East over the divide
more crummy weather but wonderful ambience at GNP
Originally I had planned to continue our trip by heading west out of Kalispell and visit some fellow dissident crazies in the rebellious Idaho panhandle, in places like Sand Point, Priest River, Couer d’ Alene, Post Falls, and Kellogg. But that’s an entire trip in itself. Plus I figured Lukas and I had enough on our plate with just this short NW Montana loop.
Speaking of dissident crazies, heading east then south would also allow us to visit the legendary Sloan Youngblood, who lives in an undisclosed, well-defended redoubt somewhere along the Missouri river, between Helena and Great Falls.
I woke up first and had a look around the Agpar area on the west end of Lake McDonald. There wasn’t a soul around on my morning walk. I walked the lakeshore until Agpar Village. There’s a hotel along the lakeshore called the Village Inn. I love those old mid-century, all-wood hotels that look like something Ward Cleaver and family would pull up to in the old station wagon. I went up the stairs to the 2nd floor balcony and pulled a chair up and took in the view of the lake. Then I stretched out on the floor to rest my back a bit and just looked up at the grey sky and listened to the birds and raindrops falling on the patio below.
On the way back to camp I passed the old schoolhouse.
I tried to imagine what those kids were like back in 1915. I bet they were a tough bunch.
After my walk, Lukas and I finished clearing the camp and he was still keen on a swim. I don’t mean a dip or a jump into the lake and a mad dash back out of the frigid waters, but an honest to goodness swim.
Next we got in the car and headed out on route 2, to the eastern side of Glacier NP. Halfway there, you cross the continental divide. It was snowing at the pass.
Another day of crummy weather over on the east side, but still, it was beautiful being out there in the cold, wet, and windy with nobody around.
Out in the open along Two Medicine Lake, it was blustery and wet.
But once in the woods, you had protection from the wind and rain.
Although the hike up to Aster Park was gorgeous, the highlight of our day was a much shorter, flatter hike between middle and lower Two Medicine lakes called Running Eagle Falls.
To get to the falls you have to cross a creek, but they’d removed the bridge for the winter. Just before arriving at the creek, I looked out at the snow blowing sideways in a big, long gust of wind.
“Hey Luke, what do you suppose the Indians here were thinking with winter coming on like this?”
L- What do you mean?
D- I mean, do you suppose they were thinking, “Here we go again, another five months of snow up to our eyeballs. What misery!” or were they saying, “Ah, the changing seasons! The joy and majesty of nature!” despite knowing that they’d be freezing their arse for five months.
L-Hmmm. I think there were both types of people among them, just like among us.
D-You think so, huh?
L-Yeah, and maybe they had names which indicated the way they felt.
D-Yes, Indian names that matched their disposition. What would be the name of the Indian who sees the majesty in winter?
L- Delighted Eagle!
D-Ha! Perfect. How about the curmudgeon who hates the cold?
L-Hmm. Ah. What do you call it. It’s Mistkäfer in German. What’s the insect that collects the poop?
D-Dungbeetle! Ha! How about Plodding Dungbeetle?
L-Yes. Plodding Dungbeetle it is.
Then we had to cross the creek. I was traveling heavy today with my pond-cleaner-dude muck boots, but that meant I could just plow through the water without getting wet.
Lukas was traveling light, in his leather casuals.
Ha! The old man comes prepared and the young stallion is gonna have to get wet!
Luke spotted the thin log someone had laid across the creek just up from the missing bridge. It looked slippery and I gave Luke a 50% chance of going into the drink when he began to cross.
Lukas made it across that log prancing lithely and I yelled out, “Delighted Eagle soars above the waters!”
Then it was my turn…
and Lukas called out, “Plodding Dungbeetle!”
Having forded the rushing waters, Delighted Eagle and Plodding Dungbeetle ventured on to the falls.
Plodding Dungbeetle's unite!
Good adventure, guys! D.E. and P.D. going out in beautiful, cold, challenging conditions while others head to Phoenix for the winter! (Written from my campsite overlooking the ocean on the southern coast of Honshu in Japan. The kids and I also go where and when others won’t…except for the tough-as-nails Japanese commercial fishermen heading out to the open ocean all year long in any weather conditions.)