2 September 2015, Wednesday

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s entry the burned swaths of forest we saw as
we drove down the east side of Going to the Sun Road. We were very
fortunate to arrive in Glacier on the first non-smokey day in months. It had
rained the day before our arrival. It also turned out to be the last
sunny day before what looks to be a week of clouds and rain.

We sleep in until 7 am today. The morning is sunny but very windy. After our
breakfast of coffee cake we explore the campground. A really nice
site has opened up along the creek on the outer edge of Many Glacier.
Our host had informed us the day before that it is OK to move. We
un-staked the Quarterdome and carried it in the wind to the new site.
Good thing there were two of us – we almost took off.  Two problems
with our new site: 1) the bear locker is almost impossible to open
and once it is open, it is impossible to close. We finally give up
and pack all our bear-desirable items in the car. 2) the water spigot
and gray water dump station are a bit further away. We can live with
it.

Next task – off to the ranger station which is very crowded with people
picking up their back country permits. We buy a good topo map of
the area and a little map showing good day hikes with total mileage
and elevation gain. Now, on to Many Glacier Lodge to purchase tickets
for the ferry the next day so we can go on the ranger led hike to
Grinnell Glacier. The forecast is for rain, but we have learned that
you can’t sit around waiting for sunny weather. As the saying goes,
“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.” (Except
in cases of tornadoes as O points out.)

Our orientation complete, we decide to stretch our legs on an easy hike up
the Swift Current Trail. If you follow this trail far enough you will
go back over the Continental Divide. We just planned a hike up to the
headwall in hopes of seeing bighorn sheep. It is a very pleasant hike
– 4 miles in, 4 miles out, past pretty little lakes and waterfalls.
It gives us a chance to hike with our bear repellant and our wooden
clackers for the first time. We see no bears and no bighorn sheep,
only a deer and a snowshoe hare. In case you are wondering about the
wooden clackers: in my research about avoiding bears, I read that
bear bells are totally ineffective. Shouting, “Hey bear” is a
little better, but the human voice doesn’t carry very well in the
woods. Apparently the sound of breaking sticks is a very good bear
deterrent, hence, the clackers.

We return from our hike, cook dinner, clean up and go off to a ranger
presentation on how various species adapt to Glacier’s winter. Very
interesting…but we are both interested in hibernating for the
night by the time the talk is over.