A Martin Photo: September 2018

This month passed at warp speed! Unfortunately, reading this entry will not :)

It seems that the beginning of each month has presented us with a challenge to start things off and throw us into regroup mode, and September was no exception. With plans to backpack to Titcomb Basin in the Wind River Range the day after Labor Day, we rolled into Pinedale, Wyoming on September 2nd and checked into our campsite at Half Moon Lake. The plan was to relax for a couple of days and organize our gear as we had planned for three nights in the backcountry. The Wind River Range features some of the more preeminent rock climbing features in all of the world and draws climbers from far reaches. Planning to hike in on Tuesday, we hoped the crowds would dissipate. The Winds sit at high elevation, the Big Sandy trailhead alone is nearly 9,000 feet with Titcomb Basin sitting at 10,500 feet and Jackass pass at 10,800 feet, so monitoring weather was important to us as we move toward fall. There was a chance for some rain/snow by Thursday, so we decided we would head in Monday as most people would be heading out at the end of Labor Day weekend. Lows were forecasted into the mid to low 20s, which would really test our sleeping bag comfort ratings, but we were prepared to give it a go, packing in hot tea, soup, and hot hands. We decided to change course a bit and opted for Cirque of the Towers instead of Titcomb Basin as it would give us an easier out in the event the weather turned sour.

We left for the trailhead by 6am with nearly a 2 hour drive ahead of us- the thing about the Winds, is they aren’t really convenient to access from anywhere, but a small price to pay for time in the alpine. Along the drive, we noticed a couple of cars pulled over on the highway, so naturally, we followed suit and saw a bull moose traveling across a field awash in early morning light. After snapping a few photos, we looked to the other side of the road and saw three more bulls, two of whom were sparring, antlers engaged. I was racing to change from a 28-300mm lens to a 300-600mm lens to capture some close-ups while keeping us at a safe viewing distance from these testosterone fueled beasts. The lighting was perfect- soft and glowing- while the cool morning air produced steamy snorts as the bulls huffed and puffed. All in all, these were some of my favorite wildlife shots I’ve ever taken.

Big bull

Really big bull

The drive up the forest road was exquisitely scenic with aspens and cottonwoods telling the tale of recent cold nights, their rustling leaves gold and glittering in the early morning breeze. About 3/4 of a mile from the trailhead, we began seeing vehicles parked on both sides of the forest road, an always ominous sign, and it continued all the way to the proper trailhead. We conservatively estimated over 400 cars and both began to feel anxious for multiple reasons. One, semi private camping options, despite the trailhead leading to numerous destinations, were surprisingly minimal beyond Big Sandy Lake per all the sources we reviewed (internet, book, and human). Two, we both strongly believe the impact of too many people hiking/recreating in one place at one time is severely damaging to the ecosystem and its natural inhabitants- wildlife, plants, etc. It’s the old “Loved to death” adage, and we both felt uneasy about further adding to the burden. We saw one vehicle pull up and leave immediately, and we felt like doing the same thing. We paused for about 15 minutes to consider our options. This was a trip we both wanted to do, but we also both have our minimum standards for enjoyment if you will, and nowhere in those standards does it allow for over 1000 people in such a small radius. Disappointed and dismayed, we elected to head for Jackson. We still had another night at our campground at Half Moon Lake, but we had enough of that crowd the night before and decided to forego that. On the way to Jackson, we decided to stop and fish along the Hoback River, just to do something to get our mind off baling. We found a nice stretch near the Granite Hot Springs turnoff where, after lunch, we pulled 4 good size cutthroat out of the river, chasing dry flies.

Nice cutthroat on the Hoback

Fine spotted cutthroat, unique to the Snake River area

We arrived in Jackson and easily secured a spot in the Gros Ventre campground for two nights. The next morning, we woke early and hiked to Surprise and Amphitheater Lakes where we were treated to elk bugles, relative solitude (at the lakes and on the way up at least), and glassy waters reflecting the Grand Teton and Disappointment Peak. We covered nearly 10 miles that day and felt justified consuming a huge pizza and some beers from our favorite pizza place in Jackson, Pinky G’s. We spent the next two days fishing on the Snake where the first of the two, the fish were extremely active. Shaun caught 8 cutthroat while I had 2 that I couldn’t get into the net- close enough for me to almost touch, but as cutties are apt to do, wiggled off and got the best of the angler. Day two was pretty slow with three fish total (2 for Shaun, 1 for me- outdone yet again!). After arriving back at our campsite, we decided to go check out the Gros Ventre River as we had heard there were some moose back there. We found three cows and a bull, and we spent about 30 minutes watching them eat and lounge. After that, we decided to give fishing a try. We had about an hour and a half of daylight left and wandered upriver to an area where there was a promising shelf. Shaun pulled about a 20” monster out of there, and it was probably one of the most beautiful fish I had ever seen. I nearly fell in the water trying to help him net it, but thankfully, I was able to keep my feet, and we both marveled at the colorful creature.

