(http://i.imgur.com/acRF0Xt.jpg)
Your basic Subaru Outback loaded for a 12 day camping trip. We have a carrier for the wife's wheelchair, but since this was a straight driving trip and no hiking or such, we elected to leave it home. It mounts on the trailer hitch. This is Beverhead National Forest about 350 miles from home, 50 miles southwest of Butte Montana. A "primitive" campsite- meaning no water- and free.
I miss my truck. :sad2:
(http://i.imgur.com/KAdmS8A.jpg)
The only wildlife there. The flower is a Silky Lupine.
The camera, by the way, is a Canon SX50, which is a high end point and shoot with a 50X zoom lens and image stabilization. Too inept/too cheap to buy an SLR. I let the camera do the work.
(http://i.imgur.com/YBgeism.jpg)
More wildflowers. Yellow Wild Roses and Scarlet Skyrocket, which are pretty common. Similar to Indian Paintbrush, which is also common.
(http://i.imgur.com/2ae59vr.jpg)
Big Sky country. This is the road South of Shelby, Montana. We left on a Friday and this is Sunday. The trick is to get into the campgrounds before 10:00 on a weekday, preferable Monday. Most National Parks don't have many reserve campsites. This is our 12th nationa park.
(http://i.imgur.com/oRKcdWT.jpg)
This is a "wow!" shot. Monday morning West of Browning at about 8:00, 60 miles from the park. This is the high plains of Montana, nothing but grass covered rolling hills. There was nothing but blue haze ahead. Then suddenly- mountains. Really gets your attention.
(http://i.imgur.com/BNNgNjk.jpg)
Picture taken from West Glacier, which is the Southwest gate. There are actually 4, but two of them- West Glacier and St. Mary's, are at opposite ends of the Going To The Sun Road. Everything else is just trees and lakes. The Park is built around the GTTSR, which was completed in 1932. The road is as much a marvel as the scenery.
Glacier buts the Canadian border and is considered an International Peace Park because it joins with Waterton National Park in Canada, which was actually designated before Glacier. I guess the idea is so we don't have to go to war with Canada, or some such. :think:
The reason we went there is because Apgar Campground and Visitor Center is the terminal for the park shuttles, making it easier for my wife to get around. Apgar is also the biggest campground and on the shore of Lake McDonald.
(http://i.imgur.com/vc739G5.jpg)
Your basic mountains-looming-in-the-distance-late-day-shot.
(http://i.imgur.com/GTw6UOi.jpg)
Your basic "This-is-how-(bleep)-narrow-and-steep-the-road-is-shot"
Word of advice. If you go to a national park, don't drive a car that doesn't have a top notch coooling system. Most parks are quite mountainous.
(http://i.imgur.com/k6UALIu.jpg)
Your basic "glaciated-peak-looming-in-the-distance" shot.
(http://i.imgur.com/GkOiqwZ.jpg)
A telephoto shot. This is an unnamed falls Northeast of the GTTSR, a good half mile from where I took the shot.
(http://i.imgur.com/D0NVscv.jpg)
This is from St. Mary's Lake, a way too expensive hour and a half ($50 for 2) boat trip. Nice pictures though.
(http://i.imgur.com/SVrgmCg.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/RhtqBGH.jpg)
St. Mary's Falls. Actually much higher than this, but this is where it hits the lake. Half a Canadian tourist for scale.
(http://i.imgur.com/1zcl3jK.jpg)
The next morning before sunrise. This is the West Glacier end, just past McDonald Lake.
(http://i.imgur.com/3Xwywkp.jpg)
Another "Holy (bleep!) I'm this high up?" shot.
(http://i.imgur.com/nMrlWTM.jpg)
Virginia Falls. Another long lens shot.
Not bad for a point and shoot, all things considered.
(http://i.imgur.com/OIiSzcO.jpg)
This is why you drag your ass out of the tent before dawn to drive up the road. For that one shot.
So glad you could take that trip! Really great pictures, one is so good it would make a terrific painting. Thanks so much for showing them, I love nature, it makes life worth living. :super: Solitary
(http://i.imgur.com/tPCHTdF.jpg)
The Going To The Sun Road is as much a marvel as the glaciers and lakes. It took years to build. What makes it remarkabke is as much what you don't see as what you see- there are all manner of small waterfalls and runoff along the upper part, and there are drains and unseen channels all up and down the road. This is one of 2 tunnels.
(http://i.imgur.com/9MUoUM7.jpg)
These small waterfalls are all up and down the road. You don't see the drains that ducts the water away. The road was never wet from any run off.
(http://i.imgur.com/aUPhGY2.jpg)
Another example of the construction. It was built using native stone and you can see why it took years. There are no guard rails for many sections because the snow gets so deep it just wipes them out. The park is closed after Labor Day and only opens when the roads are cleared in spring, which can take as late as mid June.
