Day 15 Bertha Lake in Waterton

Total miles today 9
Total miles hiked 161.5

Today we have a new breakfast at our bed and breakfast cabin.  Our job is to critique the dish and then let Terri know how it tastes.  It is called a Finnish Pancake.  So imagine a pancake baked in a glass pie pan, top it with fresh strawberries and blueberries in the middle, a dollop of real whipped cream and then drizzle with real maple syrup. Hmmm. It was a 5 star breakfast.  We took four pictures and sent them to our hostess Terri. Terri wanted a critique right? So we sent a series of 4 pictures describing our morning breakfast.  She should  definatly add this to her list of breakfasts to make.

Our home for the last four nights was a log home style bed and breakfast.  We had our breakfast delivered every night around 8pm.  This allowed the B &B guests to get up in the morning and eat whenever if fit best into their schedule.  Our first breakfast was croissants with home made triple berry jam and a big bowl of fresh fruit.  Second breakfast was musli and fresh cinnamon bread, third breakfast a frittata and blueberry scones, and lastly the Finnish pancake.  We also had the opportunity to have a hot tub soak in a wood burning round hot tub.  This was not a bubbling hot tub, just sit and soak in the tub.  The tub was located out in front of the cabin so you hot tub while sitting out with the rolling prairie and the Waterton River to look over Range cattle in the distance and a few deer to boot. Peaceful.

We are packed up and on the road by 8 ish.  Off to our last hike for this vacation.  We are headed to one of Waterton parks most popular hikes Lake Bertha.  Ok this backcountry lake is named after Bertha Ekelund once a resident of Waterton.  Bertha was caught passing counterfeit money and sent off to jail, she was never seen in Waterton again.  I'm not sure I would name my lakes after a criminal, but they did not ask me. 

The hike starts out at a nice grade.  Actually very reasonable grade of elevation gain of 300 feet to the first falls.  This is a nice falls and a place that seems as if you could go and walk around in the water which is below the falls.  After this first falls you enter a patch of very tall cow parsnips.  As has been usual  these last two weeks, the cow parsnips are over our heads and crowding in over the trail making it difficult to see the trail, the rocks sticking out of the trail and the bear snacking on the cow parsnips just off of the trail.  I guess the cow parsnips are suppose to taste like celery.  I don't know for sure nor do I plan on eating any for a taste test.  I'm relaying on that information from the plant lady who hiked with us back at the Belly river. All I know is I have seen what cow parsnips looks like after a grizzly leaves a pile of poo on the trail. 

Shortly after this overgrown area we get to the switchbacks.  Perhaps I should say we got to the switch ups.  We climb 1300 feet switching back and forth across the mountain face up to the hanging lake.  We make the climb in twenty-two switch ups.  It is sweaty work, but we are happy to have the shade of the forest and a nice breeze.

On the long switch back almost at the top we have a short view of upper Bertha falls.  You can just sort of see it through a few trees.  We get to the top in just five more switchbacks.  There is a small lake overview point and if you can believe it, you have to hike down about 100 feet to the lake.  Hiking down after hiking up is in my mind poor trail planning!  They need a better project manager and surveyor!  

We take a few pictures before hiking around the lake.  Thinking the lake shore hike will meander around the lake edge we found our selves at times climbing more to get up and around cliff walls.  So yes, the trail does go around the lake, but not on the shore.  Up and down and up and down around the lake.  When we are almost to the far end of the lake we see three "things" swimming in the water.  Whatever it is, it is leaving a large wake. Just as they arrive at the far shore they look like they are chasing each other in the shallow water followed by shaking the water off their bodies.  Ok, so what could those "things" possibly be?  They are too big to be ducks, perhaps bear or moose.... 

We wonder if we should turn and hike back the way we came.  Running into three bear on the trail might not be very fun. Hmmm, we decide to go back the way we came.  Nope, we change our minds again and proceed around the lake making LOTS of noise.  We have the bear spray, right!  

We never did see what the three big things were. We did see five small ducks fishing further off towards the end of the lake.  We do know the three big things were not ducks.  On this back side we see some bear poo on the trail, but it is not from today.

