Scott and Sue Family

Glacier National Park

July 29, 2013 by Sue 1 Comment

Day 10-Montana
We left Cardston and came back to the States; we were welcomed back by the friendly border official. So nice. We headed into the east side of Glacier National Park to explore the Many Glacier area, an area we did not see last summer. The first thing we saw after arriving at Many Glacier was a bighorn sheep trotting down the road.
We purchased tickets for a boat trip to Grinnell Lake, then ate lunch and looked around the fancy hotel there. It’s built like a Swiss chalet. A really large chalet.
We got on the 1:00 boat which crossed Swiftcurrent Lake and deposited us on the opposite shore.

We all disembarked to hike a quarter mile hump between Swiftcurrent Lake and Josephine Lake and heard from hikers going the other way that some grizzlies had been sighted on the trail. Everyone was skeptical and thought they were just fooling with us, and we arrived safely at the lake where we boarded another boat. About halfway across the lake we saw those two grizzlies along the shore and in the water and we were so excited! We got lots of pictures.

Note: this ends our bear sightings for the trip. Total: 5. Three black bears and two grizzlies. Impressive!

We settled back in our seats to finish the trip and at the end of the lake we exited the boat and took off on foot to Grinnell Lake. The trail was easy, wound through forest with streams, and there were lots of bugs.
Even with super bug spray they managed to bite us a couple times. We made it to Grinnell Lake with water draining into it from several small waterfalls and one large, spectacular one. We sat by the shore for quite a while and enjoyed the beauty of the lake and falls. Gorgeous.

On the way back, we took a short side trail to Hidden Falls which was steep, and on the trail we saw fresh droppings that looked suspiciously like bear. Scott consulted a book in a Yellowstone bookstore later and it was! So we narrowly missed being lunch for some hungry bear. Ouch! Hidden Falls were lovely and the trail was by a swinging bridge that warned only one hiker at a time because the bridge couldn’t take a higher load. I tried to walk slow and straight but I still set that thing to swinging.

We took the boats and hike back and the views on the lakes were beautiful. Then we left Many Glacier, drove to the St. Mary entrance and stopped at Sunrift Gorge on the way. The river comes through a very narrow rift in the high rocks then tumbles down some small falls right along the paved path.

As we walked along, we saw the sign for a hiking trail to Baring Falls and since I never see a waterfall sign that doesn’t intrigue me, I prevailed upon Scott and we decided to go for it. It was getting dusk and the trail took us through some pretty tall and dense vegetation so Scott was getting nervous about surprising a bear. He took the lead, clapping and whistling to alert all bears in the vicinity that two defenseless humans were passing through their territory, in case they were interested.
We finally got to the falls and they were well worth the hike although coming out was a constant up grade, and we proceeded out in the same manner described above.
Thanks to Scott’s diligent defensive tactics, we escaped unscathed. Note: Scott lives in a continual conundrum on these hikes-he wants to have a close (medium close) encounter with a bear but he doesn’t want his wife to get eaten. It’s tough. You may have wondered why I am often shown in the photos wearing the day pack. It’s bear protection in case I am attacked from the back. He read this somewhere.

We headed up to Logan Pass, admiring the views along the way, which truly are stunning and spectacular. We were headed up there at sunset because at the beginning of this trip I had read something interesting in an old Sunset magazine I brought along to finally read and recycle. It had some letters to the editor about Glacier and one said there were more animals to see in the parking lot at Logan Pass at sunset than elsewhere. They bring food in a cooler and have dinner and a show. So we decided to check it out. There were only a few cars left and there were bighorn sheep EVERYWHERE. They were all over the parking lot, on the sidewalks, by the visitor center, everywhere.
We walked around and took photos then got in our car to leave and took some close-ups of sheep walking right by our car.

We took some photos of various waterfalls on the way out of the park.

