All posts by Mark

Blog Takeover Part 2: Valencia on Fire

Alexandra Calukovic-Deck

In case you missed it, I’ve taken over this blog (temporarily) to share my adventures from a recent trip to Spain. My hubby and I started in Barcelona, and after three relatively tame days, it was time to kick things up with the Las Fallas de Valencia, or what I coined, the let’s light the city on fire festival.

You won’t find any Valencia oranges in the post (well, other than this photo)

It just so happened that this four-day festival was taking place during our vacation. After reading up on it, I had to go. Basically, it always takes place on the 15th – 19th of March and is centered around these floats (fallas). The general idea is everyone spends each day partying until the very last day, known as Le Crema. That is when the city  chooses the winning fallas and the remaining floats are lit on fire.   

We left Barcelona early Sunday morning and three hours later (via high-speed train), we were in Valencia. It was about noon when we started to walk to our Airbnb. With each block that passed, the aroma of gunpowder intensified. What the fuck did I just sign up for?!? As we hit the main drag, the street opened to a sea of people, performers and random eruptions of fireworks.

Photo of Las Fallas Festival de Valencia

We hooked up with our host who showed us around the baller apartment. The best part of it was arguably the terrace which directly overlooked a large fallas. After about ten minutes of instructions in broken English, we gathered a few critical details:

  1.    At 11 PM the city will light the fallas that we see in front of us
  2.    If we didn’t mind, could we please move anything flammable into the apartment so that it doesn’t catch on fire
  3. Oh, and have fun! It’s going to be a long and loud night

Gabe enjoying our gorgeous (and potentially flammable) terrace

The view from our terrace overlooking the fallas

We said adios to our host, grabbed a six-pack of Amstels, and headed out to see the fallas before they turned to ash. The vibe in the city felt like the calm before the tsunami. The locals are burnt out from the three days of partying and most are saving their energy for the main event – La Crema, after the city names the winning fallas. The losing floats are stuffed with fireworks and from 10PM to 1AM randomly ignited to meet a fiery death.  

They didn’t win, but these fallas get my vote for most bad-ass

The sun was starting to set (as were the effects of our six-pack). It was a little after eight when we met some Americans while buying our second 6-pack. That’s when we noticed the silence which was immediately followed by pandemonium. Apparently that meant the first fallas was getting lit up somewhere.

Now, there isn’t an exact order, but we found out that they burn the small fallas first and work their way up to the mac daddy of fallas – a massive phallic looking structure that shoots out fireworks. Since you don’t know exactly which fallas will be burnt down next, you kind of have to be in the right place at the right time, or be prepared to chase the after the sounds of hundreds of fireworks among thousands of people. And that pretty accurately describes how the next few hours of our night went.

Shit! It was almost 11. Time to get up to the terrace. We watched as the crowd started to gather. Once we saw the firefighters in position, we knew it was time for this float to meet its fate.

First, they lit a string of fireworks that was connected to the fallas. There was a slight pause followed by a series of massive pops then a few loud booms. The fire quickly started to build and you could feel the heat even from our four-story balcony. As I’m panning around in my Instagram video, I realized that ash and embers were flying all around us. They weren’t kidding about moving those cushions inside!

It was midnight and after a quick bite of shawarma, we made our way to the city’s center square. Everyone was pushing their way to the front of the crowd, but based on our last experience, we were content with our safe vantage point. Once that lone firefighter was in position (dude, you drew the short straw didn’t you?), you knew it was go time. And because there really aren’t any words to describe it, here’s a timelapse video that should give you the full scope of the grand finale.

Las Fallas is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’m SOOO happy we decided to go all in. My only regret is not buying these dope bandanas before I inhaled the various toxic fumes. Oh well, there’s always next year.

Shout out to our neighbors who kept our cat alive while we were away.

Blog Takeover Part 1: Barcelona Bound

Alexandra Calukovic-Deck

My dear friends who manage this blog have always encouraged me to explore the world through travel. So it seemed only fitting that after spending a week trekking through Spain, that I share my husband’s and my adventure on their travel blog. I’m looking forward to digging up this post when the four of us venture to Barcelona together.

The Initial Descent

If you are thinking why Spain, here’s why in a nutshell: the airfare was cheap, it’s easy to get around using public transportation and I love all things tapas and Spanish wine. But also because Gabe is an architect (shameless plug). Hence our day devoted to Gaudi, “the” Spanish architect to know.

