We're Off Part 2.... AZ-WY-MT-SD-AZ

[Synfulz]

It was 10:00 when it finally got dark, that's crazy. I'm glad it's not like that in AZ. The last thing we'd want in the summer is 2 more hours of sun and heat. ?

I remember back east it would get dark in the winters around 4:30 and I hated it. I guess that's why so many have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) I know I did living there. Mostly from the long gloomy winter days.

Here in the Philippines it gets dark about 630 pm and light about 600 am. We don't do time change.

Sponsored

 

[AzScorpion]

Here in the Philippines it gets dark about 630 pm and light about 600 am. We don't do time change.

We don't change the time in AZ either. But at least it stays light out until 8:20 or so and it's light around 5:15 am. If it was dark at 6:30 pm I'd be asleep by 7:00 pm. ? ?

 

[Synfulz]

We don't change the time in AZ either. But at least it stays light out until 8:20 or so and it's light around 5:15 am. If it was dark at 6:30 pm I'd be asleep by 7:00 pm. ? ?

I like that it gets dark early, cools off.?

 

[AzScorpion]

Today I drove over to the east side of Glacier to the Two Medicine entrance. We left here about 6:00 am seeing it's about 72 miles to get over there. Wouldn't you know it as I was half way there I got a text that the Going To The Sun Road is now opening up this morning. ?‍ No biggie as we'll drive that tomorrow and we had a good time today.

There's a lot of waterfalls over on that side and after doing a couple long hikes (for Annie) she was all done. I did the last one alone to one last waterfall but it ended up being nothing special. I wanted to finally beat Richard @Synfulz in step which I did.

 

[AzScorpion]

Right after the main entrance there's a parking area to the Running Eagle Falls. It's a short 3/4 mile hike in/out but a really nice waterfall and definitely worth checking out.

I was a little upset at first because I wanted to get closer but the water was really high to cross over the rocks. Doh, there's a bridge way over to the right but it was hidden behind the trees from where we were standing.

Now you can get right up close on the platform. But of course I had to get closer and walked around right down under it. What's really cool is the water normally runs through the hole but there's still so much runoff it's spilling over the top at the same time.

 

[AzScorpion]

We then drove down to the main parking area of Two Medicine Lake. There's a couple different trail heads there or you can rent kayaks and canoes or take a boat ride across the lake. We took the trail up to another waterfall called Aster Falls. It's about 2 miles up to the falls and from there you can gamut another 0.7 miles to Aster Viewpoint which we did. This was another really cool waterfall and you can get right up over the top of it and watch the water crash down.

View across Two Medicine Lake.

Walking through the trail there was a pond and a mother duck and her 4 little ones. ?

This is the first lower view you get of Aster Falls.

 

[AzScorpion]

From there you can go up over the top of the falls. Annie would only go so far (she's petrified of heights) so I went to the top then made my way down below. What a difference in temperature, it was freezing down by the water.


This is from the top of the waterfall.

You have to make your way down these rocks to get to the lower edge. They're really wet and slick so I only went half way down. Didn't want you guys to see in the news some dumb ass drowned in Glacier taking waterfall pics. lol

 

[AzScorpion]

After the falls you can make your way up to the Aster Falls Viewpoint. The view was pretty nice up there and you can see Two Medicine Lake and the mountains.

These are growing all over the place and I have no idea what they're called. It grows on a long skinny stem and blossoms.

 

[AzScorpion]

From there we hiked over to Two Medicine Lake. By now Annie was tired so instead of hiking all the way back the way we came it was shorter (2 miles) to hike to the lake. There's a boat launch there where they'll pick you up and shuttle you back across the lake. Just some cool views of the lake and mountains along the way there.

You have to go over this suspended bridge and I was surprised Annie did it being afraid of heights. It's not really that high but to her it is. lol

I thought this was a cool picture coming down the mountain along side of Two Medicine Lake.

 

[AzScorpion]

Next thing I see is this guy.

Ok, which one of you sent him looking for me??

 

[AzScorpion]

There were a whole bunch of marmots along the trail and down by the boat launch area. They could care less that people were around and were eating the grass and running all over the place.

 

[RedlandRanger]

These are growing all over the place and I have no idea what they're called. It grows on a long skinny stem and blossoms.

That is called Beargrass - it blooms every year but once every 7 or so years there is an "extra" bloom.

 

[BS67]

Great pics, Dave!

 

[BS67]

Oh.............and this too!..................

 

[AzScorpion]

We headed out early to do the Going To The Sun Road today. It was "supposed" to be nice out with the first chance if rain (20%) at 2:00pm. Well that didn't work out since it started pouring around 9:30am. I know the peak of any mountain can be tricky weather wise but the whole surround area had the same forecast.

At least we got to drive it before the rain started and got a few good shots off the road. We were going to do 3 other hikes up there but it was only 38* and 35-40 mph wind gusts. No way Annie was hiking it that weather and honestly neither was I. I would've considered it if it wasn't raining and windy. Annie wouldn't even get out of the truck to look around or take pictures. lol

The first pullout was right at the Loop.

They call it the Loop because there's a sharp hairpin curve before you start climbing to the top which is Logans Pass.

Sponsored