July 4th Independence

The plan was to drive up into Glacier Park and ski on the 4th of July. While I was getting lunch ready, Warren was getting our equipment together.  He came in and said, "I can't find your ski boots ANYwhere!"  It turns out we had accidentally left them with Colter when we went to Bozeman the end of May.  So I decided to hike a lower trail and enjoy wildflowers, while Warren went on up to the snow and skiied.  We both had a great day independently, and then had fun describing our day to each other on the drive back home.  But I only have trail pictures to share with you and none of Warren's skiing.  Here is what "hiking" in Montana's Glacier Park looks like:

Warren is just on the other side of those mountains, skiing in the high country.

This plant is called Beargrass; there is a clump of thick, stringy grass at the bottom of a tall stalk, with these cluster-balls of white flowers; the mountain is called Heaven's Peak and was my primary view all day as I hiked.

Yellow Columbine greet hikers along the trail.

Glacier lilies are one of the first flowers that bloom just after the snow melts in the mountains.

Beargrass

Heaven's Peak

I looked in my photos from last year (isn't digital photography great!) and this is what skiing in July looks like:

So this is pretty much what Warren was doing on his side of the mountain that day.