Departing from Newark airport, we spent some number of hours in the air — I’m really bad at calculating time travel — and boom, we landed in Barcelona (locally pronounced Barthelona). In desperate need of caffeine among many other things, we hit a little airport cafe. On the menu: fresh pressed OJ, a variety of meats and cheeses and freshly baked pastries. What the fuck, we haven’t even left the airport yet and I love the food already.

Because of the active cab strike, we got a crash course on the metro system courtesy of airport information; of which included a pair of lost then found subway tickets, two subway transfers, and viola, 45 minutes later we arrived at our metro stop in the Gothic quarter. We strategically picked this part of the city because it is centrally located to all things historic and delicious.

A random dance party we found during our travels in the Gothic quarter

After climbing a six-story walk-up (with bags in tow), we met our Airbnb host, Antoine. With a few formalities out of the way, Antoine bid us adieu, and we popped open the bottle of cava he left for us and headed up to the roof to enjoy the sunset — thank you, Antoine!

Rooftop view from our Airbnb  

Day 2ish – La Sagrada Familia

Between the jet lag and far too many 2 euro wines the night before (shit, did we kill that bottle of champagne?), we nearly missed our scheduled tour at La Sagrada Familia — which if you remember from above, was a big highlight of this trip. Cafe con leche (coffee with milk) in hand, we sprinted the 30 minute walk to the cathedral.

Photo courtesy of Mycity-web

I’ll be honest with you, when I Googled Sagrada Familia, I thought it was hideous. But having now seen it in person, it is by far one of the most intriguing and beautifully-crafted architectural buildings. As a non-architect, here are three reasons why I think it’s well worth the visit:

  • The sheer size of it will literally blow your mind. You can see it from almost any point in the city, but it’s not until you get close you realize how big it actually is.
  • It’s so brilliantly bizarre that you won’t understand how someone dreamed it up and you won’t care, but I’m told it had to have been extremely difficult.
  • It’s been perpetually under construction for the last 100 years and it’s not even done! But yet, every corner, every crevice, and every column is ornately decorated. Each element of the building was meticulously designed to consider a random but often overlooked detail. Like using warm stain glass in areas where the sun sets versus using cool tones where it rises.

Photos courtesy of @gjdeck

Regardless how you feel about design or religion, you can’t help but get lost in the nooks and crannies of this building. We pre-scheduled an audio and tower tour which is definitely the way to go; especially if you are like me and know nothing about this kind of stuff. #ThankGaudiItsFriday

Photo courtesy of @gjdeck

Park Guell Barcelona

After a bottle of Coke (yes, bottle!) to remedy the hangover, we were back on foot and off to Park Guell. Yes, more architecture porn! Like Sagrada Familia, it too is massive, but it’s a public park (read free!). There is the option to buy tickets which grants you full access to the park. Be sure to check the schedule in advance because this option wasn’t available when we got there — not really sure why either.

Nonetheless, this park is a peaceful sanctuary perched high up on a mountain. There’s tons of paved paths as well as some trails. People were either having an active workout or enjoying one of multiple musicians and artists that regularly perform in the park; like this guy —

Flash forward an hour later, and it was 3 PM local time and we were approaching hangry. Thankfully, we stumbled on this little tapas bar called Bertso Taberna.

Inker (the chef) and his bartender buddy spoke very little English, but quickly made us feel like regulars. We chatted over Amstels, snacked on some pinchos (see definition below) and they whipped up the house special for us: a catfish omelette — trust me, it was money!

Fun fact: pinchos are small sandwiches you take from the bar. They come in a variety of options like ham and cheese, croquette and seafood salads. You’re charged by the number of toothpicks on your plate. I fucking love you Barcelona!


A display of pinchos from Bertso’s!

Casa Batllo

If you’ve made it this far in, you’re in luck — the day is almost over. As was my energy level. I convinced Gabe to head over to the Las Ramblas, an outdoor walkway lined with shops through the main part of town, selfishly hoping to get in some shopping. But truthfully, I left little room in my luggage and was in desperate need of a shower.

Walking down the Ramblas we saw all of the ultra high-end designer stores, and in the reflection of one of the windows spotted Casa Batllo. You guessed it, another Gaudi creation. It’s a home turned museum, and the best way that I can describe it is a house designed on acid while watching Spongebob. The complete lack of any right angles in the building (stop to think about that) makes it feel like you’re in an aquarium. Seriously what was this guy smoking?
The audio tour is a bit pricy but pretty cool. You’re given an iPhone equipped with an audio guide and VR technology that when held up to the room displays random sea creatures and other objects that served as inspiration to Gaudi’s design.