When we think we are far enough past the swimming things to sit and have a half a lunch.  We take a few pics and watch two ding a lings climbing up the side of the mountain in front of us.  There is not a trial that goes where they are hiking. What they are doing  seems like a very silly thing to scramble up.  I told Kathi it will be hard for search and rescue to find them when they fall because neither guy is wearing bright colors...

Well, all that is left of this years hiking adventure is the 22 switchbacks down the trail.  We have fun counting and naming the switchbacks on the way down.  We did not name them on the way up as breathing was more important!  As we get to switchback number 22 we step over some old bear poo and walk across a bridge. Here we meet a man who has big round eyes and a look of shocked surprise.  He tells us a bear just crossed the trial in front of him.  We are close to the falls  and the rushing water sounds of the falls makes a lot of background noise.  One must be extra loud here!  This trail is now fairly populated with hikers as it is one of few trails open to hiking.  Everyone we meet is on super bear alert as the guy must have yelled back or something.  Word travels fast on the bear hotline!  

Today is not the day we want to have a bear encounter, so we make ourselves extra obnoxious  with noise.  Finally we break out into the parking lot where a park ranger is going to take a group on a hike up to the falls.  We tattle on the bear!  I mean we respectfully report on the bear and enquire about what type of large animals might be swimming in Bertha Lake?  She said moose or bear...

Ok, so now we are back at the car and have not had the opportunity to use the Bear spray can.  This in not a regrettable problem to have!  But since the bear spray cannot go on the airplane with us, we are left with trying to find someone who would like to buy the bear spray at a very reasonable price.  We ask a couple in the parking lot who were packing up their backcountry camping packs.  To late as they had just tossed down a $100 bucks for two cans...  

We drive to the Waterton Ranger station and ask a few possible hikers standing outside of the station if they needed a can of bear spray.  They also had purchased their spray.  So we go in the office and donate the can to the Canadian Ranger Station.  They were more than happy to accept the can.  

I believe there is a great market here for bear can spray rental.  Perhaps $60 down payment, and if you return your spray unused you can have a return of $40.  If your spray has been deployed,  or you neglect to return the spray, you loose out and buy the can for the original deposit.  Hey, there is a nice summer job!

Now for our drive to Calgary.  We are driving through some town along Hwy 2 and need to buy about 10 liters of gas to make it to Calgary.  Gas is cheaper in Calgary.  In Calgary gas is only what we Americans know as $5 a gallon.  Ouch! Out on the prairie gas is about $5.55 a gallon.  After dropping in a few liters into the tank, we get back on the Hwy.  Hmmm, we should have payed attention to the posted  speed sign,  because we had pretty flashing lights in the mirror.  Ok, pull over and prepare for our first Canadian speeding ticket.  Mr. Canadian Mountie askes if we knew why he was pulling us over.  (I really wonder what sort of response they get when they ask that question.  I'm sure they get some sob story or excusses) We say we just stopped to drop in some gas so we could get to Calgary and then got back on the road not thinking about posted speed.  Mr. Canadian Mountie sees our hiking stuff in the back seat and asks Kathi for her license and asks Kathi where we have been hiking.  Down in Waterton was the answer, oh great, he likes to hike also.  He has hiked the Grand Canyon.  So he hands Kathi back her license and said we were 80km in a 50 km zone.  We should watch the signs a little closer... Have a nice day.  Nice day!  You know it, this has been the Perfect vacation!  I will mention here  that we drove the posted km per hour every mile after that close call, just in case he called ahead to other Mounties...
What a nice Mountie.

Perfect! That is what this trip was.  Although it did rain some, the rain managed to all happen after we were done hiking for the day.  I guess monsoon season is a Colorado phenomenon.  We spent a lot of miles driving to our hiking trail heads, but the roads we traveled on were all improved roads. All roads were improved except for the roads back into our Duck Lake accommodations...  That road was terrible.  Without planning the order of our hikes we managed to be hiking the Sperry Glacier hike when we made the 100 miles. A small celebration for us as this is a special trail and one we have tried three times to get to.  Yeah! Also since Sperry Glacier will soon no longer be an official Glacier due to climate change it was special.  And without further planning and totally by surprise we were hiking the Grinnell Glacier hike when we surpassed the 150 miles hiked.  This trail also a special place and rarely open this early in July.  Both Grinnell and Sperry are clinging to their active glacier status.  

