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Glacier 2001 -- Trip Report Part 8
(Click on the thumbnail pictures to see a larger view) |
|
Glacier 2001 -- Trip Report Part 8
(Click on the thumbnail pictures to see a larger view) |
| We rose early and ate breakfast at Pop's (where
cups with names on them hung on the wall for the regulars). Shivering
from the cold morning, we got on our way to Monahan Mountain! Well,
that is, we were going to drive up to the Morrell Mountain Fire Lookout
and hope we could see it (it's a 10 mile hike one way from the end of a
gravel road to actually set foot on it!). Carol did a great job on
the rough, narrow and winding dirt (at best!) road and we got to the top
by 9 am. From the ranger station the day before we knew to look for
Ryan Hughes, a forestry student from the University of Montana on his second
day on the job as lookout. Sure enough, he greeted us, and showed
us some photos which showed the name for each of the surrounding peaks.
There it was! Barely showing over a nearby ridge, we saw the top
of Monahan Mountain! Although the haze was surprising at such an
early hour, the views from the fire tower of the Mission Mountains, Seeley
Lake, and the valleys to the south were spectacular.
The descent was slow and we did encounter one other vehicle on the way down, but we got back to town, ate great burgers at "Lindy's on the lake" (a concession that the Lindy's steakhouse runs down by the boat dock ), and sat evaluating our plans. We had two items left on our agenda: a hike to Morrell Falls and canoe trail on the river that feeds into Seeley Lake. After going back and forth, we decided that we wouldn't see many critters floating down the river mid-day, so we hopped in the car and drove off to hike to the Falls. The information said the hike was 2.3 miles, so maybe we could get back in time to still hit the river. But to our surprise after the cool morning, the hike started off hot, and continued to warm with the temperature eventually climbing to the mid-90's (in Montana!). We had expected an easy stroll, but with the unexpected heat and humidity (we should have gotten a clue from the haze earlier!) the rolling terrain took a toll. It took 75 minutes to reach the falls, but were well worth it in the end! They really were as tall as advertised - 90 ft! We sat, cooling our feet, with the spray blowing over us, and watched the dippers. The water was so wonderfully cold! After a good rest, we put our boots back on, and John dunked his hat in the cold water. The return hike was a breeze by comparison, with more shade from a lower sun, and John had a trickle of water just a hat squeeze away! Since the hike took much longer than expected, we had no opportunity for canoeing -- maybe next time! After some cool showers, and dinner at the Elkhorn Cafe, we went looking for a place to scope. Following a local's suggestion, we drove on a dirt road for about 7 miles to Placid Lake State Park where we were greeted by a ranger who was about to tell us that the campground was full. The conversation was a stitch! "Hope you're not looking for a campsite." "No, we're looking for a place to watch wildlife." "Well, you're a little early ... things will probably get a little interesting here later on..., or do you mean the four legged kind?" "Four or two with wings." The ranger scratched his head, and then with a straight face said, "Well, you're going to have to find a back road for something like that." We thought we just drove on a back road - seven miles down a dirt road wasn't exactly the middle of the city! Guess folks in Montana just look at things a little differently! Back on the highway, we drove down to a pullout at the north end of Salmon Lake. Although further than the blind the night before, we had a good experience: four herons, ducks, deer, Canada geese, and some others we didn't recognize. As it grew dark, we went back to Pop's for some Moose Tracks ice cream (reminding us of Yellowstone) at the end of a great trip. |
| Pictures from Monahan Mountain and the Morrell Falls Trail
- (Click on the thumbnail pictures to see a larger view) |
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