Devil’s Tower & New Digs

On to Devil’s Tower National Monument.  I remember seeing this on our cross country as kids, but I don’t remember going in and walking around, I feel like we stopped on the side of the road for pictures and it was at dusk?  So anyways, it was fun to go in and do the 1.3 mile walk around the base and catch several different views of the unbelievable natural structure.  

It was nice to stretch our legs, then it was on to Spearfish, South Dakota for lunch and a Walmart Supercenter stock up before going to our place in the Black Hills.  Funny how Walmart runs have become a family event on this trip!  Doug takes Penn and Jansen and they make a whole game of it.  And I take the older boys and coach them through appropriate grocery store behavior as they spend most of their time messing with each other and the cart!  At the end of the trip Doug takes Penn and Jansen out on the cart and they go really fast and then Doug has them jump off.  I caught them as they sped away.

After loading up on groceries, it was time to head to our next destination of the Black Hills, South Dakota.  We had reserved a cabin on a goat farm (naturally).  It is adorable!  After unloading the van (yet again!) we explored the property.  Just lovely.

They even have pick-your-own buckets of lettuce off the back porch of each cabin!

And a pick-your-own vegetable garden.  I let Koen and Tavin pick a little carrot each to try.  

At the end of the lane is a historic site…the site of the last buffalo kill in South Dakota.  So random, definitely sad and I couldn’t tell if it was here to celebrate or commemorate or what.  But we checked it out at least (i.e. we read it and then the boys climbed the rock it was on).

After a home-cooked cabin meal of grilled drumsticks, Annie’s mac & cheese and kale and cabbage slaw, we cleaned up (the dishes and the boys) and settled in for a little “research” for our next day…we watched the first half of National Treasure 2, a family fav.  The storyline actually takes them to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills.  It was Jansen’s first time watching the movie and we just watched the first half.  But it was fun to just chill as a family and snuggle and watch a movie for the first time in a long time!

 

Turning East!!!

After over 5 weeks on the road heading in directions away from home, we finally have made the major turn East!  After leaving Glacier we drove to Great Falls, Montana.  This town is right on the Missouri River.  The boys needed to get energy out, so we took them to the hotel pool.  It was small and cool and loud, so it was short-lived.  But in our wet suits, we walked behind the hotel, over the train tracks and into a park.  My curiosity was rising on the significance of the place, so we looked it up.  Lewis and Clark crossed the Falls!  It took them a month to portage all their supplies across them!  (This has me wondering why they didn’t just cross the river at a calmer spot, but I guess I’ll never know the answer to that.). Also, this was where Lewis was chased by a grizzly into the river!  I spouted all this info to the boys as they took in the surroundings.  Bless them for letting me learn and attempt to teach everywhere we go! 

The next day we we had a long drive to Gillette, WY.  It went pretty smoothly and included a new-found favorite lunch stop…a local grocery store with a good prepared foods section.  It’s tough to really fill up a family of six that includes four growing boys without breaking the bank.  But the deli counter might be the closest thing there is.  We can get fresh, relatively healthy food and all be satisfied for about $40.  Penn and Jansen usually get Mac and cheese and a chicken drumstick and I cut up some veggies for them.  Penn discovered his drumstick later while watching a video and I totally caught him gobbling it down in the backseat.  So cute. 

We arrived in Gillette and noticed huge tubes sticking out the side of the hotel and the boys started getting so excited and Doug said, “oh yeah, I have a faint recollection this place has a water park.”  Oh goodness!  Well, the boys were thrilled.  We got the car unpacked, the swim trunks on and took them over (it came free with our hotel stay).  Oh my goodness, it was the biggest lawsuit waiting to happen I have ever seen!!!  So nerve racking.  Not only was the place falling apart, no lifeguards or attendants on duty to keep things running smoothly, but there were at least 150 kids in there…turns out the little league championships for the state were in town and it appears at least half the teams were staying at our hotel and were also enjoying the rickety, death trap of a water park.  What a mess!  Here’s a couple pictures.  Not pictured is the madness of the water slides, although I did get one video.  Thankfully we didn’t last long there, I was having heart palpitations.  