Critters we saw:

Two black bear, but from the safety of the car.
One dead car kill moose.
Two snakes, not sure what kind they were as snakes are not my thing. ( No snake dances were performed as is past hikes.)
One tree Martin
Three Pikas
Dodged unnumbered amount of free range beef cows some of which believed the road belonged to them.
Countless Marmots
Countless white tail deer
Ground squirrels galore, one ground squirrel scoring a Koo for running up and touching Kathi's boot!
Countless people who we met on the trails all with a friendly smile and sometimes great information.

For the first time ever we over achieve and surpass 160 miles hiked.  A total of      ?  Feet gained in elevation.  I have never added up the elevation before but I guess, Kathi's knees and my feet were sort of wondering what we were doing to them:)

We have started our talkes about next years hike, but no firm ideas yet.  You will have to come back and join us for another virtual hiking adventure and countless giggles and laughter of another step in the right direction.

Bertha Lake at overlook

Peaking through the trees

Just before that water heads down Bertha falls

These pine cones grow up and are blackish

Last lunch :(

Our Bed and Breakfast

Hot Tub with owners home in background

Living area

Bed and Bath

Lower Bertha falls

Cow parsnips

Finnish Pancake

Hmmmmm

A finished Finnish Pancake

2009 Hike to the top of Carthew Alderson Pass and down to the town site of Waterton.  Totally socked in fog.
For what ever reason I am unable to get this into the correct day of the Blog.  Technology has scored one on me...

Looking down the screed towards one of the Carthew lakes.

Day 14 Grinnell Glacier

Kathi after her third time through the waterfall

Remnants of the snow blasting from trail crew

Elrods Rock or Al Gore's dressing room.

Piece of ice from Upper Grinnell Lake

Scrape marks from glacier moving over the top of the stone

Camera on timer

Kathi looking for either very new rocks or rocks that are very old and just uncovered...

Upper Grinnell lake is right behind us, glacier is off on the left side, salamander glacier is above

After our shower we pose in front of Grinnell Glacier

Chain of lakes

Trail Crew shovels steps into the snowfield

Kathi after making it through the shower

We are going to hike way to the back of this picture

Lower Grinnell Lake

Kathi takes her turn at a morning shower

Josephine Lake

Hey we are cruzing in a Chevy Malabu.  It has a smooth ride and good gas milage in the mountains

Gem Glacier is the snow on the top center

Grinnell Glacier and Upper Grinnell Lake

Adding a rain coat really helps

First picture is Grinnell in 1938 followed by 1981

Grinnell in 1998 and last is 2005

Swiftcurrent Lake

Salamander Glacier is the snow mass on top right

Get Ready

Turn on the shower!

Today's hike 11.7
Total miles 152.5

Rise and shine early today as we are going to drive down to Glacier to try and hike the Grinnell Glacier trail.  We asked at St Mary's Ranger station many times about this hike.  When we inquired, the Ranger's all said ice axe and crampons due to the snow crossing.  Well we waited until our very last possible day to give the trail time to melt out.  

We were on the road and to the border crossing early.  So early, the Boarder Agents were still following all of the rules of being stern, stone faced and thorough.  Turn your engine off, unwind all of your windows, passports, take your sun glasses off, do you have any liquor, fire arms or fruit.  Yes, let's watch those fruits. Oh but before we get to the boarder crossing we have to stop for a bear crossing.  A black bear was on the road and standing just like another black angus we have been dodging most of the vacation.  This guy looks just like a cow, until it turned its head and then we noticed it has shorter hairier legs...Yep, a bear.  

