Cruise Control

First off, MADE IT! 

Me with the Glacier sign!

Yey, Wyoming! 

Secondly, that drive wasn’t so bad thanks to the diverse landscape of Wyoming and Montana AND cruise control. To get where I’m coming from, most of my long distance driving has been through Nebraska. Yawn! And too many people so you actually have to drive (with the truckers).  Luckily Wyoming is just full of a few ranchers and some beautiful open landscapes that change from sagebrush prairie to tree covered mountains. Much better. 

MOUNTAINS! HECK YEAH!

Now don’t get me started on Montana. Day two was my favorite because it was so green, so hilly, and there were so many trees. The landscape changed even more than Wyoming. 

Over the course of the drive, I came to the realization that I am definitely a Western girl.  I love wide open spaces, prairie to foothills to mountains, and not a lot of humanity. Yup, I’ve said it. I’m much happier out in the wilderness than in a huge crowded town. Denver to me is like the middle ground to the two far sides of the spectrum. No cities/humanity is like Wyoming and then New York is like HUMANITY. Denver is a nice combination. 

That being said, I’m enjoying life up North already even if it’s currently a ghost town. Literally no one is in the employee housing area. Farther back from me are some permanent housing units, but my temporary space is empty. For now. I did meet my neighbors this morning while drinking tea on my front porch. I have a family of wood peckers in the tree just outside my kitchen window. I have a chipmunk who lives under my porch and a grey squirrel that just appeared while I’m typing this out on the porch. It’s nice enough to be barefoot but I do have a sweatshirt on. It’s chilly. 

Lake McDonald

I took advantage of my down time today, Sunday, to go into the park. It rained on me once after I went on a little boardwalk hike to where the main road is closed off. If you’ve ever been to Glacier National Park, they have the road closed off at the Avalanche Lake trail. There’s too much snow to open Logan Pass. So for my morning walkabout, I went to the Apgar Visitor Center, took the ‘Going-to-the-Sun’ road towards Logan Pass, and did the Trail of the Cedars. On my drive I pulled out on almost all the turnouts to take pictures and even stopped in at the closed Lake McDonald Lodge. Take a look at what’s right in my backyard for the summer!

Next to the start of Trail of the Cedars

Lake McDonald Lodge

Look at that lovely water and moss!

Che bella!

Entering Grizzly Country Sign

In the park I saw a grouse and a deer, but no bears. I did come across this sign though and decided against the hiking alone for now. It’s too quiet in the woods now. Not enough visitors around and I bet the bears are starting to wake up and will be at lower elevations anyway. So, only the boardwalk for me today. 

Iced waterfall on the trail.

Trail of the Cedars

My housing. My door is the one farthest on the right. The archives building is in the foreground.

Now you may keep thinking about this awesome porch I have and how much wildlife I see. The little town of West Glacier is mostly souvenir shops and then a little further towards the entrance, but off the main road, are the park headquarters. My housing, the archive, USGS, many other offices and the main administrative building are in this area. It’s in the forest right before the park fee entrance. My housing unit is four different studio apartments with each set of two sharing a bathroom. The bathrooms are huge and quite spacious. Here is a picture of my awesome front porch where I get to observe the wilderness and the back of the archives building. Yeah, I live right next to work. We shall see how I feel about that later.

Looking towards the left from the front door.

And here are my living quarters. Pretty sweet digs!  For those of you wondering, YESSS, I can have guests and they can stay up to two weeks at a time. So if this isn’t the time for an excuse, I don’t know when will be. I have a double bed, but there is room for a sleeping bag or two on the floor. Just saying! 

Looking from the kitchen table to the bedroom.

Anyway, I’m off to try to buy some things I found I need for my little studio and I’ll be on that infamous wifi hunt. I’m trying Kalispell. Fingers crossed.*

*I did find wifi, hence this post. But it wasn't until I took a driving tour of Kalispell where I missed the only part of town where TJ Maxx and Target and Starbucks are. AKA humanity. I stopped in a Verizon store and pleaded to the girls there for the nearest coffee shop. So after all, while I really like the remoteness of my location, knowing there is an option is comforting. Got to stay connected to the world to some extent. :) Thank the Target and Starbucks gods.