Summer Summary

Many apologies for the delay in posts. Here are a bunch of pics form the rest of summer and early fall.

--Maggie on a long steep pitch to Canyon Lake in the Bitterroot Mountains
--Blodgett Canyon walls
--Happy Maggie
--Our home for the night: Canyon Lake
--Exploring camp
--Camping games- Pinecone Mancala
--This is what happens if you expose your lower back to the bugs for 30 seconds
--Post-dinner pre-bed
--Teddy begins another journey on our roadtrip through Canada in August
--My first time in Glacier National Park...
--...and we couldn't see anything.
--possibly the best visibility
--Totally metal
--Series of hanging glaciers that feed Lake Louise in Banff NP
--Upper Shore- Lake Louise
--Icefields Highway on way to Jasper NP
--Huge glacial valley
--Now in Jasper
--Giant human covered glacial snout
--Closer up
--Dead ice in a huge moraine
--Sunset in Vancouver
--Back at home, Bango in his favorite place in the world
--Back to the good old Cascades. Rachel Lake.
--Mearns taking a break on Alta Ridge
--High country
--Looking across the ridge with Rainier way in the distance
--Back to Montana, and back in the Bitterroots (late August)
--Dan admiring our view form camp at Little Rock Creek Lake
--After the wet hike in
--we set up camp on a giant granite slab near this alpine marsh
--Post-dinner, pre-bed
--Fall colors in Missoula
--Icy puddle in the Rattlesnake wilderness
--Introducing........Noah!!!
--He is loved
--This was October 13th! An early snow came through and shattered low temp records. I think it got around 5 below zero wind chills.
--So we hiked up Chapaaqin Peak.
--We didnt make it to the top because of this impossible boulder field covered in soft snow.

That is a short and cheap summary of the past few months. There is a ton more to share, but I got lazy. I will try to post more regularly.

Lolo Peak and Carlton Lakes

Just Southwest of Missoula is a peak that is usually visible from anywhere in Missoula. There are a few alpine lakes up there. I thought there would be a ton of people since it is so close and only about four miles to the lakes. To my surprise I had the entire area to myself. it was a pleasant day of exploring various lakes, and ridges as well as plenty of reading, napping and swimming. Would have been the perfect day if there weren't so many bugs who declared me delicious.

--Carlton Lake and the "Lolo Peak" we see from Missoula. The actual peak is out of the frame to the left.

--lake outlet looking east.
--Little Carlton Lake. Much less evidence of people here. I decided to call it home for the day.
--a comfy resting place
--Life is pleasant. By the way... I never made it to the peak. I became much too comfortable at the lake.

Back in Montana

The reverse culture shock has worn off for the most part. Although I am desperately trying to keep my grip on some of the lessons learned overseas- as they begin to resemble dreams upon waking. I have been trying to get to know the mountains and rivers around Missoula a little more personally. Having covered most of the required and basic hikes now, I hope to get in some more in-depth exploration before winter comes. St Mary Peak is definitely the mandatory starting point in the Bitterroot Mountains.

--Fire lookout

--latrine w great view
--From peak looking out at Heavenly Twins and Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
--Ridge that takes you to Heavenly Twins.

New Picasa Slideshows up!

I have finished what I have of my slideshow.  You can check it out here.   I have more pics coming soon and will update it when I get them.  Enjoy!!

India- Part One - A teaser

India is quite different from the USA.  That is my favorite part about it.  I have never even left the country save for Vancouver and Tijuana.  So to end up on the other side of the world in Asia was a little shocking, and a lot exhilirating.  Pictures will, of course, not be sufficient in describing the bombardment of the senses that occurs when a westerner enters the east.  The colors, smells, and sounds will be missing from these photographs.  The mountains of the Himalaya are not provided any justice in a pixilated 3X5 photo on a laptop screen.  

I think over the next few weeks I will post a few pictures from different locations in India.  We'll start with some mountains.  But I took exactly 666 pictures on my memory cards and I have one more memory card coming back with a friend very soon.  I will give links to view all the pics in the near future.  In the meantime, enjoy the periodic updates...

--Looks like Nanda Devi but it's not.  Just a random gigantic peak.

--A fine place to sit down and read.  Looking into the Rishi Gorge.

--Village Lata at the beginning of the serious trekking

--One of many beautiful "classrooms".  This one at the bungalow in Auli.  Our home away from home as we stayed there four nights (on two seperate occasions.)