Now began the drive to h*#€. We had not been successful finding accommodations near Glacier, as everything was booked. Scott found a hotel in Shelby which was about 90 miles away. We naively thought this would take us about 90 minutes to get to; oh, the error of our thinking. First, the road from St. Mary to Browning had twists and turns, so that was slow going. To make matters worse, the road was littered with cattle, some of which were actually licking the pavement, so we had to slow even more to avoid creaming our car with a cow. We finally reached the highway to go east to Shelby. We were about halfway across, just outside Cut Bank, Montana, when we pulled up to a portable construction stop light with a sign telling us to stop here on red. The lights were red so we dutifully stopped and waited. And waited. And waited. The portable sign had two red lights on it and after some time, one of them went off while the other remained red. What to do? Go or stay? We wondered if this was a one-way road, but both sides were open and we had been sitting there a LONG time with no cars coming the opposite direction. We waited some more and then the light that had gone out came back on, giving us two red lights again. Another car pulled up behind us and Scott got out in the dark to ask if he was local and knew the situation, but he was from Colorado and was no help. One light turned completely off again, so Scott made an executive decision and we took off on the gravelly, under-construction road. The speed limit said 35 and we still had over 30 miles to go. For the longest time we saw zero cars coming the other direction and were puzzled by this, but then we saw a truck with flashing yellow lights leading a convoy of cars coming toward us. Oops! We were nervous there would be irate troopers after us, but we saw nobody on our side except our Colorado follower and three total convoys coming the other way. It took us about an hour to get across that stretch. We got close to Shelby and I asked Siri for directions to the hotel and she took us off to the fairgrounds, so finally Scott’s phone got us directions to the hotel and we pulled in at 12:30 instead of 11:00 pm, which was already stressing Scott out as being way too late in the first place. Oh my word! Oh, and along the way we saw an alien landing strip of fifty or sixty blinking red lights in the black middle of nowhere. Note: these were actually lights on windmills, but it was a very creepy sight.

Bertha Falls & Annie

July 29, 2013 by Sue Leave a Comment

Day 9-Canada
We went to Waterton for an early lunch and decided on the Taco Bar, but discovered that it only took cash and we had no Canadian money as we had been using cards everywhere. Scott went to an ATM and got some cash and we had a yummy lunch with cash left over. Part of each bill was transparent plastic and I thought that was interesting and different.

Remember how I wrote in the last post about Scott and I trying to hike to Bertha Falls and not finding the trail, then finding it and getting rained out? Well, today we went directly to Start, did not pass Go, and got to the parking lot with Brian and Jack in tow. We got all ready with water bottles but no insect repellent. Are we stupid or what? Bugs galore on this trail and many bites. Grrr. Anyway, the trail is narrow with high vegetation and we were just stepping on to it when a beautiful red fox stopped on the trail in front of us. There were other hikers coming down so the fox was getting boxed in and nervous. We watched it for a bit then got out of the way and let it come out of the maze and run off through the yard of the home right by the trailhead and parking lot.

The first part of the Lakeshore Trail goes high along the ridge above the lake shore and there were some wonderful views of the lake from up there.

We took the cut off to Bertha Falls and it was not a difficult hike with many lovely vistas. We got up to the falls and they were beautiful with slanted rocks that allowed the water to careen off and funnel down into a channel. We mountain-goated it around the overlook to get a better view and I wanted to stay there for a long time. The guys got bored and headed downstream to get in the water. The freezing cold water. We joined them and watched for a while then headed down, slashing at bugs all the way. A very nice hike with a lovely falls.

We got cleaned up and went to the dinner theatre where the summer cast performed in a cabaret-style atmosphere while we had some yummy food. Here the guys are performing “Walk Like a Man from “Jersey Boys”.
Then we moved over to the main theatre to see “Annie”. Brian had features in the Bert Healey scene and the cabinet scene and was so funny, he had people rolling on the floor. He played the ventriloquist’s dummy in the radio show segment so his head was above a stuffed dummy body that sat on the table while he stood behind. Jack was the ventriloquist controlling him. Brian was so good at moving his head like a wooden dummy and delivering his lines, it was hilarious. He was Harold Ickes in the cabinet scene so he was the grumpy one that doesn’t think the sun will come out and then changes his mind. He went down on one knee crying at the hopefulness of it all and it was hilarious. He also had a dance break in NYC. The theatre had put on the show earlier in the year and the cast was mostly the same with the summer full-time cast filling out the ensemble and taking small roles. It was fun to see them doing lots of stage business in the background.

After the show we had to try Canadian slurpees because we had been told by multiple people how much better they are than in the States. There are all sorts of flavors and they are “ice, not foam” according to the connoisseurs. I’m not really a good judge since I haven’t had one in approximately 25 years, but I’ll take their word on the comparison. I did think it was tasty, however. And that was our last night in Canada.

