Kurt & Virginia's Travels: September 2018

Another summer has quickly flown by and it is time to travel south. We had a good summer here at The Museum at the Brig. We met and talked to thousands of visitors about World War II history and Farragut Naval Training Center's role in that war. Two new programs were established this year, The Idaho Junior Ranger Program, as well as a rope challenge course called "Tree to Tree". A newly renovated room within the Brig compound provided space for the new Junior Ranger Station. The "Tree to Tree" course was built and is operated by an outside vendor. It is composed of four adult courses as well as two youth courses. The aerial adventure course features zip lines, nets, Tarzan swings and other fun obstacles for every age and ability.

Our campsite is located just a short walk to work.

We love the large, private site.

We are furnished with a fire ring,

picnic table and 50 amp/full hookup.

The museum houses two fully restored vehicles, a 1938 Ford flatbed and this 1942 Pirsch fire engine. Both were used at the training center and are now on display in the Brig courtyard.

After the Brig closes each evening the deer

and the turkeys move in.

Our 5th wheel makes a perfect "blind."

"Tree to Tree" opened the course one evening exclusively for the Farragut volunteers and staff. Virginia took advantage of this opportunity to "challenge" herself with the Green Course (the first of four courses, of increasing difficulty).

This western skink was in the dump well next to our trailer.

We weren't sure what we were looking at,

this strange creature with a teal blue tail.

Mack, a bronze statue, was placed in front of the

Museum on the Memorial Plaza, at the last official

veterans reunion in September, 2006.

The Coeur d' Alene artist incorporated

numerous relief images of sailor's faces

covering the sculpture.

These represent the

293,381 recruits who competed boot camp

at the Farragut Naval Training Station.

After our season ended at Farragut State Park, Museum at the Brig, we left our fifth wheel behind and took off in our car. We spent the week at a condo in Columbia Falls, just outside of Glacier National Park. We had a very large two bedroom/two bath condo at Meadow Lake Golf Club overlooking the 10th fairway.

Our unit, 622, was on the second floor with an upper

story master bedroom suite.

View of the 10th fairway from our 2nd floor balcony.

The balcony was equipped with a grill, table and chairs.

Well appointed kitchen, fire place with wood

and two living areas.

The upper loft off the master bedroom even

had a third LCD television.

We spent four full days in the National Park exploring many areas we had never visited before. This is our third visit to Glacier National Park. The Going to the Sun Road from Apgar Visitor Center (West Gate) to Logan Pass was closed to private vehicles because of the Howe Ridge Fire. This fire has consumed over 14,000 acres, however, this is only about one percent of the over 1.2 million acres of the National Park.

West Entrance to Apgar Visitor Center

CAMAS ROAD TO POLEBRIDGE

View from Camas Road along the west

side of Glacier NP, north of Apgar VC.

The fire was being contained about a

half of a mile east of Camas Road.

The Park Service will allow it to burn itself

out as long as it is not threatening

any structures.

Continuing north on Camas Road, we

proceeded to Outside North Fork Road and on to the

very small town of Polebridge.

The Polebridge Mercantile had a bakery.

We enjoyed a huckleberry bearclaw and

a cinnamon roll.

EAST GLACIER AND TWO MEDICINE

Tuesday we drove US 2 along the south border of Glacier National Park to East Glacier and the Two Medicine area. We had a nice lunch at the East Glacier Lodge waiting for the morning clouds to break into a beautiful afternoon for hiking in Two Medicine.

East Glacier Park Lodge

We ate lunch at the Lobby Café.

Running Eagle Falls

This double waterfall is caused by a cave

that opens in the creek bed prior to the brink

of the falls.

Only one falls was running on this

early September day.

This butterfly posed for the camera.

Two Medicine Lake

This boat crosses the lake to the Twin Falls Trail head.

We took this hike/boat trip in 1999.

Interesting tree damage along the

Paradise Point Trail.

View of Two Medicine Lake from

Paradise Point.

Appistoki Falls Trail

The view from the top of Appistoki Falls.

IZAAK WALTON HOTEL IN ESSEX, MONTANA

The Izaak Walton Inn, a historic Glacier National Park hotel, was built next to the railroad yard in 1939 for the use of railroad service personnel. It was also intended to serve as an entrance to Glacier National Park between East Glacier and West Glacier, but this plan never materialized. The lodge itself has 29 guest rooms. If you want a different experience, there are a number of cabooses and rail cars converted into luxury guest quarters.

Izaak Walton Hotel

This diesel engine is now a luxury suite.

WHITEFISH, MONTANA

The Whitefish Railroad Station,

built in 1927, contains a small museum.

We found many elegant homes while driving

around Whitefish Lake.

HUNGRY HORSE DAM AND RESERVOIR

This 564 foot tall dam was completed in 1953. We were wondering why the name, Hungry Horse. The Legend goes that during the severe winter of 1900, two draft horses owned by some Montana logging pioneers wandered away from their logging sled. Almost a month after their disappearance both horses were found alive. Some loggers nicknamed the gaunt survivors, the "Mighty Hungry Horses." The name stuck and was eventually given to this dam, the town, the creek and the reservoir.

Hungry Horse Dam

Hungry Horse Reservoir

GOING TO THE SUN ROAD TO LOGAN PASS VIA ST. MARY ENTRANCE

Thursday we drove to Logan Pass. Since the west side of Sun Road was closed, we had to drive US 2 around the south boundary to reach the St. Mary, East Entrance. This was a 250 miles round trip.

Picnic lunch at Sun Point

Sun Point Trail

overlook St. Mary Lake.

Sun Point

Logan Pass Visitor Center

Highest Point (6646') on Going to the Sun Road

Hidden Lake Overlook Trail at Logan Pass

This is the most popular hike in the park. The trail begins as a boardwalk to protect the fragile alpine meadow. Plants at this altitude do not recover easily if they are stepped on.

June 28, 1999, we started this trail with our children. Because of deep snow and strong winds we were forced to turn back before the halfway point. It was very special that the two of us finally got to complete this hike. It was a sunny warm day, too.