FINALLY – Something I can DO

Wednesday September 7, 2011
Apgar Campground
Glacier National Park

On Tuesday, we left Glacier Campground in West Glacier
and moved on to boon docking at the National Park
which we had originally intended to do much sooner. 

If I can’t do anything anyway, I guess can do it just as
well without electric & water and at less than half the price.

So here’s our very nice site.
B133 or was it B118?
The person who picked the site in the first place
and filled out at least 3 daily forms to renew
and shall remain nameless, put B133 on all the forms
but thinks the site was actually B118.
The campground hosts probably think he
isn’t playing with a full deck.
J

You can see what I am doing
(notice foot raised higher than heart)
while David is preparing to do a Paul Dahl
roof caulk repair.

Before Winnona, I read about
100 books a year on average.
In the past 5 months I’ve read
about 5.  :-)

That’s about all we did since David now
has to do both of our departure lists.
It takes a lot longer to move.

He has some pictures of the roofing repair
but, just before and after pictures.
Too boring.  J

Today was a different story.

Reading is certainly “doing” something but
we had a list of hikes and kayaks we had planned
for our time at Glacier.  So far I’ve done one hike
and one.8 mile ride and
David’s done three hikes and one “push”.

So this afternoon we decide to see if I could
go kayaking. 

The problem is not the paddling but it is
two fold.  Getting in and out in the water
and keeping my foot not iced or elevated for a time.
My ankle did not react well to the first wheelchair
day.  It was too long without ice and elevation.
The Trail of Cedars was only a couple of hours
and that was better.

So today we set out at about 4:00 for
the Quarter Circle Bridge take out
to leave a bike
for him, and a chair for me.  :-)

But when we got there, David found he’d
left the bike lock key back at the rig.
So back we went for the key.

Second time’s the charm.
But good thing the sun doesn’t go down until 7:30.
Bike and chair secured to tree,

we took the car to the Apgar Village shore
of Lake McDonald to paddle up
the outflow river which they
call McDonald “Creek”.

With David’s help, I got in the kayak
and started out from shore.
How about the scenery and my hood ornament?
Can’t get in or out without them.

The man who made it possible giving himself
a shove from the shore.

At the head of McDonald Creek where
it joins the lake are these cute little
cottages…..if we didn’t have Winnona…….

Those of you who have been following us
know that I’ve discovered for the first time,
after getting to the southwest and Big Sky Country,
an extreme sensitivity to strong sunlight.
They say it’s the blue eyes.
But anyway, I didn’t bring a hat on this kayak
since it was so late in the day.  But as you can see, we
were paddling west, into the sun.

And you’ll see toward the end of the
paddle that Mr. Brown eyes graciously gave
up the paddling hat I had originally given him when
he didn’t have one and I had two.

With the twists and turns in the “creek”
I wasn’t always going into the sun

The water was clear and a gorgeous blue.
We went through quite a few little riffle rapids.
Class .5 or 1 I suspect.   
LOL
But lots of fun.

Although one of them did turn me completely
around when I while I was using my
camera and not paying attention to the
direction of the kayak.
I usually use my rudder to keep myself in
place while using binoculars or camera.
Couldn’t use the foot pedals today. So no rudder.

But somehow David did get pictures of me
coming through a small one.
Wearing his hat.

Here are some pictures of two of the
four Beaver Lodges we saw on the creek.

Here’s the very tidily built one

And the not so tidy. 
On this one we could see the
entrance under the water on one side
because the water was so clear.
But none of the inhabitants.

Mostly we didn’t have to paddle.
The creek took us right along.
But there were some side loops where the water
was still and this fellow was fishing in one.

And this group was preening.

It was a lovely paddle and
I was so glad to get out
and actually do something
in such a beautiful place.

Toward the end I could hear loud rushing water
which I thought was an even bigger
”rapid” than we’d seen before.
But it turned out to be water rushing into
the creek from above.

Here’s the man who gave up his hat
with the take out bridge just behind him.

Normally we carry the kayaks,
one of us on either end,
up short take outs like this rather
than take the carts along.

But, not this time of course.
After helping me out of the kayak so I could
crutch it up the bank, he
carried them both up single handedly.

Mine weighs 55 pounds.

And then off he peddled on his bike back
to the Lake McDonald shore to get the car.

While I “amused” myself by the creek
until he got back to single handedly put
the bike and both boats and all the
gear back in and on the car.

It may look like a great life having
someone else do everything for you,
but, trust me, it isn’t.

Thanks David for everything!!