With day one drawing to an end, we headed back home. Between 106 and 114 steps up the six story walk-up, we showered, rested and made our way back out for tapas. I know tapas is all about the small bites, but us “turistes” were hungry like Americans.

Moab: Fisher Towers & Parriott Mesa

A quick weather check late last week promised a 70 degree weekend in the Moab, UT area and we quickly transitioned from snowboard mindset to hiking/camping mode.

The outing was inspired by our October excursion driving on Rt. 128 to Moab with my parents where the views were insane and there seemed to be endless outdoor options.

Fun Fact: Rt. 128 is also referred to the Cisco route because you pass by the abandoned town of Cisco.

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The Plan: Drive to Fisher Towers, find a campsite and hike the Towers after setting up shop.  We decided against a dispersed camping option as the BLM authorities have discouraged it in the area.  Fortunately Lower Onion Creek Campground is an amazing option very close to the Fisher Towers trailhead.  (I would recommend against planning on staying at the Fisher Towers campground if you can avoid it)

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That view!

Fisher Towers Hike

This is a 3-4 mile round trip hike, depending on how far you want to go.  While the official elevation isn’t too bad there are a lot of ups and downs.

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What we really enjoyed was the variety of views that popped up around every corner.

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Once we reached the sign for the “Titan” we posted up just off the trail and watched the climbers get to the top of this peak.

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Fortunately we had binoculars with us and could see their triumphs along with hearing them celebrate when getting to the top.

Since we had Chica with us, the Titan sign was about as far as we could go.  To continue down the trail, climbing a fixed ladder is needed which is not dog friendly.

Desert Beach Day!

With extra time after our hike, we went back to camp and enjoyed a beach day on the Colorado River.

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We literally had the beach to ourselves for a solid hour without seeing or hearing another human.  To be out in the Utah wilderness, looking at an incredibly diverse landscape and to feel completely alone…it was liberating!

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Parriott Mesa

The next morning we enjoyed a superstar breakfast in paradise and headed off to our next challenge: Parriott Mesa.

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The hike is not long and the walk up wasn’t too strenuous.  That said, the trail is narrow with a very steep drop; it will definitely test your nerves.

WORTH IT!

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Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah – AKA Westworld

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This adventure was inspired by HBO’s “Westworld”.  The setting reminded us so much of Utah, and Google informed that it was shot just two hours away from us in Utah’s Dead Horse Point State Park.

Impulse started kicking in and fate played its course.  A beautiful mid 70’s weekend forecast was in store, and knowing that winter was near (being mid November) we absolutely had to see if this place was as cool as the show makes it look.

So we headed out Saturday morning and found an AWESOME primitive camping area along Long Canyon Road, just a few miles north of the Park’s entrance (right off of 313).

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After taking in the scene for a moment, we posted up and made some lunch before heading into the park for a look.

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Being that it was late afternoon and sunsets were getting to be earlier we decided to just have a quick look along the East Rim hiking trail and planned on heading back in the next day to explore some more.

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Yup, this was shaping up to be pretty, pretty awesome!

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Dead Horse Point Overlook

After a 3 mile round trip hike on the East Rim we headed back to camp to start dinner before it got dark.

Campsite

We were in for a beautiful night!

This was the weekend of the Super Moon (11/2016), and in the desert, it was in full effect.

We slept in the next morning, munched out, and packed up before heading back into the park to do the entire hiking loop – West Rim to East Rim.

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This park is absolutely gorgeous and the camping along Long Canyon Road is simply bananas.  Can’t wait for it to start getting warm out, cause we will be back there as soon as it does!

The Grand Tour with Mom & Dad

Taking advantage of the late start to winter, Moshe and Adrienne decided to pay us a visit in the last week of October to see what all the fuss over Western Colorado is about.  The fuss is not only the beauty of Palisade, but the proximity to such diverse landscapes; the mission was to show the parents as much as possible.

Utah – Moab & Arches National Park

On our first full day we rode west to Utah for a day trip to Arches and, thanks to the advice my awesome barber Earl, we took the incredible Scenic Byway 128 route which hugs the Colorado River all the way to Moab.

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The scenery was Amazing and we stopped multiple times to take it in, and of course, snap a whole lot of pictures.