Wherein we attempt Bertha Falls

July 27, 2013 by Sue Leave a Comment

Day 8-Canada
We went to the Cardston Temple in the morning and it’s a beautiful building. Then we had some lunch and headed to Waterton while Brian had an all-day rehearsal-the last of the season!
Waterton turned out to be an adventure. We had a map and wanted to hike to Bertha Falls but the map was unclear where the actual trailhead began. Scott tried to ask at a nature association building that turned out to be unattended, so we forged out on our own. Scott says he naively thought the Lakeshore Trail, which Bertha breaks off from, actually laid along the lakeshore, so we started along a paved trail that ran by the lake. It soon ran out at a cove and we were stymied. I sat down declaring I would not walk another foot in the wrong direction because I felt my energy draining quickly. Scott gallantly set off to get the car and bring it to my resting place. Along the way, he asked a passerby and discovered I was actually pretty close to the trailhead but it was up a street. The townsite is businesses in the center, then homes, then campgrounds, then the lake. The Lakeshore Trail goes along the lake but up on the ridge. Oh. So Scott parked the car and we walked a few hundred yards in the other direction to find a small parking lot and the trailheads. Hallelujah!

We started up the trail to Bertha Falls and didn’t get far when we noticed black clouds rolling in and heard thunder. Awesome. We were debating whether to turn back when the rain started and our decision was made for us. We turned around and went back to the car, wet, but not soaked. Then we had to decide what to do next. Scott suggested a drive along Red Rock Canyon road to possibly see some more bears, but they were hiding in the drizzle. We got to the end of the road without spotting any wildlife and decided since the storm had blown through and we were at the canyon, we should just walk the Red Rock Canyon loop trail above the streambed we had hiked previously. It gave a nice view down into the canyon, but the view from down below was definitely better.

Having accomplished that, we got back in the car and headed back out, still hoping to see a bear. We found a ranger standing by the road with binoculars so we pulled over to check it out. It turned out to be a female moose in a pond grazing on water plants along the bottom.

The ranger mentioned that there was a black bear up the road so we moved on to check that out but it had moved over the crest of the hill and was out of sight. Bitterly disappointed, we climbed back into our car to move on. But fate intervened as we got to a pullout and Scott yelled that there was a bear. He slammed on the brakes and jumped out to snap some photos and we got to watch him for a couple minutes before he disappeared. Bear sighting total: 3.
We also saw a beaver swimming to a giant lodge on the river. Plentiful wildlife in Canada. 🙂

Lethbridge & All Shook Up

July 26, 2013 by Sue Leave a Comment

Day 7-Canada
Brian and Jack took us to Lethbridge, the closest big city to Cardston and about 45 minutes away. We felt right at home because of all the American chain stores and restaurants, but were surprised to see so many in Canada. It was like driving up to Sandy without the mountains. The main attraction was Moxie’s, which is a Canadian chain, with some swanky decor and tasty food. We had a yummy lunch, then did some grocery shopping while in the big city. They wanted to go to the Wal-Mart and while there we saw some sister missionaries from Utah, then met some elders. Obviously it was P-day. We were leaving the store when a different set of sisters ran up to us and one said to Brian, “Were you in a play in Montana last year?” We all looked at each other rather dumbfounded, then Brian replied that he had been in shows at West Yellowstone and how do she know that? Turns out she saw them because another cast member was a good friend of hers and she just recognized Brian. We walked out laughing about the randomness of that encounter. Yes, Scott and I do hang with celebrities.

Back in Cardston early afternoon for a rehearsal so Scott and I had some time on our own. We went to the Ora Charles Card cabin by the theatre.
It belonged to the founder of the town who came from Cache Valley, Utah with a group of settlers. The cabin is owned by the town and very nice inside with many artifacts donated by the family and other early settlers. Very interesting. I did some shopping along the main street while Scott did laundry at a laundromat. While there, a police officer burst in looking for someone reported as intoxicated and questioned Scott. That was exciting.

That evening we saw “All Shook Up” and it was outstanding. The entire cast did a great job and it was high-energy with great dancing and singing. Jack and Brian were the male leads and both were great. Jack played an Elvis character with lots of hip-rolling and attitude who rolls into town on his motorcycle and sets the town on its head.
Brian was the brainy guy in town with a secret love. He had a great sense of comic timing that allowed Dennis to be human and not a caricature and he got tons of laughs. His solo was awesome.
The show is based on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” so there are lots of love mix-ups with Elvis songs as the backdrop. We loved the whole show and were very proud of Brian’s performance.

