These photos are a month overdue, but better late than never, right!? :} Our final hurrah of the summer was a quick trip to Glacier National Park--literally 3 days before school started! Despite a bit of smoke in the air from one of Montana's worst fire seasons on record, it was probably the best trip to Glacier that we've had as a family.
We were supposed to camp at St. Mary campground, but when we arrived they told us there was too much bear activity in the campground for people with soft-sided tents (yikes, that's us!), so they moved us to Many Glacier Campground, which turned out to be a triple blessing: 1.) We didn't have to worry about getting attacked by a bear in the middle of the night in our tent 2.) The Many Glacier area is Gorgeous (with a capital G!) 3.) Most of the hikes that we did were right by our campground which saved tons of driving time.
The other big factor that made Glacier so enjoyable this year was that Isaiah, our youngest at age 4, was able to do almost all of the hiking
on his own two feet...and with almost
no whining!!! Alleluia! It was the very first year that he didn't hitch a ride in the infant backpack, which was great for his daddy's back, but it also made Isaiah feel like such a big boy. He was so proud of himself that he turned the hikes into competitions to prove that he could out-hike even his big teenage brothers. Of course, the big boys played into this game and told him that he was "amazing" and that he "hiked like a 20 year old." Which was hilarious, because then he kept telling random people: "I'm a 20 year old!" :)
Look at this awesome troop of boys!
I thought it was so funny that they naturally hiked in a line from oldest to youngest that I had to run ahead of them to get a quick picture. You can tell that they are thinking, "Oh great, there goes crazy camera mom again."
Here are the boys at Red Rock Lake.
We took a break to throw rocks in the water and then continued on to Red Rock Falls.
Geeks in Glacier! (ha ha, snort, ha ha) :)
Dominic looking handsome in his glasses and his new shirt from church camp :)
May his thirst for Jesus grow each year, and may he quench Jesus' thirst with his love!
Nathanael looking like a tough hiker near Red Rock Falls (notice the "red" rocks).
He loved hiking with his very own water bottle :)
Joseph braved the frigid, glacial waters of Red Rock Falls.
You can see him mouthing the words, "Ooohhh, that's cold!"
And here's our brave 16 year old cliff jumping into the frigid water.
He certainly did not get his bravery from his mother!
Oh, and by the way, "Happy Birthday, Joseph!"
He turned 16 in September, but I didn't get a single picture at his party!!!
(I totally regret that now, but at the time I didn't want to embarrass him in front of all of his friends) :}
We stared at this waterfall for nearly 30 minutes...
Why, you may ask?
There were trout who were trying to jump up the falls.
Every minute or two, another trout would try.
None were successful at the leap, but they did succeed in entertaining us :)
Red Rock Falls--definitely one of our top 3 hikes in Glacier.
Our fabulous 5 at the top of Logan Pass.
Feels like the top of the world.
How I love to be in Glacier with these great boys...
...and also with my handsome husband :)
Here we are at the Hidden Lake Overlook.
Sweet picture.
What the picture doesn't show is that we were going through a pretty big struggle that week.
We are so grateful for prayers from friends, the sacramental grace of marriage, and God's endless mercy to get us through those times! :}
A marmot that we found resting in the shade on the way to Hidden Lake.
A big horn sheep we saw on the Hidden Lake trail at the top of Logan Pass.
Logan Pass is known for spotting big horns and mountain goats. and this time was no exception.
This mountain goat thought he owned the trail.
He was bigger than us, so we let him pass :)
Michael got these amazing shots of a mountain goat...
I wonder if this talented boy is going to shoot photos for National Geographic someday.
This is one of my favorites that Michael took.
Like I said, National Geographic material.
Even the chipmunks are somehow cuter and more photogenic in Glacier.
Our campsite friend, the gray jay,
aptly nicknamed "the camp robber bird."
Swiftcurrent Lake near Many Glacier Hotel
where we relaxed at the shore for awhile.
Paul cooling off at Apikuni Falls.
This hike was short, sweet, and steep,
and definitely on our list of favorites!
Me, my boys, and my bear spray :)
Thankfully, the only bear we saw was from a distance, in our car!
I thought this solitary blue rock was beautiful and reminded me of Mary,
"the lovey lady dressed in blue" :)
A momma moose we encountered on the Red Rock Falls trail.
We were dangerously close and acted like stupid tourists trying to get a great picture without concern for our great peril.
Michael has officially hi-jacked my old camera and my telephoto lens.
But I forgive him, because he takes such great pictures :)
Michael took this picture of (likely) the same momma moose that we saw on the Red Rock Falls trail.
We sat and watched her eat for over an hour while her calf stood nearby.
This is at Fishercap Lake, very near our campsite, right at sunset.
Michael and I went alone on this adventure and it was special to have this 1 on 1 time with him,
and then to see a momma moose and her calf made it even more special.
What a treat!
This is the moose calf, but it sure doesn't look like a calf anymore!
Moose must grow faster than weeds!
What do you think the boys spy in the brush?
A female spruce grouse (I think?) eating berries and letting us watch and take pictures!
If you've never been to Glacier, I highly recommend that you put it on your "bucket list."
It certainly displays God's handiwork in a way that few other places in the world can do...
But even if the gorgeous scenery can't convince you to come for a visit,
perhaps this Columbian ground squirrel can! :)
