Swallow Falls, Maryland

Swallow Falls

Muddy Creek Falls

Old growth hemlocks and white pines

While returning from West Virginia three weeks ago, I decided to stop by Swallow Falls State Park in the far western portion of the state of Maryland. It had been probably thirty years since I last visited this park. I was a kid back then, but the memories were still fairly fresh and the park looked just as I remembered. The one thing I didn't remember though was the fantastic old growth hemlock and white pine forest that is one of the park's highlights.

I arrived later in the afternoon and was happy that there were campsites available. After setting up camp I took a hike around the forest and visited the falls. The forest was fantastic, reminded me of a miniature redwood forest. It was busy though, as people were walking to and returning from the falls/ swimming areas. There also was a lot of tree damage, which I found out was a result of Hurricane Sandy back in 2012. The park received over two feet of wet snow back then and many of the trees simply snapped in half or lost their tops due to the winds and heavy snow. Regardless, it was a real treat to see such old, mature hemlock trees, a site that will become rarer and rarer in coming years as the wooly algedid parasite continues to kill off the remaining hemlock forests.

After exploring a few parts of the park, I called it a day and had a fairly good restful sleep in my tent. The next morning, I decided to wake up early and see if I could experience the forest with less crowds. This is something I would recommend to other visitors. I woke up around sunrise and had a nice peaceful hike through the forest and didn't see anybody, and was able to soak in the falls and trees a little better...

Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

While Traveling and camping in West Virginia three weeks ago, I stopped by Seneca Rocks, a place I haven't seen in 20 years. I almost thought I was back west again. The rocks are a popular rock climbing destination, and there is a trail that switchbacks about a mile and a half up to an observation deck near the top. It was a perfect summer's day when I did the hike. The hike to the top reminded me a lot of many west facing slopes along the Appalachian Trail. Here's more info on the site...

Wild, Wonderful, West Virginia

Some old time musicians jamming in Clifftop, West Virginia.

Three weeks ago I went to my first Clifftop West Virginia old time music festival. West Virginia is a state that has always been a black hole in my consciousness. Even though I've lived practically right next door for most of my life, and even lived in West Virginia (on the border) for a year in my life right after college, I know very little about the state. The last time I camped in West Virginia was my freshman year in college. That trip in some ways set the course in my life. I knew I wanted to be outside as much as possible then, and fell in love with camping and backpacking. Going to the Clifftop music festival was going to be a good reason to get reacquainted with the place. Once there, I became very, very pleased.

I stayed at the music festival only two days. It's a week long event that occurs every year in August. The music was fantastic. However, it's really hard for me to stay put on the road or on the trail. I was itching to do some exploring. Monogahela National Forest was on my radar. I was blown away by the beauty of the place and intrigued by the towns and farms I passed. It was like stepping back in time. I will most definitely be back...

A Powerful Story About Stephen "Otter" Olshansky: Snowbound

Stephen "Otter" Olshansky  passed away on the Continental Divide Trail in 2015. Here's a powerful article about parts of his life and his final days on the trail from Outside Magazine.

A Few Final Thoughts From Glacier

After Camo and I finished our hike, we had an extra day (that actually turned into two when we learned Amtrak was running 8 hours late). I spent part of that day looking for my lost camera that was lying somewhere on the southbound section of the CDT in the first mile and a half from East Glacier. During that time looking for the camera, I experienced three bear sightings, the only bears I saw during the trip.

As I mentioned, when it came time to leave, my train was running 8 hours behind, so Camo and I had another day in Glacier where we spent it mostly lounging around the East Glacier Lodge. I missed my connecting train in Chicago once again and spent the night one more time at the Swiss Hotel, and the following morning enjoyed lounging and slowly walking along the River Walk. Camo had taken a train/plane combo and was already at day two of work by the time my train finally pulled into Union Station in DC. Despite the delays, I would consider taking the train again. It's an endurance test, but there are times when it's fun. As for Glacier, I definitely hope to be back again someday...

Glacier National Park (Day 7) July 13

July 13th was another perfect sunny day in Glacier National Park. It was our last day on trail. We only had about 9 miles to hike to the US/Canadian border where our hike would end, and it would be mostly "flat." We also were going to have to hitch hike back to East Glacier once we were finished since shuttle rides no longer exist from the Chief Mountain Trailhead. I was a little worried about this because I remember there being very little traffic along that border crossing road last time I was there.

photo by Camo

The mornings hike went without incident. It was a really nice hike through thick vegetation at first and then opened up to wildflower filled meadows flanked by giant mountains. I was taken back to my first day on the CDT in 2013 when I had just begun my southbound thru hike. I remember being so nervous that first day, and couldn't believe where I was. Once again, this time around, the mountains felt so peaceful and inviting, the weather perfect.