Today we left Gillette and moved on…again!  But first, here’s a glimpse of the all-family on-deck pack up process…Jansen’s job…

Glacier Day 4

This was our last day in Glacier and really it was just a check-out day from our AirBNB, but our next stop was “only” three hours away from the East side of the park (see we’ve driven so far and long, that three hours feels like nothing!), so we decided to attempt to see one last area of the park after leaving our AirBNB.  We headed off to Many Glacier and unfortunately the entrance was closed because all parking was all full.  Major bummer!  

We thought about walking in to a short hike, so Doug chatted with the ranger and found out three reasons why we should not do that particular trail: 1) it goes straight up about 2000 feet in elevation, 2) thunderclouds were rolling in and 3) (and most importantly) they had closed the trail for aggressive bear activity in the area.  Ugh!!!  We parked on the side of the road and had our picnic lunch with the cousins, all gave hugs (and sweet Penn Rye again shed tears…killer) and parted ways.  Well, for a minute, we ended up all pulling off a minute later for a couple of final pictures.  Even if we couldn’t go into the Many Glacier area, we could see a bit of it including the Grinnell Glacier.  I’ll take it!

Goodbye Glacier, I hope we get to return someday to do more hiking and exploration.

Glacier Day 3

This day ended up being pretty epic.  We again utilized our “Going to the Sun Road” pass to make our way through the park.  Today our hopes were to do two hikes!  But we were flexible on which would be first/second based around parking availability as we learned a lot from the last two days.  So, initially we headed towards Logan Pass to check out the situation there in hopes of doing the famous Hidden Lake Overlook hike.  I got to ride with Lydia, so not only did I get cousin time, but also the opportunity to take pictures of the Venture Van en route and all the beautiful scenery along the way!

At one point we pulled over to get a family photo with the incredible mountains behind, but also so that the white-knuckled drivers could get their feet on the ground and shake out their fingers!  The road is no joke with tight switchbacks, narrow lanes, low stonemason guardrail walls and overhanging cliffs on the inside lane.  

All along the drive there are waterfalls dripping or gushing down the mountain on the inside of the road.  And there are a few tunnels and some architectural elements along the way as well.  Apparently these three arches under the road (and the Venture Van) are quintessential Glacier items.

We finally made it to Logan Pass and as we had surmised, it was PACKED!!!  We took a few passes at the parking lot and then moved on to the hike we had chosen in the St. Mary’s area.  Thankfully Lydia got a spot and then Doug drove down the road a mile and found one too and hiked back to meet us.  Then we got right on the trail, ready to burn off the nervous energy!  First stop…St. Mary’s Falls.

Here they are!  An absolute torrent coming down over the rocks, through a narrow space beneath a bridge and spilling out into a creek bed.  Many people were jumping into the gush and riding it out into the creek.  Koen was tempted to do it and part of me wanted to allow it and the other part (the one that did the lifeguard training) encouraged him to play it safe and not risk it.  Ugh, one of those tough parenting moments.  You want to say yes and be cool, but also, thinking of the injury that could occur is just so much to bear!  Anyways, thankfully he seemed to get it and didn’t push it.  And instead we took some great family photos and ate our picnic lunches near the roar of the falls.

Next stop was to continue on the hike to Virginia Falls.  The whole hike in was about 2 miles.  It was a little more open to the sun and less shaded than yesterday, but it was all absolutely worth it.  Virginia Falls was spectacular.  High, majestic and frigid.  We got chills from the mist.  And we took more pictures.  Of course.

Here’s a video of the sound of the falls…

Eventually we all hiked back and the kids were pretty tuckered out at this point.  But Doug and I were still hopeful to get another hike in.  It was only three miles round trip to do the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail if we could score some parking.  The kids were not enthusiastic, so as we drove off from St. Mary’s, it was really looking like Doug and I might do it alone.  But Lydia must have worked her magic again because her son Cam decided to go which made Tavin and Penn want to go and then Jansen could not handle being left out and amidst tears (which I think were mostly that he knew he was tired but he didn’t want us to go without him) decide he would come too!  Lydia took Coop and Koen back to the house, and the rest of us headed out on yet another hike.  And we were all so glad we did!  It starts off with elevation gain through alpine meadows which quickly lead up to packed snow!  It was such a blast!  Jansen was absolutely rejuvenated by the cool air and even cooler conditions (hiking on snow in July?!?) and caught up with the cousin and brothers and never looked back.

