Bob DenOuden's Pacific Northwesterner: July 2018

A Quick Jaunt to Glacier National Park

Lake McDonald

I had a short notice opportunity to spend two nights in the Granite Park Chalet last week. Could not turn down that opportunity so Maria and I hit the road. It was nice to revisit some of my old stomping ground from graduate school. We spent a night outside Coeur d'Alene on the way out and outside Moscow on the way home. Saw the Palouse again for the first time in a number of years. Glacier National Park, while crowded, was amazing. Perfect weather, amazing sunsets, great hiking, and we had the place to ourselves once the day hikers left in the afternoon.

The Garden Wall

Sunset light on trail to Grinnell Overlook

Our home for two nights

Grinnell Lake, Salamander Glacier

From Swiftcurrent Pass

Granite Park Chalet

Beatys Butte cleanup

Sunset from the flanks of Beatys Butte

In 2004 my friend Alan and I hiked to the top of Beatys Butte, an 8000' extinct volcano between Hart Mountain and Steens Mountain. On the summit we found, inexplicably, an old refrigerator. That memory stuck with us; what would it take to get that thing off of there? Fast forward to 2018. As a member of the ONDA board I have access to vast expertise and passion for Oregon's high desert. After discussing the idea for a while, I was given the opportunity to use one of ONDA's vehicles, some tools, and some intel on how to get the truck to a point near the summit. Last weekend we did just that. It was a fun trip, we were successful in cleaning up the summit, and we enjoyed a remarkably beautiful place. Mission accomplished!

The crew

The summit mess

The fridge goes first

Loaded into the truck

Lead-acid batteries go next

The summit - much better!

Loaded and ready to go

A hiking weekend

Even the critters enjoyed the view from Tam McArthur Rim

I have been feeling alpine zone deprived lately. Outside of the Wallowas, Oregon has very little alpine due to a high tree line and relatively low elevations. There are a few spots near Bend to get to this zone easily, so we took advantage of an open weekend on our schedule and took a couple of hikes. First, it was the quick two mile hike to the top of Tumalo Mountain (7,775'). The top few hundred feet are an enjoyable stroll through krummholz, the stunted, wind-blown vegetation formed near tree line. This will not be a good wildflower year since it was so dry, but there were a few lupines and the summit retained some green grasses. The next day was a longer hike from Three Creeks Lake up Tam McArthur Rim and on to the flanks of Broken Hand (8,376'). Very pleasant rim roaming in the alpine zone is found here. Still too much snow for Maria to comfortably continue on to the hidden lake within Broken Top, but it is always good to leave something for later. Just what the doctor ordered! Good to be on some trails again.

Middle and North Sisters

On the flanks of Broken Top

View from Tumalo Mountain

Nice to have super blue skies - it is not smoke season yet

Tam McArthur Rim

Maui

View of Kaho 'olawe from Kamaole Beach III Park

William graduated from high school so we took off for a week in Maui (with him). June is not my pick of a time of year to visit Hawaii, but it was an enjoyable and relaxing week of doing very little. We all needed that.