 

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We arrived in Moab in time for lunch and enjoyed a fantastic meal at Eklecticafe before heading into Arches for the main event of the day – although one could argue the drive was equally incredible.

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Arches is great for a day trip since it’s a relatively small park and a lot of ground can be covered.

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We hit a number of iconic looks outs

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and Mom couldn’t take enough pictures! (who can blame her?)

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Local Fun in Palisade

It’s easy to get caught up in day trips and forget that Palisade/Grand Junction has so much to offer.  With that in mind, we made sure to give the parents a taste of our heaven and our first order of business was a tasting at Sprigs & Sprouts.

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This place is awesome!  There are so many spreads and jams along with the huge selection of flavored oils and vinegars.

From there we had a quick stop to line our bellies before proceeding to sample the wine at Colterris.

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Of course we had a look around the vineyard’s beautiful property and enjoyed the views of Mount Garfield.

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The day finished with a bomb dinner at il Bistro Italiano which rivals South Philly Italian cuisine (almost…) and a trip the Brewery for the Halloween party.

Aspen/Maroon Bells

With solid desert days under our belts, our last foray drove home the diverse topography our location has to offer.  Just a two hour drive west brings us to the red desert of Moab Utah while driving two hours east brings us to the towering 14,000 ft mountains (14ers) in the White River National Forest.

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We drove to Maroon Bells just east of Aspen which is touted as the most photographed place in Colorado.

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Guess we can see why!

We walked around the short loop that provides incredible perspectives the of area.

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After finishing our stroll, we headed into Aspen.

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And sat down at the White House Tavern to an incredible experience.  Everything was amazing.  Kinda wanting to find a reason to get back to Aspen just to eat there again!

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Colorado National Monument

On the last full day of their trip, Amy took Mom to the Monument to show her the amazingness that is just a 30 minute drive from our house.

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Pretty successful trip!

Full Circle – Back to Palisade, CO

After a year + on the road during which we resided in Western Colorado, Austin Texas, The Central Coast of California and Northwestern Montana one idea became clear: going back to live in Philadelphia – or any major city for that matter – was NOT happening.

So we headed back to where the adventure began, a place that remained top of mind since we left it, Palisade Colorado.  Our two day drive from Montana took us through Utah where we spent a night and when we woke up, the sheer beauty of the sun rise confirmed that we were on the correct path.

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There were definitely a lot of emotions as we neared the Colorado border.  The butterflies that accompanied us in the previous four transitions were not there as we rolled through familiar territory.  Did this mark the end of an era in our lifetime?  Were we really planning on moving to Palisade for the foreseeable future?  Three weeks into our stay and we still are not clear on all this, but one thing is for certain: seeing the Welcome to Colorado sign felt good!

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Our first week consisted of unpacking, settling in and reuniting with the amazing friends we left exactly one year ago.  Then Amy was packing up to go to Florida for Ryder Love’s baby naming and I was on my own for a week.  Fortunately, there is plenty to do!  I got the camping gear together and headed to the Utah desert for a camping trip with Chica Bear.

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We drove to Goblin Valley and posted up on Wild Horse Road near the Little Wile Horse Canyon trailhead.  While it was a beautiful night, next time I’ll scout for a site a bit further from the trailhead as a family of 14 decided to post up right next to me – there goes a quiet night in the desert.

The next morning we woke up, Chica ate some kibble and I enjoyed spaghetti and meat sauce left overs from the night before.  All fed, we were off to check out Little Wild Horse Canyon.

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The plan was to do the 8 mile loop through Little Wild Horse and come back from Bell Canyon.  Unfortunately, there were very deep pools about half way into the hike and we had to head back the way we came.  Still an amazing experience!

On the way back home Chica and I decided to stop in Rabbit Valley where I saw signs for The Trail Through Time which piqued my interest.  Turns out this area has massive amounts of dinosaur fossils and in this picture you can see bones preserved in the rock.

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On Sunday, we watched the Eagles game and after a stinging loss, hung out at the river beach right by our house.

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Then I dropped an exhausted Chica back at the house and went to a desert party with Ashley and Dusty.  The picture doesn’t reflect how beautiful the night sky was, but you get the point.

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Definitely getting used to country life.

Final Weeks of Mission Montana

Winding down our time in Montana was fittingly fantastic.  The wrap up session began with us FINALLY having an opportunity to paddle board from Big Arm to Wild Horse Island which we estimate to be about a 6-8 mile round trip paddle.

