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  • Tag: hiking

    • half dome: part 2 (the climb)

      Posted at 8:00 am by jasminedesirees, on August 9, 2018

      Our Half Dome climb day was Tuesday, July 9th, so I drove up to the Bay on Saturday morning to spend some time with friends (and drink a lot of vodka, which was maybe not the best training strategy). On Monday morning, I set off from Pleasanton to make the trek to Yosemite, about a 3-hour drive. I had planned to meet my friend and another girl that was hiking with us along the highway somewhere, but we didn’t have firm plans, and I didn’t realize until I was about halfway there that I didn’t actually know where we were staying.

      I realized this at almost the exact second that I completely lost cell service, which I had known would happen well in advance. I called my husband the night before since I knew I wouldn’t be talking to him that day or probably until I left Yosemite, but it never occurred to me to find out where I was actually driving to, since I wouldn’t be able to contact my friend once we were there.

      Even though I was pretty stressed and annoyed with myself, the drive there was stunning, there is a beautiful lake as you come up to Yosemite, and the rock formations are gorgeous. It took a lot of swearing and little bit of standing on top of my car, but eventually I got a text message through, and we met up at our rental cabin in Half Dome Village. There are a few rental options in Half Dome Village, including tents that are already set up, and little cabins, which are basically like hotel rooms with a bathroom, and two beds in each room.

      We got lunch right away, there are a few little restaurants there, including a pizza place, a burger place, and a coffee/ice cream place, then went exploring for a few hours around the park, including riding the shuttle over to Yosemite Village to stamp our National Parks passports (I bought one at Yosemite, even though I’ve been to about 10 National Parks in the last two years and have never before felt the urge) and check out Lower Yosemite Falls. There are a lot of really cool looking hikes in the area, but we thought we should save our energy for the next day.

      We headed back to our cabin to get our stuff organized (read: to pack our snacks), ate all the carbs for supper, and went to bed early, although I don’t think any of us slept much.

      We woke up at 3:15 the next morning, put on our hiking clothes and some sunscreen, and head out. One of the reasons we wanted to stay at Half Dome Village, is you can walk right to the trailhead, and don’t have to worry about parking, which we heard can be kind of tricky.

      We arrived at the trailhead at 4:30 a.m. It was still dark, but two of our group had headlamps so we were able to see the trail. It was really neat to be roaming through the forest in the dark, although I did freak out a couple of times when I saw random shadows and decided they were snakes/bears.

      There are two waterfalls along the way to Half Dome, and we made it to the first one just as the sun was starting to come up. The hike from our cabin door and back down (spoiler alert, we made it!) was about 18 miles total. The first part is pretty well groomed trails, with lots of stairs. After the second waterfall, there is kind of a flat wander through trees and meadows by a river that was really pretty in the morning, but goes on for quite a long time.

      We made really good time on our hike; we were so energetic and excited that we got to the sub dome by 10:00 even though we thought it would take us until noon. Right before the sub dome is where you have to show your permit to be able to continue up. I feel like everyone talks about the terror of the cables at Half Dome, but the sub dome is kind of scary in its own way. It’s very steep, parts of it are stairs, and parts are just flat rock that you kind of scramble up, but there are no railings or anything and it’s a long way down if you fall.

      The view from the sub dome is beautiful, but the first glimpse of the cables is pretty sobering. It looks very steep, especially from the top of the sub dome. There was definitely part of me that didn’t want to do it, but I told myself I had hiked 9 miles, and I wasn’t ever doing this again, so I had to at least try to get up to the top.

      The cables are bolted into the side of Half Dome, and there are pieces of wood laid out about every 10 feet. It’s pretty steep, and it’s basically a straight drop down on either side. Some people bring harnesses to clip onto the cables to make it a little safer, I would say about 20% of the people had them, including the two girls I was hiking with.

      But I didn’t, I just wanted to get up as fast as I could, because I knew if I had too much time to think about things I might freak myself out. I didn’t want to be behind anyone that was taking extra time to clip and unclip all the way up, so I decided to go first.

      It’s about 400 feet of cables to the top, and it starts out a little bit steep, ends a little bit steep, and then is pretty much straight up and down at parts along the middle. It was pretty scary, but the best thing about Half Dome were the other hikers, as there are people going up and down at the same time, and almost everyone is super friendly and helpful, and works together to make sure everyone has a safe climb.

      I couldn’t tell you how long it took me to get up, time kind of stops as you just pull yourself, try to go by other people, and keep your footing, but I would guess it took me 20-30 minutes to get up to the top.

      The view from the top was amazing; we had great weather so it wasn’t too hot or too windy up there. We hung out for a while, took pictures and had some snacks, all while trying to fend off attacks from the hungry squirrels that swarm the Dome. If you left your pack alone for 30 seconds to take a picture or talk to someone else, they would be in your bag stealing your food, and throwing your stuff all over the place.

      We stayed up top for about 45 minutes, and then started the trek down, which I honestly thought was scarier than the climb up. It might have been because there were a lot of people coming up at the time and there were points were I was just kind of hanging out and not able to move for a few minutes at a time.

      I didn’t fully relax until we were back at the bottom of the sub dome, that’s when we really felt like we had done it and everything was fine, but then we still had nine miles to hike to get back down, and we were starting to run low on water. The sun was fully up by then, it was about 1:30 when we got back to the trail, and it was very hot, and slow going on the way down, since we were all tired and sore from the first half of the hike.

      By the last mile of the hike, I really didn’t know if I could finish, the bottoms of my feet were burning and it hurt every time I took a step. I was about to just lay down on the side of the trail and give up, when out of nowhere, like 3 baby angels, a group of very attractive Australian boys joined up with us. They were on a tour of the U.S. and had just done a two mile hike, so they asked us a bunch of questions about where else they should visit, and we told them all about the hike we had done. Before we knew it, we were back at the village, essentially unscathed, and it was basically a miracle.

      The first thing I did when I got back to the cabin was crack open a grapefruit LaCroix, take off my boots and put my sore little feet up on the headboard. They were very dirty and puffy, but I didn’t really have any blisters (maybe thanks to these socks) and elevating them for a few minutes really helped.

      We had big plans to celebrate, but after we showered and went to get burgers, I think I drank about half of a beer, and then went home to bed. I slept like a rock, except for several times when I jolted awake because I had nightmares about being back on the cables. The next day, I woke up feeling a little bit stiff, but honestly, fine.

      In the end, I’m SO glad I got to do Half Dome, it was a great experience with girlfriends, and I’m proud of myself for making it to the top even though I was scared of the cables. If you’re thinking about doing it, I would just say, it is kind of hard (nobody really said that to me, everyone just told me how much fun it is and how great the views are) and make sure you bring a lot of water, more than you think you’ll need. Also, bring Oreos, which aren’t technically a necessity, but are definitely nice to have.

      Posted in California, travel, USA | 0 Comments | Tagged California, half dome, hiking, national parks, summer, yosemite
    • half dome: part 1 (before)

      Posted at 8:00 am by jasminedesirees, on August 6, 2018

      img_20180709_164645_995-1609471230.jpg

      I’ve been trying to climb Half Dome for four years. Four times I’ve paid my few dollars, entered my name in the lottery and hoped for the best, and four times I’ve been rejected. When I got the email this year that I hadn’t been chosen, especially now that I know other people who’ve gotten in on their first try, it was starting to feel a little bit personal, to be honest.

      Luckily (or not, I guess we’ll see) a friend of mine did get selected, and knowing my desperate tale, asked me to do it with her. So that is the short version of a story where I try really hard to be selected to do something that I probably can’t do, and honestly can’t remember why I wanted to in the first place.

      Half Dome has been on my list of things to do for probably 5 years. I call it a list of things to do, but really it’s an amorphous, seemingly random collection of things I probably heard someone talking about on public transportation at some point and thought to myself “I could probably do that.” I wouldn’t call it a bucket list, at any rate, since most of the things on it are not things that would make me feel my life had been wasted were I not to accomplish them.

      Other things on this list include climbing Kilimanjaro, having twin girls, and finding a white button down that isn’t see through and doesn’t gape at the bust (this last one seems most unlikely). Items I have successfully completed on this list include sky diving, running a marathon, piercing my belly button, and also, owning wooden salad bowls, which for some reason had been a great and unknowable yearning of my heart ever since I was around 12 years old.

      So, to summarize, I found out last month that I would be attempting the climb to Half Dome this summer. I don’t know much about Half Dome, to be honest, other than that it’s probably going to be hard. My general strategy in life for things that might be hard is to learn as little as possible about them.

