Big sky country

Montana didn't look like I had imagined that it would. The state derives its name from the Spanish word for mountain yet the western part of the state didn't inspire a tribute to John Denver's Rocky Mountain High. Instead, I could have almost convinced myself I was looking at the Allegheny mountains in central Pennsylvania.



View of the marina on Whitefish Lake, outside of the Lodge at Whitefish Lake in (where else?) Whitefish, Montana. That's not to say I was disappointed. It was beautiful, and the 60 - 75 degree daytime temperatures were a welcome respite from the Arizona desert heat.


View of the marina on Whitefish Lake, outside of the
Lodge at Whitefish Lake in (where else?) Whitefish, Montana. 

A conference coupled with a corporate directors' meeting sent me to Whitefish giving me part of one afternoon to explore the area.


Lodge at Whitefish Lake
 
My room faced a nature preserve and was wonderfully peaceful. The summer days are long this far north, and the last rays of sunlight didn't disappear until 10:00 PM. I LOVED IT!



View from my room - Lodge at Whitefish Lake
 
For night owls like me, I feel cheated with so little daylight in the evenings in Arizona. Instead, it gets light at 4:45 AM--a complete waste of sunshine.



View from my room - Lodge at Whitefish Lake

The Lodge was furnished with cliché mountain trappings (no pun intended) including more than a dozen stuffed animals. This wolf was so life-like he looked like he could walk right off the display. Most of the taxidermy was for sale for those who might have a hankering to add a dead animal to their home décor.


Very lifelike stuffed wolf - Lodge at Whitefish Lake

Part of Tuesday afternoon we had some free time, and a few of us headed to Glacier National Park to drive a part of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Time and temperatures cut our trip short. I was the only one in the group dressed for the mountain temperatures, and I was also the only one in the group who likes to travel to national parks. No doubt, there's a correlation...


Glacier National Park

Driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road was on my bucket list. Although I'd like to go back and drive the whole road, I can officially cross it off of my list. I've at least been on it.



Glacier National Park




Glacier National Park

There had been a forest fire a number of years ago, and the damage was still apparent, but the forest is repairing itself as nature always does.


Trees scarred by a forest fire - Glacier National Park



Ravens in a tree scarred by a forest fire - Glacier National Park



Tree scarred by a forest fire - Glacier National Park



View from the Going-to-the-Sun Road - Glacier National Park



View from the Going-to-the-Sun Road - Glacier National Park



Mountain Goat - Going-to-the-Sun Road - Glacier National Park



Glacier along the Going-to-the-Sun Road - Glacier National Park



View at Logan's Pass - Glacier National Park



View at Logan's Pass - Glacier National Park



Alpine Flowers at Logan's Pass - Glacier National Park



Alpine Flowers at Logan's Pass - Glacier National Park



Big Horned Sheep at Logan's Pass - Glacier National Park



Big Horned Sheep at Logan's Pass - Glacier National Park



Big Horned Sheep at Logan's Pass - Glacier National Park



Columbia Squirrel at Logan's Pass - Glacier National Park

Copyright © Deborah A. Ayers - All rights reserved.


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