Surprise Lake

Amphitheater Lake

Loungy moose by the river

Beautiful cutthroat out of the Gros Ventre River at dusk

Some of you may recall from my last entry my disappointment that my best friend, Jacqueline wasn’t going to be able to make it to Jackson to meet up with us. Well, things have a way of working out wonderfully sometimes, and she was going to be able to meet up with us for two days which was great news! It's always good to rendezvous with a familiar face- it really lifts our spirits.

She and her husband were going to be in town by Thursday evening, leaving us Friday and part of Saturday. Expecting them around noon on Friday, we headed out for some sunrise photography with the intention of napping until they arrived. We talked to some really nice people from CA as we waited for the sun to show, who were visiting the Tetons as part of a bucket list trip and were hoping to see some moose but had yet been unsuccessful. As we have been to the Tetons several times, we know good places to spot moose, so we emptied all of our moose knowledge on them, and sure enough, as we drove back to the campsite, we saw moose just where we predicted. I have no way of knowing if they saw any, but I like to hope they did, finishing off their bucket list trip in style!

This view never gets old

Too excited to nap and too selfish to let Shaun nap, I convinced him (yeah it was really tough- sarcasm) to go give the Gros Ventre another try. After skirting around a moose who huffed at us, we bushwhacked through some really sketchy territory that looked ripe for moose and found an ideal stretch of water where we both caught a cutthroat each. The scenery was magnificent, in the shadows of the Teton range and the ever-changing aspens and cottonwoods. We even watched an otter run along the banks. Knowing we needed to make our way back toward the campsite as it was already near noon, we tried one more spot, and I finally had redemption for the frustration of the previous couple of fishing days, landing a fat cutthroat of around 18 inches with coloring similar to the one Shaun caught the previous night. As we walked back to the campground, we saw nearly a full moose skeleton, conveniently near where we saw wolf prints. The femurs on that thing were enormous.

Unparalleled scenery

Didn't even mind these guys blowing the run

Shaun's hand for scale

This was a two hander, and it was gone in a flash

Reunions are so sweet, and there were definitely tears of joy! Despite it being over two months since we’d seen each other, it was like weren’t apart at all. Life is funny in who it brings into your circle, as I never would have thought five years ago when I started working at St Joe’s that my manager would become my best friend and pretty much like a member of our family, but that’s exactly what happened. She’s been there for me through all of life’s ups and downs from losses of family members and pets, to celebrating successes, and mourning failures and disappointments. It’s tough to navigate those relationships as it requires a great deal of compartmentalization to keep work work and keep friendship out of it, but I think we did great, and it was just so uplifting to see her and to be able to laugh as we do and to spend time together.

We headed over to Jenny Lake to take in the sights because despite its popularity and our times in the Tetons, we'd never actually been there. We took the ferry across and hiked up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point before heading back to the visitor center via the Jenny Lake Trail. On the way back to the campground before going to dinner, we saw a mother moose and two calves in the Gros Ventre river, drinking large quantities of water. It was such a cool scene, and we all enjoyed watching them go about their day.

Jenny Lake

Happy family

Shaun and I fell asleep with bellies full of delicious BBQ from Big Hole BBQ in Victor, Idaho across Teton Pass, and we slept for nearly 10 hours which pretty much sealed the deal that it was to be a lazy day. After running some errands in town, we met up for dinner and to say goodbye which of course was sad, but I am so thankful for the time we had.

Till we meet again!

