Back in March I started getting pleas from someone I worked with in '18 to return to Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park. I told the recruiter I had committed my time to my military family moving from Chula Vista to Camp Pendleton. Additionally, I explained that standing long duration just wasn't something I could do. Oh, and I needed time off at Labor Day to attend my daughter and son in laws DUAL Promotion to Captains Ceremony. Nevertheless, my recruiter was persistent, working with HR and I signed a short contract from August 4-September 21. It would be a busy summer with a lot of planning.
It started off when my son, Sean and grandson, Jake visited in July. It was great sharing Bearizona, Lowell Observatory, Tonto National Monument, Roosevelt Lake and the Rim Road on top of the Mogollon Rim with them!
When I took them to the airport, I was packed for my summer away. I continued to San Diego where I did what I could to help my dual military family with their eighth move. Two weeks later I began what I call my quirky road trip to Glacier National Park.
My first stop would be in Bishop, CA at The Hostel California for one night.
Quirky 1: I took in the Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine. What a marvelous collection of memorabilia going back more than 100 years. So many current films and TV shows still being made in nearby Alabama Hills!
Quirky 2: I could not leave the area without visiting this bakery. Erick Schat's Bakery touts themselves as "Home of the Original Sheepherder Bread". It is the most comprehensive bakery I have ever been in.
I slowly made my way North on State Hwy 395 where I was compelled to take photo after photo of the amazing Sierra Nevada Mountains. As I drove North toward Mono Lake, I had flashbacks to my childhood! Before I had sisters, I lived on a reservation in Nevada with my parents. Dad worked in Yerington, NV and Mom worked at the hospital on the Walker River Reservation. I recalled being at Mono Lake and nearby Walker River. I stopped to soak in the stream and mentally soak it in. That became my mantra for the rest of the trip away from home...."Soak it in".
After a series of undulating roads, I arrived at my next stop near Sacramento, CA. I visited two nights and got some good geology lessons from cousin Mike who has quite a lovely collection of well displayed minerals. I enjoyed the pool swim with Cloie, their lab. I also got help from Rene who booked a well needed haircut!
Quirky 3: Ward Charcoal Ovens used in late 1800's only three years for purpose intended. Later, these beehive shaped buildings were used by travelers and outlaws.
I visited the The Great Basin National Park on my drive away from Ely. I was able to take a short hike to Stella Lake and visit the Lehman Cave. Funny story about the hike- it's a loop but not for me! I ended up in a larger parking lot than where I parked. After asking an employee, I discovered my Jeep was 1/2 mile UP the the road. Lucky for me, some ladies overheard my discussion and offered a ride which allowed me to take the cave tour timely.
I realized as I drove from Nevada into Utah what exactly The Great Basin refers to. I'm pretty sure my father gave me the lesson as a kid, but now while driving the vast area, it sinks in. The giant "bathtub" lies between the Wasatch Range of the Rockies to the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Range! I spent one night in Delta, UT.
Quirky 4: The Topaz Museum. It's named for Topaz Mountain. As lovely as the name indicates, it's a well done reminder of how American civil rights can be stripped. The Topaz Internment Camp opened in September 1942. Earlier in the year, Japanese Americans were rounded up on the US West Coast and housed in animal stalls until the camp opened. It was amazing to see the artwork that came from these detainees. My eyes were opened to the gentile, yet gritty resolve of these people. To my good fortune, a visiting lady in the auditorium revealed her parents had been interred at the Topaz Camp! She had quite a bit to add to the already revealing video presentations.
This is a replica of a bed in one of the dorms that held a family of four. The next two pictures are from the actual site where only small monuments and an American Flag denotes the historic area.
I drove to West Valley City, UT for my next night's stay and dinner with Peace Corps friend. From there, I drove to Promontory Point, UT where the terminus of the transcontinental railroad is located. (Quirky 5)
Next up: Butte, Mt for a lovely AirBNB stay in a 100 year old home.
Just North of Missoula, MT I found my last quirky stop. Quirky 6:
I was off to Columbia Falls, MT where I would check in for a six week position at Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park. I was last there in 2018 and needed to leave early for Howe Ridge Fire evacuation. I felt cheated! I had really looked forward to seeing fall in Glacier and this was an opportunity I could not resist! As I traveled along the East side of Flathead Lake, I could see smoke from a fire on the West side of the lake and made a little prayer that no fire would come close to West Glacier this year.
I showed up a day early!
The lake facing side of Lake McDonald was once the front door with guests arriving by boat before the Going to the Sun Road was built.
Cabins are like little duplexes with 2-4 rooms under a roof.
Flowing flower boxes spruce up the historic buildings.
Iconic Red Busses are lined up ready for work.
Mt. Brown illuminates with a different story every evening as the sun sets.
Sun sets over the Howe Ridge with reflection in Lake McDonald. Smoke from Idaho fires makes for soft sunsets.