      When I ran a marathon 5 years ago, I read no books and did no research. I really didn’t even understand how far 26 miles was, having grown up in the land of the kilometer. I believe that’s why, at mile 13, I thought to myself, “Well, if I was running the half I’d be done already! That practically flew by!” By mile 23, my thoughts had taken a turn for the rather less enthusiastic, and though I finished, I could barely walk for three days, and I couldn’t sleep comfortably without a pillow between my knees for…well I’ll let you know.

      But the point is, I did it. Ignorance as bliss is highly underrated as a training strategy, in my opinion. Had I known going in what I know now, I might have opted to skip the blessed experience altogether, although stronger women than I have been lured into less by the possibility of being serenaded by Brett Michaels, who was performing at the finish line.

      Three weeks before the climb, the only concessions I’ve made to the fact that this is actually going to happen is to go into REI to buy hiking boots (grudgingly, as there were some really cute ankle boots that I actually wanted to buy with that money). I agreed with the salesperson that I was at best a casual hiker, so when he found out the boots were for Half Dome he looked at me like he thought I was going to die. On the bright side, I have since taken to clomping around in my boots on all occasions, including with short shorts to the grocery store, where my husband pretended not to know me.

      I’ve also added some gloves to my Amazon cart, which are either for climbing cables or for gardening; it’s definitely one or the other.

      Additionally, I’ve begun planning my snack allowance for the day, which so far includes Gushers, the really good crunchy potato chips from Trader Joe’s and at least one sleeve of Oreos. The Oreos are actually crucial to my plan, as I did a three day volcano hike in Indonesia a few years ago, again with little to no planning or idea of what I was undertaking, and I only got through it by rewarding myself with an Oreo at each mile marker. Chocolate and bribery are my love languages.

      20180709_1637011401570956.jpg

      TO BE CONTINUED.

      Posted in California, travel, USA | 0 Comments | Tagged California, half dome, hiking, travel, yosemite
    • orange county

      Posted at 8:00 am by jasminedesirees, on February 2, 2018

      I mentioned here that we started a list of things we want to do now that we’re living in Southern California, so I thought I would share. I love to do anything outdoors, especially hiking or anything to do with the ocean, and there are also random activities and restaurants I’ve been wanting to try.

      I’m definitely still learning my way around here, so maybe some of these will get knocked off the list once I learn more about them, and I’m sure there are lots I’ll be adding as I learn about new things, so I’ll update this every once in awhile to see where we’ve been and what we thought, and any new additions.

      On that note, if you have any recommendations for things or places you love to visit, please leave them in the comments section!

      Activities
      Concert at the Hollywood Bowl
      Weekend trip to Catalina Island
      Scuba dive
      Rent this AirBnB Airstream in Malibu
      Run and Yoga at Santa Monica Pier
      Surf lessons
      Stay overnight at the Beverly Hills Hotel
      Movie on the rooftop of the Montalban Theater
      Camp at Joshua Tree National Park
      Rose Bowl Flea Market
      Weekend away in Palm Springs
      Rent paddleboards in Long Beach
      Go to a Speakeasy
      Skating at Hotel del Coronado in San Diego
      Griffith Park Observatory
      Visit the Flower Market

      Restaurants
      EggSlut (I’ve been here a couple of times, in Vegas and Venice, but it’s so good I’m going to leave it on here.)
      Salt and Straw
      Petit Trois
      Pizzeria Mozza
      Gjelina
      Malibu Farm
      The Bungalow
      Ivy at the Shore
      Grand Central Market
      Creme and Sugar
      Anaheim Packing House
      Spire 73

      Hikes
      Devil’s Punchbowl
      Mt. Baldy
      Sturtevant Falls
      Escondido Falls
      Bridge to Nowhere
      Rose Valley Falls
      Top of the World
      Solstice Canyon
      Del Cerro Park
      Shipwreck Hike  (we actually did this last weekend, post coming soon!)

      Posted in California, life, Los Angeles, travel, USA | 0 Comments | Tagged hiking, Los Angeles, orange county, restaurants, southern california, things to do, travel
    • big sur

      Posted at 8:00 am by jasminedesirees, on May 10, 2017

      Well, it’s been over 3 months since the first post in this two-part series, that’s quite a cliff hanger. I just finished my second semester of grad school, and I usually have to take a little break from this space during classes since there is so much else going on.

