2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Glacier presents some great photographic opportunities, talk about it here.

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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by TamandKev »

Pete,
Is sure is great to see pictures of the east side of GNP. They were working on hwy 89 last time we were able to drive to East Glacier from St Mary’s. Kevin always said “he could see our headlights from the rearview mirror” on that road. It was that curvy. Lol! It looks like the views are still amazing, and we have stoped many times on the hill above St Mary’s for pictures with horses and mountains in the background. Thank you for sharing your beautiful shots.
I’m glad you were able to find another option for camping/lodging. It always helps to have options. That is the best looking camp food I’ve seen and it looks delicious!!!!!
We are getting more excited and ready for our trip in July.
All our best!
Tammy and Kevin
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by zozeppelin »

Thanks Pete for the great pictures and the mountain IDs.
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by al_in_al »

PeteE wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:45 pm Not too worry Jessica. Thank you! :)
You going to sit out this year due to all the uncertainty and craziness?
I would love to come out this year in spite of the craziness, but I've got a seasonal job inside Yellowstone, so that's going to take up my whole summer. I know I'm going to enjoy my time exploring there, but I'm definitely going to miss Glacier.
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by PeteE »

I'll be headed to the East Side for the weekend.
Camping at "Leaning Tree Café & CG, the Blackfeet CG on Duck Lake Road just off US89.
I'll enter at St Mary before 6AM and drive to Sunrift Gorge. Hike up Baring Creek. There should be some early flowers like Pasque and Shooting Stars.
It'll be interesting to see how many visitors come this weekend on the East Side.

pete :wink:

May 25th Avalanche Creek
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"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by Chip »

Looking forward to your reports and pics. Counting the days till we are there.
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by Jay w »

Guess I missed a month of posts on this thread. It's good to see some activity and photos. I'm curious to hear about Leaning Tree. Probably five years ago we looked at Duck Lake Campground, and the sites did not seem level (sloped towards the lake) and it felt too isolated. As I look at a map, we took the road downhill into the campground, but there is a road right along the lake might be better and help the "isolated" feel. (I can't leave Julie in camp.)

Actually, my last search for campgrounds was in the Bob.

Jay
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by crh24 »

So good to hear from you Pete. Looking forward to your pictures.
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by PeteE »

Ken, Jay, and Craig:

The weekend was a total bust for me.
I left GNP East side Saturday AM after a pretty sh1tty and uncomfortable night.
It wasn't the Leaning Tree's fault. Just my own stupidity in not being properly prepared.
I have a little video and a few pics to post later.
Sorry.

pete :wink:

Johnson's CG opened Friday.
They are filling up fast so the ladies said when I made reservations for late July.
Breakfast was very good.
Two eggs, 4 large strips of bacon cooked just right(for me).
Toast, hash browns, and coffee.
$13.00 excluding tip
Gasoline was $3.55/gallon in St Mary.
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by PeteE »

It was very windy when I arrived at Leaning Tree around 5PM.
The forecast had been for 30-40mph gusts to 60mph. I wouldn't have disputed those numbers, especially earlier in the day.
And had to be 30+ while was pitching my tent. I had a HELL of a time setting my tent up. It nearly collapsed several times.
After getting the tent pitched, I drove to the park to look around. Intermittent rain and graupel.
So since I had worked that morning and was tired I drove back to the campground.
Too windy for a fire OR my Coleman stove :( Dinner was half of a Laurie's Deli ham and cheese and a cup of applesauce.
And then things got worse...

I decided to get in my tent and read until going to sleep.
Rounding my tent for a last minute check i "kicked" the sh1t out of one of my heavy duty "sand hog" stakes wearing crocs.
And it HURT like hell. The impact was on the top of the toe area so rubber was thin there.
Got in my tent.

My headlamp didn't work. Fine, I have a lantern and a flashlight.
Then I laid down to see if I had everything I needed before zipping up the fly.
My air mattress was flat! :twisted:
So I was going to have to sleep on my makeshift bedroll...
6ft of 24"x 1/4" reflectrix inside a 20+ year old fleece blanket that zips into a rectangular "bag" with NO air mattress. :twisted:
I do NOT sleep well on either side unless sufficiently cushioned. And in this case I may as well have been laying on the ground.

So I woke up feeling miserable. My toe hurt(still hurts).
Both my hips were killing me from laying on my side(s).
My back hurt, most likely from fitful sleep.

It was still windy Saturday AM although a clear beautiful day, however...
I said "F" it, ate at Johnson's, packed up and came home to try Plan "B"...which didn't work out too well either.

pete :wink:
A short clip from Friday
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-c6s ... q-1920.mp4
A quick look at Leaning Tree
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-SPm ... f-1920.mp4
The two small cabins go for $125/night. The two larger cabins go for $150/night
This Cg is pretty noisy from the highway, cows, dogs, and a noisy raven Saturday AM :)
They don't have both bathrooms available yet.
I can't really recommend it.

