Glacier Trip

Jolie and I went up to Glacier to bike, paddle and hike for a weekend. This is Jolie enjoying the sunrise on Lake McDonald

We rode going to the sun road - this is inside the one tunnel on the road -Jolie looking at Heavens Peak

We could only bike as far as the plows had plowed which was about a mile from Logan Pass. It was a warm and sunny day.

We also hiked to Snyder Lake and saw some beautfiul wildflowers - this is an avalanche lily with alpine spring beauties in the background

Saw this trillium on the trail too.

Yellowstone in Spring

Jolie and I spent a couple of days in Yellowstone - hiked up Slough Creek to Elk Tongue Patrol Cabin. This is the first view of the Slough Creek valley on the trail

The trail was quite muddy - we were hoping the bad boy who made these tracks hadnt made them recently

Not sure if it was the same bear that made the tracks, but this looks like a bear was trying to get at something in the patrol cabin.

On way home we started a bear jam on the road when we saw this guy about 10 feet off the road - he got so close thought he was going to try and give Jolie a kiss

On hike down blacktail trail saw these great pasque flowers

At the blacktail falls - note the columnar basalt in the back ground.

spring flowers

Flowers have been great this spring in Helena. Pasque flowers on Helena ridge trail.

Shooting stars on the helena ridge trail

Pasque flower on Rodney Ridge trail in Helena

Sleeping Giant

Jolie and I went up to Sleeping Giant north of Helena for sunrise - got this shot of some rabbit brush with the giant in the background

We climbed up a little knoll above Holter Lake after sunrise

Freezeout Lake Birds

In late March, me, Ma and Jolie went up to Freezeout Lake (80 miles north of Helena) to view the migration stopping point for tens of  thousands of snow geese.  It was a cloudy and cold day but we did see lots of birds including these snow geese just east of the lake (the lake is in the background)

Here is Jolie encouraging a few snow geese to fly

Some more snow geese in front of some colorfull trees

Seeley Lake Snowshoe

In March, me and Ma went to Seeley Lake for snowshoeing on what turned out to be a sunny calm day after a storm - the snow on the trees didnt stick around long after we got this photo.

East Fork Bitterroot Cabin

Jolie and I rented the East Fork Bitteroot Guard Station for a weekend. So much snow that the forest service truck broke its plow and we had to drag our gear (on our backs and in a little plasti sled) and stuff 200+ yards to the cabin and then, since the plowed road was only one vehicle wide back it out for 3/4 mile to where the road was wide enough to park. On the way in we had to battle a snow storm, deer, elk (very very close) and a moose.  We had to repeat the process on the way out.  Great cabin once we got there. It snowed the entire time we were there - very lightly - but it never really stopped - about 3 inches per day.  Cabin has an oven so we were able to make some good meals inclued pizza from scratch.

One of the cutest forest service outhouses there is.  The inside is all whitewashed and very clean.

the snow was so light and no wind, it stuck even to nearly vertical skis that were left out overnight before a nice ski from the cabin up the east fork bitterroot trail - great Moose country but we didnt see any during the ski.

one very large icicle on the side of the cabin

the snow was very deep (there is that outhouse again)

on the way home, we skied at Mt. Haggin - it was 10 degrees at the parking lot and 40 degrees after we climbed several hundred feet due to an inversion