Another Around the World Tacoma

GTNP is definitely impressive. The contrast between the 'hole' (valley) and the mountains is just stunning.

Definitely!

 

Thank you. And I appreciate that compliment. A lot of duds in there, but a gem or two comes to light every so often. My original main hope was that I would have a higher 'keeper' ratio with the new setup, but the more I learn about it (now that I have my hands on one) I have realized that I need to set my sights a bit higher! This little handheld machine is superb. The things it can do right in the camera are astonishing. And the 3D tracking is unreal. Funny you mention bison, we were at the Ranger Museum and a bison was laying down right next to the road. I pulled out the new setup for the first time (still not fully set up yet, but the basics are done) and I snapped (5) photos of the old bull. It instantly (and I mean instantly) found his eye, and held the focus point on the eye even as I moved the camera around. All (5) pictures look crystal clear on the back LCD. Long story short, we shall see what the future holds!

Luta has to be my best photograph ever. The clarity is just next level. I still can't believe they came out so well.

Being behind the camera while photographing her was something else. I was there, and she was there, but with my eye up to the viewfinder I was RIGHT there. It is still similar to looking at a picture, but your mind quietly knows that you are physically close, as well as visually. It was a closeness one doesn't normally experience with a 'wild' animal. It does something to you. You enter into their world, even if only for a moment. You see, with a sudden clarity, that they are far more than just a mere animal. They too have needs and wants, as well as a strong desire to live.

I recommend it to everyone. A solid pair of binoculars (I use Nikon M7's in 10x42) is a great (and much cheaper) tool that allows one to experience that same closeness.

I was surprised as well. Definitely a keeper, even though the trail out there is a bit tight (nothing extreme).

Her feet are tough, but she busted open her toe this morning on the way to Monument Geyser Basin (a geyser basin up in the mountains, without signs or guardrails, for a more intimate encounter with the bubbling and hissing earth). We somehow misplaced, or forgot, a pair of shoes for her, but she ain't complaining.

Our bison interest was thoroughly fulfilled last summer out on Antelope Island, an island out in the Great Salt Lake. There is a herd of maybe 100 (I am guessing here) that live out there year round. We would see them frequently on our bike rides. We even had to ride through the majority of them on one ride. Thankfully no issues. Haha

And just for good measure, her other side:

Red-tailed Hawk - Luta by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

 

Sorry to hear about the busted up toe. Sounds painful. Sandals just work best sitting around camp. Any hiking and they eventually let you down, it seems. She seems like a tough gal if a hurt toe isn't slowing her down!

I like your take on how getting close to creatures helps you see they are more like us than we normally imagine. Binoculars and camera lenses can bring their details to life, helping us to appreciate their uniqueness and beauty even more. I experienced what you described at a place called Northwest Trek in Washington many(!) years ago using a 35mm Minolta film camera. Somehow looking thru that zoom lens had me 'connecting' with the wolves and Eagles in a way I wasn't expecting. Like I was having a different experience than the other people around me.

Thx for the additional Luta picture. Birds of prey are special. The gift of flight combined w/a keen mind makes them unique and even a bit scary when you see videos of what they can actually do. I believe birds really are dinosaur descendants.

 

Alright, Yellowstone time.

Where to begin?

Yellowstone is due north of Grand Teton NP, with the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway separating the two parks.

There are (8) dispersed sites within the JDRJMP, with no other camping permitted (this didn't stop folks from simply camping right on the road, something we found when we departed very early in the morning to enter Yellowstone). However, a bit more to the west and you hit the Targhee NF, which houses this nice reservoir.

This is where we set up camp for (2) nights.

We originally picked a spot right on the beach (this beach appears to be only temporarily available, the water level was very low when we visited) but right when we arrived, a storm was coming in (a younger guy bikepacking through the parks warned us that a storm was coming, asking us if we were ready to face it. I found this a bit humorous, as we had a truck to get inside of, while he had only his bicycle!), and the wind was ferocious, blowing so forcefully that it was picking up the rocks on the beach and hurling them against the side of the truck.

Thankfully no discernible damage, but we did move into a spot in between some trees.

Grassy Lake Reservoir

Tacoma at Grassy Lake Reservoir Beach by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma at Grassy Lake Reservoir Beach by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We had to use a few leveling blocks in the front, which resulted in the front of the truck being comically high off of the ground, while the rear was almost at ground level. First time we ever stored our camp chairs underneath the front of the truck, they usually go underneath the rear bumper.

Tacoma at Grassy Lake Reservoir Beach by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma at Grassy Lake Reservoir Beach by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

This is not an unknown area, and we had plenty of company. Some came by for the day, some for a single night, and some for multiple nights.

We even had an assemblage of Earthroamers (ER), (2) of them I later learned, that took over a chunk of the shoreline.

These things are massive. Once a year ER puts on a trip where people bring their ER's to partake in a guided trip. A Ford Raptor with a wedge camper leads the way, and then each of these behemoths follows behind.

Earthroamers at Grassy Lake Reservoir Beach by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I got to talking to one owner (after I mistakenly thought this was the same group from the previous day, who we had hiked past and exchanged short conversation with) and he talked about how impressive they were, but also commented on how restrictive they are as well. To get down to the beach there is a tiny off camber section, an absolute nothing burger for a regular truck, but for these, one of them tipped over (not all of the way) and required a winching from another ER to keep it on the ground enough to get through the rutted section of road.

7 mpg. 18,000 lbs. 300 lbs. per tire(!). One owner drove all the way from Florida to be there, and stated that this was the only occasion each year that he uses his ER.

Damn.

Here is a size comparison of one that we found in the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center parking lot. The Tacoma looks so small, and it is in the foreground of the photo to boot!

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We hiked to a buggy lake from the reservoir. Some trails are only/mainly accessible from outside of the park, this being one of them.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We then rode our bikes (7) miles roundtrip to enjoy one of our favorite hikes to date. Not just in Yellowstone, but ever.

Cascade Creek was phenomenal.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We had the trail to ourselves, and with each step it just kept getting better and better.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The photo doesn't do it justice, not even close, you need to be there yourself, literally feeling through the earth the rush of water over the falls, to properly experience this place.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I was beginning to understand why this place was so special. Special enough to, in 1872, be crowned as the first National Park, not just in the US, but of the entire world!

