2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

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

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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by PeteE »

calicotraveler wrote:What a great day! Wish I were there. :D
tibber wrote:
calicotraveler wrote:What a great day! Wish I were there. :D
me too.

Great stuff Pete and good job!
netresult wrote:Great pics Pete! Thanks for sharing. Love the Pica pics, they are right behind the mountain lion and wolverine on my list of unseen animals. They know winter is coming to the high country and are feverishly building up their food caches.

Thanks y'all. It turned out to be a fun day.
I like meeting fun, interesting people while out and about.
These particular young folks were a refreshing change from many I've had to deal with in the past.
Maybe it's because they love the outdoors?

Didn't see too many animals probably because it was the heat of the day.

Walked up on this nice big horn ram who had a "junior ram" buddy with him. Junior ran off :)
Rams are looking nice now that they've shed last years winter coat.


This guy is staring directly at me,"bore sighting" me as a rifleman would say. 8)
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This nanny and her baby didn't pay too much attention to me. Mom has finally shed her old winter coat.
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I thought this little guy was going to run up my pant leg for a minute. There were lots of these golden mantle squirrels at the summit. They probably get fed a lot since Oberlin is a popular and easy peak to get to.
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Another pic looking at the Garden Wall
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Normally, I would return the same way I came up--back through the ledges to the saddle with Clements and down.(saddle is over on far right) I like scrambling through the ledges. However, being pressed for time I took the steep(ish) scree route down. I might post a video clip of a portion of that scree descent. It's not fun. The park discourages this route since it contributes to the scarring of the slope.
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Here you can see the saddle below Clements and part of the ledges you scramble through on the route up to the summit. The faint trails right of the well worn trail are likely goat trails.
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The Glacier Conservancy group as they begin coming down off the saddle.
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Long line for the West bound shuttle buses which are the smaller maxi-van type vehicles. The large buses cannot drive the West side alpine road.
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There were only about a dozen of us waiting for the East bound Big Bus shuttle.
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After seeing that long line of people waiting at the West bound stop, I decided to rearrange all my "stuff" in Jaybird making room for two people.
So I drove back up to the West bound stop and asked if two wanted a ride. It was about 6:45Pm and there was still quite a long line. I had no trouble getting volunteers.
A gal named Carolyn from Littleton CO and Joe, a local from West Glacier. A young couple asked if they could ride in the back and I said OK. I gave them my sissy pads to sit on.
It was a fun drive back down talking to Joe and Carolyn. Joe was really an interesting guy.
He works in the park many years for the U.S. Geological Survey and is very familiar with GNP.

I dropped Joe at his car parked by the BC Office and the other three at their cars at the Apgar Visitor center parking lot.


pete :wink:
"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."

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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by PeteE »

August 24th, Saturday
The False Summit of the Dragon's Tail
--again, for the third time this year. :roll:

Assuming the weather came about as forecast, the plan of the day was to try the true summit of the Dragon's Tail.
Unfortunately the forecast of "mostly sunny" didn't happen.
It was pretty ugly at Logan Pass when I arrived at 0700. Overcast and WINDY! This was taken at a little after 9AM from the trail out to Reynolds.

Image

So then I decided to go down to Hidden Lake and wander around the far side of it looking for photo ops.
I hadn't looked at trail closures recently so that plan was out as well when I saw this
:evil:
Image

So then I decided to head out towards Reynolds with no plan other than get some exercise. 8)

I ended up going out to the false summit. Typical of mountain weather...it was blowing like hell on the saddles but surprisingly calm on the Dragon's Tail.
I didn't take too many pics and most of you have seen plenty of the Dragon's Tail already.
I did have a young billy goat come up to the false summit while I was there. Here's a few images of him that I liked.


He was spooked off the Reynolds trail by two climbers. He then came right on up the DT where he walked right by me at the summit.
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He then dropped down in the "notch" just past the false summit. I wasn't able to see exactly how he did that.
Here he is as he begins to climb back towards the ridge top.

Image

These next two images, the second is a crop of the this one, illustrate how mountain goats use there powerful front leg, shoulder and neck muscles to climb.
Image

Notice his back legs are nearly fully extended, so he can't get much, if any, push off with them. However, look at his front quarters.
He does a sort of "goat pull up" using his front legs and shoulders. This is what that "hump" on a mountain goat's shoulders is all about.Goats have muscles similar to a grizzly bear's shoulder hump muscles. As he pulls himself up with his front legs, he'll get good purchase on the rock with his back hooves---which have special "pads" that grip well on rock.

