Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter 2016-17 Around GNP

[Ear Mountain]

Saw this on Facebook

[llholmes1948]

Pete,

Thanks very much for posting those photos and Ralph, thanks for posting that nice photo from Facebook. Always good to see people enjoying the Park!

In the photo that Ralph posted, what is the name of that mountain pointing up in the distance between Mount Brown and Mount Edwards?

Thanks,
Lyman

[PeteE]

Pete,

Thanks very much for posting those photos and Ralph, thanks for posting that nice photo from Facebook. Always good to see people enjoying the Park!
Yeah Ralph! That was a great find on Facebook. Too funny. I like the FB pic better than mine

In the photo that Ralph posted, what is the name of that mountain pointing up in the distance between Mount Brown and Mount Edwards?
Lyman, I'm pretty sure that's the Little Matterhorn.

Thanks,
Lyman

Cheers
pete

[Ear Mountain]

In the photo that Ralph posted, what is the name of that mountain pointing up in the distance between Mount Brown and Mount Edwards?
Lyman

The peak immediately above the woman's head in the back of the valley is the Little Matterhorn at the head of the Snyder drainage. I'm too slow though. Pete beat me to it.

[llholmes1948]

Pete and Ralph,

Thanks for your replies on this. I never realized that you could see the Little Matterhorn from Apgar but you learn something new everyday. I was thinking it might be one of the mountains around Logan Pass.

Lyman

[PeteE]

Today turned out pretty much as predicted--cold(15F+-), low clouds, freezing fog in the valley.
25 seconds


West Glacier and Lake McDonald was better, but still cold, damp, and grim. Not a good day for pictures.
There were only 3 cars at Lake McDonald when I arrived at 1015. No B&C either.

I drove across Blankenship bridge after leaving the park. The North Fork area was just as socked in.
So I came back home. The fog was worse after lunch than when I left in the morning.
Should have stayed home and saved the gas.

pete

The Backcountry Office in Apgar.


Eddie's. I saw only one car in Apgar driving through.


I told Jaybird, "We stop here, or else."


These whitetails were on the shoreline between the road and the Apgar picnic area


There's ice starting to form in the SE corner of the lake. That's the Village Inn across the lake.

[Ear Mountain]

The West vs. East side weather is very interesting in winter. In Choteau the sun was out in a clear blue sky all day. Temps reached 40 at my home and there was little wind. All in all a very nice Saturday.

The warm days are welcome. This will help firm up the snowpack out on the plains. That keeps the snow in place instead of having it all blow in the wind to North Dakota.

[llholmes1948]

The West vs. East side weather is very interesting in winter. In Choteau the sun was out in a clear blue sky all day. Temps reached 40 at my home and there was little wind. All in all a very nice Saturday.

The warm days are welcome. This will help firm up the snowpack out on the plains. That keeps the snow in place instead of having it all blow in the wind to North Dakota.

As I recall years ago the Hungry Horse News used to report the weather for the month (and maybe they still do). A friend sent me a issue from January or February and I was surprised to see who few days of sun were reported for the month on the west side. My friend had worked with me at Lake McDonald Lodge that summer and had stayed in the area and worked at Big Mountain (now Whitefish Mountain) and I recall that he told me how rare sunny days were on the west side in the winter.

Lyman

[PeteE]

The West vs. East side weather is very interesting in winter. In Choteau the sun was out in a clear blue sky all day. Temps reached 40 at my home and there was little wind. All in all a very nice Saturday.

The warm days are welcome. This will help firm up the snowpack out on the plains. That keeps the snow in place instead of having it all blow in the wind to North Dakota.

As I recall years ago the Hungry Horse News used to report the weather for the month (and maybe they still do). A friend sent me a issue from January or February and I was surprised to see who few days of sun were reported for the month on the west side. My friend had worked with me at Lake McDonald Lodge that summer and had stayed in the area and worked at Big Mountain (now Whitefish Mountain) and I recall that he told me how rare sunny days were on the west side in the winter.