      But, anyway back to our Big Sur trip. The drive down from San Francisco was absolutely stunning, we probably took twice as long to get there as we should have since I kept pleading to stop every 5 minutes, but every single view of the ocean and the coast was better than the last. Our windows were down, the sun was shining, and we had good tunes and peanut M&M’s. It was basically the perfect day.

      big sur

      big sur

      big sur

      We were there for three days and two nights total, and we didn’t actually have a campsite booked when we left, since the place we wanted to stay at, Kirk Creek, is first come, first served. But it’s right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean so I was hoping if we got there early enough, we would get a spot. It was a bit stressful, but we snagged one of the last sites.

      The first day we kind of just crept around and explored some of the beautiful beaches in the area. As I mentioned about 10 times, I thought it would be really cold out along the coast in December, so I only brought leggings, combat boots and flannels. Needless to say, I looked pretty crazy at the beach.

      big sur

      big sur

      big sur

      I also didn’t realize that some of the little towns there are actually kind of upscale, so I got some strange looks when I walked through the parking lot in my shredded Jack Daniel’s t-shirt, but I won it playing quarters when I was 17 and I’ll never not wear it, no matter how ratty it gets.

      We thought about making the trek to Hearst Castle since it’s only a little further down the road, but after two days of camping, and my aforementioned wardrobe woes, we decided to wait until next time when we might be a little more presentable (unlikely).

      big sur

      big sur

      big sur

      There is almost no phone service there, so it was actually such a relaxing few days. We had a great time hiking and exploring, and then came back to our camp site to drink grapefruit beer, grill vegetarian sausages with extra mustard (for me) and smokies (for D) and enjoy the ocean view from our tent.

      There is also a really pretty beach along the front of the campgrounds, but you have to shimmy down the side of a cliff using a rope that is older than I am to get there. It’s a bit tricksy, especially if you have a Twisted Tea in your hand, but still very do-able.

      big sur

      big sur

      big sur

      I had been hearing really good things about this podcast, so I downloaded a couple of episodes to listen to in the evenings, which I immediately regretted, since hearing about victims of brutal murders who were camping in Yosemite at the time (only a few hours away) was basically a guarantee that I would be up all night listening for the slightest rustle in the bushes outside. Did I mention there are quite a few raccoons in the area?

      big sur

      big sur

      big sur

      Overall it was an amazing few days, and basically my favourite part of Christmas 2016. I can’t wait to go back to Big Sur, and maybeeee spend one night sleeping here, in a human nest?

      big sur

      big sur

      Posted in California, travel, USA | 1 Comment | Tagged beach, big sur, California, hiking, travel
    • ewoldsen trail: big sur

      Posted at 8:00 am by jasminedesirees, on January 23, 2017

      Since we ended up spending the whole Christmas break in California, we decided to sneak away for a few days to Big Sur. It was honestly even better than I thought it would be, I had been planning for subzero temperatures, but it was actually gorgeous out during the day, though it was a little chilly sleeping in a tent at night.

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      We spent our whole second day there exploring the different hiking trails, including Ewoldsen Trail and McWay Falls, which isn’t really a hike at all, more of a quick saunter down a paved sidewalk, but the view at the end is stunning.

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      Ewoldsen Trail took us about 3 hours total, but at the top there is the option to take a detour onto Waters Trail, which is about 200 yards straight uphill, but leads to the most gorgeous views of the entire coastline. We were pretty tired and sweaty by the time we got to the top, not to mention dehydrated since I hate carrying water with me when I hike, so we stayed at the top for almost an hour, just enjoying the view and recuperating.

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      The colour of the water is absolutely stunning, so we laid in the grass, soaked up the sunshine and listened to a little boy in the only other group at the top counting the whales surfacing along the shore. He got to somewhere in the 50’s before his parents dragged him back down the hill, although I’m pretty sure he counted the same whale more than once.

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      I would definitely recommend all of these trails, although they do get busy later on in the day. We got there at 8:30, and were one of the only cars in the parking lot, and we only saw a few other people on the trail, but by the time we got back to our car we were passing huge groups of people on their way to the trailhead, and people were parking for miles along the highway on either side.