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Chillin’ on Wild Horse Island

We didn’t plan on making the trek, but when we went down for a casual trip on the lake the weather was perfect and the water was glassed over; we had to give it a go.  The fact that it was spontaneous made the triumph of reaching the island all the better.

Jewel Basin – Mt. Aeneas – 6 Mile round trip elevating 1,700 ft

Our final hike in Montana ended up kicking off at the same trailhead from which we began our outdoor adventures: Camp Misery.  There are a bunch of hikes that begin at this location and along with the various trail options an explosion of autumn colors provided for a completely unique and beautiful experience in the Jewel Basin.

The hike up to Mt. Aeneas elevates quickly and provides for an unbelievable view of the Flathead Valley including the entire 27 mile length of Flathead Lake.

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As we continued to climb the visibility became more limited

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And by the time we arrived at the summit we were completely surrounded by the clouds.

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During our descent the clouds dissipated and the fall colors never ceased to impress.

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For the remainder of our final week we lit our last fire on the property enjoying the breathtaking view that NEVER got old

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Took our final bike ride down and up the massive hill leading to the house

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I was really tired!

Enjoyed a final evening hanging out by the lake

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And had a goodbye party with our neighbors.

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While the horses were disappointed, they accepted our departure; the cattle on the other hand seemed to be angry.

It was a bit of a downer knowing this would be our final trot down Walking Horse Lane, however our reflection of the journey thus far left us feeling larger than life.

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And just like that, a familiar combination of sadness and excitement reared its head as we packed up for the next part of our adventure.

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Our final morning was graced by a gorgeous sunrise.

Last Sunrise

And just like that it was time to say goodbye.

Byeeee

Leaving is always tough, but the fun continues.

That sentiment was exemplified when an hour into our drive south to Colorado, we continued the essence of our journey with our exploration of Montana’s Ewam and Garden of One Thousand Buddha’s.

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Definitely not what you’d expect to see in middle-of-nowhere Montana, but amazing nonetheless.

Montana, it’s truly been an incredible experience and we fully plan on returning for round two.

Forever Grateful!

Glacier National Park – Elana Visit

After a quiet week to ourselves, Elana came thru to have a look at Montana.  Being the smart woman she is, Elana took our advice and stayed a full week which would give her a chance to really soak in country life.Neighborhood

 

Tour of the neighborhood

As a bonus, she got to experience the insane weather events that mosey on through Big Arm.

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The storm was moving east over Big Arm Bay at an incredible pace, dumping rain on Flathead Lake, and providing for an INSANE experience where it appeared the rainbow led the charge.

Glacier NP

The relaxing first day of the visit was a nice way to ease into the intensity of a Glacier weekend.  For our last foray into the park – for this trip – we decided to head back to Many Glacier and hike Grinnell Glacier Trail.  Since the forecast for Sunday was cloudy, we made sure to take Going-To-The-Sun-Road on the way in so Elana could get the full Glacier NP experience.

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She was pretty pumped about it.

Once we arrived at East Glacier we headed to our go-to campground, Chewing Blackbones; it’s 25 minutes from the trail and always has plenty of space.

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We chilled by the fire, had a couple drinks and got to sleep early in anticipation of the hike.

Grinnell Glacier Trail – 11 miles round trip, elevating over 2,000 ft

One of the many fantastic aspects of this hike is that the ill sh*t starts 5 minutes in and doesn’t stop.

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The trail begins by hugging Switftcurrent Lake which transitions into Lake Josephine providing for a relatively flat walk to start.  Once the trail approaches the back end of Lake Josephine, the climbing begins.

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YES! We know there are bears roaming around Glacier NP; you don’t have to scare the shit out of us right when we’re getting to the good part of the hike.

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Just kidding…it’s probably a good thing.

Moving on…the hike starts to really elevate at this point revealing the types of views you only get at high altitude.

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The trail was definitely well traveled (which is a good thing in an area where bears frequent) and we took an opportunity to get a picture of all three of us.

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Old dude who took it asked if we were European.  We must seem really out of place…

Walking up to Grinnell Lake was amazing.

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The sun was hitting it just right as we approached and we decided to plop down and recharge on some jerky.

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And of course have a photo shoot of this ridiculous view.

The remainder of the climb brought dropping temperatures accompanied by steep and rocky terrain.  In our experience, the hardest treks provide for the most rewarding experience which could only mean one thing: the Grinnell Glacier is going to be ridiculous.

