Our Trip to Montana
by Jenners • 07/24/2011 • Travels • 124 Comments
I’m back from Montana!!! Lots of exciting things to tell you so let’s get started. I thought I’d write this post as a Q&A session, with me asking the burning questions you want the answers to (and some you don’t). If you have other questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
Did you complete the 10 mile hike?
In a word, yes and no. We did not complete the 10-mile hike to Iceberg Lake that we intended to do. We got turned around about a mile away from Iceberg Lake. What turned us around you ask? A grizzly sow with her cubs ambling down the trail toward us!!!! Here is a very blurry photo that I managed to snap before turning and departing in quite a hurry.
My brother is saying "Turn around and go NOW, dammit!"
Let me tell you, it was an amazing and wondrous sight!!! I saw her and her cubs quite clearly but didn’t have time to take a good photo as my brother had us booking out of there.
We ended up going to another section of the park and did more hiking up a rather steep snow hill. In the end, my brother estimated that we did about 10 miles of hiking on that day … just not the 10-mile route to Iceberg Lake we had planned.
(For the record, I was totally OK and could have done the whole hike with no problem. Boo-yah!)
Wow! Scary but amazing! Did you see any other wildlife while you were there?
Why yes we did! Here are some photos of what we saw.
Big Horn Sheep. Very hard to see so I highlighted with arrows.
Mule Deer. No zoom was used. She was really close and really calm.
Grizzly Bear Cub. By the side of Going to the Sun Road. Photo taken from car.
On walks around town, we saw an owl, pelicans and a snake. On the drive up to Glacier, we saw some sandhill cranes. (No photos though.)
Can you show us some photos of Glacier? It looks like a beautiful place.
Glacier is stunningly beautiful. I encourage everyone to visit at one point in their lives. Even with my cheap point-and-shoot camera, I managed to snap photos like this.
View from the deck of the Many Glacier Hotel, where we stayed the first night.
Lake Josephiine. The Little One and my brother swam in here. (It was C.O.L.D.)
My brother on the trail to Iceberg Lake.
Iceberg Lake is nestled below the lower snow. We didn't get there!!! Next year!
Wildflowers brightened up the trail.
How can you not hike for hours with scenery like this?
You can stop almost anywhere on Going to the Sun Road and get shots like this.
There was "a little bit" of snow up on Logan Pass. Do you see the snowman?
Did you get Indian names while you were there?
Why yes! The Little One earned the name “Bear Kills Bladder.” This name came about when he managed to pee no less than 14 times on the first part of the hike. (Turns out he had emptied his .5 liter Camelbak in about 1.5 miles but still … it was NUTS!) Then we saw the grizzly bear on the trail and he was able to hike for 1.5 hours without a single pee stop. Amazing what a little motivation like “possible bear mauling” can do to kill your bladder!!!
The Little One’s other Indian name is “Eyes Like Stone” due to his inability to see almost all wildlife unless it was right in front of him. He missed the first set of grizzlies and the big horn sheep (which seems believable until you hear that they started running down the snow right in front of us as we drove out of the parking lot). He also missed the owl. However, he did manage to see the deer that was 5 feet from us and the grizzly cub that was right next to the car.
My Indian name was “Makes Many Glacier” due to my cranking up the air conditioning in the second hotel room and making it very very cold. (So cold that my brother slept in his -30 degree sleeping bag.) In my defense, it was 94 degrees while we were in Glacier and we didn’t have ANY air conditioning in the first hotel so I had to compensate.
Did you get a sense of closure with your Dad’s death?
Although we didn’t make it to Iceberg Lake, just being in Glacier and seeing the place that my dad loved more than any other place on earth was comforting. I felt that he truly died doing what he loved and in a place that does feel like heaven on earth.
An added bonus was being able to read the letters that my mom wrote to my dad when she was a Navy wife stationed in Japan. (My brother found them tucked away in the basement.) It was amazing to gain insight into my parent’s early marriage, hear about her life with me as a toddler, and learn about the deep sense of love between my parents. Getting to know my mom in this way gave me a feeling of closeness to her that I’ve needed since her death in December.
