MOUNTAINS AND DAMS  - DAY SEVEN

Previous Blogs: Day 1+2 Canadian Rockies | Day 3 British Columbia | Day 4 The Road to Montana | Day 5+6 Glacier National Park | Day 7 Big Mountain | Day 8 Back to Canada  | Day 9 Waterton

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Today we decided to keep it more local, as for the last week we have been power driving every day. According to the rental car's odometer (It's a Canadian car) we have traveled 2400km, that's 1500 miles!

So after sleeping in we took a short 8 mile drive to Big Mountain - which is a local ski resort. For $16 we got to ride the ski lift to the top of the mountain.

This resort gives you a choice of an enclosed gondola or a chair lift. We took the chair (of course!!)

First one I have ever been on that the chair actually stops for you to be seated for several seconds and then catches up with the others on the cable. Neat! You normally have to stand with your butts ready to be plonked into a moving chair.

Ski resorts make their money in summer by offering  mountain bike and hiking trails and the ski lift has special carriers that can take up to 3 bikes at a time.

This is pretty big and I looked at the bike trails they were riding down the mountain and said: "NO Freakin' WAY!!"  I cannot even begin to describe the 90 degree vertical drops and "S' curves. 

From the air I looked at the hikers walking down the trails and they didn't look all that happy to me. They should have spent the money on the chair lift!!

The view from the top of the mountain was pretty but a little marred by smoke as those winds switched back again.

We had a couple beers at the mountain top restaurant and rode back down again.  Wendy had a local brew made from their famous Huckleberry.  More on huckleberries later.

Our next stop was the Hungry Horse Dam, the 10th highest dam in America. Well that doesn't sound all that impressive - until you realize that there are 84,000 dams in the USA!!!

When it was built in 1953 it was the 2nd highest dam in the world at 564 feet! The Hoover dam is only 200 feet higher.

This is officially called "The Glory Hole" (DON'T EVEN GO THERE!)

It's an over flow that automatically drains the dam if it gets too high.

The water is very clear for a dam. Looking at the dam wall I estimated I could see at least 20 feet down.

We walked across the dam and then drove across it to access the road that circumnavigates the dam. We did not do this as that trip is over 100 miles!! We drove just about 5 miles to get a look at this beautiful reservoir.

Absolutely beautiful, tons of areas to go camping and boating.

Wendy spotted a nest!  We think it is some sort of hawk, just not sure which one.

Legend has it - huckleberry seeds are propagated via the digestive system of bears (because they LOVE eating huckleberries more than humans!).  FALSE!!!  Just eat these tasty treats without fear of consuming bear poop.

Speaking of berries, here's Wendy chowing down on some fresh organic strawberries our landlord just picked from his strawberry patch!

Tomorrow we are up at the ass crack of dawn (again) and headed back to Canada.  We'll be visiting the Waterton Lakes National Park. Together with Glacier National Park it is the world’s first international peace park.  BONUS - our Glacier Park passes allow us into Waterton.     

Cheers!

B&W