One of my goals for this summer was to spend some time backpacking the Wind River Range. As mentioned earlier, we had to abort our mission due to ridiculous crowds, but we vowed to return after Labor Day to either hike or backpack to Cirque of the Towers, one of the two crown jewels of the Wind River Range, the other being Titcomb Basin to the North. We again made our way toward the trailhead on Sunday, noting even more progression of the fall colors, again, exquisite. After about two miles, we began to hear a weird sound coming from the van- it sounded like a combination of whirring and rubbing, neither of which we were excited about. We pulled over to take a look, where all I can offer is moral support as I am utterly clueless about cars, car engines, etc. We were both able to tell, however, that it was in the vicinity of the serpentine belt. After a brief discussion, we elected to head back toward Pinedale and have a mechanic take a look at it on Monday, and by a mechanic, I mean the mechanic, as there is only one shop in town, and it is closed on Sundays. Stopping to regroup at a gas station, we once again took a look when my brilliant husband noticed the battery plug (as part of a winterized batter that can be plugged in in extreme cold) had fallen down and into the serpentine belt. After reattaching it, the sound was magically gone! Hooray! Unfortunately, we had already driven over an hour back to town and loathed the idea of driving another hour 45 back to the trailhead, so we did the only logical thing- hit the Wind River Brewery for comfort beverages and breadsticks wrapped in bacon. We decided to stay up near Granite Hot Springs and then drive back to the trailhead Monday evening for our third attempt to even start the Cirque of the Towers Hike. We found a dispersed camping site where we both aired some frustration and anxiety regarding some of the challenges of nomadic life and constant reshuffling. After that cleanse, we talked over our plan for the next day including trying to figure out the timing of our hike, how long it would take, how much food, etc. We fished for a few hours on the Hoback, pulling a few fish from a deep canyon before heading back to the Big Sandy Campground that evening, hoping luck would be on our side and there would be fewer people and a place to stay at the campground, conveniently located steps from the start of our hike to Cirque of the Towers. We arrived to find the trailhead parking lot about 75% full and no cars lining the road for miles, and we also secured a spot at the Big Sandy Campground. As trivial as it sounds, it was a huge weight lifted, and I finally felt hopeful and optimistic for the hike.

Cirque of the Towers is literally a cirque of towering peaks that sit along the Continental Divide, with names such as Warbonnet, Warrior, and Wolfs Head. Most guidebooks recommend a three day backpack to cover the 18 miles, so naturally, we chose to do it in one day. It’s six mostly level miles to Big Sandy Lake where you traverse around the lake before beginning the relatively rapid ascent to Jackass Pass, including steep switchbacks and scrambles over boulders, reaching the Pass at exactly nine miles. From the Pass, the peaks lay stretched before you, no longer towering as the pass sits at 10,800 feet, and Lonesome Lake sits below, cupped in the cirque, surrounded by golden grasses and bushes, dipped in the canvas of fall. After the long arduous negotiation of Arrowhead Lake via a climbers trail and the final climb to the Pass, we enjoyed lunch and complete solitude for about 30 minutes, and then came the wind. Strong enough to nearly bowl us over, we decided it was time to say goodbye and turn our attention from reveling in accomplishment to the harsh reality that the hardest part of the trip was yet to come. Reaching the top of a mountain or pass is the easy part, it’s the mental challenge of having to get down that gets me. Those six easy miles from Big Sandy Lake to the van, were to be the most difficult, but we eventually made it out and back to the van. All told, it took us ten hours including two forced stops for hydration and to change socks, lunch, and photos, etc. We got a hotel in Pinedale for the night and enjoyed some local Mexican food and the hot tub to sooth our sore joints.

Shaun walking around the shore of Big Sandy Lake... we get to go over that big hill- yay

This is part of the trail around Arrowhead Lake, we are heading to the top of the pass just ahead

Lots of rock

Made it to the Pass

Panorama from Jackass Pass

Looking down to Lonesome Lake

Looking down at Arrowhead Lake

We both woke the next morning feeling surprisingly less sore and dead than we expected and started to make our journey toward Dubois and Lander via Towogotee Pass. We stopped in Dubois at the Jackalope gas station, which is apparently a big deal. We decided to go ahead and head toward the Wind River Canyon for both scenery and the novelty of fishing there, which required a separate license and stamp to fish Tribal Lands. We were told fishing the canyon, much like when we fished Fremont Canyon outside of Casper, that you don’t go there to catch lots of fish, you go there to catch a big fish. Well, it took all day, but it finally happened for me, when I was able to land a sizable rainbow trout, which I couldn’t have done without Shaun’s expert net skills as this fish wrapped my line around not one, but two rocks which is usually a recipe for a lost fish or broken fly line.

