{"id":2195,"date":"2017-06-20T20:39:05","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T20:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/?p=2195"},"modified":"2017-07-10T14:39:09","modified_gmt":"2017-07-10T14:39:09","slug":"not-going-to-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/2017\/06\/20\/not-going-to-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Not going to the sun"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When in Glacier National Park you HAVE to drive Going to the Sun road between the east and west sides of the park. \u00a0Unless, of course, its closed. \u00a0Apparently we are still too early in the season and the road is still being cleared of snow. \u00a0While our timing was poor for that aspect of the park we showed up on a year of mass bear grass blooms! \u00a0Bear grass (xerophyllum tenax) is a common wildflower in the park but massive blooms like they are having this summer are said to occur only every 5-10 years!<br \/>\n<a title=\"Bear grass\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/136797225@N05\/35459144615\/in\/album-72157685253444616\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/c1.staticflickr.com\/5\/4282\/35459144615_26119881fd_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bear grass\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>We headed into the park, grabbed Jr Ranger books for Dacen and Brielle and drove up the part of the road that was open. \u00a0We had planned to go to the road block and then make our stops on the way back. \u00a0However, as soon as we saw Lake McDonald we HAD to stop. \u00a0Plus the overcast weather just made it look super cool in my opinion. \u00a0We snapped off a bunch of pictures at a few different spots then headed on up to the road block at Avalanche Creek. \u00a0This is supposed to be an awesome trail, however, it was closed due to bear activity. \u00a0So we walked the Trail of the Cedars which was really neat. \u00a0The area felt much different than the mountains of Colorado. \u00a0For one, the blue tinted water of the creeks is something we really don&#8217;t see in Colorado but the forest just felt more dense and mossy and wet. \u00a0The trail crosses Avalanche creek at one point where the water was being squeezed between this steep set of moss covered rocks&#8230;this was by far my favorite part of the trail.<\/p>\n<p>The rangers also recommended walking up the closed portion of the road and so we did. \u00a0I was admiring some moss along the road when I spotted some that looked a little different than the rest. \u00a0Caden came over, gave it a look and sang&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It starts with an S and ends with a T<br \/>\nIt comes out of you and it comes out of me<br \/>\nI know what you&#8217;re thinking but don&#8217;t call it that<br \/>\nLet&#8217;s be scientific and call it scat<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a title=\"Oh crap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/136797225@N05\/35458983135\/in\/album-72157685253444616\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/c1.staticflickr.com\/5\/4234\/35458983135_7dd46b512d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Oh crap\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\nThis pile was HUGE&#8230;I would not want to meet the feller that made that deposit!! \u00a0As we walked up the road several people rode by on their bikes. \u00a0Oh man, it was killing me! \u00a0This would be a phenomenal bike ride and without cars would make it like a dream! \u00a0So, some day I&#8217;d like to come back and time it so that I can\u00a0ride my bike from the west to east side of the park on Going to the Sun road the day before they open it to car traffic!<\/p>\n<p>After a little picnic lunch we headed back down stopping a few more times for pictures and to take in the scenery before stopping at the visitor&#8217;s center to get Dacen and Brielle&#8217;s badges. \u00a0We came back home to check on the dog, get some work done and make dinner. \u00a0The kids played some games and worked on a Jr Ranger activity book that Brielle bought and then we went into the metropolis of Hungry Horse to get a couple hiking maps from the ranger&#8217;s office, fill up the truck and get some Huck Pie! \u00a0Apparently there are huckleberries in the area and so every tourist joint advertises World&#8217;s Best Huck Pie\/Jam\/Ice cream. \u00a0The kids will never turn down a treat like that and I felt it my duty to taste some of the stuff that share my nickname. \u00a0It was certainly good&#8230;but I&#8217;m still partial to Steph&#8217;s pecan pies or mystery cake.<br \/>\n<a title=\"Huck Pie\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/136797225@N05\/35328804741\/in\/album-72157685253444586\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/c1.staticflickr.com\/5\/4290\/35328804741_4f59bf1d70_z.jpg\" alt=\"Huck Pie\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>After dinner we went back up to Lake McDonald to the Apgar village to watch the late evening sun light up the mountains. \u00a0The kids had fun skipping rocks and Steph and I found it a very relaxing and picturesque spot to end the day.