What I Did on My Summer Vacation

What I Did on My Summer Vacation: Part 2

Even though we crammed a lot of travelling and a lot of hiking and exploring into our time away we still managed to find time to relax.  This creek was right by our campsight and we spent some time there because E wanted to fish.

S was happy to oblige him

And W and I traded off turns with his fishing rod and reading.

We saw a few people go by us on kayaks and so W and I decided to try that too.

Then we convinced the boys to try the Highline Trail with us.  Our boys have hiked with us since they were babes in our backpacks and started hiking parts of trails when they were toddlers.   We've upped the length of trail time over the years and they are both great trail companions.  They called this hike the "Uber Epic Hike" (because it was 11.6 miles) and they both thoroughly enjoyed it - in fact, it was the favourite part  of our holiday for all of us.

First we had to make hiking sandwiches - peanut butter, banana and maple syrup - and pack the chocolate bars. 

Then off we went. 

There is a wire handrail here because it drops straight down (waaaay down) to the Going-to-the-Sun road.

Love these flowers.

Lots more Mountain Goats - walking right along the trail.

Don't look down W!

We were very happy we had brought our rain gear.

This was our destination - the Granite Chalet.  We were planning on eating our lunch there.

I had to take a photo of this clothesline (even though the ranger had a bit of a laugh at me) - a clothesline with a view.

Then we headed back down the Loop trail to where we had left our truck.  A wonderful thing about Glacier National park is their shuttle bus system.  You could take a bus all along the Going-to-the-Sun road if you wanted, we drove to a parking lot then took a shuttle up to Logan Pass so we could do a hike one way.

Beautiful.  A hike we will all remember and one we'd like to do again.

The next day, after a stop at a thrift store in Eureka, we were leaving Montana and back to British Columbia and some old favourites places - Wasa Lake and Fort Steele.

I adore Fort Steele and would like to live there.  Each time we go there I wonder if I can somehow convince them to let me move in as a caretaker.  This is my favourite house and I would love to take over the gardens. In the meantime we just enjoy getting to make homemade icecream (cinnamon, this time) and look forward to the next time we can visit.

And, even though we are camping, we still like to make sure we get some fresh, local food.  There is a greenhouse just a bike ride away from the campsite at Wasa lake that has delicious tomatoes and cukes.  S came up with this simple concoction when we were heating up corn tortillas in the fry pan.  He took some garlic/peppercorn bread and heated it in olive oil.  Then he put some mayo and asiago cheese on it and topped it with a slice of tomato.  Delicious.  The flowered plate is another thrift store find, I love old melamine plates for camping and couldn't resist these flower patterned ones.

And I made sure that I got a little bit of hammock time too (while reading Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat).