I literally jumped out of my sleeping bag at 7 am. I don't know why I was so freaked out. I had to blow my nose, which seemed like a matter of life and death, BLERG I AM SICK! No wonder my allergy medicine wasn't working. I am full blown sick! WHY?! I have been so looking forward to Glacier National Park. I am not leaving here until I have a full day of feeling great! Period! I don't care if I stay in Montana forever. I slugishly got up and changed, I jumped into my car and drove to the Apgar transit center. I decided to take a shuttle to Logan Pass, because I wasn't sure I could drive it myself, since my eyes where heavy, and my brain foggy. The driver of my shuttles name was John, I think. He was an annoyingly cute old man who just loves telling people about the park. He kept saying "I can't tell you about this part of the park, because you have to pay for the red bus tour if you want that information, we are a free service and we can't compete with them," but then he would tell us anyway.
As I was just about to fall asleep he turned to me and said "SO HOW ABOUT YOU!? WHATS YOUR STORY?" I told him I was traveling the country and didn't know where I was going to live ( each time a tell "my story" I get a little more elaborate with it.) Even though I exaggerated a bit none of it seemed real to me! It still doesn't feel like I'm traveling and I no longer have a home. He told me that if I run out of money I could go to the employment centers at any national park and most likely get hired right away! WHAT?! don't tell me that! Oh My God, now I really want to stay here! AS if I wasn't dying to already. We drove up Going-To-The-Sun Road and it was beautiful. Since it was still early there was a lot of fog, but we got way up above it and it just looked ridiculously cool, with all the jagged mountain peaks above me, and waterfalls falling onto the road. We got up to Logan Pass, which he said is the lowest mountain top in the Rocky Mountain Range, at 6,000 something feet. I stood at the continental divide wondering if I fell off the mountain which ocean I would land in.
I looked east, I looked west and then headed straight up the mountain. I hiked the "trail" to Hidden lake which was supposed to be an easy 1.5 miles over beautiful blooming meadow, but instead it was a treacherous climb up a snowy glaciery mountain. Still gorgeous, just not exactly what I wanted to do as a sick person. I heard a ton of people complaining about how cold and steep it was, and I realized even though I feel like shit, it is really cold and super steep, with icy glacier water rushing into my shoes, I can't complain to anyone and so I won't, and I hiked straight up only stopping twice. Once to take pictures and the second to face one of my biggest fears. Another benefit of being alone, stay positive. It was pretty amazing. I don't think I've ever been surrounded by this much beauty! I took a ton of pictures, but I almost don't want to put them up because they really don't do it justice.
Although the trail was tough, especially only being able to breathe out of my mouth, I made it up quite a bit faster than the other people, even some wearing snow shoes! Until I got to the terrifying part! There was a bend in the trail that was soooo steep I don't even know how to explain it. It wrapped around the mountain, but since only a few people had crossed it before me it was very very narrow, and if I slid at all, which I had been doing most of the way up the mountain, I would surely tumble to my death. I slowly but surely, practically crawled around the edge, and it was smooth sailing after that. I did, not want to think about having to cross back over it to go down hill. Shortly after that I got to the Hidden Lake lookout point, but I didn't see a lake? Then I realized it was frozen over. A family came up behind me and I listened as the dad explained to his kids where the lake was supposed to be. Oh just that MASSIVE area from one mountain to another. I definitely have to come back here one year in August, when the snow has no chance of sticking around. I hung out for a while and a few other families did as well. We saw a wolf running around in the distance, which was kind of cool. I was distracted by him when all of a sudden 10-15 Bighorn Sheep came trotting onto our little overlook, with their tiny bighorn sheep kids. They came right up to us. It was kind of scary but also really really awesome! I got some amazing pictures on my real camera, but for now you will just have to do with cell phone pics.
I tried to leave the area a few times, but the sheep wouldn't let me. I finally followed a family out, who snuck behind the fury devils. The trek back down was pretty easy, except for that bend. Oh man, it had gotten so much worse, since the sun was melting it a little, and so many people had crossed it at this point. It was slushy and slippery. It took me three times the amount of time to go down it. I slipped a few times, but I was practically laying on the mountain. Since by this point my shoes were filled with water I decided to slide my way down the mountain. I felt like I was skiing, but I had no skies. My original plan was to take the shuttle to the avalanche lake trailhead, but I knew I had to go back to my car to change my shoes first. I surprisingly had a lot of energy for being sick, but that changed very quickly once I sat down in the shuttle. All I wanted was to take a nap, by the lake, but I was overwhelmed with exhaustion and there was no way I was going to make a two mile hike. So instead I went to Apgar village and sat by lake Mcdonald. I managed to take 1 picture before falling asleep on the shuttle.
When I made it back to Lake Mcdonald it was sunny and hot out! People were kayaking and kids were running around with Huckleberry Ice cream. I bought some cold medicine, but it did nothing! I also bought some huckleberry jam. After sitting by the lake for a while and taking some pictures I decided to go back to bed.
I told myself that if I woke up by 5 I would go hike Avalanche, so I went to bed at 3pm and woke up at 7:20 the next morning!