Six image pano--lens in portrait position.
Camera Sony [ILCE-6400]
Focal Length 38.6 mm (38.6 mm in 35mm)
Aperture f/11
Exposure Time 0.004s (1/250)
ISO 100
Date Taken 2021-05-29 11:40:14
Took this from a spot I like on US89 going South from St Mary. Looks right up the St Mary Valley.
Image

Here's another pano from the same spot. Seven images in landscape orientation.
A little broader view but I like the image above better.
Both images are very sharp at 100% so should print well.

Camera Sony [ILCE-6400]
Focal Length 36.2 mm (36.2 mm in 35mm)
Aperture f/11
Exposure Time 0.004s (1/250)
ISO 100
Date Taken 2021-05-29 11:41:39
Image
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by crh24 »

Thanks for sharing Pete. Yeah, sometimes when it goes from bad-to-worse, it's just better to call it at some point. Watching the video, the wind was clearly evident, especially in the sound of the video. I guess you ate your steaks at home then... The good news is that the summer just started, so you have lots of time. Thanks for sharing the panos.

Went on a little trip in May. Thought of you, since I know your fascination with geology. Rafted about 226 miles through the Grand Canyon and did side canyon hikes. You'd really enjoy this. The rock layers change in type (and color) as one goes deeper into the canyon: creams, pink, red, black (lava), ...

Have you seen Bonnie this year?

Hope the toe is doing better...
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by MarxMN »

Pete,

Thanks for the videos and pictures. I like the first St. Mary Valley pano. Thre is still a lot of snow but not at the lower levels.

It sure was windy - lots of whitecaps on the lake. Sorry the camping did not go well and I hope your toe is better.

Bill
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by paul »

There's nothing worse than discovering your air mattress has a leak in it. Last year when I backpacked in the Winds, the first day I found my mattress was leaking air badly. Luckily I was able to find the hole and patch it before bedtime. I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't patch it.
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by Jay w »

Sometimes you go through life on autopilot. Other times you kick a sand hog, drop a cobble stone on your finger, or run your head into an overhead rock. Whad’ya do? After a few seconds of figuring out what the hell happened, you get up, clean up the blood, swear some, and be thankful you didn’t really screw up.

Had the HVAC guy out. AC is now working. Blown fuse on the main circuit board.

Huh.

Jay

PS, I tried to get the covers off, but when they didn’t just pop off (they needed some prying) I figured I’d let pros deal with the problem.
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by PeteE »

Jay w wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 11:56 am Sometimes you go through life on autopilot. Other times you kick a sand hog, drop a cobble stone on your finger, or run your head into an overhead rock. Whad’ya do? After a few seconds of figuring out what the hell happened, you get up, clean up the blood, swear some, and be thankful you didn’t really screw up.

In other words "quit whining"? :) yeah ok. Just a frustrating trip(s).

Had the HVAC guy out. AC is now working. Blown fuse on the main circuit board.
Your house A/C? I'm looking at my indoor thermometer as I type--78F. So be happy you have A/C.
I'm fine with high 70's. If it gets above 80F in here, I use the two box fans I have. I grew up in central Florida in a home with no A/C. Few people in my home town had A/C in the 50's and 60's. No A/C in my truck Jaybird. It died 3 years ago. Not worth $600+ to fix imo.


Huh. That's what I say 8)

Jay

PS, I tried to get the covers off, but when they didn’t just pop off (they needed some prying) I figured I’d let pros deal with the problem.
Good idea.
This ticket thing sucks. The price of gasoline is also a factor.
Jaybird gets shitty mileage and the price today is $2.95/gallon.
The price of virtually everything is up, or going up.
And in my opinion, prices of everything, especially food and energy are going a LOT higher this year.

So at the moment, I'm thinking I will not be going to GNP as much as in the past, especially the East Side.
Oh well, life's tough and then you die.
Screw it.
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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Re: 2020 "Snaps" Around Glacier National Park

Post by Jay w »

I’ll respond again just because not much is going on here. So, you kicked a sand hog, but I did the next two. When you hit your head into something solid, even at low speed, it knocks you dingy. Then I was really happy it was low speed as in moving my head and not walking.

We didn’t used to have AC but have for 20+ years. We also have quite a canopy of trees, so the house is not too bad. Upstairs it was 87F, but we have a second bedroom on the main floor, and that was only about 80. We were also very good about cooling off the house when it was 40 F 10 days ago and then closing things up when it got warm.

I hear ya about Glacier. They’re trying to figure out how to prevent people from visiting, so it’s not the old days where you could roll into camp at 8 am and get a site. I loved Glacier because of the scenery, the hiking and that I didn’t have to plan months in advance. Travel is much easier when you have plus or minus a day to leave, meaning the plan is to leave Wed, but it stuff comes up (and it always does), leaving Thr is just fine too. Can’t do that with reservations. Of course when they prevent people from visiting, it’s going to piss off folks, particularly the locals. If I was a local, I’d try to be at the park 5x/week in the early mornings for photography. (Easy to say.) Once they get their budgets figured out, they’ll close the place down earlier than 6 am (me thinks).

Jay
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