The area is filled with Lodgepole Pines, and they can grow in some very interesting ways!

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We suffered a catastrophic failure of our Sea to Summit collapsible silicone bowls. I was fortunate enough to notice this slit worn into the crease of the fold after hot liquid spilled onto my bare leg. Haha

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We ended up pitching them (the other bowl was right on the brink of having the same thing happen as well) and picking up some plain jane plastic bowls in West Yellowstone, MT. They are low profile enough to fit right next to the cooktop, and do not get in the way when tilting it up to close it.

After enjoying our brief break outside of the park (it was about to get busy!) we awoke early, headed east again, and entered Yellowstone via its southern entrance.

Tacoma at Yellowstone South Entrance by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone has (5) entrances, (3) of which we used while on our adventure. Our goal was to do and visit absolutely every single thing on each of the roads that connect to these entrances, with all of our time being spent on the west side of the park. The east side will have to be thoroughly explored next year.

Dramatic landscapes right from the get go

Lewis Falls by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The park is very, very large, taking up the northwest corner of WY, spilling over into Idaho and Montana a bit too.

More falls here on the southern entrance road.

Kepler Cascades by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Our first day in we had to visit Old Faithful, so we dove head first into the Disney Land of national parks.

Yellowstone is simply wonderful. It has something for everyone. Places like Old Faithful and the Norris Geyser Basin are packed full of people all enjoying this spectacular place. But just up the road you can turn off towards a trailhead and have just the coyotes and bears as company.

We would balance a day centered around being tourists, partaking in visitor centers, a restaurant, and the main attractions, followed by a day or two of hiking off of the beaten path, solitude and a closeness to Yellowstone being the main priority.

This ability to get both of these experiences in one place was fantastic.

After walking around to all of the geysers, mud pots, fumaroles (steam vents), and pools/springs at the Upper Geyser Basin (Old Faithful's location) I was able to fully understand why this place was what it was to the people who came across it back in the late 1800's.

It is just mesmerizing and awe inspiring. 2/3rds of all surface level geothermal activity in the entire world occurs within the boundaries of YNP. Simply incredible!

I strongly encourage a firsthand look at this place by visiting for yourself, as these photos do not do this place justice.

A blue color to the water means it is ludicrously hot, over 180 degrees F.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The orange color comes from heat loving bacteria called thermophiles, who live in the runoff (or sometimes the edges) of pools/springs, when the temperature of the water drops to the 140-179 degree F range.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The Black Sand pool was my absolute favorite. The depth and the color grab your attention. I don't mind the smell of sulfur, so that wasn't a problem for me.

While we were there admiring it we felt (4) rumbles from deep inside of the earth, one after another with maybe (3) seconds between them. All of a sudden a some bubbles float to the surface of the pool and I noticed that the amount of runoff was increasing. Super cool.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Just (3) days prior to this a bison fell into this very pool, and died instantly. You wouldn't know though, as the hot water destroys every part of the unlucky animal (or person on occasion) who happens to fall in, apart from the bones. This pool is very, very hot, so it didn't take long for there to be zero trace of the ill-fated bison.

More stunning geothermal activity around every bend

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The Upper Geyser Basin parking lot is quite hectic after lunch, so having had our fill here (temporarily it would seem) we moved up the road towards the Middle Geyser Basin.

Here a spring pushes out 4,000 gallons of boiling hot water, per minute, into the Madison River. This addition of hot water (many other places add hot water in as well) allows fish to survive within the river year round, even as the surrounding landscape enters a harsh winter.

Watching it flow into the river was simply amazing. So hot, and such volume!

Excelsior Geyser Crater to Madison River by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Excelsior Geyser Crater to Madison River by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

More thermophiles loving the runoff

Excelsior Geyser Crater Runoff by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another feature, the source of all of that boiling runoff, that even the best of pictures would fail to adequately capture. It is just incredible. I know I have been using these types of adjectives more than usual in this post, but it is not in error. These are gems that people travel the world over just to see. And being there made me realize why folks go through the effort. Why the entrance gates are already backed up at 7 AM. It is just that unique.

Excelsior Geyser Crater by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The Grand Prismatic Spring was literally boiling over the entirety of its surface it was so hot. The only overhead photo of this spring (as far as I was told) was taken by the owner of the camera shop in West Yellowstone where I bought my Z8 (I'll do a separate post about the camera, in short, it is phenomenal) as he was paragliding over the spring. This was entirely legal, and is the only, or one of very few, images of the spring from the air, as drones are strictly forbidden in all national parks.

I however, only had access to the spring from the ground, so this is all I captured.

Grand Prismatic Spring by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Grand Prismatic Spring by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

More beauty

Turquoise Spring by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

One more of the impressive runoff

Excelsior Geyser Crater to Madison River by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

This goes without saying, but this area is literally priceless, and being good stewards of the park is an absolute necessity. Before the park was monitored by the army and then the park rangers, it was most certainly tarnished by scrupulous individuals who wanted to make a quick buck, or to take home a souvenir. What we have today is what was leftover when the park and its features were finally secured against vandalism by the literal US Army. Thankfully everyone we saw was behaving appropriately.

We made our way out of the west entrance of the park and found ourselves a little spot down a FSR right outside of West Yellowstone.

Dispersed camping out the west side of the park is very easy, relatively. You will have neighbors, and some of the sites aren't pretty, but you get a good nights sleep and there is plenty to choose from.

Our first night out there we ended up on the backside of a very steep ridge. A young lady with a Topo Toppered Tacoma had the primary spot, but we quickly became friends and camped behind this ridge near her.

She admitted she didn't think a vehicle could get over the hump, but she hadn't ever seen our Tacoma in action before! Haha

Tacoma in Deep Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Ain't conventionally pretty, but it got the job done.

We spent the next couple days walking along rivers, hiking into large open plateaus, and visiting backcountry cabins.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The solitude, after visiting the (2) geyser basins, was much appreciated. This park has so much to offer. Just don't forget your bear spray! I will say, I do slightly look forward to the time when we will be once again out of bear country, and I don't have to constantly worry about being eaten. Haha

Mount Haynes

Tacoma and Mount Haynes by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

An American Raven, comfortable around people, at a side of the road lunch area. Still with the D500 and 200-500 here.