Unbelievable canyon scenery within the Wind River Reservation

Definitely a team effort to bring this one into the net

We decided to drive on to Cody to shorten our drive the next day when we would be driving through West Yellowstone and back to the Madison River to meet up with our friend, David. Even though I vowed to never return to Yellowstone, I enjoyed the drive, and we even stopped off at the Grand Prismatic Spring which was somewhat crowded but definitely had a different vibe than any part of the park did in July. I always wondered if it was worth the fuss, and it truly was a magnificent sight.

Grand Prismatic on a cloudy day

We returned to one of the first campgrounds we stayed in as we embarked on our journey- Beaver Creek Campground along Quake Lake and the Madison River as we were to meet up with an old friend from middle and high school, David Hensley, who was out fishing the Henry’s Fork with a friend. It is always a boost to our spirits to meet up with people on the road, and we had a great day fishing, laughing, and eating at the Cabin Creek Cafe.

Always good to meet up with old friends

The boys

We drove on to Missoula after our day of fishing and had another glorious night’s sleep in a Wal-Mart parking lot. This Wal-Mart camping thing is really quite popular as there must have been 20 other vans/campers in the lot. When all you need to do is sleep, you can’t beat it really. The next morning, we drove to Whitefish, got another early check-in and spent the whole day doing something we have wanted to do but haven’t yet- watch football allllll day. We didn’t even care who was playing, we just wanted to watch, and it was great. The next day called for hiking, so we didn’t mind vegging out and resting up for the next day’s adventures.

We had planned to hike to Cracker Lake but because Going to the Sun Road was closed still due to fire activity, it was going to be nearly a three hour drive, and we had already vowed to NOT get up in the 5s, 6s, or 7s, so we made an alternative plan to hike to Bullhead Lake, as our plan B, Avalanche Lake was closed due to fire activity as well. As we left the hotel, we found out that Going to the Sun Road was open all the way from West Glacier to East Glacier, which was awesome as it would save us a lot of time (in theory) going to Many Glacier, but unfortunately, given Cracker Lake is a 12 mile hike, and we left the hotel at 10:30, that was out. We decided not to sweat it and make our way toward Bullhead Lake. The fall colors and views were so stupendous that we didn’t even make it to Many Glacier till after 2:00, and our first order of business was to find a campsite, which we luckily did quite easily at the Many Glacier Campground, a short walk from our intended trailhead. The other thing we neglected to do was eat lunch, so we decided to eat a quick sandwich and then decide if we could make a 7 mile hike in less than four hours (for the record, we can). We sat down at the picnic table at our site which offered distant views of the vast hillside behind the lodge, partially obstructed by tree limbs. Shaun made a comment, “hope we see some bears” or something similar, and I glanced up to the hillside and said, “I think I see one right now.” I went back to the van and retrieved his binoculars, and sure enough, I spotted a grizzly and two cubs far away in the distance. We walked to the edge of the campground where it meets the Many Glacier parking area for a closer look, and I took along my 600mm zoom lens to document the sighting. We could see all three grazing, and before long, other people had spotted them, too. Finally some bears!! Scanning the hillside further, I saw another mother and two more cubs further down the hillside, almost exactly where we had seen a mother and two cubs two years prior. We knew where they were headed, so we gobbled up the rest of our sandwiches and headed toward the trail. From our vantage on the bridge, we barely saw them as they had descended closer to the treeline, so we decided to head to the nearby lake as we know there are often moose there. Sure enough, a moose cow was smack in the middle of the lake with towering peaks in the background to set the scene. We watched her wade and dunk her head under the water for mouthfuls of slop grass. After watching her for about 15 minutes we headed back toward the campsite, but we both wanted to see if we could get a closer look at the grizzlies, so we headed up a different trail we know intersects with their anticipated path. After about a half mile, we found fantastic views of the mother and both cubs. There were two other photographers there, and eventually we had a small crowd of 10-12 people, all staying the required 100+ yards away from the grizzly group. We watched them for probably half an hour, but as they continued to descend, mom first, we decided it was time to leave them be, and we headed back to the campsite for good.

Such a beautiful animal

Couldn't have scripted a better backdrop than this

She spent a lot of time eating

After waking early the next morning to photograph the sunrise at Swiftcurrent Lake, we headed out intent on getting into Kalispell with plenty of time to do our laundry before getting yet another windshield. As we drove through thickening fog, we spotted a car or two pulled off the side of the road and in the adjacent meadow, a mother grizzly with two second year cubs. So we kept driving… yeah right, we pulled over, too, and I climbed on top of the roof rack for a better vantage. After watching them graze for a few minutes, we decided to quit gawking and continue on our way. As we neared the exit back onto the main road, a bull moose crossed in front of us and down to the river where he expertly navigated the rushing waters to gain the opposite bank and tasty willow trees. The rest of the day was quite uneventful as it was consumed with errands and adulting. We did make it to BC that evening, nearer our ultimate destination of Yoho National Park.

