Montana Vistas

Saturday we flew to Bozeman, Montana, for a week's visit with Ken and Susan Aulen (Evelyn's brother) at their condo adjacent to the Big Sky ski resort. What beautiful country this is, and what wonderful tour hosts Ken and Susan are. 

Sunday we visited Yellowstone National Park, enjoying several scenic stops and seeing the most famous tourist site, Old Faithful. Actually, we hiked a half mile to an observation point above the geyser, for a view not many enjoy. Then, after hiking back down, walking over to the Yellowstone Lodge (fantastic rustic interior) and enjoying moose tracks ice cream, we walked back to Old Faithful and saw her erupt from our seat with the other tourists at ground level.

The park is full of geysers and other unusual geologic phenomena, including “Paint Pots,” which I don’t understand and can’t explain!

A highlight was hiking along the Yellowstone River, viewing two huge waterfalls, and standing stunned at the canyon walls on either side of the river, dubbed (for good reason) as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Dinner was at Bullwinkle’s in West Yellowstone.

Yesterday we hiked to Lava Lake, “one of the most popular trails” in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, and probably the most difficult hike I’ve ever completed. Rated “moderately difficult,” the hike is an almost constant ascent of 1600 feet across three miles of boulder-strewn, sometimes boulder-covered dirt trail.

We were shaded by a forest of 12-story-tall lodge pole pines, accompanied by the melody of a river rushing down the mountain, often walking past hedges of some unnamed wild berries just now starting to ripen to a raspberry red.

We were rewarded at the top by access to Lava Lake, a shimmering blue beauty surrounded by pines and auto-sized boulders. We found several places to rest and soak up the serenity and enjoy our lunch of peanut butter sandwiches, chips, and peanut butter cookies. Protein bars and miniature Butterfingers gave us energy on the trail both climbing and descending the mountain.

My aching legs and hips were weak and rubbery by the time I had finished the hike back to the bottom. I was somewhat consoled this morning by the fact that the other three in our quartet were still speaking of their sore muscles.

Ken fixed shrimp on the grill, and we enjoyed dinner in Ken and Susan’s comfortable condo.

All these pictures and more are (or soon will be) in an album on my Facebook page.