Our drive takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.  We pull into the ranger station back at Many Glacier climb out of the car to go to make our last inquiry about the trail.  When we ask about the trail the Ranger said "it's open. Today is the first day it is open."  I felt like certainly I must have mis- heard him.  Did he say it was open? Yes, open no need for ice axes, poles or any other snow crossing equipment.  Yesterday the trail crew used dynamite and blew open the snow that was hindering safe travel.  The trail crew is up shoveling snow steps in right now.  What wonderful news!  We climb back into the car and drive with unbridled excitement to the Grinnell Glacier trailhead.  We have never in the three trips we have taken to Glacier, been able to get all the way to Grinnell Glacier due to these snowfields and today is the first day it is open for this hiking season!  What luck!  

We get our boots on and are hiking by 8:50.  The first part of this trail is a nature trail and is wide with lots of sitting benches.  This makes me laugh as this valley bottom we are in is a major corridor for moose and bear.  Kathi and I are well aware that today might be the day we see a bear on the trail.  We make lot of noise and stay aware of the direction of the wind.  Remember spraying bear spray into the wind will not turn out so good for you! 

As we hike past the first lake we meet up with a father and daughter who are also headed to the glacier. They do not have bear spray and see that we do... Since we are all hiking at the same speed the father and daughter would like to join us.  They are out for one more hike before heading back to Nebraska.  They have no idea how special today is.  They had stopped at the ranger station to ask about what hike the rangers recommended.  The ranger just sent them on this hike.  Man, are we all in for a special hike!  The first part of the hike is past the beautiful glacial blue tinted Swiftcurrent Lake.  Next up over a knoll to walk past another blue tinted Lake Josephine.  There is a boat ride you can take across the two lakes.  The ticket can be  purchased for $23 bucks ahead of time.  The boat ride allows you to skip a lot of the trail where the bears are prevalent.  

As we hike on up the trail we are talking really loud about all of the hiking we have all done.  The father had summited around fifteen 14ers in Colorado. He really can't recall all fifteen of them as there were only a few memorable one's.  He said he had done all of the easy one's so if he was going to continue with completing all 53 of the Colorado 14er's, he was going to have to get serious about it.  As we are chatting we are getting closer to our destination and getting better views of Salamander glacier along with a better peak of Grinnell Glacier. Grinnell Glacier sits pretty low in the cirque while Salamander hangs up on the wall of Grinnell mountain.  Gem glacier is also in full view as it is much higher.  One hundred years ago these three glaciers were all one big glacier, but have since melted to form into three smaller separate glaciers. When a piece of glacier melts away from the main glacier it earns a name, as long as it retains the principle of over 100 feet think and around 25 acres. With this size and mass of snow, water and ice the glacier has enough weight to continue to move thus giving it glacier status.

Our walk goes quickly there is so much to look at including a full view of Lower Grinnell Lake.  Grinnell Lake is about 800 feet directly down over the cliff to our left.  It is shimmering with rippling waves from the morning breeze.  Next thing you know we are standing by a waterfall that is running full.  To imagine what I might mean by full: stop reading right now and go find 10 of your best friends.  Have each of these friends throw a bucket of water on you in quick succession. Make sure the water is just above freezing, so around 33* degrees should do the trick. Before you get your ten friends to throw the water at you, drag a 20 foot ladder around as you will need to head on up the ladder while your friends are giving you a good dousing from above.

I went first though this waterfall and with the shock of the cold water and the unevenness of the steps I fell forward.  Thankfully I did not do a face plant, but by the time I got myself righted and moving up and forward again, I had gained several pounds of water weight!  Oh, baby I was soaked, this gives a whole new meaning to spring fresh!  Kathi and our new friends from Nebraska eye up their chances at the waterfalls on the steps.  They each take their due turn at the morning shower.  We all look like drowned rats...  We share a good laugh at the interesting hike and continue on up the trail.  

We arrive at a several snow fields the trail crew people are working on.  They are happily working away at shoveling snow fields into snow steps for us.  Some of the snowfield they are shoveling on still have the markings of the blasting powder in the snow.  At times we also could smell the blasting powder still lingering in the air.  All of this adds interest to the beautiful day.  

