Finally getting there

The world is big. Open. Renewing itself.That's sometimes hard to remember, living in the city.

Mountain goat

We've driven past many places in MT without stopping. I decided to spend Monday and 100+ miles in the Montana countryside, catching up on "everyone's-been-there" places I'd seen and roads where I'd never been.

I drove into Glacier Park in the morning, up the Going to the Sun Road to Logan Pass. The dogs waited in the car (no pets on trails) while I hiked up to the Hidden Lake overlook, an accessible uphill climb over boardwalks and gravel paths. The glacier lake shimmered thousands of feet below, under a hazy sky indented by mountain peaks. A white mountain goat chewed grass just a few feet from the trail. On the way down, I hauled out my watercolors for a quick sketch of wildflowers.

The red tour buses of Going to the Sun Road

Construction delays left us sitting on the mountainside for a half hour. I hauled out the sketchbook and let the dogs out on a leash, waiting for the pilot car to bring tourist vehicles through the narrow construction lane. "They're coming, ma'am," said the driver of the car in front of us. "Might want to get in the car."

The dogs hopped back into their seats as the oncoming traffic wound its way around the mountainside toward us. Finally, we inched along for a few miles behind a water truck wetting the sandy surface of the road, trailing a pilot car.

Lake McDonald Lodge

We pulled into the parking lot at Lake McDonald Lodge so the dogs could walk the shoreline and drink the cold water. Then we drove through three campsites I've wondered about (Avalanche, Sprague, and Apgar. Now I know what's there. Campsites.)

Robert Fire 2003 recovery

We stayed in the park, skirting Lake McDonald through the most awful burn area. Acres and acres of dead trees, miles of burned trunks, and underneath, four and five-foot pines and firs, growing up to the sunshine. Blanketing the hills in green, the new growth exists because the old things died off and gave them access to nutrients, light, and water.

The trip to Polebridge wound over gravel roads and pavement. There it was! Polebridge Mercantile. "We have 6 bakers on site," said the young man behind the counter. Apparently they all are fabulous at what they do. Their feta, olive, and artichoke buns? To die for! I avoided temptation in the form of huge cinnamon rolls. (Barely.)

On a little map, the clerk pointed out three ways to get back to our cabin. First, I could return the way I went. (Not an option. "I like detours," I told him.) Second, I could go down a narrow, seldom-traveled gravel road that would take twice as long. Probably not a good idea without phone reception. Or third, I could go back partway, turn right toward Columbia Falls rather than left back to the Park. "The third option is over washboard gravel. If you like smooth roads, that's not the one for you." Done. That's where I was headed.

"Washboard" was right! There's a strange beauty to being in wild country, getting a steering wheel vibration as numbing as a massage chair. The north fork of the Flathead unwound beside the road, gurgling over granite gravel and between massive boulders. In 30 miles, one car passed us and two cars drove by on the other side. Minimal traffic, I'd say. Balm to the heart for someone who lives near I-405 in Seattle!

We didn't get back to camp until 6pm. I was tired and full of memories of beautiful places and wild open spaces.

There's something exhilarating in stopping at every place that catches the eye. Without consideration of time or duties, a day of "finally getting there" is a rare privilege. Hope you find time to wander and enjoy God's wonders before the fall chores comes crowding in.

Read more:

*Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1 

*Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Psalm 36:5-9 NIV

*There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
Ants—they aren't strong, but they store up food all summer.
Hyraxes—they aren't powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.
Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings' palaces." Proverbs 30:24–28

*God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. 1 Corinthians 1:27

Moravian Prayer: We yearn for proof of your existence, O God, for a clear, unmistakable sign, so we often overlook the many small clues that you are with us. Open our eyes to see the daily reminders of your presence in our lives. Amen.

1, 2, 3, 4 …. we're all in the river!

“We’ll take this one,” W points to the narrow yellow inflatable kayak, more of a canoe than a raft.