All in all, it was a very healing visit, although staying in their house (which is now my brother’s house) did make me feel their loss all the more. It didn’t quite feel right that they were not there … although I sensed their presence everywhere.
These wonderful people who posted on your blog negate my impression that the online “community” is mostly composed of sour- grapes whiners with a strong streak of vigilante justice and intolerance for diverse beliefs. What a relief after the postings on the Great Falls Tribune’s website! One little fact-check item: The sleeping bag is rated +15 degrees. You still earned the name “Makes Many Glacier” because I did need to use it. Thanks for the great memories. I can’t wait until our next family adventure.
Aren’t my readers super nice and wonderful? I think so!!!! Glad to have improved your opinion of the online community. Being in the newspaper business has jaded you I think!
What a wonderful bitter sweet trip! Love the pictures!
You described it perfectly — wonderful and bittersweet!
The scenery is amazing and it looks like just a beautiful trip. Lots of adventure, too.
However, I think the letters were probably the best part. Those would be found treasure on such a trip.
The letters were an unexpected treasure. It was so neat to get a glimpse into the mind of mom and hear about my early life … even though she once referred to me as being a “brat.”
Thank you for sharing your beautiful holiday experience. The pics are amazing, I envy you for being there and enjoying the scenery. I also like how your post made me laugh in the beginning (those Indian names were funny) and how it gradually changed to melancholy.
Thanks for your lovely comment. It was a post with many emotional tones, wasn’t it?
It is such a glorious place! How cool you got to see bear! lol Glad you stayed safe though – can’t imagine swimming in that cold water. Love the snowman!
It is an amazing place … and I so wish I had gotten the shot of the grizzly mama and her cubs that I saw with my eyes. But better to be safe!!!! : )
Wow, this sounds amazing! I’m glad you were able to get some closure during this trip, even though you weren’t able to finish the hike you’d planned.
Thanks for sharing those photos!
It felt like things happened like they should have … and it gives us a reason to go back and try to make it to Iceberg Lake again.
Beautiful pictures. We’ve got Glacier Park on our list of parks to visit with our new RV. I’m so impressed that you were able to do the hike…you rock!
I hope you get there … it is a stunningly beautiful place!! Don’t drive the RV on Going to the Sun Road though … that would be terrifying!
I cannot believe you left out the amount of Stageline pizza you consumed during the trip. I really wish I could have been with you guys on the trip. Free up some time to come visit Iowa with me. I don’t think we will see a bear but you will get experience the world famous Barefoot Bar. Talk to you soon. Love you Jen. Mike.
I can’t believe you are ratting me out about how much pizza I ate!!! I wish you guys could have been there too … and let’s hope for a family reunion in Iowa next year!!!
oh my goodness! 104 comments!! well, you deserve
them for treating us to such gorgeous photos and a
bear story, to boot! you are a very wise woman to
lay down your 10 mile pride for a mama bear. nothing
meaner.
I must be honest … you have to divide the number of comments by 2 because it counts my responses. And it was a wise move to avoid the mama bear … I just wish I’d gotten a better photo!
You are so brave, to even try to take a photo of the bear before running away!
My brother thinks it was “foolhardy” not brave but I’ll take it! ; )
looks like it was a great vacation for all of you. I’m glad you didn’t attempt the crossing in front of mother bear. Thanks for stopping by. I myself am kind of scarce in the blogging world right now. My mom’s health has not been good and I find myself rather wanting to spend most of my time out of the virtual world right now. One must take advantage of the time they have with those that are among the living.
I’m so sorry to hear about your mom’s poor health. You are absolutely right to take the time to be with her now. Be well and my good thoughts are being sent your way.
I think your brother is wise! I would have moved very fast and not stopped for a photo. Beautiful photos
I know my brother was right to move us out so quickly … but part of me really really wanted the shot of the grizzly bear. It was a magnificent sight in real life! At least I have that memory!