At last we walk up to the final overview rock pile of moraine revealing the entire basin of Grinnell.  The glacier has melted so much it now has created a lower Grinnell lake and an upper Grinnell lake.  You can walk right up to the upper lake and touch the water.  I was able to pick up a small chunk of ice.  In this frozen lake you can see large ice berg formations that later this summer will bob around in the lake. The toe of the glacier is receding back up against the mountain wall and will soon no longer be a glacier in technical form.  

We have lunch with the father and daughter and then go our separate ways to explore this area.  Kathi and I gather a few tiny rocks that have just melted out of the glaciers ice.  So either they are very new rocks or well preserved old rocks.  

After a time of picking around we head on back just in time to be stopped by a very large ranger groups standing by Elrod's rock.  There are so many hikers in this ranger group that they plug the trail. A traffic jam on the trail.  We have to stop and listen to what the ranger is talking about. Back in what Setember 1997  Vice President Al Gore came to Glacier to give a speech on global warming.  After the speech he took a hike on up to Grinnell Glacier, which is a retreating glacier and a perfect example of how fast the choices we make in our environment increases melting these glaciers.  
I have included an article I found on line about the events of the day:  

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19970903&id=GWJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rv
EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6649,824788

The back story the Ranger told is while Al Gore was making his speech the secret service were very busy "securing" the woods.  Those secret service guys are all hiding with their guns all along the trail tucked up into the woods to protect the Vice from anyone who might want to harm him.  And with every secret service agent is a Park Ranger with his bear spray keeping the secret service guy safe from any bear that are in the area.  I'm sure the bear popping out was way more of a possibility than a person hiding in the park with intentions of harm.  

Anyway Al Gore hikes all the way up to this huge rock called Elrod's Rock.  (This rock marks where the toe of glacier was in the year 1924.)  Al ducks back behind the rock where he had a person waiting for him.  Al Gore needed to freshen  up with makeup and fresh clothes thus staging him for another camera shot as he first viewed the glacier.  

The ranger who was telling this story was responsible for getting the camera guy up the trail and into position for the fresh Al Gore shot.  She said the camera guy had a huge camera and was rather out of shape.  He was really huffing and puffing up the trail.  

On our return to the water fall, Kathi and I put our rain coats on to cover us and our packs while we duck on through the falls.  Rain gear is a way better choice for this water falls!  As we are shaking off our jackets and putting them back in our packs, Kathi sun glasses are no longer in her possession.  The glasses are sitting on a rock back on the other side of the falls, she had taken them off while putting on her rain gear. Now she has to go back through the falls to retrieve her glasses and then come back to the spot we are standing.  She is getting really good at the duck and climb!  By the time she gets back from her double shower, her feet have taken on quite a bit of water down through her socks and have swamped her boots.  Hey, but her boots were waterproof from the outside, so I have done my job as the head waterproofer. I can not be held accountable for what comes in over the top of the boot, right?

We finish the hike with no bear sightings, yeah!  Of course we did not see any moose either because we were rather loud.  I just don't think It is on my bucket list to meet up with a grizzly while hiking.  Seeing him through a binoculars way up on a mountain side  different from the mountain that I am standing on seems more inviting!

What a special day, we have the special privilege of seeing Grinnell Glacier and reaching the milestone of hiking 150 miles during this trip on the same day.  Our vacation is not necessarily planned to see how many miles we can hike during our vacation days, but more about how can we see as many majestic sights as we can.  Today was another wonderful Glacier National Park beauty!

Day 13 Goat Lake

Today's hike was 8.6
Total miles hikes 141.8

Wash out over my shoulder

Washing my face off after the hot sweaty climb

Goat Lake

Long switchback in the sun

It is in fact steep

Looking back down the valley

How I fished my topo map out of the lake...

Landscape waterfalls

try to find the trail in the cow parsnips

Today there is a 40% chance of rain.  We are up early and try to get going so we can avoid some of the rain.  We had a little juice mishap this morning.  Kathi was trying to get the flavor of her daily drinking water straightened out and in the process a glass of juice flew off of the table and across the floor.  We had to do some mopping up and scrubbing up so it did not leave the log cabin sticky.  