He was also hired as the music director for the show and did a fabulous job at that, as the singing was really consistently wonderful. So fun.

Red Rock Canyon & Les Mis

July 25, 2013 by Sue Leave a Comment

Day 6-Canada
First stop was Wieners of Waterton where Brian and Jack were immediately recognized like famous celebrities. Aren’t you Marius? And you’re the Bishop! Yes, we commoners are allowed to hang with them. May we sell you an autograph? 🙂 Anyway, Wieners is a tradition with them so we had to experience it. The place was started by a former employee of JDawg’s in Provo but is way better, according to Brian. It turned out to be super tasty. I had the gluten-free option which was a lettuce wrap instead of a bun and was quite yummy, and the sweet potato fries with exotic dipping sauces were great.

Brian and Jack wanted us to experience Red Rock Canyon in Waterton so we headed out from lunch prepared to hike. The locals had told them that they always saw bears on the road to the canyon but when they had gone previously they hadn’t seen any and their local friends were totally surprised. We went with hope in our hearts that a bear would show itself and kept our eyes peeled along the road. We came around a bend and saw several cars pulled off to the side so Scott screeched to a halt and swerved over. We jumped out and walked to the clump of people and there it was: a cinnamon-colored black bear cavorting in the field. We were all ecstatic! We stood there watching for quite a while until he disappeared behind the crest of a hill. Joy!
I should interject here that last summer Brian and Jack worked at a theatre in West Yellowstone and never saw one bear. We visited the park twice and also went to Glacier last summer and never saw any, so we were all hoping to get a glimpse of a bear this summer. We had been told that there is a much better chance of seeing them in Canada than the States, so there you go.

To return to my narrative, we got back in the car happy and satisfied, when what to our wondering eyes should appear? A couple of cars pulled over with people pointing at nothing. Then we saw a small patch of brown nestled down in some bushes and wondered if that was an animal. A head popped up and it was another cinnamon black bear. Score!
We watched it eat for quite a while and then it lumbered out of the bushes and up the hillside so we got a great whole-body view at close range.
It climbed up and proceeded to tear apart a fallen log with great force, pulling off branches and digging into the log for something.
Scott was snapping photos like a picture-taking fool so we got plenty, including some with us in the foreground but the bear is kinda blurry.
We finally left when it got crowded with lookers so we could give others a chance because we are nice that way. It was a good thing the other people had stopped at first because we would never have seen that brown blob hidden in the bushes while driving by. So we were all happy-two bears in one trip.

Farther up the road we came to Red Rock Canyon, which was the purpose of the visit. They were really excited to take us but I had been apprehensive for days because Brian’s original description included the phrase “there’s potential for ankle-rolling on this hike”. Hmmm. We brought extra tennis shoes for hiking the streambed. There is a paved loop above the narrow canyon but hiking the bed is more fun and scenic. So we hiked up the stream and through the very narrow canyon of red marble.
There was seepage along the walls so lots of vegetation up the sides, small falls of water along the walls, and showers here and there.

We got to a large logjam which had an opening in the bottom that was navigable with lots of bending and twisting so we forged on to the water slide area.

We left the sliding to the younger folks and just enjoyed the water pouring down. You know I can sit and watch moving water for hours so I’m always up for that.

The water is super cold and by the time we hiked back down the stream we had frozen toes, but it was gorgeous and fun and I’d do it again. Here are some additional photos if you still have the stamina to view: the canyon on the way out, Rafiki makes an appearance on Pride Rock, assisting old ladies across the street, etc.

We got the guys back to get ready for their call time and we cleaned up for the evening show, “Les Miserables” at the Carriage House Theatre in Cardston. Brian played the Bishop and one of the student rebels and did a great job. He sang some short solos and had his own songs as the Bishop and sounded great.

Mark spent 10 days visiting him before the shows opened and did the sound design for the show plus bought a bunch of mics, equalized the room, and did a bunch of other technical audio stuff I don’t understand but made the show sound great. Lots of talent in the show but I think Brian and Jack were the best. I may be a little biased, but I don’t think so. 🙂