American Raven in Yellowstone by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

American Raven in Yellowstone by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

American Raven in Yellowstone by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We went back to people mode and visited the Norris Geyser Basin. If you can, I recommend seeing the park at a variety of times, i.e. in the early, early morning, during the day, and at night. The hot water is mystifying to take in at different times of the day.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

One day we walked around West Yellowstone on foot. We spent a lot of time at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center before wandering around and getting some pizza and ice cream. We get a cheese pizza whenever we have the hankering for one, and we compare it to our favorite (and most delicious) pizza joint in Phoenix (Barro's Pizza) to see how they compare. One of the (2) places we tried in West Yellowstone came very close, while the other was more meh.

Also, West Yellowstone gets an average of 182" of snow every year! That explains the massive buses with the massive tires on them. The gates to the park aren't closed in the winter, it's just that only the truly well prepared can access the park.

Grey Wolf - Harlequin by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Grey Wolf - Boulder by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Grizzly Bear - Bo by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another of Luta. Looking at these photos takes me right back to when I was standing there outside of her enclosure. Such a powerful gaze.

Red-tailed Hawk - Luta by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Here we spent two nights a bit further away from West Yellowstone for work. It was flat, open, and quiet. Perfect.

Workday Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Workday Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Workday Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Campsite View by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Having not had enough of the Upper Geyser Basin, we went back to reexplore this area, and to ride our bikes up a path to see a few more geothermal features.

This sign in the visitor/education center was impressive.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Mesmerizing

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I had reserved (2) nights in the Indian Creek campground, so before leaving West Yellowstone for good I did something I had wanted to do for years and finally snagged the Nikon Z8.

New Z8 and 180-600 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The guys at the camera store invited me to join in on a photography expedition in the middle of December to take pictures of the park in the snow, but I had to explain to them our situation, and that come mid-December we would be quite the ways away. Haha They did have some truly splendid photos of grizzly bears and the geysers and springs surrounded by snow. Jealous for sure. Maybe one day.

It was now time to explore the north entrance road area of the park.

Another hike, with the Tacoma parked near a couple of fumaroles (steam vents)

Tacoma and Fumarole by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

There was bear sign absolutely everywhere.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

And my first ever photo with the Z8! A resting bison just off of the road near the Park Ranger Museum.

Laying Bison by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Laying Bison by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The Tacoma at the Indian Creek campground. Thankfully we had a site that had open access to the sky, with plenty of solar to boot. A water spigot was right behind the truck too, so we were able to easily top off when it was time to leave.

Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Mammoth Hot Springs is the crown jewel of the northwest corner of the park. The travertine flows are very beautiful.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

While human activity is very regulated here, our feathered friends have different levels of access. In fact, many birds live inside of the travertine flows once the water begins flowing in a different direction. These are with the Z8 and 180-600

Bird on Travertine by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Bird on Travertine by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

DX mode to crop into 900mm

Bird on Travertine by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Nosey neighbor or friend?

Bird on Travertine by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Bird on Travertine by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another in-camera DX crop to 900mm. Handheld to boot! The VR/IS in this thing is top notch.

Bird on Travertine by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Much better in flight photos already, though I am still an absolute amateur. The D500 had a 1/8,000th of a second shutter speed limit (truly impressive I must say, to have an actual moving piece actuate that rapidly), but the new Z8 blows that away with an absolutely insane 1/32,000th of a second shutter speed! With no moving shutter in a mirrorless camera these types of speeds are attainable.

_MAR0043 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma from far away. The 180-600 is magical and crisp as can be.

Tacoma from Mammoth Hot Spring by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Mammoth Hot Springs is also the only campground that is open year round in the park. All other areas of the park close up shop come late September/early October.

Mammoth Hot Springs was the first place in the park where man had made its indelible mark upon the land, with barracks and buildings to house the Cavalry of the US Army, who maintained order when people were taking advantage of the park in unkind ways.

I had to take a photo with the Engineering Office. The sign out front states that it was rough going when the cavalry first arrived. It was tough living. But after the engineers came, all of a sudden there were roads, pressurized water, a sewage system, and quality buildings. Not going to lie, definitely felt a bit of pride reading that sign, being an engineer myself. The immensity of being able to proficiently apply learned knowledge towards reality has done us all a great service.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

More hikes

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

A Red-winged blackbird near some water at the bottom of one of our hikes.

Red Winged Blackbird by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The bird autodetect in the Z8 is so impressive. Locks right on to a bird in the blink of an eye.

Red Winged Blackbird by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Red Winged Blackbird by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Handheld in-camera DX crop to 900mm. Just nuts.

Red Winged Blackbird by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MAR0115 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

A bird at our campsite was having fun trying to eat a nut that a previous guest had left behind. It was very peaceful to watch him get after it through the viewfinder.

_MAR0138 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MAR0139 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MAR0145 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Right down on the ground

_MAR0152 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MAR0156 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma with SheepEater Cliff. These Basalt columns are very interesting. They fracture like that naturally.

Tacoma and Sheep Eater Cliff by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

A couple of swans out on Swan Lake

Swans on Swan Lake by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

More falling water at the end of a long hike and bike

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The most intense engineering problem in the park is captured in this photo. The road around this wall has been redone 3 (or 4 I forget) times since it was first built.

Yellowstone Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Chipmunk on our final hike in the park. All with the Z8

Chipmunk by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MAR0202 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Ground Squirrel by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

These two are heavily cropped as I was so far away. Still beautiful and detailed.

_MAR0214 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MAR0216 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Woodpecker by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

One of my favorite birds, the Western Tanager

Western Tanager by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

These Hoary Marmots rubbing noses

Hoary Marmots by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Time to get a room I suppose. Haha

Hoary Marmot by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We spent (10) days inside of the park and hiked/walked an average of (12) miles each day.

And with this, we left Yellowstone (for now) and made camp on the north end of the park, outside of Gardiner, MT. Gardiner is not nearly as friendly when it comes to dispersed camping, and you have to drive deep into the NF to legally find a place to sleep.

Thankfully it wasn't too bad, and we only needed to spend a single night out there. Laundry and grocery shopping took place there in Gardiner, and then it was time to make our way towards our next, impromptu, adventure, Glacier National Park!

