Rain and Cold

When we first arrived at Glacier National Park it was to a place that was obscured by a hideous pall of smoke and haze. There were forest fires blazing all around at various point within the Park and all around the Park and in vast conflagrations in states to the west of Montana (Idaho and Washington). Thus, the route we took to the Park to take advantage of the scenery (viewing the Rocky Mountain Front) was instead just an interminable drive through smog.

When we got to the Park and set up camp we quickly learned that we couldn't put up the awning on the trailer because the winds were blowing so fiercely. At first, the winds were just swirling the smoke around and making the hot air blow dust and dirt everywhere. However, as the daylight faded and the day wound down, the weather began to change. It got progressively cooler, and thick rain clouds rolled in...and by the time the night came on, it rained, and rained hard.

In the morning the sun came out and the low clouds lifted from around us...and we saw the peaks as we had hoped to see them all along.

The look of the Park when we first arrived. We wuz robbed!

By morning, the cold front had passed through after having dumped much rain on us. I awoke to find clouds shrouding the mountains and I waited for them to lift.

Oh, my.

As they are meant to be seen.

Across Two Medicine Lake.

No Griz!

Well, we have returned home. Very long trip. Longest ever vacation. So much of it spent driving!

I now no longer have to imagine what it's like to witness a cloud of smoke that covers a huge portion of the North American continent. Between the historically enormous fires in Washington state (over 400 square miles) and the ones in Idaho, and the local fires in Montana we saw smoke clouds that spread over thousands and thousands of miles. Upon leaving, we actually drove for two days over three (enormous) western states trying to escape from the smoke. Only on the very eastern edge of South Dakota did we find ourselves free of most of it.

That said, we did have some days without smoke covering the skies. Three days in South Dakota and Wyoming, and roughly two and a half days in Glacier National Park (Montana). Then the fire smoke rolled in and obliterated the views. Most of the wildlife, also, seemed to fade from the landscape. Hiding? It sure seemed so.

We ended up never seeing a single grizzly bear, not one moose, and only two black bears (one of them a cub).

Details as I download the files and collect my thoughts.

Wyoming's Devil's Tower.

Dinosaurs and Cheesecake!

As we continue to tinker on the final details of the trip to Glacier National Park, we are getting news of a severe forest fire there. It's not in part of the Park where we'll be staying, but troubling to hear about it. The latest I've heard from a friend in that area is that the Park is getting torrential rains which will hopefully kill of the blaze.

Yesterday I went to hang out with my pal, Budd Root, who is famous for creating, writing, and illustrating the popular comic book title CAVEWOMAN. He was busy producing pen and ink illustrations for clients, but we were able to talk and brainstorm on a project we want to do together. Details as they come.

Good ol' Budd at work.

Dinosaurs and Cheesecake!