My position was Guest Service Agent at the front desk of the historic Lake McDonald Lodge. I enjoyed the slow times that provided some opportunity to have talks with the visitors. It's energizing to review the trails, the ecosystems, the wildlife and learn where they have traveled from! As folks entered the lodge, I'd greet them asking how they were doing. They would respond and sometimes ask me in return. I had fun answering back, "Soaking it up!" Some just stopped in their tracks and said they were too.
I'm not the hiker I once was, so I stayed to the small trails of 4-5 miles or road trips to see the area. The first and last trips I took were on the North Fork along the way to Canada. The border crossing is closed but I could get right on top of it.
During the early hours of August 17 I snapped a photo of the dark North sky. My camera caught a glimpse of Northern lights! My naked eye did not see this...just a thread of green light where the sky touched the horizon.
I took two trips to the East Side and hiked near Many Glacier Hotel and Two Medicine. Of course, traveling the Going to the Sun Road was the quickest way to get to the East Side and I was happy to travel it and see the light hitting the mountains at different times of day. I did my first crossing at night - pitch black and hope I never do that again! Why did I do that? Well, I had a coworker from Apgar in the car and I was up against a road closure from 10PM to 6AM. Sometimes it is tricky to get from point A to B in National Parks!
Lake McDonald Lodge closed September 21st at 11AM and will reopen in May 2023. I had made a vow to myself that I would sit at the piano in the lodge and play "Yellow Bird", a favorite from my childhood. I FINALLY, two days before closing drummed up the courage. There were just two guests in the lodge when I sat down. By the time I was done and stood up, there were about two dozen applauding me!
The closing of the lodge has an interesting history. Bellman take the last burning log and walk it to the lake. They toss in the hot log and then they jump into the lake! BRR!! Anyone who wants to follow them into the lake is welcome. No, I did not do that!
That's a wrap at Glacier National Park!
I left the next morning before first light in a drizzling rain. Weather is really cooling off in a hurry and I was leaving in good time. I felt fortunate to be able to see Fall's first showing and looked forward to the next week as I might see signs of Fall following me home. My first stop would be Laurel, MT - another nice AirBNB stay. Laurel is midway between Glacier and Jackson, WY where I would join other former Jackson Lake Lodge employees for a reunion in the Teton's. I did not recognize any names on the list, but I was curious about the changes over 35 years. I booked a bed at The Cache House, a hostel in Jackson. I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort level! I coordinated a dinner meet-up with Tia who had worked at Jackson Lake Lodge after I was there. It was a nice meetup for dinner at the Wort Hotel. The next day I met with a former coworker from my Matson Navigation years (1994 - 2006). Karen has now been working at Jackson Lake Lodge 11 summers!
Bringing the frame was a fun ice breaker!
I was nervous as the monsoon activity has been more active that any I can recall in the Southwest and only the week before, the desert had been flooded. My GPS took me to a washed out area and it was about an hour later than I had hoped to reach Chaco. As I drove to the Visitor Center, I passed the "FULL" sign at the campground. I said to the Ranger I had hoped to camp two nights and he encouraged me to drive back to the campground and speak to the host. I did that and I found she had one site left....right next to her. Perfect! I returned to the VC and paid for the two night and then went to an area where I would be a part of a Ranger tour for 2 hours. As I returned to the site, long shadows covered the area making it very comfortable to set up camp. During the night I took my sleeping bag and sat in the gravity chair and watched the clear night sky. It was a perfect dark sky night with the Milky Way directly overhead! I explored the entire area the next day, grateful I had not needed to rush through the day before. This place is quite magical and precious. So many cultures came and went from the area. I was told 19 indigenous groups lived in the area once. The straight roads are a well known subject matter to the area. I found it so interesting that the builders of the roads were so intent they built stairs to the floor of the canyon! The second morning I arose not knowing what time it was as ALL of my devices and batteries were done. I left the area the same way I entered - driving back to Farmington, then traveled into AZ by way of Kayenta and Tuba City. I was astounded by the glorious colors coming out of Kayenta. The sage was surrounded by brilliant yellow flowers and in the background was the robin's egg blue sky with big, puffy clouds. Near Tuba City, the landscape was equally captivating, yet different. Due to the recent floods, the reddish brown sandy soil looked to wavy and flowing. The beauty of this country constantly amazes me! I was headed to the Grand Canyon South Rim to meet friends I worked with last year....one with a new baby! I was running late, but I made Mather Campground by 4PM and set up camp for one night. They joined me at the campground, having a nice visit well after sunset. The last stretch home was one of my shortest drives. I had gone over 7000 miles and visited six National Parks, working in one for six weeks since July 11th!
Oh, let me not forget this. Over Labor Day I took five days in the Oceanside, CA area to celebrate the dual promotions for my daughter and her husband. They BOTH were promoted to Navy Captains! Friends and family from several states came together for this grand celebration!
Rachel's paternal grandfather's Bronze Star is being presented to her by her father!
Following the ceremony at Camp Pendleton, a catered celebration took place at Hello Betty, Carlsbad, CA. A good time was had by all!
