Wild Horse Island is a 2,100 acre state park in Flathead Lake that is known for it’s hiking trails, herds of deer, ram and five wild horses. We hiked all over it with with Tim, Larry, and Alice and Gordon of Roaming with the Ramsays (check them out on YouTube), our fellow Workampers. We hiked all over it and were able to see a ton of wild flowers, an impressive herd of rams, a herd of sheep and all five horses. We were able to see an Osprey’s nest and pull a fish out of the water. Then we headed to Tamarac Brewing company for some amazing beer and cider and the most ridiculous (in a good way) nachos we’ve ever seen. And… the kid turns one tomorrow. Time freaking flies.

Another day of biking on the Going to the Sun road in Glacier. Another day of stunning scenery with only bikes and walkers on the road. The road was open further today, so we were able to ride from Avalanche to the Loop. A grizzly had been sighted several times on The Loop trail about a mile from the trail head, so we didn’t go far, but we couldn’t resist walking a little ways in for a different view of the mountains. After leaving the park, we took a drive a saw the black bear, we stared at each other for a little while before he took off into the woods.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

While the crews are still working to remove the snow from the Going to the Sun road at higher elevations, parts of the road are opened to hikers and bikers. Biking on the road was an amazing way to experience part of the park.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

A short hike around Holland Lake took us and some fellow Workampers to Holland Falls. Holland Falls was impressive. It was a huge and cold, which was awesome after the hike. There were huge granite boulders that line the falls, so you can climb over them to get closer to the water. We were then able to check out Swan Lake and then Seeley Lake for lunch. At Seeley Lake we were able to see the largest Western Lark tree in the country.

The Harbor Grille on the shore of Flathead Lake was awesome. Good food, great drinks and stunning views. We will have to go back when they have the fire pit going. We got to the side of Hungry Horse that we couldn’t get to before because of snow pack on the road. We ended up leaving due to bad weather and our inability to pre-plan fuel usage. And… some pics of the kid.

• 

• 

• 

Tally Lake is a gorgeous, deep mountain lake with a campground about 10 miles up a dirt road. If you follow that road, you’ll see the Lupine Trail. It’s a 5.0 mile out and back with a lake at the top. It was a steep hike with a beautiful waterfall near the trail head and a lake at the top. There were some people fly fishing from the lake sides. It was beautiful and serene but the hike out kicked my butt. And, of course, some pics of the kid 🙂

It was a busy weekend. The Libby dam was really cool, the Koocanusa lake above the dam is gorgeous, I can’t wait to go back. The Kootenai Falls were amazing. We got to watch an Osprey fishing and climb over some big rocks. Nickel and I both walked the suspension bridge like the badasses we are (I even stopped in the middle to get a pic). The stairs after the railroad track bridge were a different story, Jim carried her down, but she made it back up on her own. They were about 2 stories high and made of metal grate with holes, so you could see through; looking down was a bit disorienting. We found a working phone booth, took a drive up TeePee mountain, and had a close encounter with a grouse, an owl, and missed something (elk most likely) that left a big pile of notification it had been there.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We LOVED Tupelo restaurant in Whitefish – then enjoyed a Huckleberry bear claw in Pole Bridge before staring at a closed gate at an entrance to Glacier. We could see the mountains of Canada to the north and Glacier to the East. Sigh. soon. very soon

First a stop to put a new (non-stripped) wheel stud on the house, then a 4 day drive through a very quiet country. We went through Kansas City at rush hour on a Friday and didn’t have to tap the brakes, rest stops were almost empty and only contained trucks and there were very few personal vehicles on the road. I pulled the trailer for the first time and even navigated a fuel stop 🙂 Then we arrived at our summer home, 20 miles from Glacier National Park, 5 miles from Whitefish, 15 miles from Flathead Lake (orchards EVERYWHERE) and 5 hours from Calgary and Banf National Park. We drove from West to East Glacier on Hwy 2, since the park is closed and did some hiking at the State Parks; Lupfer’s Loop and Lion Mountain. And…some pics of the kid’s kid.

We got back to the property and got to visit a local brewery with some friends before the virus got real. We were able to get the shed insulated, Jim started working on the bathroom, we burned some stuff, and decided that, due to the “circumstances in the world”, we were likely grounded for the summer. We were enjoying the deer and turkeys, I even built a bird feeder (that the birds NEVER found). Unexpectedly, Jim got a call with a Workamper job offer in Montana. So, we ordered and replaced the wheels on the house, got the truck ready for the trip and took off. One thing I’ll tell ya – nothing goes as easily as it should. When replacing the fuel filter, the o-ring at the top fall off (without him noticing), causing the destruction of (and a lot of cursing at) that filter and a trip to town for another one. Later, the o-ring was found, safely hiding behind a tire, which caused a renewed wave of frustration. We also learned that putting tires on the house is NOT as easy as putting them on a truck. In addition, one of the lugs was stripped, so that had to be fixed prior to a 2,000 mile trip. It was a very intense, stressful week. Oh, and Bumper got a puppy and we got some awesome pics of the kid’s kid 🙂