Site 19, Many Glacier Campground
Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Mt. Henckel
We have watched many, many grizzlies up there!
We arrived at the Gladstone cabin a full 10 minutes early even! Talked to Jack for a while and made plans to meet at Lake McDonald Lodge at 7:30. Rosie, Scot and I took off for East Glacier. I treated them to breakfast at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I’d been craving their asparagus omelettes for months, we were supposed to have them the morning we started our backpack trip. It was just as good as I remembered. We left the Whistle Stop and didn't have to look far for Stinky. We were amazed that Scot did not know about Stinky the East Glacier dog!
We drove into Two Medicine and looked around for Jen, Jim, Karen and co. but didn't see them or their vehicles anywhere, so we drove to the Scenic Point trailhead. The first stop was Apistoki Falls...a pretty little waterfall.
Appistoki Falls, Two Medicine Area, Scenic Point Trail
I didn't tell Rosie and Scot that it was near here that someone had been killed by a grizzly in the 90's. We had passed a ranger led hike on our way in and they were just headed to the falls when we were going down.
This is a very, very steep trail. I had heard that but didn't realize HOW steep. There was a torn up log on the trail. There is little break from going up, up, up. Poor Scot had a cold and was coughing a lot but never complained. We stopped often for rest breaks and watched the clouds. At one point I was worried about some dark clouds - there is little cover on this trail if it lightning starts I called down several switchbacks to the ranger leading the hike and she said she wasn't worried, so we kept on ascending.
This trail is 3 miles one way but it feels like far more. I really wonder (as have others) if the posted mileage is actually correct. Near the top, the trail meanders through a forest of dead whitebark pine trees. They are beautiful in a sad way.
We reached the top - or what we THOUGHT was the top. It looked like the end of the trail. Then someone told us that the "technical" scenic point was 20 min. further out. Rosie and Scot said they were done - so we called it "close enough" and stayed put to rest.
A half mile from the trailhead, someone asked us if we'd seen the bear...apparently there had been a black bear hanging around the trailhead. We hadn't...we had seen scat that was pretty fresh, but no tracks.
We got in the car and stopped in East Glacier for Gatorade for the kids and iced tea for me, and hit Highway 2. I had gotten a room in Columbia Falls for the night because our sleeping bags, tent, and clothes were so wet. On our drive to Columbia Falls Scot read to us from his "Haunted Montana" book. There are some very eerie tales in there! We checked into our room and I spread out wet camping gear to dry while Rosie and Scot watched tv. Then we headed to Jammer Joe's at Lake McDonald Lodge for dinner...and more ghost stories. I've heard stories about the pizza at Jammer Joe's being greasy and not very good, and about the horrible service. We had GREAT service - our waiter was from Turkey - and the pizza was great.
We finished an hour before Jack's show was due to start. Rosie and Scot got invited to play kickball with a group of park employees on the big lawns outsde the lodge,
so I walked around and took pictures (I spend very little time at that part of the park) and read my book.
Jack's show that night was in a rustic log auditorium adjacent to Lake McDonald Lodge.
Here is a link to Jack and Mariah performing "Circle of Life" that night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHy_xM9GCt0
After the show we said goodbye to them, probably until next summer.
Scot Gladstone, Rosie Morrison, Mariah Gladstone
I hope we can get Jack to Minnesota one of these years. Once again, for more informaiton on Jack and his amazing work, go to: http://www.jackgladstone.com/
Rosie and I went back to the Super 8 in Columbia Falls for a DRY night's sleep. It was dry, but not very restful...it was very noisy and at 2 a.m. someone kept banging on the door at the end of the hall and screaming for someone to let them in. I called the desk and they said there was nothing they could do. I'm picky about things like that. I won't be staying there again....it it was cheap it would be a different story, but due to it's proximity to Glacier, it is definitely NOT cheap.
I didn't tell Rosie and Scot that it was near here that someone had been killed by a grizzly in the 90's. We had passed a ranger led hike on our way in and they were just headed to the falls when we were going down.
This is a very, very steep trail. I had heard that but didn't realize HOW steep. There was a torn up log on the trail. There is little break from going up, up, up. Poor Scot had a cold and was coughing a lot but never complained. We stopped often for rest breaks and watched the clouds. At one point I was worried about some dark clouds - there is little cover on this trail if it lightning starts I called down several switchbacks to the ranger leading the hike and she said she wasn't worried, so we kept on ascending.
This trail is 3 miles one way but it feels like far more. I really wonder (as have others) if the posted mileage is actually correct. Near the top, the trail meanders through a forest of dead whitebark pine trees. They are beautiful in a sad way.
We reached the top - or what we THOUGHT was the top. It looked like the end of the trail. Then someone told us that the "technical" scenic point was 20 min. further out. Rosie and Scot said they were done - so we called it "close enough" and stayed put to rest.
Rosie and Scot - the "Closer" Scenic Point
The hike down was of course much faster but still seemed longer than 3 miles. 
I love this trail photo!
A half mile from the trailhead, someone asked us if we'd seen the bear...apparently there had been a black bear hanging around the trailhead. We hadn't...we had seen scat that was pretty fresh, but no tracks.
We got in the car and stopped in East Glacier for Gatorade for the kids and iced tea for me, and hit Highway 2. I had gotten a room in Columbia Falls for the night because our sleeping bags, tent, and clothes were so wet. On our drive to Columbia Falls Scot read to us from his "Haunted Montana" book. There are some very eerie tales in there! We checked into our room and I spread out wet camping gear to dry while Rosie and Scot watched tv. Then we headed to Jammer Joe's at Lake McDonald Lodge for dinner...and more ghost stories. I've heard stories about the pizza at Jammer Joe's being greasy and not very good, and about the horrible service. We had GREAT service - our waiter was from Turkey - and the pizza was great.
We finished an hour before Jack's show was due to start. Rosie and Scot got invited to play kickball with a group of park employees on the big lawns outsde the lodge,
Jack's show that night was in a rustic log auditorium adjacent to Lake McDonald Lodge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHy_xM9GCt0
After the show we said goodbye to them, probably until next summer.
I hope we can get Jack to Minnesota one of these years. Once again, for more informaiton on Jack and his amazing work, go to: http://www.jackgladstone.com/
Rosie and I went back to the Super 8 in Columbia Falls for a DRY night's sleep. It was dry, but not very restful...it was very noisy and at 2 a.m. someone kept banging on the door at the end of the hall and screaming for someone to let them in. I called the desk and they said there was nothing they could do. I'm picky about things like that. I won't be staying there again....it it was cheap it would be a different story, but due to it's proximity to Glacier, it is definitely NOT cheap.
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