Camo and I finished the hike around 1:00 or so. We arrived at the Chief Mountain parking lot. Sure enough there was very little traffic. We could see the border station checking vehicles as they crossed the border. Thankfully, Camo and I didn't have to wait too long, maybe 45 minutes to an hour before a young guy from Canada picked us up. He was able to drive us about 45 minutes to the town of Babb on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.  After dropping us off, Camo and I had a couple conversations with people around town. One guy thought we were CDT thru hikers. We said we weren't. He said "Oh," and then drove off. Another family was with there son who had hiked the Appalachian Trail last year. Another husband and wife had just tried driving into Many Glacier and were turned around at the entrance booth because the park was too crowded there. Anyhow, Babb was a good place to hitch, since there was plenty of traffic, much of it seemed to be revolving around the park. Camo and I stood on a corner and within minutes a man driving an empty school bus told us to jump in as he was heading to East Glacier.

Waterton International Peace Park (photo by Camo)

It was a scenic ride on the school bus as we drove through the eastern foothills of the Rockies in the Blackfeet Indian reservation. About an hour later, we arrived in East Glacier. Camo and I treated our driver to lunch at a nice little burger joint in town. After lunch, Camo and I booked a couple more nights at Brownies hostel. Another hike completed...

Glacier National Park (July 12) Day 6

View south from the Ptarmigan Tunnel (photo by Camo)

Camo and I woke up, and packed up our gear from the tiny cabin at Swiftcurrent Lodge at Many Glacier. Our hiking destination for the day was Elizabeth Lake. We had two ways to get there. The first route was a 16 and a half mile trek that would take us over Red Gap Pass, a route I had taken in 2013. Honestly, Camo and I were still in terrible shape, so 16 miles felt really daunting, and not fun. The other route was shorter, 10 and a half miles up and through the Ptarmigan Tunnel, a route I had never seen, and one that had just recently been cleared of snow and was now open. We talked to a ranger the day before in Many Glacier who told us the route was clear. This ranger seemed to know what she was talking about, so we took her advice.

Here I am eating a Snickers on the north side of the tunnel. (Photo by Camo)

It was another perfect day in Glacier and Camo and I met the trail behind the cabin and began the long ascent to the Ptarmigan Tunnel. There were many day hikers also tackling the trek. We slowly passed a few, and a few passed us. Eventually the trail took us from open country to thick spruce forest. We reached an intersection to a trail called Iceburg Lake and it appeared many day hikers were heading there. Soon as Camo and I continued our ascent, the volume of other hikers thinned out dramatically. I was still blown away by the clarity of light, and the perfect weather we were experiencing. The mountains were so friendly and inviting still.

View North towards Elizabeth Lake (photo by Camo)

Ptarmigan Tunnel

After a couple hours, Camo and I finally reached the Ptarmigan Tunnel. Snow was minimal and not an issue at all. There is an actual tunnel at the top, maybe 50 feet or so blasted out of the rock. Views from both sides were stunning. It was so calm at the top, Camo and I enjoyed it for a good 45 minutes to an hour, cooking lunch as well.

Views across the valley to the Skyline Trail and the Adhern Drift. (photo by Camo)

Elizabeth Lake (photo by Camo)

Views along the descent were just as stunning, probably one of my favorite sections of the entire hike. Camo and I took our time before finally reaching the campground at Elizabeth Lake. There were several other backpackers already there resting along the shores of the Lake. After setting up I spent an hour or so also resting along the shores of the lake. Wind was picking up a little, but it kept the mosquitoes away. It was hard to believe Camo and I had only one more day left before we reached Chief Mountain and the end of our hike. It was another memorable day in the Rockies...

Glacier National Park (July 11th) Day 5

I woke up on the July 11th feeling well rested. There was a nice dry breeze blowing through the cottonwood trees along the small river Camo and I were camped next to, just outside of the St. Mary's campground. The sun was shining bright once again. It was a perfect morning to relax in the tent for a little while before getting up. It was camo's birthday and we were still planning on catching a van ride from St. Mary's to Many Glacier to get to the cabin that we had to rent for the night due to grizzly bear activity in the Many Glacier Campground. Choosing this plan, Camo and I were skipping about 14 miles of the CDT, a rather scenic section that included Piegan Pass.