The beautiful Flathead River

My heart sinks. I remember a wild ride ten years ago, bouncing in a 10-person raft through stretches of the canyon we are about to paddle. The experienced river guides take the wider Sea Eagle and launch into the roiling current.

Several days before, W negotiated a calmer stretch of the Flathead River from Hungry Horse to Columbia Falls. “I had a blast!” he exclaimed, coming in from an exhilarating float in the yellow kayak. “It’s stable, fun to maneuver, and I hope you love it as much as I did.”

Wildflowers on the gravel bars

With two people, one sitting in the middle (me) and one in the back as well (W), the stability of the boat is compromised. My reaction as we hit the first rapids is that this is akin to riding in a tippy racing car – as the passenger. W’s every paddle thrust tilts the boat, sometimes sharply. It’s discomfiting.

Nope. Actually I’m gripped by sheer terror, swaying side-to-side on an uncomfortable sloping seat above an inflated floor. Nothing about this feels safe. We negotiate the first series of cascades, carefully following Paul and Cathy’s lead to the side. I start to breathe easier as we are swept downriver. There’s nothing I can do at this point. We’re committed, our lifejackets are buckled, and boat floats forward.

Colored rocks in the Flathead River

Sometimes it feels like we are hardly moving. The green glacier water shimmers between the iron and other minerals sparkling in the cliffs.

W points over the side, “Look below. You can see how fast we’re actually going.” Green, pink, burgundy, and black rocks rush underneath us as the swift current lifts us on its shifting surface. We avoid the pillows of water striking the upstream side of boulders.

Rapids around a boulder

“Let’s pull in and carry the boats through the next section,” Paul says as we approach a stretch of churning rapids. We divert from the main river to float shallow water streaming over a gravel bar. When we bump to a halt, I’m not strong enough to carry my end of the kayak over the rocky terrain. Paul banks their boat and backtracks several hundred yards to help W carry the kayak back to the river.

We relaunch and are carried swiftly away. A young buck, fuzzy antlers held still, watches us from the shore. The Blankenship Bridge drifts by overhead before the canyon narrows to an 80’ deep trench between sheer mountains. The stunning beauty has us gasping with pleasure. “Unless you want to go around and around, avoid those areas,” Paul points to large lazy-looking whirlpools. Apparently, when the water was running high a few years ago, a vortex sucked the front of a canoe straight down. Ugh. Not interested!

A few more bumps through choppy waters and we’re near camp. Paul and Cathy pull in ahead of us. Cathy makes the same wet exit I took yesterday. The fat sides of the Sea Eagle make for an unstable departure into knee-deep water.

Our style of dismount near shore

We start to swing toward the shore, W paddling on the right side. I back-paddle on the left to swing the kayak to shore. Except that he’s switched sides to push us closer in so we’re paddling against each other… while the current is taking us past the landing. I paddle on the right, then quit paddling altogether, and hope for the best. W jumps out to drag the boat in, stumbles on the slippery rocks, and tips us into the icy water.

“Is that your gear bag?” Paul points to the fluorescent orange pouch floating downstream. He, the only dry one, jumps in to swim after it. He snags the bag several hundred yards away and starts for the bank. Meanwhile, the kayak slips from W’s grip, the current catches it, and sweeps it away. The thin elastics of the paddle-straps snap off as the kayak freewheels toward Paul.

A runaway kayak

W’s shouts. Paul turns. Catches the kayak. Manhandles it to shore.

W and I have moved thigh-deep into the fast-moving stream, trying to capture the kayak. We struggle back upstream toward the landing, our Keens slipping on the silted rocks. If we lose our footing, we’ll be hauling ourselves out of the water near Paul. Cathy grabs my hand and pulls me to the riverbank.

We three are sopping wet, head to toe. It’s hilarious – a really ugly dismount with a happy ending. As Cathy and I trudge toward our cabins, trousers dripping through the campground, we laugh about the awkward finale. We agree that it was a fun ride. A hot shower afterwards is my best reward.