So much to comment on; I’ll just focus on two.
I’ve been to Glacier twice but not for decades — so wonderful to see that it’s still beautiful even if the glaciers have receded.
I’m so glad you found some sense of closure and got to spend time with your brother. My thoughts continue to be with you.
They had a display in the lobby of the Many Glacier Hotel showing how the glaciers have been receding over the years. It was interesting but kind of sad too. It is still a stunning place though. I’d love to see it through your photographer’s eyes!
Great way to recap this. So glad it was a great experience for you- and I totally would have been freaking when seeing those bears too.
Beautiful pictures!
I really wasn’t all that freaked out by the bears until AFTER. At the time, I was excited and mad I didn’t get a good photo!
Holy cow! Mama and her cubs what a glorious & frightening experience! I’m glad you are all okay. I also think your pic of the adventure is hilarious & perfect…what else could you expect running from a mama bear with your brother yelling at you! lol
The photos of Josephine Lake and the one from Glacier are breathtaking! How amazing to sit on the deck and look out over that vista. Gordeous!
I agree when you said, how can you not hike for hours with views like you had?! The wildflowers are beautiful too….love the sudden color among the green & gray rock!
I’m so glad the visit went so well for you and you found it healing. I imagine the letter your read were fantastic, how great to have them. I completely understand why that area was your dad’s favorite…it restores one’s belief in life.
I think I would have found it a little hard to stay in your parents house without them there, at first anyway.
Welcome Home Makes Many Glacier!
Thanks for your always thoughtful comment. The thing about the photos is that it really doesn’t even do it justice!!! When you are out there and surrounded by all that loveliness, you feel almost sad that you can’t really capture it all in one big 360 photo.
It seems like you had an amazing, and healing, trip. I’m glad. Now, I’m wondering if our family could manage a road trip to Glacier National Park….we only have the state of Wyoming between there and here. The pics are beautiful. My husband and I were in Bozeman for a ski trip (before kids) many years ago, so the kids have never been to Montana. Maybe next summer?
Oh you should try … especially being so close! It is such a lovely place … and you never know what you will see when you are there. I highly encourage you to visit!!!
Sounds like an amazing trip — and what breathtaking photos! I actually visited Glacier as a kid. However, we did not stay in a hotel with a beautiful view. We stayed in a pop-up camper, and my parents had a bear sighting early one morning when all of us kids were asleep. They were outside having breakfast when my dad spotted a bear at the garbage dumpster, so they beat a hasty retreat into the camper. I slept through the whole thing.
I’d love to take my kids someday. Their Indian names would probably be “Nose Stuck in a Book” and “Too Busy Texting to Appreciate Nature.”
I love your kids Indian names!!! I could have had “Nose Stuck In A Book” for mine too!! Love it! I do hope you get to go back and experience Glacier again … and see some bears (from a safe distance) while awake.
Wow, that is quite the trip you had! I can’t believe how gorgeous the place is! I just love how your brother told you to “Turn around and go NOW, dammit” while you took that photo. It’s too funny how you just had to get that photo even when facing oncoming dangers. I know I’d do the same too
Glad you made it back alive though!
Also glad to see that this trip has given you some sort of closure on your parents death.
Thanks for understanding!!! I was more excited than frightened of the bear … and I was so mad that I didn’t get a better shot. But if she had charged us, it would have not been worth it.
Beautiful scenery! Absolutely a great place to visits! Good to know you had a real good time with your family esp. with little one and your brother! I’m having a good laugh here about the a/c and of course the Indian names!lols
It is a beautiful place isn’t it?
Beautiful beautiful country and your photos really showed just how wonderful the area is! You took time to snap a pic of the grizzly – wow!
I got in trouble for taking the photo … my brother was yelling at me the whole time!!! I wish it had come out better though!
What a beautiful place to visit! I love all the photos. I’m so happy that you had a good time with Little One and your brother. I’ll also glad that you had the chance to read your Mom’s letters and walk through that beautiful landscape so loved by your Dad.