Lyman

This time of year it's often "dark" until 8AM when there's a strong "inversion" like there is now.
I'm told by lifelong residents, including real estate folks I know, that every year people move away from the Flathead because of the long stretches of dreary, grim, overcast winter days.
I find that a bit odd since I was born and raised in the "Sunshine State" of Florida. And I like winters.
I wish more of the whiners would go back to wherever they came from!

pete

[PeteE]

I'm not sure what happened, but somehow many of my picture file names got corrupted on Photobucket.
Most were posts from April-July 2016.
I fixed most of them.
So if you scroll back through this thread to early pages, most of my pictures should show now.
Sorry

Glad I got them working.
I wanted to refer to them for a couple of new chatters who asked about early season hiking at Logan Pass and the Reynolds Burn area.
Columbine pics are working again.
Better late than never I guess.

pete

[PeteE]

I drove out the North Fork as far as the Camas bridge today. A little blue sky early but that disappeared in overcast just after noon.
I talked to a couple US Border Patrol guys parked in the parking area located left center in this picture. They said the North Fork road was "pretty slick" in places.
They were right.

I'll have a a few minutes of video later.

pete

North Fork of the Flathead


We had warm temps and light rain/sleet the last two days, then a hard freeze overnight down to single digits. The result is a road that is essentially "ice".
I had to be careful since this was first time out here in Jaybird. I didn't really want to wreck today



The rest of these pics are between here and the Camas bridge






From east end of bridge






Mid bridge


West end of bridge looking ~north


Looking east from the west end of the bridge

[PeteE]

Here's a 4 minute video from yesterday. It mainly shows what a "weenie" I am when it comes to driving on "ice roads".


So y'all that grew up and live in snowy "Yankee Land" will probably be amused.
Anyhow.....I'll take walking on an narrow, exposed cliff side trail any day over driving on the North Fork road when it's icy.
In the past, on separate occasions, I did a 180 and a full 360 in Squeeze on the North Fork road.
I wasn't anxious to repeat either of those experiences in Jaybird !

And so I didn't go out to Polebridge. I just didn't want to risk it.
There are a couple places out past the Camas Road bridge that are scary[for me] when it's icy.
Think those down hill spots where the road "snakes" down the ridge in a series of shallow "S" turns.
If you lose traction going down those hills, it probably won't end well.

Jaybird drives a lot differently than Squeeze.
Lots more power and the automatic transmission makes me nervous since it will sometimes "shift" when I'm not ready....like when it sometimes downshifts going uphill on ice.
I have to learn to control that better. Maybe use D2 instead of Drive?
The North Fork road really isn't a good place to "learn" driving on ice Not for me anyway!!

If all this makes me a soon to be 69 year old "snowflake" candy-ass, so be it!

pete

Stopped for a picture. I parked here and walked back about a 1/4 mile to get a picture. No safe place to park.
I nearly fell a half dozen times walking on the road. Ice sucks to walk and drive on

[MarxMN]

Pete,

Nice river pictures.

Jaybird needs studded tires for the North Fork Road.

Bill

[PeteE]

I used to switch to Toyo studded and siped tires every winter until they became too expensive.
It seemed I was buying a set of tires every other winter. The lack of snow in recent times meant more driving on "dry pavement".
So yeah, studs would be nice but I don't have $1000+ laying around for 16" rims and tires
Chains and cables I have are for 15" rims.
Tis OK. I'll learn to drive like people drive where studs aren't allowed. Right?

I'll get out to Polebridge soon

pete

[PeteE]

Strictly speaking this post doesn't have much to do with GNP but it's my birthday.
And so I thought I would tell y'all that Heff936 and missguinness bought me breakfast at the Buffalo cafe this morning.

Tim and Laura are out here for a week of cross country skiing and snowshoeing.
Just a nice coincidence that they arrived for my birthday! Fun stuff.
Maybe I'll get to do some snowshoeing this weekend with them as they will be staying out in Polebridge this weekend.

later

pete