Image

Back with more tomorrow.

pete :wink:
"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: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by zozeppelin »

PeteE wrote:
So then I decided to go down to Hidden Lake and wander around the far side of it looking for photo ops.
I hadn't looked at trail closures recently so that plan was out as well when I saw this
:evil:
Image


Not sure you could have as all the database websites have been down (at least for me) since Friday night.

Thanks for the pictures and stories.
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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by PeteE »

zozeppelin wrote:Not sure you could have as all the database websites have been down (at least for me) since Friday night.

Thanks for the pictures and stories.
You're welcome :)
Regarding the data bases...
That's why you always should have a Plan "B", or even "C" when you begin your day here in GNP.
Trail closures are fairly common and can occur any time.
And weather conditions will also affect your decisions. Some hikes just aren't worth doing in bad weather.
Granted that when you only have a week or two here, you may have to put up with less than ideal conditions.
Still, it's good to have alternative plans if possible when faced with trail closures and bad weather.

pete :wink:

A couple more pics in a few minutes
"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: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by PeteE »

This car was parked next to me. I liked the frame on the license plate. :D
I liked Moro Bay 50 years ago, but today California has been ruined imo 8)

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More flowers for someone to ID for me. Fusillade in the background with part of the Jackson-Blackfoot glacier behind it.
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Image
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The view from the summit is still pretty good even on a marginal day.It began to sprinkle rain about the time I made this pic
Image.

Bearhat and the far end of Hidden Lake. Mt Brown in the distance. The pass above the lake leads to Floral Park. False summit is just out of view on the right
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Looking down at the lake from same point as above
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The four women at the bottom right of pic were planning on doing Floral Park. The trail closure nixed that plan.
I dunno if I would want to do floral park in the WIND and potential rain we had Saturday.

Image

Always gotta have a "boot shot" 8)
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I had seen this little kid with its nanny as I approached the other side of this copse of trees. The nanny crossed the trail in front of me as I was leaving the trees.
Then I heard that pitiful, plaintive bleating these little ones make when they're upset and can't find Mom.


All was well though because Mom must have alerted her baby to her location with a call I couldn't hear.
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The kid is looking at Mom lying down behind the dead branches on the right side of this frame...the upper right of the frame above
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A lot of audio on the video clips was wiped out from the wind noise. I'll see what I can put together.

pete :wink:
"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: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by Sue Z »

I think that the pinkish flowers with the small bluish gray leaves are called cushion buckwheat.
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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by Chip »

PeteE wrote:August 24th, Saturday
The False Summit of the Dragon's Tail
--again, for the third time this year. :roll:

Assuming the weather came about as forecast, the plan of the day was to try the true summit of the Dragon's Tail.
Unfortunately the forecast of "mostly sunny" didn't happen.
It was pretty ugly at Logan Pass when I arrived at 0700. Overcast and WINDY! This was taken at a little after 9AM from the trail out to Reynolds.

Image

So then I decided to go down to Hidden Lake and wander around the far side of it looking for photo ops.
I hadn't looked at trail closures recently so that plan was out as well when I saw this
:evil:
Image

So then I decided to head out towards Reynolds with no plan other than get some exercise. 8)

I ended up going out to the false summit. Typical of mountain weather...it was blowing like hell on the saddles but surprisingly calm on the Dragon's Tail.
I didn't take too many pics and most of you have seen plenty of the Dragon's Tail already.
I did have a young billy goat come up to the false summit while I was there. Here's a few images of him that I liked.


He was spooked off the Reynolds trail by two climbers. He then came right on up the DT where he walked right by me at the summit.
Image

He then dropped down in the "notch" just past the false summit. I wasn't able to see exactly how he did that.
Here he is as he begins to climb back towards the ridge top.

Image

These next two images, the second is a crop of the this one, illustrate how mountain goats use there powerful front leg, shoulder and neck muscles to climb.
Image

Notice his back legs are nearly fully extended, so he can't get much, if any, push off with them. However, look at his front quarters.
He does a sort of "goat pull up" using his front legs and shoulders. This is what that "hump" on a mountain goat's shoulders is all about.Goats have muscles similar to a grizzly bear's shoulder hump muscles. As he pulls himself up with his front legs, he'll get good purchase on the rock with his back hooves---which have special "pads" that grip well on rock.