After the snowiest part of the trail, this is the view. Just incredible!! 

Along the way we ran into quite a few mountain goats at quite close range.  So fun!

Don’t miss the mountain goat near the trees! And her baby was hiding behind the front most tree.

And then we reached the amazing Hidden Lake Overlook.  This is actually what is behind what we were at yesterday at Avalanche Lake.  Some of the waterfalls spill from this lake above those mountainsides I shared yesterday.  We took some more pictures to share with those that didn’t come along and then the mosquitoes started to bite (and our tummies started to growl) so we headed back down the trail.

Only to find more mountain goats!

And the descent on the snowy part was such a blast for the boys.  They loved it!

It was so fun that they actually hiked back up to do it again and again!

Here's some video footage of the slip-sliding!

Oh we were so glad we were able to do this trail.  What a wonderful day of experiencing a bit of Glacier National Park!

Glacier Day 2

So for the next 3 days we have our “Going-to-the-Sun Road” vehicle pass.  Yay!!  Sun here we come!  Well, actually, on our first day we did the Avalanche Lake hike (which basically feels like you hike to heaven, not because it’s hard, but because it is so beautiful).

Parking was a struggle again, but we got Lydia a parking space miraculously and then Doug and I drove about a mile and a half to pullover area that had a few free spots.  We hiked back to Lydia and the kids.  We were actually happy with it…quiet chat time for the two of us and some extra exercise.  Lydia probably got the bummer end of the deal with having to entertain the kids for a half hour on a bench in the shade near the parking lot.  Ha!  But she of course had things completely under control and had the kids playing a game and was rewarding them with tic-tac’s.  I mean, really, who is this magical woman??

Then we headed into the cedar forest that started our hiking trail.  Magical.  Felt like it could be a great spot to film a movie and it smelled lovely.  The kids quickly all took off together.  It’s so fun to watch these cousins pick up right where they left off a year ago.

Quite quickly you come to gorgeous falls (actually I think they are called Avalanche Gorge!).  They are so powerful they have sculpted the rocks they charge through.

The boys found all sorts of fun features along the way.  Trees with holes…

Cool boulders…

And Doug pointed out a perfect spider web to Jansen.

Most of the trail you are under tall trees (wonderful shade, such comfortable hiking…this is the kind of hiking we love!), but at one point you come out and all the sudden there is a stunning view of the tall mountains. I believe there was an avalanche down this portion that cleared the trees (perhaps the reason for the hike/lake name?).  We stopped to take some pictures.

A bit later (I forgot to mention the whole hike in was about 2.2 miles) we arrived at the destination,…which in my opinion was a glimpse of what heaven will be like.  I mean, just absolutely stunning.  Huge waterfalls are cascading down the mountainside from the snow melt on their shoulders, running down to the crystal clear, frigid lake below with its turquoise hue.  We took pictures, ate our picnic lunches under the shade of the trees at the shore and let the boys play in the water until we were all refreshed for the hike back.  I could have stayed forever.

Finally we moved on and so I too will move on from posting the pictures of this perfect place.  But the hike back was also a joy.  The cousins shot out in front and Jansen and Doug were pals.  I got to chat with Lydia and just enjoy being in the forest, moving, taking it all in (a welcome relief from all the minivan time!).  Here’s a great shot of the six boys on the hike back.

We made sure to get some family photos at the falls on our hike back.  I love this one!

On the way back to our place in West Glacier, just an easy 30 minutes away we made a few quick pull-off stops to see the cascading falls on Upper MacDonald Creek.  The rush of water is just incredible!

That ended up being a full day and we got back to our place just in time to feed the kids and start the showers and bedtime routine.  Then we adults have a tiny bit of time to catchup and plan for the next day’s adventure!