Thanks as always Carol for the kind words and compliments!Carol Lynn wrote:Happy New Year Pete! I just want to say how much I enjoy your posts. I wish I could get to the park more often (not easy from Florida), but seeing your photos and reading your comments are the next best thing!
Thanks Ken!ND wrote:Hey Pete, I really like that last image in this recent series. The rocks on the shoreline draw one's eye in the landscape scene. The reflections in the second one are beautiful too!
Later gator(s)TnTammy wrote:Very cool clouds in that 2nd Lk McD image; nicely captured Pete!
Also enjoyed your discussion and pics of Sprague Creek Sites. I’ve wondered about a stay there vs at Avalanche, where the sites seem less concentrated. I know that folks favor Sprague, but driving through, the sites seem abit tight together. Good to hear the perspective of someone who’s stayed. The easy access to the lake must be sweet for sunsets & sunrises.
Hey Tammy
Yeah, some of the tent spots are a bit close. I'll do a new report the next time I get out there and make a "lame video".
Easier to show what each site look that way; there ain't that many.
The sites on the lake side of the loop seem a little larger and spaced better, but don't quote me quite yet.
Last time I stayed there it was a less desirable one near the rest rooms at the end of the loop. It wasn't that great but normally I only stay one night to get a head start on a hike. And I usually pick the crappier ones so the visitors can have the better ones. Same with backcountry sites.
Magnanimous maybe, but I feel guilty taking the good ones when it's just me.
Hard to believe Avalanche would be any quieter than Sprague. Many of the sites there aren't that far from the road. Plus Avalanche has always been a "zoo".
And the last few years have really been crazy.
Selfishly hoping the temps there stay up enough to keep the lake from freezing so we can see more images like yesterday’s.
Well you're getting your wish so far!! LOL And this week doesn't look like a cold one.
Some of the local lakes have frozen over deep enough to ice fish on, but those are mostly the shallow ones.
Lake McDonald is pretty deep in spots so it takes a lot of cold weather to freeze it.
Agree with ND about the rocks adding a lot of interest to the last lake view.
Yeah me too. I purposely way over saturated that upper one just to see what it would look like.
As a rule I do not like over saturated images, preferring a "natural" looking image if I can achieve it.
Those two pics weren't taken too far apart time wise. Shows you how quickly cloud cover changes.
Thanks Pete for showing us the latest.
You're welcome, as always
Any snowshoeing in your plans this year?
Yup, if we ever get enough snow! Yesterday some were snowshoeing but many were still hiking on the GTTS road.
Next weekend I make go out to the North Fork where there's more snow.
Some of it depends on work. We're down to just two casinos now from 9 when I started in January 2003
Been real busy moving machines from the closed joints to storage, and then fixing and updating software for possible sale.
That and daily routine is busier. Sad but finding decent help is really tough these days--and not just us.
Seems people simply don't want to work anymore. Work a day or a week and quit. And it's not just us that have that problem.
MarxMN wrote:Pete,
I like that jan. 5 set of pictures. I agree with ND about the shoreline rocks in the last pictures. I also like the rocks under the water in the first two. Those rocks and the reflections really add interest to the foreground.
Thanks Bill!
Yeah the rock colors looked pretty good in person that day for some reason. Subdued light? from the right angle? Water clarity? I have no idea LOL!
And then it may have been my imagination too
Also, thanks for the picture of the new bridge. I just read in the Hungry Horse News about it opening. I remember that construction from Thanksgiving time in 2017.
You're welcome.
Everyone has been waiting for that bridge to open. That said, the story in the paper said they will have to "resurface" some sections of the concrete. They poured it in the fall and then covered it with tarps. Apparently the guys doing that walked on the concrete before it had fully "set". The contractor said the "foot prints" would cause problems later on so they gotta do this resurfacing.
Knowing how the Montana State Road Dept works, they'll choose the 4th of July weekend to do the work
Bill
Hi To JulieJay w wrote:Hey, is that lake frozen yet?
That's a joke right?
Winter here has sucked, although the dumb folks who hate snow have liked it.
There are a surprising number of people living here who simply don't "get it" when it comes to understanding about snow in this part of the world.
No snow means no skiing and winter sports with all the economic benefits those activities bring.
That and virtually ALL the water we use comes from snow and rain.
Here's the forecast for the week. I doubt the mud puddles will freeze this week, and the long term forecast isn't looking too spiffy either.
El Nino, global warming, whatever...it sucks.
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.p ... 3010169351
Jay