A chilly but scenic morning at Swiftcurrent

A mother grizzly and two cubs grazing near the road

This cub had such a light colored coat

We have had a lot of luck sighting moose

This bull was much smaller than the ones we saw in Wyoming

We easily found a campsite in Yoho and reserved it for the next four nights. After checking the weather forecast, we decided we ought to take advantage of the sunny, albeit cold, day as some nasty weather would be moving in over the next couple of days. We did a steep hike up to Paget Lookout and enjoyed magnificent views of the Yoho Valley before descending down and taking a side trail to Sherbrooke Lake, which we could see from the upper trail. It was pure turquoise and just as serene. The fall colors were robust, but no larches, which are fall’s showstoppers when it comes to foliage.

View from Paget Lookout

It really was that green

Sherbrooke Lake

The next three days were an experiment in tiny cabin fever… rain, rain, rain, snow, snow, rain, rain, snow, and then more of the same. We eventually resorted to UNO and bad country music, or to some, country music, depending on your persuasion. The van has been quite hospitable and comfortable all summer, and while we have had some rain or thunderstorms now and then, we had not experienced sustained bad weather for any significant period of time. It was quite frustrating and challenging as we knew the trails were getting waterlogged and the snow levels were moving downward, further complicating our hiking plans in the event we did get a weather break. Temperatures were in the 30’s, and while it was freezing outside, we stayed pretty toasty in the van. I have thought for a while, but I am even more of a believer now that wool is the finest fabric there is. You stay warm, don’t overheat, and it can handle damp climates. I hike almost exclusively in wool base layers and have added a large wool blanket to the van’s bedding arsenal.

NO!!!

Going crazy

Not a bad hand

By day three, we had decided to venture out no matter the weather, though rumor had it we would be getting a break the next day, which would have been Sunday. We got in a quick waterfall hike Saturday evening, but we were admittedly skeptical about the predicted clear skies for the next morning. We hiked to Wapta Falls which is an enormous flow of turquoise, silt laden water sourced from the Kicking Horse River. Evidence of past mudslides was everywhere, including right in front of the falls which made it challenging to gain a good vantage to see them in their entirety. We didn’t care- the rain had stopped, and we could actually see something! After scrambling down to river level, we rock hopped to a small island and climbed up for an eye level view, still obscured by landslide mass but worth it as we were able to see the peaks rising in the background though they were partially shrouded in low lying clouds and fog. The spray from the falls was considerable which created challenging long exposure photography conditions. We counted ourselves lucky to have solitude at the falls as it is highly accessible from the main highway and is a short jaunt, doable for even a novice hiker. After hiking back out, we headed back to our campsite hopeful for better weather the next day to allow us to accomplish some more of our planned hikes, this time for larches.

View of Wapta Falls from the platform

Obstructed view but the water truly was that green

View of the river along the trail

Well, no such luck. Cold, rainy, and dreadful. We slept in till around 9:00 and took our time packing up our things as we were not optimistic about getting an early check-in to our hotel. We drove to Banff and thought we’d give the early check-in a shot, just in case. Hallelujah- we were able to check in to the Mt Royal Hotel at 11:30!! After enduring the cold, a shower has rarely been as welcome. Squeaky clean and refreshed, we ventured a few doors down to the Banff Avenue Brewing Company where we each had a sampler and shared a favorite- pretzel with beer cheese dip and classic poutine. Blissed out on carbs, we returned to our room and decided to go check out the rooftop hot tub/bar situation. The views from the hot tub were incredible, and the drinks were tasty. True to form, we had some mixed precipitation falling, but we’ve become pretty adept at handling that, so we drank on and enjoyed the relaxation.

