps if Members of Congress were encouraged to patronize our National Railroad Passenger Corporation, the subsidy situation would change...certainly worth pursuing.

Waterton Lakes

0928 MDT Tuesday, 24 July 2007

Drove up to Waterton Lakes from Many Glacier yesterday afternoon. Stayed at the Crandall Lake campground. Went on a nice day hike to Crandall Lake in the afternoon.

Took in a great program last night from a fellow named Curly Bear (www.curlybear.org). An electrical storm started through the area just as the program was underway. We got a fair bit of rain last night in several thunderstorms, then the wind kicked up in the early morning. By the time we got up, the temperature was nice and there was a cool breeze blowing.

Backpacking

1628 MDT Friday, 20 July 2007

We're at Avalanche Campground -- we hiked from Sperry Campground to the McDonald Lake Lodge (where the truck was parked) today. It's a long, downhill hike, so I'm hoping that my toenails survive.

Here's what we've been up to so far.

Saturday, 14 July 2007

Drove north to Kintla Lake, where we stayed at the campground.

Sunday, 15 July 2007

Hiked in to Kintla Lake campground, where we stayed overnight. Great (but COLD) swimming.

Monday, 16 July 2007

Stayed overnight at Apgar Campground.

Tuesday, 17 July 2007

Stayed overnight at Avalanche Campground.

Wednesday, 18 July 2007

Took the park shuttle from McDonald Lodge to the Gunsight Trail trailhead. Hiked in to Gunsight Lake. Beautiful hike -- just about the right length for the start of this hike across the Continental Divide.

Great swimming at Gunsight Lake.

Thursday, 19 July 2007

Hiked from Gunsight Lake Campground. Amazing scenery. Many songbirds, and wildflowers were abundant. Hiked through many waterfalls on the trail, including one big one just before Lake Ellen Wilson. We didn't hike down to Lake Ellen Wilson to avoid the loss of elevation.

Stayed overnight at Sperry Campground. Beautiful views, including McDonald Lake. LOTS of mosquitos, which come from the small pond in the campground. The Sperry Chalet is not to be missed. We refilled our water containers and checked out the dining hall before heading back to camp.

Crossing the divide

These kinds of bridges are always fun....

Father and son....

Not ready for a dip, quite yet....

Berries!

On the way to the trailhead...

We took the new, free shuttle from the McDonald Lake Lodge to the trailhead. It's a great service -- the only way to travel on the Going to the Sun Road.

Big Horn Sheep

Joe at Logan Pass.