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So it’s more of a melting Glacier…incredible nonetheless; worth every step.

The way back (the mission), as always, provides a totally different perspective making going down as awe inspiring as the way up.

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From this viewpoint all three lakes are visible in succession: Grinnell Lake, Lake Josephine, Swiftcurrent Lake

After the hike, Amy and Elana thought it would be a good idea to rinse the day off in really REALLY cold water.

Once they came to their senses and got out we headed back to camp for a relaxing night by the fire.

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The next morning it started to hail – yes it was hailing – in Glacier and we hauled ass back to Big Arm.

We spent the last couple days of Elana’s trip working during the day and hanging around Flathead Lake in the evenings.

We paid a visit to the Flathead Lake Brew Pub on the way to dinner in Big Fork

Flathead Brewery

And of course got some paddle boarding in.

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Can you see em?

Chica even managed to get on the water.

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This was the perfect week to precede the “wind down weeks” leading to our departure at the end of September.

Hiking in the Bitterroot National Forest

Being based in Big Arm we are in outdoor recreation heaven, literally surrounded by multiple National Forests (Kootenai, Lolo, Bitterroot, Flathead) and of course to the Northeast the crown jewel, Glacier NP.  Suffice to say our inner-explorer requires us to see as much of all this as possible which left Lolo and Bitterroot on the table.

With the Labor Day Weekend weather forecast in Bitterroot’s favor, we chose to hike Bass Creek Trail which conveniently had a couple of campgrounds close to the trailhead.

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We arrived at Charles Waters campground around 4 on Friday afternoon half expecting it to be full when we found two remaining sites available – that never happens!  Luckily we didn’t arrive any later than we did; over the next few hours we witnessed multiple vehicles with optimistic looking occupants circle around looking for sites only to have their hopes dashed as none were available.  Been there.

With our site secure, we settled in and set up shop.

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As usual we had an enjoyable evening stargazing by the campfire before calling it a night.

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Not sure who was happier about being able to cuddle in bed together, Amy or Chica.

Bass Creek Trail

We slept in a bit the next morning and took our time with breakfast anticipating a relatively easy hike of about 7.5 miles round trip with 1,200 ft of elevation (about a 5 hour hike).

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As we started, it became obvious that this would not be a cake walk.  The elevation was continuous and the first obstacle brought back memories of the Kootenai hike where I clumsily fell off a log into the river.

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Well, no one fell on this day!

Once we hit the fork in the trail (one leading to the falls and the other to the lake) we decided to stick with the main trail to the lake.

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The hike’s jagged topography was gorgeous!

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Arriving at our second crossing, the options were to navigate a VERY slim log cross or to simply walk through it.  Remembering again the spill I took last time, we decided to walk across.

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The water left our feet frozen by the time we reached the other side, but I must say our feet felt completely rejuvenated – once we could feel them again.

We continued along the trail for awhile longer and realized about 4 miles in that we were somehow only half way to our destination. A 16 mile round trip hike with thousands of extra feet in elevation was not in the cards and we decided to head back.

(After reading reviews on multiple sites, the hike length and elevation guidance on All Trails was grossly underestimated)

We had an enjoyable evening back at camp and headed home Sunday for some homemade Sushi.

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Doing Montana Things

A fun filled, action packed couple of weeks wrapped up when Gabe and Alex headed home and Eric went on his own journey into Glacier.  The abrupt change from multiple visitors and back to back activity is always an immediate downer, but getting back to “real life” can be refreshing as well.

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Nothing like waking up to a serene morning with a cup of coffee on the porch.

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And going for a grueling, yet rewarding, ride down and back up the mountain.

We got our heads back into working that week and on Friday treated ourselves to a yummy meal at a very legit BBQ spot in Polson: Cherries.

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Yes that says: “Slow Pig Funeral Ahead”! Love that.

We took it easy the next morning and got revved up for our day on the lake.

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Amy had fun driving

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And of course lounging!

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While the winds were high limiting our ability to completely explore the fickle Flathead Lake, we were able to tour around a bit and found someone repping Temple hard!

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TU!

That evening, Eric arrived back in Big Arm after his backpacking adventure.  We had an easy night at home and were well rested for our horseback ride the following day  in Glacier on the Lake McDonald horse trail.

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NO WAY we leave Montana without getting on a horse!

After an enjoyable trot on horseback, we stopped at Tamarack Brewery for some pizza and beer before heading home to Big Arm.

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Yup, life is good!