It ended up being a great way to feel more connected to my parents … and, as my brother said, we were able to make some new memories to help ease the painful ones.
I am glad you are back and that you had a good trip. I said a few prayers for you while you were gone. I just couldn’t imagine what you would have been going through visiting the place your dad fell to his death. I am sort of glad you didn’t make it to “the” place – but were just able to experience the beauty of someplace he truly loved. I also think it is awesome that your brother found the old letters from your mom and dad’s early time together. I hope that my kids get a sense of who their mom and dad are and what our relationship is and was before we are gone….it just makes us more human to them and not just their weird parents….if that makes any sense?!? Welcome home and I am very proud of you for conquering all the hiking! You rock!
You are so so sweet. Thanks for your concern and prayers! I was a bit anxious about being where my dad died but was determined to do it. Then, when it didn’t work out, I thought it was a sign to maybe wait until another time. It was lovely just to realize what drew him there and the landscape he was in when he died. My brother, who was with him that day, said he was having a really great day and that is a comfort in some ways.
SOOO beautiful!! I am adding it to my “must visit” list for my life! Those grizzlies are so cool!
Glad to hear it brought you some peace and closure. It looks like such a spectacular place to be- what a great view for your last view!
I also like to crank up the a/c. If it were up to me and not cheap-pants Brian, I would have it set to 65 and wear sweatshirts/sweatpants year round!
Well, I’m not allowed to crank the a/c at home where we actually have to pay for it. But in a hotel room … watch out!
Remind me to never share a room with you, Makes Many Glacier. I hate, hate, hate being cold!
I’m happy to hear it was a successful trip, even if it didn’t go exactly as planned.
As my brother pointed out, trips to Glacier often don’t go as planned due the nature of the park. That is what he loves about it. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE being cold when I’m trying to sleep. Then I can snuggle under the covers and feel comfy. Weird I know.
Wow! Jenner the scenery is really spectacular! The place is like heaven in earth. I totally love all the photos. And I love the Indian names!lols You did a very fantastic trip Jenners. Welcome back!
Thanks so much for all the positive feedback. It was a wonderful trip.
SO gorgeous! That really does look like a little heaven on earth. It’s funny to think of you cranking up the air conditioning after seeing the snow pics
Your trip looks fantastic and I’m glad that you were able to feel closer to your parents.
I think I may have been responsible for some more snow being added to the park due to my a/c adventures.
Those letters sound like a wonderful treasure. I hope there was at least a little dirt on what a pain in the neck little Jenners was (just kidding!). That area is definitely beautiful and I’m glad you could connect with your father through it. We’ve all definitely been with you on this journey.
It was neat to hear what a good child I was (for the most part). In one letter she did refer to me as ” being a little brat.” Ouch!!!! : )
You make every trip fun. No matter what you are doing, I am laughing over here over it.
I love the indian names and the fact that you froze everyone out in that second room. I did the same thing in Orlando one summer.
Yay for another hotel a/c overuser!!! I was going to get my money’s worth after sweating all day!
Your pictures are beautiful! I’m glad you had a good trip.
Thanks … it was a really special trip for many reasons.
Beautiful! I’m so pleased that it helped you..and that you didn’t get eaten by that bear!
I was so excited to actually see a real live bear in the wild that I didn’t think at all about the danger. Thankfully my brother thought of the dangers!
I know you needed that trip so much, so I’m really glad you got to go. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and your photos certainly capture that.
I’m glad you managed to snap a shot of the grizzly before getting the heck out of there!
Part of me wishes I had lingered just a few more seconds to get a better shot of the grizzly but my brother wasn’t messing around.
LOVE your pictures! My hubby grew up just down the road from Glacier and I can’t wait to show him these pics. It will bring back such great memories for us too!
I literally got goosebumps when you mentioned reading the letters between your parents. That is so amazing that they were saved and you were able to see their younger selves. They are still living on in your hearts, even more so now!