Drove to Waterton and got on the Red Rock Canyon Road.  I'm not sure what I thought this road might be, but is was hilly and windy back into the mountain valley.  As we are driving backs into the red rock valley the clouds are looking very serious about throwing down some rain. The road is 15 km long so it takes awhile to get to the back in there.  Around one corner they have a drive cautiously sign with a very real looking life-size picture of a bear.  It fooled both of us for a moment.  Almost counted another bear sighting ...

Got out of the car put on our boots and headed out.  At the sign board there was a guide from the sporting good store in town taking two guys up to Goat Mountain.  They are standing in front of the map taking about the hike and perhaps going on up to the Avion Ridge.  The guide said we'll talk about that when we get to the lake.  

We play hopscotch hiking with this group of three men.  They fast hike ahead and then stop, Kathi and I walk past at a,slow pace without stopping, they hike fast past us and stop, we walk by.  They are hiking too fast because they need to keep stopping so the father and son can catch their breath.  Kathi and I are hiking with a reasonable pace today. There are no rocks in my pack today.  

The guide asked us to join them , but we said no because they hike to fast and we are just doing a tortess pace.  The trail is a very flat fire road for the first half of the hike.  At two points we are suppose to have creek crossings.  At the two creek crossing there was a total wash out where lots of rock, trees and other debris washed down the mountain during the rain storm.  I go and stand in the dry washed out gully so you can get a feeling of how deep all of these wash out were.  

We continue on until where the trail splits, one section going to Goat Lake and the other to Twin Lakes.  The weather has cleared and blue skies look like they are here to stay.  The second half of the Goat Lake trail has ALL of the elevation gain.  The first half mile of this up has been taken out by the rains and they brought in a skidder loader to level out the trail.  Level is not the correct word here as this portion of the trail was by far the hardest to walk on.  All of the rocks were loose and round which made it very difficult to walk through with any sort of stability.  After this rock and roll section the trail fills in with tall cow parsnip and thimble berry plants.  The plants in some parts the trail are taller than me and I'm  5'6".  This overgrown section does not last for long and with in a hundred yards you can begin to see the long switchback leading up to a hanging ledge.  The long switch back is hanging off the side of the mountain.  The three men in front of us have stopped along the trail leading up to this exposed ledge.  The older of the two is a bit freaked out by the exposure and wants to turn back.  This sort of surprises Kathi and I, as they were the same people who wanted to go on a ridge walk on Avion Ridge.  I would think one might have a better self awareness of what they can and cannot do before saying they want to do a ridge walk.  We step past them and head on up to the tree line.  Several times we comment that we are very happy we started early in the morning as walking up it in the hot sun would be no fun. There was also some pondering about how much money the guided hike must have cost and now the guy was not able to hike up the last half mile to the top because of the exposure.  Don't you think he might have asked about the hike before throwing down the cash?

Once on top of the last switchback there was this meandering stream with several small water falls.  We were able to get close to the cool water and wash our face off as we were totally sweaty after making that last climb in the sun.  We arrive at the lake which sits in a tiny little cirque up again the base of Norman Peak.  The lake was very quiet, and had a trail around one side of it.  There is a back country camp ground located back there and it has many foot trodden paths running all over the place. We wander on back around the lake and find a perfect spot with a bench to sit by the water, look at our topo map, swat mosquitoes and eat half a lunch.  During this time we are able to eye ball where we would have been if we went on up to the ridge and did the Avion Ridge walk.  Since the bugs were so bad we decided to put away our topo map and head on out.  As Kathi was putting the map back in her pack she used the map to swat at some more mosquitoes, but really the map just helicopters through the air and lands out into the lake.  This is just one of those moments you want to burst into laughter, but better wait until the map rescue has been completed.  Kathi's first attempt of map rescue evolved just trying to reach it with out falling in. her best reach is far short of the map.  I suggested she use her hiking pole to fish it out.  So here is Kathi's fishing story. "How she caught a big topo fish up in Goat Lake when she was on vacation." The map is dripping wet.  We then used our fast drying wicking towels to dry off the map. This is the second time these fast drying wicking towels have come to Kathi's aid.  Good thing the map is made with special paper that can get wet... I doubt the maker of the map had throwing the map into the lake in mind when he decided to use water proof paper...or perhaps he has accidentally flung his paper map into some water and watched as his topo lines all disappear into one lump of mushy paper pulp.