Tucked into warm clothing, I thank God for the beautiful surroundings. For safe travels on fast-moving waters. For a wonderful husband whose instincts are opposite mine in a crisis. For cold and warmth. For wet and dry. For senses created to let us fully experience the Creator’s inventiveness. God is good!

Read more:

*What god in heaven or on earth can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours! Deuteronomy 3:24

*Christ was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16

Moravian Prayer: In the whole of creation and your actions throughout the world, we are blessed from the beginning until now. May we always trust in you. Amen.

Waterton wonder

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton, AB

We'd never taken the kids to British high tea in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It's not a likely scenario anyway, unless you drive winding roads to the north end of Glacier Park and across the border ... to Waterton, Alberta, and the Prince of Wales Hotel.

What a stunning surprise! The hotel overlooks a glacier lake-filled canyon.  Girlfriends and I, Waldemar and I, and thousands of other visitors have had tea at the Prince of Wales.

The lobby of the Prince of Wales Hotel

 Oh the beauty of a sunny day! The hotel's spectacular lobby stretches from the front door to the window wall overlooking the stunning view. Teatime (1-5pm daily) is in the post-and-beam-framed lobby with its soaring ceilings and old-fashioned iron chandeliers.

The servers and attendants dress in Prince of Wales tartan kilts. "Got me a dress about a month ago," joked the foreign student who served us. It all adds to the opulent atmosphere set in the middle of the wilderness.

A table set for tea: Prince of Wales Hotel

Our server set a tea stand with three trays of goodies on the white tablecloth. We started with the bottom tray of sandwiches, moved up to freshly baked scones (currant and lemon with Devonshire cream and berry preserves), and finished with the top layer of Saskatoon berry pastries, shortbread cookies, and other sweets.

The tea fixings aren't particularly good @ $30 each, though the house now uses Forte brand instead of their own specialty blend. (The house brand, in a free gift box with our receipt in the gift store, consists of indifferent Assam and African tea sweepings, packaged in teabags.) The scones were middling and the cucumber and butter sandwiches were ok, but the egg salad swirls were great. The pastries? To someone who grew up with excellent home baking (yay, Mom!) and a plethora of exceptional German bakers in the family, they tasted disappointing. The trays were pretty, though.

Harpist at the Prince of Wales Hotel

A young harpist accompanied our repast: the setting couldn't have been more wonderful. She got a gentle Canadian hand-clap when she took a break from strumming Gaelic and folk tunes. Her music brought back fond memories of playing and teaching harp. (Great background music, boring to practice!)

Of course, the company was fantastic. What a treat to share such a beautiful occasion, a milestone of family travels more than merely a meal.

Prince of Wales Hotel: view from the
lobby tearoom

After tea, we stood on the bluff overlooking the lake, cheering on the kayakers and windsurfers far below.

To wrap up the event, we drove through the town of Waterton to see if we could spot the infamous mule deer who wander through the streets. Nope, but we saw a lot of tourists around the restaurants, boutiques, and specialty shops that line the thoroughfares. Driving out of town, we slowed for photographers snapping a brown bear strolling through the meadows about 100 feet from the asphalt. Cyclists, tourists casually leaning on their pickups, and people with open car windows - they're just a short dash away if a bear becomes irritated.

Sometimes a glimpse of beauty restores our souls more than accomplishments, financial resources, or reaching a personal goal. It's well worth the trip to visit or stay in Waterton, a Canadian National Park town. It's not as jazzy or built up as Banff. However, the experience is unique between its blend of civilization, the polite and friendly Canadian locals, and the location in God's wild nature as carved between mountain ranges.

Read more:

*God looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens. Job 28:24 

*Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” Micah 4:2a   NIV (admittedly way out of context! 

*God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:20   

Moravian Prayer: Thank you for beauty. Jesus, we are overwhelmed at your concerns and resources to minister to the great needs of so many about us. Thank you for vision and grace to meet these needs. Amen.