You have deep Montana roots, don’t you!!??? What a privilege for your husband to grow up down the road from Glacier!!! I can’t imagine being on the doorstep to that kind of lovelieness.
And it was such an emotional thing to read those letters from my mom. She was in her mid-20s when she wrote them … a side of her I don’t remember at all as I was just 2 or 3 at the time.
I do have deep Montana roots – 20+ years will do that to a girl!
I can only image how amazing it was to have that kind of connection with your mom after all these years. I hope you have hung on to those letters!
I think that once Montana gets into your blood, it never goes away. My brother is in deep!!!
Your photos were gorgeous and I’m so glad you didn’t get mauled! The part about your son’s Indian nickname was hilarious.
I’m glad you were able to make the trip. What a privilege to get to read your mom’s letters.
I’m glad we didn’t get mauled too!!! I don’t think I appreciated that until after the fact. I was so jazzed to see the bears in person!
What a neat find – those letters, that they were kept and you got to read them. I’m glad you found some closeness there.
Glacier is a beautiful park, I was there once but was rather distracted and don’t remember much except the “bear-boxes” where we had to keep our food while camping in the park overnight. So many bear warning it was a bit scarey.
Nice to see you back. Glad to hear it was a good trip. Hugs to you, I know you’re missing both of your parents.
It was so amazing to be able to read those letters! My dad saved EVERYTHING and now I’m really glad he did.
I was in Glacier a lot when I was a teen but I know I didn’t appreciate it then like I do now. And it is one of those places you take the bear warnings seriously. They are everywhere there!
What a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing the photos.
It is beautiful. I’m so glad I got to spend time there.
An eventful trip, all the way around. The scenery is beautiful and I’m so proud of you making the hike! Hope it was a help emotionally!
It did help emotionally. It is hard to stay sad in such a lovely place. I felt I understood the draw of Glacier for my dad after spending time there.
What a beautiful post, both visually and emotionally. I’m glad you were able to get some closeness and closure.
Thanks so much. It was a very healing and lovely trip.
I have been thinking about you while you were on this trip, and wondering how it was going. The pictures you took were amazing, and some of those animals we so darn close! The sheep look like they are wearing camouflage though! I am glad that you had such an amazing time, and that even though you didn’t totally reach your destination that you were able to have a decent amount of closure. I am also glad that the hike went well!
Thanks for thinking of me during this time. It ended being just like it should have … and we plan to go out again next summer. We’re all excited to try the hike again!
It looks like we’re on the same schedule
I just got back from vacation too. What wonderful photos!! That looks like an awesome trip. OMG about the bears!!
Glacier looks stunning. Taht’s definitely the type of place that photos don’t do justice to.
Thats great that you had a nice experience there and were able to read yoru parents letters.
Welcome back from vacation too!! Exhausting to return, isn’t it? Are you caught up with your laundry yet? HAHA! And you are right … the photos don’t really do it justice.
How utterly gorgeous! My mom and her husband want to go there this summer (it’s iffy now due to storm damage repairs needing to be done on the house). I understand the attraction now. Glad you had a good time.
Oh … I hope your mom gets to go! It is a really special place.
The park is just gorgeous. I forgot how really spectacular the US parks are.
Glad you got to see a mama bear and to be able to get some peace.
It is amazing some of the beautiful places that we do have the U.S. parks. It is easy to forget sometimes just how stunningly gorgeous they can be.
Wow – what an utterly magical place! And you saw bears – how great is that!
I know!! I was secretly hoping we would get to see bears … and we did!!
such a beautiful post- and i’m not just talking pictures. welcome back!
Thanks! The photos are hard to beat though,huh?
Smart brother you have! I just read about a group of teens on a Wilderness Survival trip who were mauled by a momma bear with cubs! Holy bejeezers how scary.
Beautiful pictures
I was so excited to see them that I forgot to be scared … but my brother knew and he said “You don’t mess with a mama griz and her babies.” My husband has been tracking all the bear maulings that have happened and he was quite nervous about us doing the hike.
