Log_2022_USA_West

Traveling Across the Upper Midwest

Ferrying Across Lake Michigan
The SS Badger once served as a railroad car ferry for the C&O Railroad. Newly renovated in 1992 the ship then resumed with automobile and passenger service between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Boarding our motorhome

Joining us on our trip was a caravan of 17 restored Model A Fords.

Leaving the ferry

Note that the picture above is a video of the Model A Fords leaving the ferry. Click it to play

The glacial potholes across the North Dakota flyway make this a favorited spot for migrating nesting wildlife including the sandhill crane.

Fields of sunflowers Sandhill crane

Again We Meet Lewis & Clark
In April 1805 the Corp of Discovery embarked up the Missouri River from Fort Mandan in six small canoes and two large pirogues made by the crew from large cottonwood trees.

Lewis & Clark meet the Mandan chief Wintering at Fort Mandan

Seaman Making the canoes

Question: What is the difference between a canoe and a pirogue?

Theodore Roosevelt National Park
In the badland of North Dakota, this park pays tribute to the 26^th president’s contribution to the conservation of the nation’s natural resources. Herds of American bison roam freely throughout the 70,000 acres. Over time the Little Missouri river has carved the terrain into many colorful formations. Indigenous wildlife includes deer, elk, coyotes, beaver and prairie dogs. As we approached the Prairie Dog Town no animal makes any alarm about us being there and all continued to eat.

Hiking to Prairie Dog Town Curious dogs

Flowery food Lazy dog

Prairie dogs are herbivorous burrowing ground squirrels native to the grasslands of North America. Their colonies create islands of habitat for other species. They are also a food source for many animals. Their warning call sounds similar to a dog barking hence the name.

Cannonball Concretions
Mineral rich water deposits minerals as it seeps through porous sediment layers. The minerals act a glue, binding the sediment together to form many different shapes and sizes. The spherical shapes are called “cannonballs”.

Cannonballs in the rocks

Glacier National Park
Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks meet along the International Boundary between Montana and Alberta/British Columbia. Water from here flows to the pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Hudson Bay via the Columbia, Missouri and Saskatchewan river system. This is a rare place in North America where grizzly bears and wolves live in peace with people. All hikers are however advised to carry and know how to use bear spray.

In Glacier National Park our hiking is restricted by trail closings due to nearby bear activity as the bear forage for food in preparation for winter. We did however find several very nice but very popular trails and enjoyed a boat cruise with hike from Many Glaciers Hotel.

Ready to hike at the Divide

Gentian along the high trail Narrow path-Steep drop

The wild gentian, my favorite alpine flower, grows in alpine habitats in temperate regions around the world with blue flowering species predominate in the Northern Hemisphere.

Our boat tour at Many Glaciers begins on the shore of Swiftwater Lake at the Many Glaciers Hotel. After cruising across this lake we disembark and walk over a short hill to the shore of Lake Josephine where we board a second boat. We are delayed from departing the dock as we watch a bear swimming across the lake behind the boat. Our hike at the end of the lake brings us to turquoise waters of glacial feed Grinnell Lake. During our return to the Many Glaciers Hotel dock are again site several bear near and above the lake shores.

Waiting for the boat Woods comfort station