<\/p>\n<div id=\"flickr_72157685253444616_1283\"><div class=\"slickr-flickr-slideshow landscape medium \"><div class=\"active\"><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4265\/35459141125_897e1530b1.jpg\" title=\"At the park\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>At the park<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4289\/35072376560_900f704204.jpg\" title=\"Karate Kid\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Karate Kid<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4259\/34649273823_a6e92805d7.jpg\" title=\"Us on Lake McDonald\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Us on Lake McDonald<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4284\/34649270813_cc5d903d4e.jpg\" title=\"They do like each other\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>They do like each other<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4218\/35072365360_527d0d0003.jpg\" title=\"Sibs on the shore\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Sibs on the shore<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4283\/35141030610_0a02aaf87a.jpg\" title=\"Zen\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Zen<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4285\/34649261553_1a07437461.jpg\" title=\"Enjoying the water\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Enjoying the water<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4261\/35072359890_5bb8468456.jpg\" title=\"Sam Gribley\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Sam Gribley<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4214\/35328713391_89c50f2b5b.jpg\" title=\"My Side of the Mountain\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>My Side of the Mountain<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4253\/35328697701_33048422d6.jpg\" title=\"Dacen\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Dacen<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4209\/34649241083_5bbed75acc.jpg\" title=\"Caden\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Caden<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4264\/34649234483_7393e19804.jpg\" title=\"Avalanche Creek\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Avalanche Creek<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4214\/35328670851_db78807420.jpg\" title=\"My favorite people\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>My favorite people<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4255\/35527700575_c52dfaae62.jpg\" title=\"Capturing memories\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Capturing memories<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4262\/35418904536_0d1da0c7a1.jpg\" title=\"Watching the water\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Watching the water<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4257\/35418898646_a3348c5aae.jpg\" title=\"Cedar\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Cedar<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4283\/34649215793_e198a7d1b5.jpg\" title=\"Wood\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Wood<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4234\/35458983135_7dd46b512d.jpg\" title=\"Oh crap\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Oh crap<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4229\/35292222032_9d0a82cc12.jpg\" title=\"Pondering life\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Pondering life<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4207\/35292217132_43b526e236.jpg\" title=\"Photographer\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Photographer<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4258\/35459034625_3698bcc243.jpg\" title=\"3 kids in a tree\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>3 kids in a tree<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4205\/35328598951_3243813cb9.jpg\" title=\"Funky tree\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Funky tree<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4215\/34649405103_9601464d00.jpg\" title=\"Lunch\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Lunch<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4282\/35459144615_26119881fd.jpg\" title=\"Bear grass\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Bear grass<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4259\/35328848211_11995600ec.jpg\" title=\"River dumpin into lake\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>River dumpin into lake<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4283\/35459148945_f606bbcfc5.jpg\" title=\"Jr Rangers\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Jr Rangers<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4253\/35419036646_784c412fff.jpg\" title=\"Eidelweiss\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Eidelweiss<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4212\/34617437004_1fd3079e77.jpg\" title=\"Caden\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Caden<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4205\/34617435994_7b98b08b3d.jpg\" title=\"Brielle\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Brielle<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4255\/35419029576_3379893379.jpg\" title=\"McDonald Lake\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>McDonald Lake<\/p><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4240\/35141025820_4cd3cbf93b.jpg\" title=\"Hapy couple\" alt=\"\"  \/><p>Hapy couple<\/p><\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">jQuery(\"#flickr_72157685253444616_1283\").data(\"options\",{\"delay\":3000,\"autoplay\":true,\"transition\":500,\"link\":\"next\",\"target\":\"_self\",\"width\":\"\",\"height\":\"\"});<\/script><div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When in Glacier National Park you HAVE to drive Going to the Sun road between the east and west sides of the park. \u00a0Unless, of course, its closed. \u00a0Apparently we are still too early in the season and the road is still being cleared of snow. \u00a0While our timing was poor for that aspect of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[7],"tags":[93,86,83],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2195"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2195"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2201,"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2195\/revisions\/2201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewachs.com\/wachsacrossamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}