 

Ah, it is no big deal. It's already healed up and forgotten!

I'm glad that someone else gets it! I was thinking I was the only one.

We plan on getting to Washington next year.

Oh yeah, I look forward to seeing a Harpy Eagle one day, as apparently their intellect is very impressive. They are also massive!

 

While sitting in Gardiner, MT we needed to figure out what to do next. I checked to see if there were any campgrounds available in Glacier NP, as we were already so far north, though I wasn't originally planning on going to those latitudes.

I checked recreation.gov and lo and behold, there were a few sites at one or two campsites within the park that are not made available to book until just 4 days prior, so we were able to snag a campsite at Avalanche Lake for (7) nights.

Booked, we now had a destination.

Driving along the Yellowstone River, at a stop for lunch, I caught a bird of prey flying high.

Bald Eagle soaring over the Yellowstone River.

Bald Eagle Soaring - Side by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Bald Eagle Soaring - Below by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another stop along the route to the north. Definitely different birds compared to the desert!

American White Pelican by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We found a spot to work at which was perched above Seeley Lake

Distant Mountain by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We were surrounded by huckleberry bushes, and it turns out that more than just bears enjoy these delicious berries.

More Cedar Waxwing goodness

Cedar Waxwing Atop Tree by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another Western Tanager

_MAR0291 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Getting closer to the treats

Western Tanager by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Small branch in the way, but this American Robin gobbled down a huckleberry in one bite

American Robin and Huckleberry by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

American Robin and Huckleberry by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The pompous, important looking Cedar Waxwing didn't want to be left out

Cedar Waxwing in Huckleberry Bush by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MAR0Cedar Waxwing and Huckleberry332 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Cedar Waxwing and Huckleberry by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

(4) of them atop a tree

Four Cedar Waxwings by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Our final night outside of the park, on the southern end, near Hungry Horse Reservoir. Definitely not our best site, but we had a good nights sleep.

Tacoma Near Hungry Horse Reservoir by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma Near Hungry Horse Reservoir by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Glacier NP has Canada as its northern limit (there is a Canadian NP directly on the other side of the border, and the two parks were the first international peace parks, which is cool) and the Blackfoot Reservation as its eastern limit. It has (1) road that goes through the park (Going to the Sun Road), east/west, and it is beautiful. Logan Pass (highest divide) divides the park east and west. There are vehicle size restrictions for the western side roads (21 ft max length, 8 ft max width, vehicles over 10' tall will have additional struggles), but no restrictions for the eastern side. Driving in from the West, there is also a Timed Vehicle Entry permit required between the hours of 7AM and 3PM, the road is that small and that busy.

The Logan Pass parking lot is small, and fills up by ~5:45 in the morning each and every morning. It is nuts. Definitely plan for an early morning if you want to park up there. They do have shuttles that take you along the road, so you aren't totally out of luck if you don't arrive in time.

Our campsite was right at the Avalanche Lake TH, with the Trail of the Cedars there as well. The Trail of the Cedars was beautiful and short. We would walk it each night.

It's a beautiful place, lots of flowing water, and a lot of difficult hikes. I'll share more about them next.

 

So many great pictures of a wide variety of animals and birds. You bought the new camera at the right time, apparently. Loving the clarity of the images and the shutter speed of the new camera is mind blowing and sure enables some great images of flying birds that are way in the distance.

Yellowstone is a magical place and it really is hard to capture the intensity of colors, smells, temperatures, and vastness in words and still images. It's a place that should be on everyone's "bucket list". Doing 12 miles a day on foot & bike really meant you got out to 'immerse' yourselves in the park. That's great.

You should have some great mountain goat pictures once you explore Glacier NP. Can't wait to see what else you spot and photograph. Traveling the American West & seeing all the amazing sights is time well spent. You two are living the dream. Thanks for taking the time to share it w/us. I know it's time consuming to download pictures, edit, crop, upload, and then write intelligent and interesting prose to go with it all but it really is amazing and appreciated.

 

Well said!

 

Hey, tried to scan back through the first 7 or so pages to prevent asking this type of question, but I dont think I saw it... Are you running the factory tune and factory gas tank?

 

Kurt,

Yes, I am still running the factory tune (though a handful of friends have told me over the years that a KDMax tune would do me wonders), and I am still running the factory gas tank.

 

Frog,

Thank you! Yes, it has been great. We came across a new type of bird (for us), and they were bold enough to get very near us, so I have some very close photos to share, though the subjects may not be the most beautiful. Haha

Mountain Goats for sure. Very intimate encounter, though it was at the top of a divide, overlooking a glacier, on a 16 mile hike, so I only had my phone camera on me.

You're welcome, it definitely is a bit of work, but putting our experiences to paper/screen is worthwhile.

Glacier update incoming.

 

Having spent our last night outside of the park, at its southern end, it was time to make our way inside of the park.

Entrance sign at West Glacier.

Tacoma at Glacier NP Entrance by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Little village/shopping area had a big bear statue. There are a few stores here, with an impressive camping gear selection, limited food, and some other trinkets. There are also a few restaurants as well. We purchased (2) more hooded shirts ((1) for each of us) that work well with hiking and being out in the sun all day.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We went to the Apgar Visitors Center to get the layout of the park prior to wandering around.

We decided we would spend this first day heading north on Camas Road (a road that doesn't go through the entire park, but quickly exits the park and heads off into NF) to the Huckleberry Mtn TH, which leads up to a still-staffed fire lookout tower.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The lookout tower was staffed by an initially cautious women, who quickly warmed to us after she heard me talking to Stacy about the Mann Gulch fire and the book (Seasons of Fire I think) that a retired fire lookout guy had written that I had read.

It was a beautiful place to spend an hour or so, and while buggy, they wouldn't bug you incessantly, mainly in brief spurts. We were able to see into Canada from the top of the mountain, which I thought was cool.

Looking at the Lewis Range from the west to the east (the range inside the park that houses many of the glaciers and hikes)

Lewis Range by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

This ~12 mile hike took a good bit of the day, so we headed east on the Going to the Sun Road towards our campsite for the next 7 nights. There are many thing to see along this road, and we stopped at every pullout that had something to see or an information sign to read.