Once we got up and ate a quick breakfast, Camo and I hiked the .3 miles to the St. Mary's visitor center and talked to the rangers about shuttle availability to Many Glacier. We both received somewhat confusing inconsistent information. It appeared that we would have to wait a couple hours for the next available van, it may or may not show up, and there may or may not be room for us. The van is not for visitors necessarily, but for park workers getting shuttled to other areas of the park for work. If there was room, they could take us for a fee.

Camo and I decided to wait a couple hours until the arrival time came and went. If no van showed up, we would have to hitch hike. Thankfully a van did show up around the scheduled time and they did have room. Camo and I would make it to Many Glacier without any problems. While waiting, we talked to a woman who was southbound thru hiking the CDT.

Camo and I arrived in Many Glacier around noon. The area was packed with people. We were scheduled to stay in a small cabin near the Swiftcurrent Lodge. Camo had made reservations with the ranger several days ago when they made our trip itinerary. When we walked up to the front desk of the Swiftcurrent Lodge, Camo mentioned we had reservations for the night. The front desk worker didn't quite seem to compute what he said and told us,
"You guys are in luck. We have a cabin available for the night."
We didn't understand what he meant by that, there should have been a cabin reserved, no luck required!

Anyhow, the stay was perfect. We were able to eat at the Swiftcurrent restaurant, do laundry, rest, go for a short day hike, and drink some beer for Camo's birthday. We would resume our hike on the CDT the next day, the trail located just behind the cabin...

Glacier National Park (July 10) Day 4

View from St. Mary's

Camo and I made a hike altering decision on July 10th. July 11th was Camo's birthday. It also happened to be a day where the ranger made us rent a cabin in Many Glacier because the campground was closed due to grizzly bear activity. We also had a tough 14 mile day to get there which was going to mean that we would have to hike all day, and probably late into the evening before we reached the cabin. That would also mean, very little time to enjoy it, given the cost. As a result, we decided we would leave the trail and the end of the day on the 10th, take a free shuttle to St. Mary's, spend the night there, and then purchase a shuttle from St. Mary's north to Many Glacier on the 11th and therefore get to the cabin midday and enjoy ourselves for Camo's birthday.

First we had 13 miles to do to get to the shuttle stop. Thankfully, it was mostly flat and dry. Unfortunately it was through dense jungle like vegetation and a large section of downed trees along St. Mary's Lake. Once again, it was a perfect sunny day in Glacier and Camo and I began to tackle the mileage. At one point along the trail, I stopped to take a break and accidentally left my grizzly bear spray behind. That was not very comforting realization. "The trail will provide," I reminded myself.

St. Mary's Lake (photo by Camo)

Once we began hiking along St. Mary's Lake, the mosquitoes began to swarm. Miraculously, we only had to suffer a short while. A strong wind soon picked up and we were able to continue hiking mosquito free.

Trail near St. Mary's falls (photo by Camo)

photo by Camo

By afternoon, we passed a couple of fantastic waterfalls, Virginia and St. Mary's falls. The day hiker volume picked up as well. Eventually, Camo and I made it to the side trail that led up to the Going to the Sun Road and to the free shuttle stop. There after waiting 20 minutes or so, we caught a standing room only shuttle to St. Mary's. I was feeling rather filthy at this point and felt bad for my fellow shuttle travelers who had to sit or stand next to me. I had a short conversation with a woman who was working at St. Mary's with the park service.
"We've had a two fold increase in visitors to the park in the last 3 years or so," she informed me.
"Why is that? Do you think it's a result of the Internet?"
"Not necessarily," she responded. "I think there's been more of a cultural shift in recent years of younger people wanting to get outdoors, social media is just a small part of it..."

Once we arrived in St. Mary's, Camo and I hiked over to the campground and asked if there were any campsites left. A ranger we talked to informed us of a hiker/biker site that existed in the campground and told us where to find it. Camo and I wondered around a bit, and for the life of us couldn't find the site. We asked a man camping where it was and he told us it was right behind his campsite. We looked around and still couldn't find it. We saw a small trail that led to a small river and decided to camp along the banks. It didn't seem like the right spot, but it was secluded, private, and away from the campground crowds. Camo and I decided to pitch camp there. It turned out to be an amazingly relaxing spot. We hiked into St. Mary's for dinner and ordered a large pizza. Then picked up a few beers for camp. When we walked back to the campground we finally realized where the hiker biker spot was. It was jam packed with tents which was why we couldn't see the sign. Oh well, our spot was way better. That evening after consuming a few beverages, a mother moose roamed into camp and thankfully kept walking. Stars came out and were simply spectacular. Another great day in Glacier...