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      hiking big sur

      Posted in California, travel, USA | 1 Comment | Tagged beach, big sur, California, ewoldsen trail, hiking, ocean, travel
    • mission peaks

      Posted at 8:00 am by jasminedesirees, on December 28, 2016

      We’ve been in the Bay for the last couple of weeks after the semester ended, and we ended up celebrating Christmas on December 24th this year, just because it worked better for a lot of people’s schedules.

      mission peak

      mission peak

      mission peak

      So on the 25th, we woke up and had breakfast and opened up our stockings, but then we didn’t really have anywhere we needed to be. It turned out to be a gorgeous day, so we decided to go for a hike and try to burn off some of the treats we’ve been eating. I made two huge bags of puppy chow on the 20th and they were gone before Christmas Eve.

      mission peak

      mission peak

      mission peak

      Missions Peaks was about 7 miles total, and was only about 30 minutes away from where we were staying, so it was kind of perfect. It was kind of hard in some spots, it had rained a few days before so it was a bit slippery, and parts of it were pretty steep. Also, there are cows.

      mission peak

      mission peak

      mission peak

      It took us about 3 hours total, but the view from the top was gorgeous, and it was nice to get outside and actually do something, even though I like drinking mimosas in front of the fireplace as much as the next guy.

      mission peak

      mission peak

      mission peak

      It’s a great option if you are looking for a hike in the East Bay, especially on a clear day because you can see the entire Bay.

      mission peak

      mission peak

      mission peak

      mission peak

      Tomorrow we are off for a couple of days in Big Sur, and I am SO excited. We’re supposed to have good weather, and we are leaving super early to try to snag a cliff top spot. It might be really cold, but between by batman onesie and the 400 pairs of socks I got for Christmas, I may avoid freezing to death.

      mission peak

      mission peak

      mission peak

      Posted in California, holidays, travel, USA | 0 Comments | Tagged bay area, California, Christmas, hiking, mission peak
    • salt lake city

      Posted at 8:00 am by jasminedesirees, on December 27, 2016

      We left Montana at 4:30 a.m. to drive back to AZ in August, and spent the first night in Salt Lake City. I’ve really only been to the airport there before, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it was really beautiful there. Our original plan was to go hiking at Cecret Lake and Lake Mary Trail, but there was a big bicycle race going on that had all of the entrances to the area where we wanted to go hiking blocked, and we would have had to drive basically all the way around the mountain to get to the other side if we wanted to go, so we ended up going to downtown SLC instead.

      We went for drinks at a few bars in downtown and then went to check out the LDS Temple, which is right in the heart of the city. The grounds were gorgeous, and we went into the visitor’s center to learn more about the Mormon religion and the temple, which we didn’t even realize was a thing you could do, but it was really interesting.

      We were only there for one night, we stayed at a really cute AirBnB, but I’d like to go back and spend some more time there, and hopefully visit Park City while we’re in the area.

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      salt lake city

      Posted in travel, USA, utah | 0 Comments | Tagged hiking, salt lake city, travel, utah
    • o’ahu: pillboxes

      Posted at 8:00 am by jasminedesirees, on December 28, 2015

      A few pictures from my trip to Hawaii in November. I always try to fit in a trip to Pillboxes when I’m on O’ahu, no matter what.

      It really doesn’t matter how many times I’ve been there, it always takes my breath away.

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Pillboxes, O'ahu Hawaii

      Posted in Hawaii, travel, USA | 0 Comments | Tagged Hawaii, hiking, lanikai, Oahu, pillboxes, travel
    • seattle: discovery park

      Posted at 8:52 am by jasminedesirees, on November 23, 2015

      We only had 3 days in Seattle, but we definitely made the most of them. On the morning before we flew out, we set off from our hotel, swung by Pike Place for breakfast, and then kept walking north along the water.

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      We wandered through the Sculpture Garden, and kept walking until we got to the end of the walkway, and into a strange labyrinth of warehouses and roads. We were trying to get to Discovery Park, but we ended up kind of getting lost and had to call an Uber to come take us the rest of the way, otherwise we would probably still be there.

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      We got dropped off at Discovery Park, just north of the city, and picked a random hiking trail (there are tons) to try to find our way to the lighthouse at the end of the point.

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day, and the views on our hike were incredible. Right near Discovery Park there is a military base, and we stumbled upon what must be the most adorable Base housing in the history of the world.