Each stop was splendid. Glacial runoff is just remarkable.

McDonald Creek by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

McDonald Creek Falls by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We had thought we had seen clean water before, but this was next level!

Beautiful Glacier Water by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Despite being surrounded by all of this beauty (the road is closed in by trees on both sides here at these lower elevations (~3,500 ft)), our Tacoma is still a sight to behold, so a photo or two had to be captured for future nostalgia sake.

Tacoma and Mount Brown by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma and Mount Brown by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Lake McDonald is immense and crystal clear

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

At certain angles it was so clear that you might not even know the water was there.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Our campsite was located within an old growth forest, and it had a very wet feel to it. A water spigot and the restroom were not too far away. There was basically no access to the sun at camp, but that didn't end up being a problem.

We were camped at Avalanche Lake, a very popular hike, that also has a 1 mile loop called the Trail of the Cedars. This was a half wooden boardwalk trail that puts you right into the good stuff, with a waterfall at the end.

This first night we hiked around this loop, and we also went across the street to McDonald Creek and sat along the shore to simply enjoy being in such a place.

A young couple was getting married right there at the creek. Definitely more romantic than our wedding!

The next morning we tried to get a parking spot at the top of Logan Pass (a visitors center is up here, along with restrooms, but nothing else (no food)) but even at 6:15 in the morning the parking lot was already full. There is a very popular hike here that starts up the top and then goes downhill (mostly) to The Loop parking area, where you can catch a shuttle back up to your car at the top.

With the parking lot being full, we had no choice but to head to the lower parking lot and do the hike 'in reverse', with a whole lot more climbing being involved.

There is a chalet at the top, which we stopped at to eat some food we had packed.

After the chalet, there was a ~2 mile out and back, ultra steep (1,000 ft over 1 mile) ascent to the top of a divide that overlooks the Grinnell Glacier.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

While taking in the incredible view, a bit away from the main crowd, an area we got to by doing a bit of scrambling on rocks, I heard a little bit of noise behind us.

Turning around, I saw a mountain goat, the first that I have ever seen in my life!

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

(3) adults and (1) youngster were casually hanging out and munching on the small tufts of grass that somehow manage to cling to life up here.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

This is a video that you can watch on Flickr by clicking on the image, which leads you to my Flickr profile.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The (2) of them were so close, totally curious, and very, very cool to see so close.

Satisfied after such an encounter, we continued our hike back down the steep slope, and on towards Logan Pass.

On the way, we were going the 'opposite' direction of most of the people, and it being mid-afternoon now, not many people were coming from the 'normal' direction.

With that, (3) Bighorn Sheep (not a first, but a first for them being so close) nonchalantly walked and grazed off to our right. It appears I was only able to get a photo of just the one.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We finished the day by taking the shuttle back to the truck, eating dinner, and then getting back to our campsite. This was the last afternoon for (4) days where it wouldn't rain heavily in the afternoon and evening. It was the wettest the truck and camper had ever been, a feeling that I will admit that I did not like. Kind of like a wet jacket that you can't get out of.

The next day we hiked out to Avalanche Lake, and it too was beautiful. The view is at the close end, but the color of the water is best taken in from the far end of the lake.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Avalanche Creek by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

This is the waterfall at the northern end of the Trail of the Cedars Loop trail. There is a small bridge over the flowing water, and it is a fantastic place to spend a few minutes.

Avalanche Falls by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Avalanche Falls by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I experimented with some more art-like photos on one of our loops of the trail.

Mossy Tree by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tree Roots by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Mossy Rock Wall by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Bearhart Mountain by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

This next day we awoke very, very early, and quickly got on the road to the Logan Pass parking lot. Even at 4:55 am there were already cars behind us as we worked our way up the mountain.

With no one coming down this early I was able to turn on the LP6's to truly light up the road, as there was a bit of fog, and no ones headlights seemed to be doing much to brighten the road. The LP6's made easy work of the darkness, and the trees tightly packed along both sides helped the light create a tunnel of light for us to drive through.

As you head further along the road you come out of the trees and begin to climb, the road being very small. The fog became thicker, and our speed dropped, as we climbed the side of the rock wall. Before long we had passed through the clouds, above them, and made it to the parking lot.

Thankfully we were early enough to secure ourselves a spot.

There is one other hike, to Hidden Lake, that leaves from this parking lot, and it was time to hike it. It was only 4 miles one way, so we took our time getting ready, and we enjoyed the hike at a slow pace.

This is definitely one of those Disneyland places in the park, so we had plenty of company. This hike was maybe 3/4 of a mile of boardwalk, through an alpine meadow, before becoming a dirt trail. The park warns people to stick to the trail, but this rule is not heeded well. Especially when the boardwalk ends. This was a bit frustrating, as there are numerous signs telling people about the fragility of the terrain and plants, and the short growing season, but many folks simply do not care. Argh.

It was a beautiful place to be, all things considered.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

A lake of water alongside a 'lake' of clouds. First time I have ever seen something like this, and I was mesmerized by the scene.

This is a video that you can watch on Flickr by clicking on the image, which leads you to my Flickr profile.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

After getting back to the truck we had lunch before hopping on a shuttle to the east side of the park, to do a ~13 mile hike past some glaciers.

The crazy thing was the amount of people simply driving around the parking lot in circles waiting for a parking spot to become available. It took us maybe (1) hour to have lunch and relax, and I saw a few of the same cars driving around the entire time. Nuts.

This next hike was beautiful, and took us right past an unnamed glacier. Lots of elevation and many pleasant views.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We stopped along at more pullouts, doing our best to take in as much of this park as we could while we were here. We did a few more hikes, one of them was in the pouring rain, bushwhacking along a tiny trail to a rarely visited lake up in the mountains. On the way out we came across (2) other groups of people hiking out to the same lake, which was good, because I was beginning to question our sanity as the rain continued to hammer down on us! Thank goodness for rain jackets, though my pants and legs and shoes were 100% soaked.

Eventually our time here ended and it was time to begin our journey south. Glacier NP was very hectic, though you could still find short periods of solitude, though nothing like Yellowstone. It is definitely worth the drive if you are up at Yellowstone anyways, and there are a variety of differing levels of challenge to suite your particular style.