That sounds like an amazing trip! I’m not big on the outdoors, but you have me wanting to go there. I’m glad the trip brought you some peace.
The neat thing is that you can ride on these red Jammer buses and get to experience much of the loveliness of the park without having to do much hiking. The Going to the Sun Road is quite the experience … but not one you’d want to drive yourself! : )
I don’t think I realized the significance of this trip, and knowing now just give me chills. We have had this park on our “must see before the kids leave us” list. We love places like this. I’m proud of your hiking skillz. Amazing how far you can go when you are distracted by all that beauty. (I just had a weekend fling with my high school friends, all of us menopausal-ish, and we had our rooms at 63 the whole time.)
Hmmmm…maybe I’m getting to be menopausalish too! I suspect it is not too far away!! : )
And I hope you get to visit Glacier as a family … it is really a stunningly beautiful place.
Sounds like a wonderful trip.
It really was. I was thankful we had the chance to go.
Beautiful, amazing, AND closure? What a great trip!
I know!!! It really was a fantastic vacation.
Thank you so much for sharing your healing journey. It’s wonderful that you got to read your Mom’s letters to your Dad. Your photos are amazing; such gorgeous scenery!
It was amazing to read those letters. It gave me a view into my mom that I’d never had before.
Looks and sounds beyond wonderful. And so happy you are back!
It was wonderful … but I’m glad to be home!
Oh jenners, what amazing photos. What an experience. I am so happy that this trip was in some ways healing for you. Glad u r back.
It is good to be back … the trip (while fun and healing and gorgeous) was very tiring too!
Gosh, this makes me want to return to Glacier Nat’l Park big time. I loved all the wild flowers and the color of the lakes and streams. Also, all the water falls. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
I hope you do get to make a return trip. Glacier is such a special place!
sounds like you had a nice trip, and I hope it brought some closure to you.
The trip was healing but it also made me miss my parents even more in many ways.
Sounds like you had a perfect trip and accomplished everything you were hoping for and more. This scenery is so beautiful. I am adding this place to my bucket list right now!
It deserves a spot on everyone’s bucket list I think. It is such a gorgeous and wild and beautiful park.
Welcome back!! I really enjoyed this post and you took some stunning photos. I will definitely revisit it tomorrow on my computer. (small screen is the bad thing about reading on my phone via twitter!)
Interesting to hear how warm it was, though. I would have thought it was cooler from the photos.
It cooled down considerably after the first 3 days and there wasn’t alot of humidity so it was bearable. Weird to be in warm weather and walking on snow!
welcome home. i’m happy that you made this journey–it sounds like it was really meaningful for you. the scenery is gorgeous but the whole bear thing freaked me out a bit. i’m happy you’re home safe and sound. that’s one thing i love about nj–weather and wild animals aren’t a danger around here. (taxes, pollution, and the mafia are another story…) xoxo
I suspect you’ll get a job with the NJ Dept. of Tourism soon after this comment! HAHA!
What a beautiful trip! The photos are breathtaking and the bear is frightening!
I was so excited to see the bears that I forgot to be frightened. The Little One was terrified though.
Thanks for the beautiful pictures . . . and humor. Glad you found some healing.
I have to see your post about the wiener dog … my brother has a dachshund who kept us quite entertained while we were visiting. She didn’t come to Glacier with us though! My guess is she would have gone after the bears. They are feisty little dogs!
Welcome back. I missed you. We were in FL and i may have to steal yourQ&A format. Glad you found some closure
Oh … can’t wait to hear about your Florida adventures. Of course, I have to wade through 1,000+ unread posts that accumulated while I was gone. The temptation to hit “Mark All As Read” is strong!
It sounds like a wonderful, beautiful trip. I am so glad you were able to visit and heal a little with your brother. I hope one day I am able to make it there, it looks gorgeous.
It was a good and healing visit. It helps to grieve and deal with loss in such a beautiful setting too!
Wow! I kind of can’t believe that is a real place really in the world. SO beautiful! Glad you had a good time.
I know … it seems like something out of a storybook or something doesn’t it?