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      As a former military spouse, I was violently jealous of anybody who got to be stationed there and live in such a picturesque location.

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      Eventually we found our way to the lighthouse (I kind of have a thing for lighthouses). The beach near the lighthouse was quiet and peaceful and was covered in so much driftwood that I briefly considered taking up whittling or furniture making. There were baby seals playing in the water along the shore.

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      By the end of that day, I had pretty much decided I was going to move to Seattle one day, and I called my husband to tell him so. It won’t be for a couple of years, but I can tell that the PNW and I would get along.

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      I suppose the argument could be made that I was there on the most beautiful, sunny weekend of the year, and I might not like it there most of the time when it’s grey and rainy, but that sounds like two-years-from-now Jasmine’s problem.

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      discovery park seattle

      Posted in Seattle, travel, USA, Washington | 1 Comment | Tagged beach, discovery park, hiking, lighthouses, seattle, travel, washington
    • glacier national park

      Posted at 9:44 am by jasminedesirees, on September 17, 2015

      We’ve been coming to Flathead Lake in Montana for almost as long as I can remember. We would load up in the motorhome when my dad got home from work, and he would drive through the night.

      We would wake up in the morning in Montana, at the campgrounds in Big Arm, and we would spend two weeks boating, having campfires, swimming and feeding the geese.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      About 8 years ago my parents bought a cabin in Lakeside, and we’ve been spending most of our summers and a lot of our Christmases here ever since.

      In all that time, I don’t think I’ve ever spent any actual time in Glacier National Park, although I do remember driving through it, and stopping to play in the waterfalls along the Road to the Sun.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      So this summer, on a day too cold to spend on the boat, my mom and I drove the hour and a half to the park to go hiking. The park is absolutely gorgeous, and there are so many hiking trails and gorgeous lakes to choose from. We ended up going up to the top, to the Logan’s Pass trail. It’s a long, winding drive to the top, but the view is spectacular.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      We were dressed in light layers, and we brought our bear bell and bear repellent, just in case, although if I ever had a bear come close enough to use it I would probably just lay down and wait for it to finish me off.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      We stopped at the gift shop at the top to see if they had any snacks (they had these AMAZING oatmeal chocolate chips the size of your face, and I ate it in about two bites) and then we set off. We kind of randomly picked a trail and started walking.

      The beginning of the trail was a wooden boardwalk through fields of multi-coloured wildflowers, but eventually it became a dirt trail with puddles everywhere from the runoff, and it got snowier and colder as we got closer.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      My feet got wet, which wasn’t a problem at first, but after we’d been outside for a few hours and it started getting windier and colder I thought it was going to be Alive all over again.

      The first animal we saw was a Marmot, it looks like an enormous fluffy gopher, but it was just chilling along the side of the trail so we left it alone.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      The end destination of our hike was Hidden Lake, but we didn’t really know how far it was, so we kept ambling along. We passed a few people having a snowball fight, tons of waterfalls and a few little lakes before we got to the viewpoint.

      When we were almost there we ran into one of the park rangers, and he told us he had seen a grizzly bear with her cubs down by the lake.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      We walked for about 10 more minutes, and then we started to see little white dots moving down the mountains across an open field. They were mountain goats, there were 4 of them, and they were coming straight towards us.

      We watched them for awhile and then went to continue on, when all of a sudden one of them popped up right in front of us on the trail, about 5 feet away. I’m not sure if mountain goats are dangerous, but he did have horns, so we tried to give him some space, but it was really cool to see him up so close.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      We made it to the Hidden Lake Viewpoint, the view was amazing, and we did get to see the bears, although they were so far away that it was like a brown dot with two smaller brown dots walking around by the lake, which is fine because that’s about as close as I want to be to a grizzly bear in the wild anyway.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      Eventually it started getting really cold and windy, so we made the trek back down, and headed for home, or more accurately, to the Moose for pizza. It was a really fun day, but there is so much to see in the park that I’d need at least a week to do all the hikes and see all the of the beautiful views.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      There are so many amazing places there, like St.Mary Lake and hundreds of hiking trails, but there’s always next summer.

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      glacier national park

      Posted in Montana, travel, USA | 2 Comments | Tagged flathead lake, glacier national park, grizzly bear, hiking, hiking trails, Montana
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