JULY 3RD:
I woke up and it was raining!!! NOOOO! Now I have to pack up and move to St Marys campground. I didn't even want to move my head. I have no energy at all. Why am I sick?! I very very slowly packed up my soaking wet tent and left Fish Creek. I was so exhausted already. I barely made it up Going-To-The-Sun-Road without falling asleep. The weather was terrible, so I didn't miss any views by staring intently at the road trying to keep my eyes open. I got to Logan pass, and used the restroom and headed straight down the other side of the mountain. It was so much colder out today than yesterday. On the other side of the Mountains it was sunny but still raining, which was really cool looking. The mountains didn't have as much snow on them and they looked so ridiculously gorgeous! The colors, oh the colors. There is this one mountain right outside my new camp that is my favorite mountain in all of Montana!
I love that Mountain! I love Montana! There is so much more I want to see I have to come back, maybe next year for my birthday, maybe sooner. I got to my campground and it was weird. It wasn't really raining, but the wind was blowing so incredibly hard! It would blow bursts of rain at me while I was setting up my tent at site A14. As soon as I set up my tent I headed to Many Glacier, i wanted to get one hike in today. In order to get there, you have to leave the park and drive through the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. (Here is where I delete a joke, that I don't think many people will think is funny, but Alex and Mindy remind me to tell you later.) I drove into Many Glacier and it's just too pretty. Huge Lakes, Amazing Rivers, Crazy Mountains, blah blah blah! I saw Many Glacier Hotel, which looked awesome. I heard that a week or two ago a cougar jumped on a sheep and they both tumbled off the mountain and died in the road, holy smokes! I wanted to hike to Grinnell Glacier, but it's like 4 mile hike so I chose to drive to the end of the road to hike a 1.8 mile trail to Red Rock Falls. I got to the visitors center and dragged myself into the store to buy a warm coffee. I also got money for the payphone and called my mom. I tried to hike the 1.8 miles, but it was soooooo cold, rainy and windy, that I decided to just wait until tomorrow, where hopefully I would feel better. As I was driving back into St Mary's I saw this guy who was backpacking into the park. I would love to do that some day, and just backcountry camp. I need to get in shape and start trying to hike with a heavy pack. That would be awesome. I kind of hoped he camped in my campground so I could pick his brain about it. But I didn't give him much time to show up. I crawled into my tent at noon, wrapped all blankets around me and passed out until now, 6pm. I have to feel better tomorrow, and I hope the weather is better. My current plan is to hike some of the Many Glacier Trails and then the few small loops at St Marys. Depending on how I feel hike to Avalanche. I also want to talk to the Ranger that I kind of made friends with and ask him about a bar or some where free to camp outside of the park. Oh mand I just want to stay and get a job here. OK I am going to read some more of this book and will myself to feel better....
SO it's almost 8 pm now I really want to go on hike! I wish I had done more hiking today, but I still feel awful. The wind is crazy outside! It hasn't let up since I set up my tent at 10 am! It sounds like I am next to a freeway!! I can hear someone camp fire outside and I just realized I still haven't set up a fire yet, I've fallen asleep every night before it got dark, I wonder when I will try, I wouldn't dare do it now, it's too windy, I'd catch the whole forest on fire. I don't even want to leave my tent. It also still hasn't hit me that I am out here alone, and that I am practically a homeless person ( I mean of course I have my family, but I currently live nowhere.) It's kind of nice to do whatever I want' I need to get a job at a National Park. Life plans have changed!
I decided to listen to some music in my tent to drown out the wind. I put on We Used To Wait, and it made me want to write out all the lyrics like I used to do when I lived in San Francisco. I went out to my car to get a notebook and somehow ended up walking around for an hour in the freezing wind. I walked to the entrance of the campground because I wanted to ask the rangers about the weather tomorrow. There were two relatively attractive guys in there and they didn't see me at first so I acted like a stupid little girl and walked away all nervous. Wow I need to get back around people haha. Anyway, have I mentioned the Mountains and the Clouds, they are amazing!!The air is so clean and clear. The rivers (there's one right behind my campsite) are just crystal clear and they look and sound fantastic. Watching the crazy wind hit and move the water, there are no words, wow. Looking back at my favorite mountain, and watching the whispy clouds, they move so fast! They are just shooting over the top of the mountain. I wonder what its like on the west side. I can see the sun behind the clouds, all of them are lit up and there are purples and reds in the sky. The clouds a little southwest of here are super dark! i want to see the sunset. I also want to see the nights sky. I am staying in Montana until I feel better, and I can see those things!
Oh and when I come back I want to stay in site A3 the wind might be tremendous, but the view will be worth it. I also need to look up Livingston Montana, because thats where Charlie went and his pictures looked awesome. Currently I think, when I move here I want to live on the west side of the Rockies It just felt more like home, but maybe I'll get used to the East side.
I am finally starting to feel a little bit more like I am on a life adventure. The excitement is finally coming back. Maybe I just had a stress cold. Now I know I can do this. I could get a job, I could travel, not have my things, barely use the internet or communicate with people. I wonder how I will feel when I meet new friends.
I am willing the weather to be better tomorrow and I am willing myself to feel better.
*Side note this is kind of choppy b/c things are being omitted
**double side note! For those of you who know me well you can skip this, for others... I love Elliott Smith, but I have never listened to Roman Candle. I am saving it for a time that I want new Elliott Smith or I can make a new connection to his music.
I want to listen to Roman Candle on this trip, but I want it to be under the stars when I feel awesome and have some sort of realization. So far I know that I want to be an outdoorsy person. i want to be more connected to the beauty of the planet and less connected to people and their negative energy. I want to move to Montana.
Ok I listened to the first song on Roman Candle! AUHMAZING I crave a clear sky right now! I want to see the stars.
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