Our route south would be made up as we go, though I knew I wanted to drive a couple of chunks of the Idaho BDR.

With that, we bid the park adieu and went into town to do laundry and to buy some groceries.

I think I will be able to get the thread caught up all the way here in the next (2) updates, so until then, thanks for reading!

 

Wow! You were CLOSE to those mountain goats! Mommy goat was definitely coming over to give you the "back-off" stink eye, then she seemed to mellow a bit, realizing you didn't seem to be a real danger. What an adrenaline rush that had to be. I'm so glad you got video of the moment. Great job.

You got to see a bighorn sheep, too, which I'm envious of as I've never managed to see a full size ram in nature. You caught a beauty on camera. Nearly a full-circle on those horns!

The 'lake of clouds' by the actual lake was surreal! I'm glad you got that on video as I couldn't really imagine what you were describing until I saw the video and then your description made perfect sense. Weird. Wild. Cool!

Glacier NP is neat but you called it - way too crowded & being 'loved' to death. Still, if a person is ever within driving distance they should pass thru it and try to get in a hike or two. It's very beautiful. I loved your pics. The 'root ball' artistic photo was pretty interesting.

Is that the BMW GS on your trailer hitch? You haven't mentioned it for awhile and I missed several posts so I wasn't sure if you still had it or not. Looks like "yes"? Going to the Sun Road is a great two-wheel ride...when the park isn't drowning in tourist overload.

I hope you find some interesting and scenic areas in Idaho.

 

Having fully satiated ourselves in regards to being in popular, well-trodden places, it was time to move away from the crowds, curated trails, and parking lots of the past ~2 months.

Also, our wallets would thank us too. National Parks, and engaging with society in a more typical, normal, manner can be quite pricey.

We have a concrete destination, though a loose arrival time, and a currently unmapped route to reach said destination, so after leaving Glacier NP I aimed us a bit southwest, heading towards Kalispell where we would do laundry and restock the truck for the upcoming offroad miles.

One thing I do thoroughly enjoy about a National Park is the ability to simply pop open the truck and make myself a meal in any parking lot with the mutual understanding of those around us that this is entirely typical behavior for such a place. This can't quite be said for regular ol' towns and cities, though we certainly haven't ever received any sort of trouble from such actions, more like a plethora of dubious glances thrown our way. Prepping food right outside of the store in which we bought our groceries allows us to maximize fridge storage and to more easily dispose of all of the waste that comes from buying groceries. We always do our best to maintain as clean an appearance as we can (clothes not too dirty, etc.) and it's probably a good thing that the Tacoma looks rather presentable all on its own.

Fully loaded and chores taken care of, I pointed us west, and decided that we should make our way towards the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route, a north/south collection of roads and trails that takes you through this rather wonderful state.

We jogged our way partially along paved roads, opting to cut off pavement by going up and over mountain ranges to get to the IDBDR on a more 'direct' route.

We found a tessellated portion of the Lola National Forest, past McGregor Lake. Half of the land was owned by a private ranch, with the other half being NF. One of those 'they buy every other square mile of land in an area and then restrict access to 100% of that land' type deals, though this particular spot did allow camping by people like us. Always read those information signs, it isn't fun laying your head down on your pillow at night wondering if you are legally allowed to sleep where you are currently located, even if it is way out of the way.

This area was tightly packed with many trees, but we found a clear area (I have learned that I really prefer some open space around me, camped in a tightly packed site is not my preferred place to open the tent) at an old intersection of trails. All of the trails in this area, apart from the main one up and over the range, have been gated off. There is significant logging (something we noted a lot of up here in this part of the world) and even some type of rock work being done, huge machines resting for the night atop massive excavated piles of loose rock.

Lolo NF Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

As the sun was setting we heard a vehicle approaching and Stacy said to me that a vehicle was on the other side of the locked gate. Weird I thought, maybe they somehow got access to the other end of the trail and had now hit a dead end.

Nope, it was (3) workers from Montana Game and Fish leaving their work area for the day, as they were monitoring new fish stock that they had added into lakes that had previously never had fish in order to help stabilize fish populations, by using higher elevation lakes, as the impact of climate change makes living conditions in traditional lakes more difficult for these fish populations. One of them was a bit grumpy that we had parked close to the gate, though they made it through without any issue, but the supervisor was more accommodating and took a few minutes answering my questions and sharing a bit of his knowledge with me.

Lolo NF Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Oh yes, at this site our shovel finally had a bit of a break down; the wood had snapped at the interface with the metal collar of the blade. I beat the old chunk of shaft out of the collar and then used the sawzall (after unsuccessfully trying 60 grit sandpaper) to narrow the end of the shaft enough to wedge it back inside of the collar, and voila, a bit shorter, but as good as new.

The view from camp, across the road, was a good one.

MT Goodness by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The road through this area was fairly easy going. You can definitely count on the roads being well maintained in areas where big trucks and machinery have to travel semi-frequently.

We continued on our south-southwest trajectory, going slow to enjoy the scenery and type of area we were traveling through.

Trees, trees, and more trees.

IDBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We would move from around 3,000 ft up to 6-7,000 ft as we crested over the top of mountain ranges. It lead to some pleasant views.

IDBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

This part of our adventure was pretty easy going, with us snagging camp whenever we felt like we had had enough for the day.

Post-Glacier Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

One thing I will add is that I originally had this idea that excellence and activity was more or less evenly dispersed throughout the public lands of the west, but this is really not the case. Sure, beautiful scenery and engaging views are abound, but opportunities to hike and bike are far less prevalent in many, many areas. This is a new paradigm that I need to come to grips with, and use it to the best of my abilities to try and balance our travels effectively in the future.

In short, there are going to be areas where there just isn't much for us to do. Haha. We do our best, riding our bikes along old roads, or running along main roads, but it isn't quite the same as hiking or biking towards some sort of destination. I will likely shift my mentality around travel to something along the lines of moving quickly through the boring bits, and going much slower through the places with trails and activities.

Anyways, our adventures continued.

A warming hut somewhere in Montana, a pretty well done up place with a legit pit toilet, underneath some power lines, in an area I am assuming was already worked a bit by some company. This snowmobile club received permission to add this structure here for riders to use in the winter time. Neat. Picnic tables, countertops, cabinets, and a large firepit were all inside.

