Winter has decided to fall upon Montana in a big way! For those of you who know me, it stormed because I went to Kalispell for the holiday weekend!  No lie! Statistics show this to be true!  On Thursday, which was Thanksgiving, the skies were bright and blue and the temperature was in the high 30's.  The drive was beautiful.  The Seeley-Swan valley was picture perfect.  There was snow in the high country, but the roads were good.   Kalispell had about two inches of snow on the ground, and it was snowing very lightly when we arrived at Heathers house.   Wake up Friday, look out the motel window and see at least a foot of new snow.  This didn't stop Joe and me from heading to "The Park" though.  Glacier becomes even more magical in the winter.  The drive home to Helena on Saturday was an adventure.  What normally takes about two and a half hours took almost four and a half hours!  Speeds over 45 or 50 mph were foolish, and we were in four-wheel drive the entire way home.  Dropping into the Helena valley at about 1pm, the cold from the inversions that are common here hit us.  It was only 18 degrees F and falling fast!  Yesterday the high was only 12 degrees (low was 2) and today the high (so far) has been 7 degrees.  It is snowing right now, too, and I have about two new inches on my front steps.  The winds are blowing causing visibility to be about 1/4 to 1/2 mile.  Last Monday we were outside with only light jackets on, today you don't even walk to the car without a parka, hood, stocking cap, and warm gloves.  The biggest clue its cold outside is my dog, a Malamute cross who loves the snow, is refusing to leave the house unless nature is calling...and then for only five minutes or less!  The weather is a funny thing here in Montana...just on the other side (west) of the great divide, the temps are in the high 20's to low 30's!

     The weather aside, my Thanksgiving weekend was great.  Heather cooked her first turkey dinner and it was wonderful.  Very moist, and cooked to perfection.  OK, so she cooked the turkey and stuffing...and I showed up in time to show her how to make everything else.  I think I heard her say "that's all there is to it?" at least three times.  We made green bean casserole, candied yams, gravy, and mashed potatoes.   The feast was compleated with brown & serve rolls and cranberry sauce.  There were more dessert choices, too!  We brought an apple pie and bite size pecan tarts.  Grandma (my mom) sent along lemon bars, pumpkin cake bars, and german chocolate brownies.  I feel contented and sleepy just remembering the day!

     On Friday, Joe and I woke early to take the trek to Glacier Park.  On November 6-7 record amounts of rain fell in the park and caused massive flooding and damage.  We were anxious to go and see some of the damage first hand, to just be back in the park surrounded by the ancient cedar forests, and to breathe the clean, crisp mountain air.  Waking to the new snowfall, I was wishing I had packed my cross country skis, but when we arrived at the locked gate near Lake McDonald Lodge I realized they wouldn't have been used.  The snow was being plowed from Going To The Sun highway to allow repair work to continue miles farther ahead.  Besides, the snow was wet and heavy...the bottom most layer almost slushy.  So, the snow wasn't great for skiing, but it was perfect for snowmen, and I built a 3 foot snow person at the end of the McDonald Falls viewing platform! 

     The photos and news footage of McDonald Creek showed a torrent of a river over 30 feet higher than normal raging through the narrow canyon scouring everything in its way.  Two and a half weeks later, the river was back in its waterway but evidence of the flooding was everywhere.  The horse bridge at McDonald Falls was ripped apart, whole sections washed away.  Giant cedar trees were scarred by passing debris, smaller trees compleatly ripped out, roots and all.   The creekside portion of the trail that used to follow the river from the horse bridge, under GTTS highway and up to John's lake was washed away leaving only boulders and slick bedrock behind.  Moss and ferns that had found pruchase on the ancient brick work of the trail underpass have been pulled out by the high waters.   Closer to McDonald Lake, the car bridge that acceses private inholdings and lesser known trailheads was caution taped off most likely until engineers could inspect its integrity.  Lake McDonald itself was high in its banks and unusually cloudy for this time of year.  A milky green, it provided a striking contrast for photos of the snow covered mountains.  I am sure the new snowfall covered much of the recent damage, but as a regular to this portion of the park, I could see enough.  Most of the damage was to man-made things, that with time will be repaired.  Nature took care of her own housekeeping sweeping years old log jams and sandbars into the lake.  It will be interesting to see the changes further up the valley when the road reopens next June.  Until then, I will return to ski the lower sections of GTTS and the Northfork roads during the winter months, and hike the lowland trails in the early spring.