Part 7

We had planned to spend two nights in Glacier, but changed our minds when we woke up to this:

Since more snow was in the forecast, and we couldn't risk getting stuck in the park, we packed up and made a speedy get-a-way.

We will stay here, yes we will.
Going-to-the-Sun Road runs all the way through Glacier, but was closed in the middle due to snow. We drove as far we could and saw this:
Great day in the morning, I loved watching this moose.

Seeing wolves in the wild makes us lucky ducks. Breathtaking, I must say.
We came across a bear sanctuary just outside of Glacier - the sign said "Your car is your cage!" and so we drove right in.

One of our last Montana experiences...
Somehow a cattle crossing seemed like a nice way to say good-bye to Montana.

After that, it was lots and lots of driving and a lovely return home. We really can't say enough about canoeing down the Upper Missouri and roaming around Glacier, and the whole week only fueled the fire for more outdoor adventures. Next up for the four of us (we hope!): BANFF!!

Part 6

Glacier National Park is the neatest place - wildlife everywhere, hiking everywhere, cheap camping in beautiful settings everywhere. And it's really only a day's drive away, so we'll visit again. And again and again and again...

Part 5

We had lots of time Thursday morning to dilly-dally about the campsite - we weren't due at Judith Landing to exchange the canoes for the car until 3:00, and we only had a handful of miles to travel.
Sara whipped up something nutritionally sound for breakfast....
but since I can't be bothered with that sort of thing while roughing it in the wilderness, my precious husband and I had Spam for the third morning in a row.
Or rather, I had Spam. And the rest of the Pop-Tarts and a bunch of applesauce. Well, not really. I could have eaten it all myself, I'm sure, but who could resist such a face?
Sara and I were ever in good hands with the Navigator and Mountain Man at the helm. It's hard to believe this is one of the last pictures we have of our time on the river. Serious fun makes time fly for sure!
We didn't have long to wait once we unloaded the canoes at the landing...
and then we were on the road again to find a campsite somewhere between the river and Glacier National, which was next on the itinerary.
'Big Sky Country' is right on the money.

Part 4

We laughed and laughed about the compost toilet at Dark Butte - we couldn't figure out why it wasn't turned the other way so intrepid explorers such as ourselves could at least enjoy the spectacular view while conducting necessary business.


Because of our paddling marathon the day before, we only traveled 6 miles downriver on Wednesday, and hardly did a stitch of actual paddling the entire time. Floating along with the ones you love under an enormous sunny sky is quite the life.


Lunch beside the water under the shade of a huge tree was lovely...

...and then later, a stop along the way for exploring.



Our last campsite was definitely our favorite - excellent spots for the tents, perfectly placed fallen logs for benches around the fire pit, and we were even able to take baths in the river - the closest thing to a shower for any of us in about 4 days!



The only beef Sara and I had was an unexpected encounter with a most univited guest:




To the immense relief of the girls, he stayed coiled up under the log the entire time we were there. I know because I kept checking :)

Part 3

Tuesday morning we waved a fond farewell to our campsite and hit the river for 22 miles of paddling and sightseeing. We had a brisk wind in our faces most of the day (which kept the bugs away, hooray!), but since we were traveling down river, and it was flowing at about 7 miles per hour, it wasn't much work at all. Towards the end of the day, we even hooked the canoes together and floated along side by side.
Oops, I almost forgot to mention this: The night before, my trusty husband and brother were able to break in the shotgun, firing it off a few times to scare away whatever creature was snarling and growling just beyond our tents in the dark. Never again will I scoff at bringing such a thing on such a trip.


We stopped at Hole in the Wall, thinking we might stay for the night, but Sara spotted a snake and Jan Michael discovered a trillion fire ants marching all around, so Sara and I said, "Back to boats, boys!"


These glimpses certainly don't do the actual landscape justice. For a true picture, you'll have to get out there yourself :)
One neat thing about the Upper Missouri is that Lewis and Clark used it on their trek out west. Quite a thing to think about as we sallied forth.


We stopped for the night at Dark Butte, a most excellent campsite with one of the funniest toilets ever. More on that in the next post...