Rob's Ride on my new Coker!

Finally scored a used coker!  Woot woot... got a great deal on it... with brakes, a new off road tire, and handles (although my legs are too short, so I don't have room for the handle).

Kai told me he's ready...

a collage of the ride by Stefan...

Here's a small map of the ride...

geared up! Ready to ride...

Kimbo thinks I have too many unis.  I only have 5. Nathan... he's got 18!!!

Stefan, Geoff, and Nathan with Grace on the recumbent ahead of them and Michelle on her hot pink coker.

Michelle's awesome pink coker

Stefan cruising down Hwy 1 on our way back to the start...

Montana: the best of the rest...

Spent a few nights in Missoula hangin' out with Leslie, Matt.

we got to spend some time in the kitchen cookin' some fine meals...

the finished product

Kai = pink cowboy

At Rainbow Ranch, outside of Bozeman for Mendelson's wedding

At Yellowstone NP posing with the Wash U Crew.

Yellowstone!

more pics here...
http://telek.smugmug.com/Vacation/Best-of-Montana/26016958_HCHKRN#!i=2159700331&k=Sr6bzkq

Weekly Pano: Bear's Hump

A short hike from the Waterton Lakes NP Visitor Center brings you up to Bear's Hump.  Although it's a short hike, it's quite a strenuous climb to a rewarding, though usually windy view.  One of the few places in the park to climb, as most of the rock in the park is old and chossy.  

TR: Mt Aeneas in Jewel Basin, MT

After our short jaunt in Glacier/Waterton National Parks, we were still hungry to hike.  So after consulting with a few guidebooks and rangers we settled on hiking Mt. Aeneas.  Located in the Jewel Basin, Mt. Aeneas is an ideal peak.  Not too long (6 mi?) and it's a loop.  There aren't very many peaks you can hike on a loop hike, and pretty much the entire trail was beautiful.  From the wildflowers, the ridges, the lakes, and to Kai bear's bum.  OK, I'll let the pics do the talking from here.  

Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium), flowers, young leaves, shoots are all edible... in fact, I'd love to try some fireweed ice cream next time I'm in AK.    

Elderberries - Elderberries contain more vitamin C than any other fruit except for rosehips and black currants and are an excellent source of phosphorus and potassium, anthocyanins, vitamin A and a fine source of calcium

beautiful colors on the well maintained trail...

Kai is out...

once you reach the ridge, you reach a microwave tower...

And a beautiful view of the lakes in Jewel Basin below.  In our counter clockwise loop, we stayed on the ridge up to the summit then dropped back down past these lakes on our way back to the car.  

big horn sheep poo... we saw some, but they were really far away.  Need a zoom lens.  

Looks like a fun destination in winter too.  

Summit snack for Kai.  

Summit shot!

down at Birch Lake

forgot what this is called... anyone?  

our post hike celebration beverage...

And soon, we were following some arrows pointing to the Mahaffey's.  

TR: Carthew - Alderson Trail Run

This point to point hike in Waterton Lakes National Park is definitely one of the most beautiful and (hence) popular hikes in Waterton Lakes... although "popular" has a different connotation in comparison to its neighbor to the south.

example of a sweeping pano view...

After a slow morning recovering from the Grinnell Glacier hike, we checked out the town of Waterton, walked around to check out where we could go for dinner later, etc.  We did a small driving tour of the park, and briefly checked out Red Rock Canyon... which looks fun to explore.

Here's Sunrift gorge in glacier... also looks fun to explore...

... and finally ended up at windy Cameron Lake, the starting point for my trail run back to town.  For most of the hike there is little vegetation,  providing sweeping panoramic views for most of the hike.

My running outfit... bear spray in one hand, a bottle of water in the other.  

The trail was immaculate.... and I passed 3 folks?

Ski descent?

Quite the scree field...

Passing the Carthew Lakes...

Snow!

Saw some bear scat... but no wildlife...

huckleberry!

... when Cameron Falls ran red... http://leisure.ezinemark.com/rare-phenomenon-cameron-waterfall-turns-into-red-773661fb4e58.html

Other Hikes...
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/activ/activ5.aspx

Other Cool Things to do in Waterton NP

• Stay in a Teepee... or as the Canadians spell it (Tipi) the night before.  http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/activ/activ3.aspx#tipi
• Kiteboard on Upper Waterton Lake.  It's often windy in the afternoon... although quite gusty I hear... but it'd be pretty special to kite amongst all those mountains in that lake.   
• Mtn Bike - Unlike most trails in every national park in the US, you can go mountain biking in National Parks in Canada.  Although this isn't the premier spot to do so, the Crandell Loop sounds like a fun one to bike (20 km).  http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/activ/activ1/c.aspx

Weekly Pano: Grinnell Glacier

See the last post for more... a beautiful hike in an amazing park.  

Grinnell Glacier

Here's some pics from our hike up to Grinnell Glacier. One of Glacier's more popular hikes starting from Many Glacier.... and for good reason, as you'll see in the pics.  For this hike, you have the option to hop on a boat across Swiftcurrent and Josephine lakes to cut out 3 miles of hiking, making it a reasonable 7 mile round trip hike up to the glacier.  The hiking is beautiful, the wildlife a plenty, and the glacier is other worldly.

Comparison of the 1938 pic to the 2009...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grinnell_Glacier

Swiftcurrent Lake from the boat... we are going to hike to the glacier just out of view in the middle of the pic

See why they call it swiftcurrent?

This guy didn't want us to get off the boat... kept on running around making "moosy" noises... 

Grinnell glacier!  She's a beauty egh?  

And the family shot!

Kai had a fun time playing with the rocks

Looking back towards Josephine & Swiftcurrent Lakes on our way back.  

trying out some thimbleberries

some bighorn sheep that were blocking our trail on the way back.  

Back on the boat with a happy pumpkin.