Glacier National Park, Montana

June 28 - July 3, 2008

Before we start, I just wanted to introduce Jillian Langley, daughter of my very much loved niece, Katie, and Dennis. Jillian was born on May 21st and we had a chance to visit them for a short while in the hospital. Unfortunately Dennis had to work for awhile that day. Jillian is such a princess.

Also, Happy 1st Birthday to Brody Kenneth Palmer on June 29th. We Love You! (We do get beautiful babies in this family!

After a two day trip, we arrived at North American RV Park in Coram, Montana to find Susan and Bob and their friends, Carlton and Brenda, waiting for us at the park.

The altitude is half of what it was in Yellowstone, but there isn't as much wind and it's a lot warmer during the day (90's) but again hits the 40's at night - when that occurs. We are simply amazed when it's still very much daylight at 10:00 at night.

Susan, Bob, Ken and I went kayaking (one way to beat the heat) on Hungry Horse Reservoir. We all had to sit back and pinch ourselves...we were kayaking in Montana!!!

Hungry Horse Reservoir is a 23,813 acre impoundment that was created in 1953 after the construction of Hungry Horse Dam, Montana's highest and the eleventh largest concrete dam in the U.S. The project, located on the South Fork of the Flathead River, was authorized to help prevent the recurring spring floods on the Columbia and Flathead rivers and to alleviate the annual winter power shortage in the Pacific Northwest. The Hungry Horse Project received its name from two husky freight horses working in the rugged wilderness of the Flathead River's South Fork area. They wandered away from their sleigh during the severe winter of 1900-01. After struggling for a month in belly-deep snow, they were found so starved and weak that considerable care and feeding were needed to nurse them back to health. The name Hungry Horse stuck and was given to a mountain, a lake, a creek, the dam and the project.

We also managed to get in some whitewater rafting on the Flathead River. We rafted for about four miles on Class I rapids (fairly mild), stopped for a steak dinner along the riverbank and then rafted again for another four miles, enjoying the scenery and the very good meal.

(Yes, it was very hot and no, that is not a bear behind me!) The Flathead River is very cold (34 degrees) and still pretty cloudy from what it's bringing down from the mountains.

The last two days we have had rain and most of the mountaintops have been in the clouds. The famous Going-to-the-Sun Road through Glacier National Park has been closed due to the snow they had here a few weeks ago Even the 90-degree weather hasn't helped with the snow melt that high up. We understand they will be opening the road tomorrow, the day we leave. So, this trip hasn't been as timely as we would have liked, but it was really nice to sit and read a book and catch up on some cleaning which hasn't been possible with the schedule we've been on!

Tomorrow we leave for Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Blackwell Island RV Park on the Spokane River. We'll celebrate the Fourth of July (and, of course, my birthday) there with Susan and Bob.