Warming Hut by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Up and over more mountain ranges, sometimes following power lines.

ID Powerline Road by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I have to take a moment and say once more how fascinated and impressed I am with this truck. I know that's what it is supposed to do, but man, this Tacoma just works. Day after day, mile after mile, bump after bump. It's still young, and these aren't the most vicious trails out there (though it has certainly been through the paces too), but the perspective is different when this thing simply has to work for you every single day. We spend so much of our day in close proximity to this machine, it simply fosters that sort of reverence and connection.

Aaannnddd then I feel something a bit unusual, a squirrelly-ness in the rear. I crack open the window and hear the now familiar vsshh-vsshh-vsshh noise as another one of my Coopers has given up the ghost while aired down at another pre-existing deep sidewall gash.

This time I wasn't on a cool bridge, but instead, in the rain and mud.

This is 3 psi fyi.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tire changed, this time installing our recently acquired brand new spare, we continued on. At least this time I was heading towards a place that had a Discount Tire, so I could receive a new tire for just ~$80 (the cost of renewing the warranty basically, which we have since done) instead of buying a brand new Cooper from a non-Discount Tire tire shop.

Right where the tire went flat was our meeting point (literally just a hundred or so feet away) with the IDBDR.

Following a small river we found these impressive tunnels carved directly through the rock. This was interesting to us, as there was another trail right next to the river, but for some reason a lot of effort and money was spent to make these tunnels.

IDBDR Tunnel - Small by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

IDBDR Tunnel by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Probably some old logging or mining operation from back in the day. Either way, still cool. There were more of these than I photographed, but I didn't stop for each one. Some were more narrow and curved, so I didn't want to be stopped in there, as we were seeing more traffic (mostly motorcycles) now that we were on the IDBDR itself.

It was one of these nights that we were camped along a really bumpy part of this route, higher up on this mountain, that we set up camp amongst some trees (surprise surprise) and were caught in a squall of some sort, and it was the first time that I have ever been literally inside of a thunderclap. Twice it boomed directly on us. It was crazy. The sound waves themselves physically moved the truck, shaking it side to side. As soon as it clapped, it just peaks your adrenaline instantly. Absolutely terrifying.

What an experience.

The rain stopped and the sun came out. More motorcycles were riding past us.

Above Reservoir by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Above Reservoir by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We made it to and over the Dworshak Reservoir, and the bridge going over it was awesome.

Dworshak Reservoir Bridge by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Dworshak Reservoir Bridge by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Dworshak Reservoir Bridge by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Here we dipped off of the BDR for a bit, as it would have us jog back to the east just to then come back towards the west. We opted to head due south and skip this section.

A side of the road campsite, a bit back up in the hills.

ID Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

After driving through and leaving Pierce, ID we came across this highway information sign. We stop at all of these, as long as I have enough notice to bring the beast to a halt. Haha

This information sign was a bit macabre, but it does represent the reality of the time, and helps paint a picture of why some things are the way that they are today.

Info Sign by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

There is a short trail here, with more information signs, that leads to the site of the hanging of these men. The smaller signs note that there was no proof that they had committed the murder (though the sign above, right off of the road, does not really denote this) and that they maintained their innocence, never wavering in their alibi/story, until their bitter end when vigilante justice usurped the rule of law.

Most of these signs are more mundane (i.e. Lewis and Clark stopped here to camp one night), but this one grabbed my attention, so I had to share it.

We made our way down to the South Fork of the Clearwater river, having lunch in the heat, and dipping into the river to cool off before continuing on. This was our first occasion where we really hit 'summer' temperatures, and man I was not about it. Haha

South Fork Clearwater Lot by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We made it to Idaho State Highway 14, and man, what a splendid, splendid road this turned out to be. It follows the South Fork of the Clearwater River through a deeply sculpted canyon within the Nez Perce NF.

If any of you are familiar with the area, you can likely guess where we were headed.

But first, some hiking!

A thin trail along a very steep hillside with flowing water below.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Bridges galore on our northern adventure, so different than the dry, dry southwest we are familiar with.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We found another enclosed campsite along this wonderful road.

After picking up way too much trash (sadly, a very common occurrence, literally every single campsite has at least a few pieces) the sound of rushing water lulled us to sleep.

Highway 14 Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

A little foreground/background experimentation

Highway 14 Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Highway 14 Campsite by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We made our way through Elk River ID and to the now closed Red River Ranger Station.

It had a fully functioning pay phone, booth and all, right near the mailboxes for all of the residents.

Red River Ranger Station Phone Booth by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Felt like I had stepped a bit back in time!

Here was the turnoff onto FR 468, better known as The Magruder Corridor. Named for Lloyd Magruder, a very popular man in the territory of Idaho, before it was a state, who was murdered by a group of (3) individuals he had hired to guide him through this wilderness after traveling into Montana to sell ~$25,000 worth of goods.

His murderers were apprehended when a local man recognized Magruder's horse, they were tried, and (2) were hung, (1) was imprisoned after he turned states evidence against the other two.

This route should be on some folks bucket lists for sure.

Spectacular, and a place we will come back to. A decent amount of hiking is available, and this lone road cuts through (2) very large wilderness areas, leaving you very alone in such a vast landscape.

Though this is a part of the IDBDR, so it's not like you are infinitely alone, but there is still loads of solitude to enjoy.

Magruder Corridor by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

A run to the (3) Trilby Lakes. Beautiful.

Glacier NP Adventures by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The roads here were slow going for quite some ways. There were a couple of patches of decent stretches, though it certainly is a wild place.

Magruder Corridor by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Highest point along the Magruder Corridor.

Magruder Corridor - Dry Saddle by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Simply lovely.

Magruder Corridor Rock Wall by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

It was here that we made camp for two nights so we could work. We found a nice TH right near some flowing water, with a wooden pit toilet for bathroom duties.

There was a nice, flat, open space with a fire pit right nearby. We have not lit a single fire while out and about on our own, it just isn't what we prefer to do when it is just the (2) of us.

I had noticed some birds congregating in the fire pit when we pulled in, but the following morning I was uniquely situated to enjoy a spectacular show.

This fire pit, and the uncovered, bare rock it was constructed of, were of massive importance to a new-to-me species of bird: The Red Crossbill.