Glacier National Park (July 9): Day 3

Camo and I on Triple Divide Pass

Camo and I got a good start on Day 3 of our hike through Glacier National Park on the Continental Divide Trail. We had to hike from Atlantic Creek to Red Eagle Lake FT, a manageable 11 miles. We had to hike over Triple Divide Pass to get there. Again I was worried about the snow situation and what we would encounter up there. Again, I was amazed at our perfect weather. The mountains felt so peaceful and inviting this time around. The first two to three miles were all uphill to the pass. Once again Camo and I realized how badly out of shape we were, having to stop numerous times to rest. We watched a family of mountain goats traverse the mountainside to our south. We had a break with a curious marmot who seemed to want to get dangerously close for some reason. We figured out the motivation a few minutes later. 

Curious Marmot

Mountain Goat Family

Camo and I eventually reached Triple Divide Pass. I was surprised and relieved to hardly see any snow up there. Actually, it seemed that most of the dangerous snow had already melted away, at least what we would encounter. The views were stunning, the air a perfect temperature, skies blue with a light breeze. Camo and I decided to take a nice break on top of the pass. Seems more often than not, my breaks in the past always have to be rushed on top of passes due to weather. Not this time. As we relaxed a while, a couple of marmots sneaked over to my pack and hiking poles. No big deal, this happens all the time out west. However, animals in Glacier are different. They seem to have no inhibitions. Within a minute, both marmots were on my pack licking off the salt. One of them grabbed one of my hiking poles and started nibbling on the wrist straps. I had never seen this behavior before so I decided to watch and see what would happen. Next thing I know, the marmot chewing the wrist band started getting all frantic, and then bolted down the mountain with my trekking pole in his mouth!
"Get back here!" I shouted.
Camo was laughing hysterically.
I chased the marmot a good thirty feet down the mountain but he was faster than I was. He dragged my hiking pole into a cluster of bushes and trees and the pole disappeared. I feared I had lost it for good. After searching a couple minutes, I found it deserted under one of the bushes. I felt betrayed. Marmots have always been one of my favorite alpine animals. I didn't know they were thieves!

Bull Moose

 Later in the day, I had another memorable encounter with an animal. Camo and I hiked down off Triple Divide Pass, crossed a couple of snowfields well off the summit that were easily traversed, and ended up in a lush forest. We both stopped to take a break next to a small creek and fill up our water bottles. Camo was sitting on one side of the creek, and I was sitting on the other, with my back to the trail, and sitting next to a small wall of green plants that offered a little shade. It was a peaceful spot, a perfect place to rehydrate. After sitting for ten minutes or so, Camo turned around and started packing up his pack. I was still taking sips of water. Next thing I know, I saw something dark in the corner of my eye. As I turned my head, there no more than 3 to 5 feet from where I was sitting, was a giant bull moose that had lumbered down the trail to the creek. I looked right into his giant, glistening brown eye, and said "SHIT!!!!!" I jumped up in a state of freight (with the knowledge that moose can be more dangerous than grizzlies given the right circumstances) while the moose also jumped up and managed to turn his enormous 700 pound body and head into the bushes.
"What?!!!" Camo asked.
"Moose!!! Look!!!!" I motioned to Camo, as the moose was exiting the scene.
We quickly scrambled up the trail to get to a safe distance. Camo managed to take a couple of quick photos.
"We'd better not linger too long and get out of here," Camo suggested.
I agreed and we hiked on, my heart still racing, thankful I hadn't been trampled by that moose.

Thieving Marmot

Camo and I reached Red Eagle Lake in the afternoon. There were several other people camped for the night, including a rather large group of college kids. There was plenty of space along the shores of the lake thankfully. I found a spot under a pine tree and just had one of those moments that can seem so rare in the mountains sometimes. The air temperature was perfect, no mosquitoes, a slight warm breeze blowing through the pine needles, sun shining, and bugs and birds dancing along the lake, flying back and forth just above the water surface. The world felt at peace, and it was nice to feel it for once. I rested on my sleeping pad perfectly comfortable.

The only time I used the ice axe and probably didn't need it. A small snowfield well below Triple Divide Pass.

It had been a memorable day in the mountains. 11 miles a day seemed just about right in our current hiking shape. We had about 13 miles scheduled for the next day, but it would be mostly flat. So far, so good...