Image

Back with more tomorrow.

pete :wink:
So Pete you are using goats for new route findings? :D
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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by tibber »

Sue Z wrote:I think that the pinkish flowers with the small bluish gray leaves are called cushion buckwheat.
that looks right to me. http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature ... ressum.htm
I found this description:
Eriogonum ovalifolium variety purpureum (Cushion Buckwheat)
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)
These handsome white, one inch puff-balls are often tinged with pink or lavender -- especially as they age -- and they can form mounds a foot or more across. The one-third inch, oval, sage green leaves grow vertically and are easily recognized even when the flowers are not present. Leaves vary from oval to round to spatulate and are always quite hairy.
Thomas Nuttall named this plant in 1834 from a specimen collected by his friend, Nathaniel Wyeth, near the "source of the Missouri" in June, 1833. "Ovalifolium" refers to the leaf shape.

As to the red flower, it really is vibrant and would remind me of a claret cup cactus in the high desert. It does look like a succulent type of some sort.
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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by Carol Lynn »

Pete - Great photos and explanation showing how well equipped mountain goats are for climbing mountains. Thanks for the lesson!
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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by PeteE »

Carol Lynn wrote:Pete - Great photos and explanation showing how well equipped mountain goats are for climbing mountains. Thanks for the lesson!
Thanks Carol!
I could watch goats climbing all day.
Incredible animals.

In other news...
Posting this from Johnson's CG.
No pics to load till Wednesday
Did ShangriLa today with DanLowery, his brother, and friend, Paul.
Perfect weather. The wives all hiked out the regular trail meeting us at Iceberg lake.

The day's most embarrassing moment for me was while I was eating at Two Sisters.
I felt like absolute S**T.
More when i get home and can type better. 8)

Tomorrow I will do Piegan summit with Dan and his group.
I just hope my legs will be good.

Then Thursday it'll be Siyeh Pass with Irish chatter Jasonwe and maybe another chatter from Conn.
Jason has been planning this trip for over a year.
Good Weather should hold until then.

Gotta go. Need to shower and rest up for tomorrow.
Gonna be a long day-12 miles RT and +-3300 ft for Piegan summit.
BUSY week but FUN!!!!!

pete :wink:
"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."

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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by McKee80 »

Wow. Love the pictures of the climbing billy goat!
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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by PeteE »

McKee80 wrote:Wow. Love the pictures of the climbing billy goat!
Thanks!
I just got lucky with those images :)

I hadn't been in the park since first week of September.
Busy with work and moving to Kalispell after 17 years in Whitefish.
So today I drove out after work to see if B&C would be around. I hadn't seen them since May.
That and the clouds looked good for pics.


Here is a pic of Lake McDonald taken from a favorite spot of mine today October 1, 2019
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And sure 'nuff my lil buddy was there. :arrow:
I didn't see Bonnie though :(
So I hope she's OK.


Here is a 1 minute video I took driving in. I was hoping to see B&C somewhere.
As I got to the end of the parking lot, I spied Clyde sitting up in a tree.
The beginning of the clip is "black" because I had the lens cover on :) Excuse the jerky clip. The camera strap was getting in my way as I was driving.
I left the camera running as I drove to a parking spot because I wanted to see if he recognized my truck/car 8) after all these months.
And Clyde must have remembered because he followed me to where I parked.
:D

1 minute
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Lcg ... C-1920.mp4

Image

pete :wink:
"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: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by MarxMN »

It looks like a lot of new snow in the mountains east of Lake McDonald.

It is neat to see Clyde again.

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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by calicotraveler »

Yes about the snow....a little early this year. Clyde is one smart bird. Always enjoy updates on B&C.
The mountains are calling and I must go.
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Re: 2019 "Snaps" Around Gracier National Park...plus

Post by PeteE »

MarxMN wrote:It looks like a lot of new snow in the mountains east of Lake McDonald.

It is neat to see Clyde again.

Bill
calicotraveler wrote:Yes about the snow....a little early this year. Clyde is one smart bird. Always enjoy updates on B&C.
Yes, it is nice to see Clyde made it through another winter.
Clyde has got to be pushing 15 years old from my calculations based on people I know who have been watching him longer than I.
I just hope Bonnie will show up soon as well. Gonna be a sad day when they aren't around anymore.

Looks like the West side got a little snow on the mountains above 6000ft. The East side got a LOT more though.
GTTS road is closed at Rising Sun. Nothing said about the Many Glacier road so I assume it's still open to Swiftcurrent.
NONE of the GNP sites seem to be open, and haven't been for a while. Dunno what Facebook says about anything in the park as I don't use FB.

The forecast for Sunday looks pretty good for the East side. IF that holds and the MG road is open to Swiftcurrent, I'm driving over for the day.
And so I'll get some pictures if I make it over there. Taking snowshoes with me too 8)

pete :wink:
"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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