Lovely views from atop the Mt Royal Hotel in downtown Banff

Convinced the weather would be sufficient or just too determined to care, we rose early the next morning to hike to the lightly trafficked Taylor Lake for some larch viewing. We arrived at the trailhead around 730 and were on the trail by 745. It was 4.5 miles up to Taylor Lake, and once I got my first glimpse of the larches, I was practically running up the trail as there was actually some blue in the sky, and when I say running, I was basically keeping up with Shaun’s long legs. We made it to the lake in under two hours, and it was an absolutely breathtaking scene. Perfectly still water and larch trees everywhere including on sheer cliff sides beset by the week’s snowfall. I snapped about 100 photos rapidly, still worried the weather would shift and thwart my photo objectives. There was a couple camped at the lake, and we chatted with them for a bit before heading north on a spur trail that if completed, would take you 10 miles to Moraine Lake. Our objective was Panorama Pass, a larch filled meadow offering views of the backside of the lake cirque. From the spur trail, the path climbed steadily and the snow became more abundant. After a half mile or so, we reached the pass, and it was a wonderland of peak golden larch trees, illuminated by the sun’s reflection off the snow, which was several inches deep and firm from last night’s freeze. We marveled and reveled in the scene. Truthfully, I was near tears, as the previous days’ weather had me afraid we wouldn’t be able to make it to this lake and pass. After a quick snack, we headed back down toward the lake where we chatted with the couple again about life, priorities, and recommendations for road trips. It was refreshing to talk with people with a similar life view. He is an attorney, she a physical therapist, and they both expressed dedication to experiencing life beyond work. We said goodbye and headed back to the car, eagerly awaiting our 8:00 dinner reservation at Chuck’s in downtown Banff, so we could finally judge which region has better beef- Patagonia or Alberta. Our first post-hike treat was a Beaver Tail- basically a flaky funnel cake with ridiculous toppings. Shaun had a Nutella and banana, while I opted for the birthday cake, complete with a cupcake on top! After hitting the hot tub for a bit, we decided to head out for pre-dinner drinks and an appetizer. Once we arrived at Chuck’s, we were promptly seated and treated to a crash course in Alberta beef farming, of which I remember none, but our waiter was very enthusiastic about his work and quite knowledgeable. We shared a dry aged porterhouse, which while tasty, it was nowhere close to as good as the cheapest piece of meat we ate in Argentina, so now you know! Patagonian beef>Albertan beef. We were due to check out of the hotel on Tuesday morning, but we had quickly grown accustomed to a shower, comfy bed, and roof top hot tub and bar, so we splurged for one more night. The next morning, we drove the Icefields Parkway all the way to the Columbia Icefield before reversing course back to Banff. The Icefields Parkway is incredibly scenic, traveling high into the alpine, offering up close views of numerous glaciers as well as surprisingly extensive fall colors at the lower elevations. Predictably, it was full of tour buses and tourists, but I’m still glad we saw it.

Taylor Lake

Beautiful Larch

The snow was a nice scenic touch, but my feet were cold

Not the famed Larch Valley but you couldn't convince us otherwise

We headed out the next day as more nasty weather was due to move in by Saturday, bringing with it below freezing temps and snow. We had just had enough- of the weather, the crowds, and the lack of access, similar to our frustrations with summer. Lake O’Hara is the gateway to some of the finest larch hikes in all of Alberta, but you cannot drive to it, you must take a shuttle, which requires a reservation. Recommended booking window is up to three months in advance, and while we knew we were taking a chance, we did not expect to be told all of the tickets for the season sold out in the first two days (back in April). Moraine Lake and Lake Louise parking lots filled up each morning before 8 am, necessitating an overflow lot and 15 minute shuttle. We did make it to Lake Louise, but it was crawling with tourists and thoroughly not enjoyable, It is easy to see why so many people flock to Banff, but it is just not our scene. We had hoped to make it back to Kananaskis, but the weather just simply wouldn’t cooperate, and we were both missing fall and weren’t ready to go straight to winter. Therefore, back south we headed, stopping in Whitefish for our favorite pizza before landing in Coeur D’Alene for the night.

Lake Louise, not pictured, thousands of people

Many of you are probably familiar with the perils of forest roads, and they did a number on the van’s alignment and subsequently the front tires, which had become extremely worn on the inside, so we got to buy two new tires- hooray! It was as painless as it could be, as we were in and out pretty quickly and continued our trek south toward Bend.

Being out of Canada a few weeks before we expected to be left us scrambling, once again, for a route. Our current plan is to head down to Redding, CA for some fishing and then over to Yosemite for some hiking. From there, it’s onward to Moab, Santa Fe, and then to Tennessee!

Following are some other favorite images that didn't quite fit in with the above narrative. Thanks for reading and for the support and well wishes!