The naturalist who first came across these birds made a statement along the lines that they were 'an abomination of evolution, with a beak completely impractical for life as a bird, and ugly little things to boot'.

What an idiot. Just because something is not understood doesn't mean it is defective. The Red Crossbill is one of the very few birds that can birth young at any time of the year, as that impractical beak of theirs gives them unique access to their very own food source, the nuts contained within pinecones still attached to trees. They will breed at any time of year, as long as a sufficient food source is present.

Their unique beaks allow them to pry open the scales of a pinecone, using their tongue to remove the seed from within.

And all of this poking around in sappy pinecones results in a gunked up beak. A beak that requires some meticulous cleaning to stay pristine.

And these birds were not shy of me, working diligently on their beaks with me just a few feet away.

So very, very cool. I was close enough to these birds to observe it all with the naked eye, but the Z8 and 180-600 brought them right to my cornea.

Definitely happy I was able to spend just a little bit of time peering intimately into their world.

Beak cleaning!

Male Red Crossbill Rubbing Beak by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The males are red chested, while the females have a yellow chest, with the same crossed bill.

There was a stick atop the fire pit rocks that made a perfect perch. They would move as a pack, coming and leaving together in a great flutter of wings.

Female Red Crossbill by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I first thought they were trying to get some sort of mineral or nutrient from the rock itself, maybe the soot, but as I continued to watch (feeling very Attenborough-like I must say) it was clear that they were cleaning their beaks on the rough stones.

Room enough for all!

Red Crossbill Pair Cleaning Beak by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

A male

Male Red Crossbill - Side by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

This is a juvenile, the streaked chest is the difference

Juvenile Red Crossbill by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The face does take a beating working into those pinecones, so maybe the naturalist wasn't 100% off when he said they were a bit ugly, though they are still wonderful.

Red Crossbill - Front by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Back to the grind, literally.

Red Crossbill Cleaning Beak by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

So unique. The world truly is magnificent.

Juvenile Red Crossbill by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The Z8 is incredible. So many keepers from this photoshoot, all handheld.

Male Red Crossbill by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I found this toad (not familiar with the type) at our river access spot. He moved away initially into the faster flowing colder water, before slowly coming back towards the warmer water at the shoreline, and closer to me.

Toad in Water by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Our campsite for these two days was a top of the list type place for me. Beauty in every direction. I even took some drone photos, but I haven't downloaded and then uploaded them yet.

Cayuse Creek TH by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Cayuse Creek TH by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Cayuse Creek TH by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The second night we did have a grizzly bear just outside of the truck, and its intense, heavy breathing woke us both right up.

About a dozen breaths it breathed within our vicinity before it started to walk away from camp. Being up in the camper I was unconcerned, but had I been in a ground tent I would have been freaking out! It took Stacy a while to fall asleep after that one. We kind of started our foray into this area with a grizzly sighting, and we kind of ended it with a grizzly hearing, which I found interesting.

The crossbills came back for a final goodbye on our final morning prior to setting off on our hike for the day.

Male Red Crossbill by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Male Red Crossbill - Side by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Male Red Crossbill - Back by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We packed up and continued on, the road being well-graded by this time, so the travel was easy-going. We crossed back into Montana at the Nez Perce Pass.

Tacoma at MT/ID Border - Magruder Corridor by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Here is where we would leave the IDBDR behind, opting to continue south along other routes, swinging through an area some of our friends had recently been through.

But that, after all of this typing, is a story for another day.

Thanks again for reading.

 

Haha yes she definitely gave me cause for concern at the very beginning, but after her curiosity was satisfied she seemed to have let her guard down a bit. The fact that she soon turned around and laid down, while the baby was still close, made me feel comfortable too.

Ah nice, glad to hear it. I didn't know Flickr uploaded videos, but now I do. Even though they don't stream on the forum, they can still be clicked on. I need to start getting into a bit more video as well, especially of birds, as seeing them in motion via video is a higher level experience.

Haha no way. The GSA weighs in at a whopping 590 lb., and the truck could not handle that type of weight. Instead the bike rack is carrying (2) ~29 lb. Pivot mountain bikes. And even those are a bit heavy!

The GSA is tucked away inside of a shed that I built this past spring, along with the 310GS. We will likely keep it in there, or list it for sale, this upcoming winter. It's inability to fit into our lifestyle was not what we expected, and its limitations are too great to overcome. The marketing hype worked on us for sure, and we learned our lesson. I'll still ride it whenever we are near it, but it won't be tagging along with us in the future.

 

Interesting that you still have the GSA, but that is not what looks like a motorcycle on the back of your Toyota. Pivot mountain bikes sound like a fun addition to your travel options, though!

The GSA is such a great motorcycle but it does seem to compromise your ability to travel together as you would like. Riding it would be fun, when you are in the area it is stored, but a sitting (unused) bike is a dying/decaying bike. Someone will surely buy it from you and put it to good use when you decide to let it go.

If you were both on motorcycles, traveling around on two wheels, I'm sure it would have been awesome. But doing the truck traveling while trying to also bring the GSA along seemed complicated, especially when weather & road conditions went south.

I like that you discovered a new bird (red crossbill). Getting to watch & figure out what they were up to (cleaning beaks) at the firepit means you are relaxing and connecting w/the world around you versus just passing thru and missing a connection with nature.

Speaking of missing a connection with nature, thank goodness your sleeping area is well off the ground and Mr. Grizz only got to sniff around. They are not hunted so they have lost their fear of man and can be more than a little exciting, as you know! Glad you were safely tucked away. Great memories made.

 

Frog,

Yes, it was only recently that the two of us came to the decision to work a bit harder to pass the GSA onto the next owner.

It definitely would have been wonderful to have for the busy places (NP's primarily) that we visited, as parking it is easier, fast, fuel efficient, etc. but getting it to and from those places disrupts the way we are trying to be. We are very much Ralph Waldo Emerson' style of Simplify! Simplify! from Walden, and the GSA is a bit too complicated to fit that narrative.

Here is a very short video clip I was able to trim out of a file while I was practicing recording video on the Z8. Definitely going to focus more on video in the future too, as it is a wonderful medium to bring closeness to your eyes.

Juvenile Red Crossbill by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another update incoming shortly.