Bowman Lake

Today we went to the upper northwest area of the park.  It is spectacular.  There is so much exploring to be done up there.  You could spend and entire lifetime learning this park.  We drove nearly two hours north on dirt roads and still didn't get to the top of the park.  Then we drove 6 miles into the park on a very bad road (east) and I'm not kidding when I tell you that we only saw a teeny tiny fraction of this area.  It is unbelievable how many mountains are here.  They are all huge and they are all magnificent.

We didn't hike, because we had Olivia with us (dogs not allowed on trails).  But we did scope out the camp area and we talked with the nice Ranger Rachel who lives out there.  She spends the northern hemisphere winters in Antarctica. Here at Glacier she is living in a very old cabin (she took us in and showed us) that has the early 20th century stove and fireplace still intact and operating.  It has amazing log beams on the ceiling.  I wish I could have politely taken pictures.  It was one big room where everything fit into one space.  Bed, table, kitchen, wood fireplace, wardrobe.  It was very cozy and very beautiful.  If I didn't have kids I'd be fighting to live out there.  ;-)

I know.  I keep posting mountain pics.  It is hard to know if I'm just taking pics of the same mountains over and over.  So these pictures are of totally different mountains, in a totally different area.  The glacial lakes can start to look the same, but they are all so different when you are there in person. 

I'm certain that this building (the only store on a 32+ mile dirt road) is over 100 years old.  We went in a bought cookies which were very good.  It is amazing how simply and efficiently folks live and operate here. 

Our trusty bug spray is always close by.  The skeeters nearly carried Nick off, but were somewhat deterred by the spray.  We still had some determined skeeters attack, so we put on a bunch of clothing layers to make it difficult for them to get a meal.

Beautiful Lucas

Bowman Lake.  Click on the picture to enlarge it if you'd like.

Everyone was tired.  There was a monster thunder storm that moved in just as we were leaving the lake.  Olivia got scared and jumped from the back into the lap of Lucas.  She settled in the middle and fell asleep.  The storm dropped nearly an inch of hail on the ground, which looked like snow.