(http://i.imgur.com/E23lKCW.jpg)
The iconic now rebuilt fancy shmancy tour buses with convertible tops, way too expensive for us. Like $40 a pop for 1 day. All the passengers were Japanese.
(http://i.imgur.com/zrQLfmx.jpg)
Logan Pass, the high point of the park. This is looking North. It actually sits on the Continental Divide. What is unique is that this picure, aimed at Canada, is the only spot where the Divide drains in 3 directions. Water from here goes to the Pacific, the Altlantic, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Another reason why Glacier has been called the crown of the continent.
Just a pause to make a statement. The parks are as big a part of our history as any other aspect. If you have not seen Ken Burn's "National Parks: America's Best Idea." Do so. It shows all of the blood, sweat and political drama around the development and building of the parks and national monuments. I have been to 12 parks and 9 national monuments, and plan to keep doing so until I am physically unable to. We founded the idea of national parks, beginning with Yellowstone. Now they are worldwide, and many nations have taken up the cause of preserving nature for the future for our great grandchildren to enjoy. Some things humans do right.
There is nothing more amazing and beautiful on this planet, and it is a testimony to the wisdom and courage of human beings that we have had the wherewithal to preserve nature in a way where it can be viewed by millions. Nothing quite like sitting and enjoying an evening meal while a cow Elk is grazing 20 feet away. And yes, I have pics.
Next year Yosemite and the Redwoods, etc. I'll post more pics tomorrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/5GHVDqb.jpg)
In case you thought I was lying about the cow Elk. This was last summer at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Looks like you had a pleasant trip.
Must have been about '98 last time I was up at glacier. Beautiful park. Personally I liked it better than Yellowstone* but not as much as Baff, both of which we also did on the same trip.
*Yellowstone had more to see but also more driving around with nothing to see and much more of it is on TV/post cards more often so less of it seemed new, even though I'd never been there.
Quote from: Poison Tree on September 04, 2014, 02:34:44 AM
Looks like you had a pleasant trip.
Must have been about '98 last time I was up at glacier. Beautiful park. Personally I liked it better than Yellowstone* but not as much as Baff, both of which we also did on the same trip.
*Yellowstone had more to see but also more driving around with nothing to see and much more of it is on TV/post cards more often so less of it seemed new, even though I'd never been there.
We came back through West Yellowstone, becuase it was more or less on the way. Quirks of the highway system. I actually live almost straight South of Jackson. We've driven there a few times, and I've been through Yellowstone twice with family. This was our third time. We didn't stop anywhere, just drove through.
Got some good pictures of the Tetons which will be on here. Next summer will be the big trip, at least 3 weeks and seeing as much of California's national forests as we can squeeze in.
The ones i would go to again are Monte Verde- didn't spend enough time there- and the North side of Grand Canyon. I have some good pics of both.
Gorgeous Strom. Bet your ass was dragging by the time you got home. Best kind of dragging though...
Quote from: PopeyesPappy on September 04, 2014, 04:59:57 AM
Gorgeous Strom. Bet your ass was dragging by the time you got home. Best kind of dragging though...
Not really. We plan out where and when we stop, and have a lot of leeway in how we travel. The wife gets cramped up after a a couple of hours, so we make regular stops. The tent is an instant tent so we can set up camp and be gone in well under an hour. We've been doing this awhile. We came back through Yellowstone, so there will be a couple of pictures of that and the Tetons. I live an easy days' drive from Jackson Hole, so its not that bad. Saw a lot of Montana on this trip. Pretty state.
(http://i.imgur.com/QjpYgl4.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/D784uML.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/3VrIQTS.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/Cc9RvPu.jpg)
Just for information purposes:
1. Implements of destruction. Include axe, Corona saw (the only saw worth owning) small knife is an Ontario Canadian Air Force survival knife, the big one is a Cold Steel Trailmaster Bowie given to me by an ex-Marine Vietnam vet buddy, shingling hatchet and a tool I created I call Big Max. :biggrin: Oh yeah. My smoker in the background. Construction stuff visible. Always working on shit. The tree stump is the remains of a Cherry tree I cut down 7 years ago. It gets smaller as I take wood from it for the smoker.
2. Big Max is a large brush clearing blade cut down to be a firewood splitter with a branch hook. My idea. This is the shit you do when you retire. The scar on my arm is one of my "industrial accident" scars. I have a few. I can categorize my scars by what I was doing and how stupid/unlucky I was at the time.
3. The stuff I always carry with me, including safety gear, first aid, tools, air pumps, battery jump starter, etc. The legacy of my 3.5 years as a firefighter.
4. Additional camping gear.
(http://i.imgur.com/CvnmezK.jpg)
Your basic Aquamarine mountain stream pool.
(http://i.imgur.com/21lSPHb.jpg)
Your basic geological feature while driving picture. This is day 9, the beginning of the Lewis and Clark National Forest.
