Miles to Go Before I Sleep
Cold feet after a long journey! Saint Marys Lake, Glacier National Park, MT.
Last week took me from Seattle to Missoula, through Glacier, to Livingston, to Yellowstone, through the Grand Tetons, and finally to a llama farm in Wyoming. Phew!
Maybe it was the circumstances of how Seattle came crashing down at the end, and the huge important event I missed due to Covid, along with family I hadn’t seen for years, but I felt a great weight lift from my shoulders as I crossed the Idaho border. Maybe it was the walls of lush forested canyons that rose tall around me, or the sapphire waters of Lake Coeur d’ Alene that sparkled away my worries. Maybe it was the vast blue sky unencumbered by dense buildings that opened up before me or the perfect old timey radio drama that switched itself on to The Adventures of Phillip Marlow and the Cloak of Kamehameha, but I was overcome by joyous laughter and reinvigorated for the journey ahead.
Missoula Moments
Clark Fork River. Missoula, MT.
The landscape in Idaho and Montana took my breath away. Huge skies, complex clouds beaming with light, pastoral landscapes amid beautiful mountain ranges. I never even saw Missoula coming. I literally didn’t see it until I was in it because the tallest building is about 8 stories. The city is surrounded by golden rolling hills, distant mountain ranges, and bisected by the massive Clark Fork river that is the centerpiece of town. I landed, as the sun set crimson over the river, in a charming carriage house converted to a comfortable little apartment. It was covered in hanging flowers, antlers and wagon wheels. Inspirational quotes that were somehow not at all cheesy adorned every room, and I had a beautiful little plant covered patio to recover my strength in.
In the evenings after work I walked past sprawling old houses with lazy, wrap around porches made for taking in the warm summer nights. The Big Dipper ice cream shack a few blocks away was the place to be on a Sunday evening, and was buzzing with families, teens, and couples all getting cones the size of two softballs stacked on a massive waffle. I joined the fray after two days of temptation and got a huckleberry/Mexican chocolate cone that absolutely gave me life.
Still feeling run down from last week’s setbacks, and from late nights trying to plan a day trip to the nearby Glacier National Park, I decided to treat myself to a relaxing haircut. My stylist, randomly selected for me, was a fiery, bad ass dancer and outdoorswoman, living her best life on her terms, who I instantly liked. She told me her life story and I told her mine, and though our paths were wildly different, I felt like we were in a relatable place and time in our lives. And as luck would have it she just came back from Glacier the day before and had a map in her car that she gave me. She helped me plan my trip right there in the chair while giving me back some razzle dazzle. Once again I was exactly where I needed to be. Thanks Jennifer!
Armed with a plan, I left Missoula a day early to spend the night in a basic cabin right at the West entrance of the park so I could wake up pre-dawn and make it through the gates before 6am when reservations are required. I succeeded, against my nocturnal nature, and was rewarded by a surprisingly delicious raspberry hazelnut latte with oat milk at Apgar Village as I watched the sun rise over Lake McDonald with snow patched glaciers rising majestic in the distance.
Lake McDonald at dawn. Glacier National Park, MT.
Serendipity Strikes Again
I had been warned of grizzly bears by several people, and though I had my bear spray strapped to my hip I was wary of my first hiking choice to Avalanche Lake so early. But I needn’t have been, because the trail was busy with early birds by 7am. The hike takes you through a cedar forest along a snaking river gorge with azure blue waters, rushing through red, green and teal boulders that define the region. It eventually leads to a crystal clear lake surrounded by towering glacial cliffs with waterfalls streaming down their faces.
Avalanche Lake. Glacier National Park, MT.
I got to a rocky beach with a healthy and fearless chipmunk population and asked a lone woman if I could share her log. I sat quietly munching on a banana when she alerted me to a chipmunk friend who had crawled under my legs, hoping for a lost morsel. We got to chatting and she was also on a solo road trip with her dog, living her best van life and loving it. She was a nurse but seemed to want to focus on yoga, sound healing, and travel, and was taking some time to explore. She envied my ability to work remotely, I envied her ability to just let it go and trust she could manage when she needed to. We sat and watched the sun rise and bathe the far cliff face in golden light. It so happened that our paths would be similar over the next couple of weeks, so we exchanged information to rendezvous again down the road.
I hiked back feeling connected and grateful for this lovely interaction, and proceeded to drive the Going ToThe Sun road, long considered one of the most scenic drives in the country. It did not disappoint. A narrow road on cliff’s edge winding through snow flecked glaciers, walls that wept, and turn after turn of epic U-shaped glacier valleys as far as the eye could see. My next stop was Logans Pass to hike the Hidden Lake trail. Fields of wildflowers surrounded the wooden board walk that gave way to a rocky path at the foot of a peak with a bit of ice close enough to touch. Little waterfalls gushed out of the rocky edges as the sun began to warm the chill in the air and ground squirrels ran about the trail munching on flowers. The trail was closed at the lookout point 1.5 miles in due to bear activity, but the lake was just glorious. I would settle there if I was a bear as well.
I saw a pair of big horned sheep posing on the roadside as I drove on to Jackson Glacier Overlook, where you can get the closest look at a big glacier without hiking in. The ice is receding and soon these glaciers will lose their namesake jackets. I desperately wanted to hike to Iceberg Lake, in the Many Glacier region, while it still has icebergs floating around, but I missed getting a reservation in the lottery, and my hiking legs were about spent anyway. So, I made a final stop at Wild Goose Island lookout on St. Marys Lake, took a little hidden trail down to the water’s edge to cool my aching feet in its frigid waters, and bid farewell to this amazing park.
Goat Milk and Life Goals
I then drove 4 hours to the tiny town of Livingston 1.5 hours north of Yellowstone, and got to my hobbit hut on Outlaw Hill right as the sun was setting crimson and gold streaming through epic clouds. The wife of the dynamic duo who live there met me at the gate and talked with me as we enjoyed the last rays of sun before showing me around this amazing sanctuary. We got deep quickly, connecting on life after 40, mourning what can no longer be and celebrating the amazing opportunities that can arise from loss, and it was clear that she and her husband had learned to tap into the abundance of life. They seemed to live flexibly and joyfully wearing many hats: They farmed goats and chickens, made essential oil products, worked at a preschool, did construction, created enchanting spaces and AirBnBs, and made art. This, I thought, is a wonderful life, but it was not the life they had imagined, and they had embraced the opportunity nonetheless.
Hobbit Hole on Outlaw Hill. Livingston, MT.
The space was enchanting with a round window looking out to the hills, a big comfy bed and a clawfoot tub right there in the room with candles and epsom salts that seemed to be waiting for my tired bones. She left me fresh goats milk and eggs from her hens, and showed me the amazing details designed and made by the loving hand of her super creative partner. They had anticipated my every need and then some, and I wanted to just stop right there and move in. I would gladly be the child they never had and work the farm on that hill, learning how to say YES to life. But alas, I only had one night, and I was greeted to a beautiful sunrise through the hobbit hole and baby goats running free range outside my window. I stayed as long as I could but I knew I had another big day ahead of me in Yellowstone.
