Trip to Glacier National Park - Part 4 (Lake McDonald lodge and around)

Lake McDonald lodge is located next to Lake McDonald in Glacier national park. Some pictures from around that area.
The Lake McDonald Lodge, built in 1895, is a historic lodge located within Glacier National Park, on the southeast shore of Lake McDonald. The lodge is a 3-1/2-story structure built in a Swiss chalet style based on Kirtland Cutter's design. The foundation and first floor walls are built of stone, with a wood-frame superstructure. The lobby is a large, open space that extends to the third story. It has a massive fireplace and a concrete floor scored in a flagstone pattern, with messages in several Indian languages inscribed into it. The rustic lodge is a National Historic Landmark. (Info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_McDonald_Lodge).

The lodge

 Bear grass flower

One of our friends had promised to take us in their Canoe. They lost everything in the “Waldo Canyon Fire”. We were talking about them when we saw a family canoeing in the lake. When we met the family later, we told our friend’s story. To our surprise, they were also from Colorado Springs and had lost their rental property in the same fire. It became a bigger surprise, when my daughter pointed out that, their daughter and mine kindergarten classmates. What a small world we live in! Next day we had a blast when they allowed us to borrow their canoe.

The Red tour buses

Trip to Glacier National Park - Part 3 (West Glacier & Waterton Lake)

Finally we reached West Glacier, Glacier National Park, MT. We camped in our popup for the next five days. The campground was next to McDonald Lake. What a beautiful place. First day we checked with the Canadian visitor center (West Glacier) to plan our trip to Waterton National Park across the border.  To take our 14 pound dog with us, we had to have his vaccination records which we didn’t take. The daycare also couldn’t take him. Our Vet, faxed the records to visitor center within an hour. We are thankful to the vet and people in the visitor center for all their help. 

West Glacier

My family

Canadian visitor center in West Glacier

“Waterton Lakes National Park” is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, and borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Waterton was Canada's fourth national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake, in turn after the Victorian naturalist and conservationist Charles Waterton. The park contains 195 sq mi (505 sq.km ) of rugged mountains and wilderness. In 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was formed from Waterton and Glacier. It was dedicated to world peace by Sir Charles Arthur Mander on behalf of Rotary International. Although the park has a lot of diversity for its size, the main highlight is the Waterton lakes—the deepest in the Canadian Rockies—overlooked by the historic Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic Site (Info taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterton_Lakes_National_Park).

Driving to Waterton National Park

Canadian border

Boat ramp, Waterton Lake

My kids, Nidhi & Ratna

Prince Wales Hotel

 Boat ride to US side

US-Canada Border

Goat Haunt - US side

 View from Prince Wales hotel

Wildlife in town

Cameron Lake

 

Trip to Glacier National Park - Part 2 (Lewis & Clark Cavern State Park, MT)

On the second day of our trip to Glacier NP, we camped at Lewis and Clark Cavern State Park, White Hall, MT. We had a long drive that day and were lucky to setup our camper just before the thunderstorm.

 

Next day morning we visited the Caverns near the campground. It was a nice hike and saw a lot of formations - stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and helictites. Most places it was dark where no flash photography was allowed, in some places, they had pure white light shining on them to display the actual colors.

Hike to the cavern entrance from visitor center

Old entrance to the caverns

Lamp used by the visitors inside the caverns in olden days

Formations

Trip to Glacier National Park - Part 1 (Camping in North Tongue campground, WY)

We got a popup camper this April. We have been camping all of summer. Last month, after Waldo Canyon fire was settled, we decided to take a road trip to Glacier National Park, MT. First night we camped at North Tongue campground WY. It was a real gem. Here are some pictures from that evening.

Entrance to the campground

Our campsite

The popup (Rockwood Freedom 2318g)

 The wild flowers and the creek

People were camping everywhere even outside the campground

 

Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado Springs

It has been a looong while since I updated this page. I think it’s time.
Recently a lot of families here in Colorado Springs were affected by Waldo Canyon fire. 32 thousand people were evacuated, 346 families do not have their homes to go back to and 2 lost their lives. We were among the 32000 evacuees who stayed outside for a few days.

The first responders did an awesome job saving the houses and containing the fire. However people were not happy about the reverse 911 mechanism. A lot of people didn’t get notified in time. We got 10 minutes to grab our things and leave. High winds gusting to 65 miles per hour, 100+ degrees F (40+ degree C), dry undergrowth and pines made the fire so unpredictable and fast.

Just before leaving my home, I managed to get some pictures of the frightening smoke in my neighborhood. It was scary watching the trees and houses on the other side of the street (250 ft. from my home) burning. We were skeptical if our house would survive that night.

Four days later we were allowed to return. There was smell of smoke everywhere. Our next neighborhood, Mountain Shadows, had the biggest loss. We were happy to see our neighborhood survive but we feel so sad for those who lost everything.

Smoke seen from Colorado Springs Airport on Monday.

It was getting closer. 

 Fire reached Garden of the Gods Park on Tuesday Morning.

Smoke and fire seen from my home - Tuesday afternoon.

Sun turning orange due to smoke.

Fire seen from 20+ miles away – Tuesday night.