Montana & Glacier National Park
My answer is always the same. Stephen Baughn’s answer is pretty common too. Almost missed this flight because of 🐄 on 528. ✌🏻out Florida.
I truly could not have asked for a better day flying with the kids. In general they usually do well but today was such a treat. ✈️ Here is to summer 2019 🏔 and hopefully the behavior continues for 28 more days.
waterfall photos starting again…
Waterfall photo plus some tourist crap. It was snowing and gross out plus we hiked 7 miles yesterday. Technically Stephen Baughn hiked a little more because he went back for my phone that fell out of my pocket. We saw some caged animals for the kids then later saw a moose in its natural habit. Maybe one year our summer vacation won’t include snow.
Made it to Bozeman to see some pretty awesome people. But also there was a waterfall involved.
Another day, another waterfall. Montana is beautiful. The people here aren’t bad either.
Fairy Lake. It was frozen but so worth it. The drive to the trailhead almost killed me. We saw animal prints, animal poop, walked through lots of snow and found a couple geocaches. Had a great picnic with a view. 5 miles round trip and of course a waterfall pic for your viewing pleasure but mostly mine.
living our best Montana lives without waterfalls today
Visited Montana’s first state park. Pretty cool.
We weren’t going to go to Yellowstone on this trip but so glad we spent some time there yesterday. We climbed huge rocks and spent some time just sitting by a beautiful lake. We saw two black bears, elk, baby great horned owls, a golden eagle, pronghorns, mom and baby pronghorn, hundreds of bison and not to mention the pure beauty of the park.
Raise both of your hands if you’re an awesome father. Thank you for always leading our family and taking us on amazing adventures even if it is on the path with more snow. Thank you for always filling our lives with more than just water. I hope you swing right into this Fathers Day having an awesome day and know you are loved. (also I hope you see what I did here 😘)
If you haven’t been to Glacier National Park you need to go.
Today we did a small hike. Found a nice little place to have lunch and made our own bench. I feel like these pictures look fake. I took pictures of all the flowers we saw today.
Today it was gross in Glacier so we went to Canada. It was kind of gross there too. Not the country but the weather. We found a hot spring and did some geocaching. Had a picnic lunch with a view and tried to make the best off it.
Did a couple hikes on the East side of Glacier today. It was pretty of what we could see but windy and rainy. Of course there were some waterfalls and a picnic with a view. Then we randomly drove to 🇨🇦 Alberta 🇨🇦 for dinner and a geocache. Tomorrow is going to be a long hike if the trail is clear of snow.
I don’t know how these relationships work but I sure hope they stay friends forever. ❤️ I also don’t know what song they were singing but they were really enjoying it.
Today we tried to hike to Grinnell Glacier. I was a little disappointed that we couldn’t make it plus the weather sucked. We went up about 3.5 miles (2,000 ft elevation climb). Then we got to parts that were too dangerous to try with the kids. Lots of snow and ice with water running underneath. I think Stephen Baughn and I would have been fine but Karen Good Hamilton told me before I left “don’t do anything stupid with those kids,” so we turned around. What we did see was beautiful but I am bummed there is so much we can’t get to. Guess it just means we have to come back a different time of the year.
Today (the day we are leaving) they opened the Going to the☀️Road. It was basically the Going to the⛈Road but we had to since it opened. I bet it’s amazing on a clear day.✌️out Glacier, we will be back.
We stayed in Butte for a night to break up the drive for the kids. Someone told us Butte is the armpit of America. For the few hours we were in Butte we saw Berkeley Mine and found an epic playground/water park for the kids and Stephen Baughn. Then we drove to Idaho. I think I am in love with Idaho. We passed Craters of the Moon and a National Laboratory with land that went on for days. I am fairly certain there is stuff buried in the ground, in the mountain, and some nuclear device hidden out there.
Idaho…so much to do so little time. Today we went to Shoshone Falls. It was beautiful. Then we stopped for a “quick” hike that almost killed us (mostly Stephen Baughn because he was carrying Olivia). There were buzzards flying around, I think they knew we were almost goners. It felt like we were hiking in the dessert. 1/2 mile 1000 ft incline.