We head out to leave the lake thinking that sometime in the future we will return to scramble along the Avaion Ridge.  We will give the Canadian trail crew a few years to repair the ridge trail before returning.  We poke our way back around the lake past the backcountry camp ground, past the peaceful waterfalls that anyone would want in as a backyard landscape water feature.  Back out onto the sunny switchbacks which lead to the lake.  We meet several people who are on their way up the long switchback. It is now HOT on this open trail.  Our first group of four we meet are a set of husband and wives out for a little exercise.  They are in their 70's.  Of course we stop and chat, they need a little breather, and me...  I like to chat with people.  They are out on their summer camping trip which lasts from June until September. I like the sounds of that.  

The next three some that we meet are the most unlikely set of three hikers you could think of traveling together.  The lady in front had on a blouse and jeans.  She was about my age (50's) and sporting a haircut like Jaclyn Smith who played the part of Kelly Garrett from Charlie's Angels during the late seventy's.  Her hair appeared to be hastily assembled into a pony to get it off of her neck and the sides of her hair were pasted to her sweaty face.  She wanted to know "how much much further to this g-- d-- lake?"  She is not what I expected from one of Charlies Angels... Such unlikely verbiage to be coming from a Jaclyn Smith look alike.  Kathi and I just point out the very visible switchback and tell her there are a few short switchbacks after the one you can see, then you are at the lake.  She points out that it is a 'g-- d-- hot day, and why is this trail so g-- d-- steep?"  I think she should take a different perspective of what God has created and understand that nothing on this trail is anything less than majestic...  The person in the middle was a man wearing his cowboy stampede outfit.  Jeans, plaid western cut shirt open to his navel, and big shinny cowboy buckle and boots to compliment his western outfit.  His cowboy hat was a straw hat tightly rolled side brim with front and back of the hat severely angled down. His teeth were nasty looking and he did not say much as he stood and listened to Jaclyn Smith look alike ask all of the questions.  The cowboy and Jaclyn are not caring any water or other common trail essentials.  The third person is younger perhaps early twenties, has a full backpack strapped to her complete with a camelback water system.  She has very very short shorts on with the waist band rolled down and her tummy excess fat billowing over her hip belt.  She has her hair up into two braided pigtails, sunglasses, and a sports bra.  The bra was working past its intended load maximum.  The backpack shoulder straps and chest straps from the pack aided the control of the blossoming bubbles protruding forth from the very inadequate bra.  The scene was visually very distracting.  

We finish our little chat with these three unlikely hikers and head off on our trip down the trail.  As soon as we are out of ear shot, Kathi says over her shoulder, "I sure hope she has sun screen on those..."  I about fall off of the mountain in laughter. I laugh and carry on an uncontrollable giggle for about a mile down the trail.  

We meet a few other people along our trip out, but after the last set of three they all pale in comparison. Although a father and son hiking in their Lycra biking shorts and biking shoes does come to my memory.  I'm still laughing about the sun screen comment as we are off of the trail and wandering through the town of Waterton "shopping".  All we can find to buy is an ice cream cone.  On the drive out of Waterton is the the Prince of Wales lodge.  Another building of historical significance. A lodge built by the Great Northern railroad to entice people to come and vacation in this area and use the railway to get there.  We had stayed in this lodge many years ago, but just needed to see if all was the same. We looked around the main room and took a gander out of their big windows that look all the way down Upper Waterton lake.  The lake is ten miles long half in Canada and half in the US.

Went  home early for once and watched a big storm blow over the mountains and provide a brief but heavy downpour of rain.