The Corona saw is the best, I use it to do the trimming in my yard. Fantastic trip! Thanks for sharing! Solitary
Excellent pics there Stromboli, great scenery, u live in a lovely part of the US..
Sven is going to be very unhappy with you over your choice of saws...
Also, no shovel?
Quote from: PopeyesPappy on September 04, 2014, 07:10:21 PM
Sven is going to be very unhappy with you over your choice of saws...
Also, no shovel?
The shovel is in the box. Never used it at a national park. Your basic milspec folding war surplus.
Quote from: PopeyesPappy on September 04, 2014, 07:10:21 PM
Sven is going to be very unhappy with you over your choice of saws...
Also, no shovel?
To answer your question, the Sven saw does cut slightly faster because it cuts in both directions, but you have to assemble it, which is cumbersome, it is longer when taken down and cost 1/3 to twice as much as the Corona. The Corona is also available through Lowe's and other outlets. It opens and is ready in a snap, it stows in a smaller space, weight is pretty close between the two saws, and the Sven won't fit in my camping boxes
PS; I also have a Sven.
And just to expand on that a little bit, most parks and the national forests I have camped in don't allow cutting of wood in the park or forest. Nearly all of them have firewood in lengths available, which only require splitting. I split the wood with my Trailmaster bowie and a big oaken dowel/baton.. Works fine and is easier on my Sciatic nerve back problems because I can do it sitting. I most often carry an axe, but unless you've got a humongous log to split, the knife/ baton method works fine. I have a Cold Steel Kukri and another machete, but they have never proved useful.
Also, I'm not a big fire builder. I don't like the people that need to build gargantuan fires, so I have never had to saw a log bigger than the Corona can handle. I build just enough fire to cook or just as often don't bother, because we can pack enough prepared ahead or cold food to last for a typical 10/12 day trip. If you think about it, building a fire and the logistics involved with cooking gear, grates, whatever, requires additional gear. I have a 2 burner Coleman stove that works very well, and an additional single burner unit for making coffee or whatnot. Less hassle and a lot faster. Ambience maybe not, but functional yes.
On the Glacier trip we ate only one meal not out of the car because we stayed at Shelby at a motel on Sunday night, so we could be out early and get to the park early. That night we ate at a diner nearby. Otherwise food we brought, either eaten cold or cooked on the stove.
(http://i.imgur.com/V0BZXmx.jpg)
We went through Yellowstone on the way home. This is our third time there, but we've never been in that part. This is your flip screen out the passenger side backshot of a buffalo trolling the tourists. I think they actually do it deliberately just to create traffic jams.
(http://i.imgur.com/pBg9247.jpg)
This image illustrates what the geysers do to the vegetation. The streams running out are boiling and then cool. There is nothing living in the water for miles, until it cools sufficiently.
(http://i.imgur.com/HNAc1NR.jpg)
This is Southbound towards the South gate. This area was hit hard in the 1988 fire, when the park manager wisely let it burn. 11 years ago when I first came here, the trees were half this tall. They were so uniform it looked like a Christmas tree farm.
(http://i.imgur.com/7BsrhfG.jpg)
First shot of the Tetons heading South. The Tetons and Yellowstone are virtually one park, though they are counted as two. One entry fee gets you into both. The two times previous we came we camped in Teton. The second time, a young man was attacked by a bear at night in his tent. The boy wasn't badly hurt. Unfortunately, they have to destroy the bear.
You can rent boat trips or canoes or the lakes are open for boating. They are immense and beautiful.
(http://i.imgur.com/D50p6wM.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8wZDih2.jpg)
Last shot of the Tetons. South from here is Jackson Hole. A tourist rat nest that you unfortunately have to drive through. If you are in to all that touristy/artsy fartsy/ whatever shit, have a ball. I drive though and get the hell out.
I remember when that first ski lift was put in a Jackson Hole, it broke all records, at least in the US for highest vertical rise. I think that was in the 60s. I ran down there the next summer and rode it to the top of the mountain. Jackson was still a quiet place back then. I knew it wouldn't be for long.
I'm not a skiier so you can color me prejudiced. Driving south towards Jackson Hole, you can see a north-facing mountain with a big strip down the side that is a ski run. I grew up and lived near where Sundance, Park City and other ski resorts have since been built. My family used to hunt deer on what is now private property owned by Robert Redford and posted for no hunting.
I don't mind game preserves and protecting wildlife, but to do so after defacing a mountain with ski runs and buildings seems kind of hypocritical to me. Areas once wild are now the domain of wealthy people who have their seasonal dwellings built on what was once wildlife habitat. I am a "soft" camper, using a tent to preclude the need for facilities to service RVs or dump stations for trailers. I pack out the small amount of waste we produce and leave a pristine campsite. Invariably the camp is cleaner when I leave than when I arrive.
Absolutely FANTASTIC pics there Strom. The one early in the morning with the sunlight on the mountain is my fav. Oh shit, i used caps!