Little hike today to Redfish Lake. Met an awesome camper van couple. Visited a hatchery. Tonight Craters of the Moon.
What would Craters of the Moon be without moon pies! I think I saw the brightest rainbow I have ever seen in my life. Seeing and feeling the old lava rock was fascinating. I wish I could have captured what my eyes saw in the sky tonight. It was amazing. It was like a painting. We explored a little and then of course it rained. We snuggled the kids up in the back which they thought was great and they fell asleep. Stephen Baughn and I waited and waited and the sky opened up. There is no outside light at Craters of the Moon so it’s practically pitch black.
Today we didn’t do a lot since we were up late. We visited a few National Parks in Idaho (Hagerman Fossil Beds and the Minidoka National Historic site). I got a history lesson along with Evan. I do not enjoy history AT. ALL. I hated it in school and I think I even took American History twice 😂. Evan really enjoys it which allows me now to enjoy it and learn things I should probably already know but don’t. We did some geocaching and saw a tractor filling up at the gas station. I feel like that’s a real Idaho thing. Early to bed. Hiking tomorrow.
Yesterday we hiked to Titus Lake. It still had snow but was a really nice hike. We tried to find a hot spring but it had been washed away. Decided to skip rocks instead.
Pettit Lake was beautiful. Lots of streams and skipping rocks. The best mint chocolate chip ice cream but 0 for 2 on hot springs 👎.
Last day and Idaho decided to show off with its sunset tonight. Plus the sheep were kind of cute. Didn’t do much today but Stephen Baughn and I made some lasting choices. #Idaho
I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to sleep in my own bed. I don’t want to go back to our routines. I want to stay in the mountains all summer and explore. Evan got to add some more stamps to his National Parks book. We’ve seen so much and it’s been awesome. The kids (most days) are such good little travelers and explorers. I hope they remember their experiences and I hope they look back and smile. 4,989 miles. Going to to look at a camper van tonight before flying out of Salt Lake tomorrow.
🏞️ National parks & monuments
NPS sites in and around this trip:
- Glacier National Park (MT) — the Grinnell Glacier and alpine lakes.
- Grand Teton & Yellowstone (WY) — on the western road trip.
- Sawtooth National Recreation Area (ID) — Bench Lakes and Titus Lake.
🥾 Trails we hiked
- Grinnell Glacier (13.4 mi · 5h 19m) — Glacier’s signature dayhike, climbing past Grinnell Lake to a turquoise glacial basin under the Garden Wall.
- Aster Falls (2.6 mi · 57m) — a quiet meadow walk to a tucked-away cascade.
- Rocky Point (2 mi · 49m) — easy Lake McDonald loop through the old burn with wide lake views.
- Ousel Falls (Big Sky, MT) — “Awesome quick hike to the waterfall. It was gushing today!”
- Palisade Falls (Hyalite Canyon, Bozeman) — short paved path to a tall cascade; “we kept going right, hiking straight up and around the waterfall.”
- Upper Mesa Falls (Idaho) — boardwalk to a thundering 100-ft falls; “stunning view… the inn with staffed forest-service workers is excellent.”
- Titus Lake (3.7 mi) & Bench Lakes (8.2 mi · 3h 40m) — alpine lakes beneath the Sawtooths near Redfish Lake, Idaho.
- Darby Canyon Wind Cave (Teton Valley, ID) — “we hiked all the way to the waterfall… my 8-yr-old and 5-yr-old did great.”
- Pillar Falls (2.5 mi) — rugged Snake River scramble near Shoshone Falls.
🍽️ Eats & places
- Hampton Inn, Butte MT — “the best Hampton Inn I’ve ever stayed in! Far more breakfast options than any Hampton I’ve stayed at.”
- Grand Teton side trips (Alta, WY) — Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, Taggart Lake.
- Idaho stops — Hagerman Fossil Beds & Thousand Springs, Minidoka National Historic Site, Green Canyon Hot Springs, Yellowstone Bear World.
