All Posts – Page 2 – Pick-up and a Pop-up

Start of Summer 2023

Posted on June 19, 2023June 20, 2023 by Matt Oliver

When we began planning the trip back in November, we weren’t exactly sure what it would look like. Once we realized that Samantha wouldn’t be camping with us this summer, we prepped for my brother-in-law and nephew to join us during the first leg. We will miss Samantha, but she is doing amazing things as she landed a fantastic neuroscience internship at the University of Alabama.
We picked up Jon and Josh in DC at the start of the trip. They had flown in the night before and spent the morning seeing several DC sights. We made our way to the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia. The Seneca Shadows campground had nice sites close to the Via Ferrata hike. The hike boasted rugged cliffs and steep terrain, which required us to be secured to a fixed cable. The hike perfectly blended excitement and natural beauty, making it an unforgettable adventure. Stay tuned to hear all about it!

Summer adventure begins!

Seneca Shadows Campground

Home!

Posted on August 6, 2022August 8, 2022 by Matt Oliver

After 44 nights camping this summer, we are back in our home state of Delaware. Like many trips, the end of this one is bittersweet especially as Samantha will be moving to college in just a few days. We are very thankful that we had no injuries, no significant sicknesses, and safe travels. This year we were blessed to see our parents, sister Kathleen and brother-in-law Steve, Bill and Donna, and Uncle Dan and Aunt Heidi. We hiked 116 miles! We drove 7,895 miles which included 17 states. We visited 2 National Forests, 1 State Park, 1 National Monument, 2 National Landmarks and 7 National Parks. As a family, we have now visited 50 of the 63 national parks. In addition, Matt and I have now been in all 50 states!

Let us know what your favorite places are and maybe we will visit them next summer!

VIDEO BELOW

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Posted on August 5, 2022August 6, 2022 by Matt Oliver

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. It was established as a National River in 1978 and became a National Park in 2020. Despite the name, the New River is one of the oldest rivers on the continent. The national park protects 53 miles of the New River and over 70,000 acres of the gorge that the river created. The New River Gorge is home to some of the country’s best white-water rafting. I wanted to stop at the park on our way home last year, but we just couldn’t make it work. So this year, we made sure it was on the itinerary!

When we researched the park, we realized that there were no campgrounds within the park boundaries. We decided to reserve a campsite at Adventures on the Gorge which is a resort and outfitter company that offers all sorts of accommodations including cabins, campsites, glamping, and houses as well as many different types of activities. We were supposed to arrive at the resort on the 2^nd of August but were delayed a night due to some truck issues. Long story short, we pulled into a KOA around 11:30pm on the 2^nd and got up very early the 3^rd to make our white-water rafting trip. Upon arrival, we were all very tired but excited to get on the river. We got our gear, safety orientation, and headed for the bus to take us upstream for a full day on the river. It was a hot day, and the river water was a refreshing temperature. After the first set of rapids, we were all awake, wet, and full of anticipation for what was to come. Matt and Eli even were brave enough to do some “swimming rapids”! Between rapids, our guide told us all about the history of the gorge and the people who worked in the coal mines along the river. After lunch we were allowed to jump in and float down the river and later, we climbed up to a rock and jumped in. The last few rapids were class V and quite intense, but we made it through without anyone falling out of the boat. To top off the amazing day, we jumped out of the boat and floated downstream under the New River Bridge! We all agreed that rafting was a fabulous way to see New River National Park! That night we were all beat and were in bed by 9pm.

The morning of the 4^th, Matt and Eli headed out for a fish float trip at 7am. The fishing ended up being so-so as they only caught eight fish. Samantha and I headed to the resort pool to lounge the day away. The boys joined us after lunch and into the afternoon. That night, we celebrated Eli’s 14^th birthday with hamburgers and dairy free ice cream. We capped the night off with the MoonTrek Adventure which was an obstacle course challenge with the magic of a moonlit forest night. There were several courses in the tree canopy that included bridges, nets and ziplines. Our family had a blast navigating through the obstacles!

We didn’t have time to do and see everything New River National Park and Preserve has to offer but we had a great time while we were there. We will be back to do more rafting and ziplining!

Matt and Korin in front of the New River Bridge

Kansas City, Missouri

Posted on August 5, 2022August 6, 2022 by Matt Oliver

After leaving the mountains, we had a very long drive and arrived at Kathleen and Steve’s house in Kansas City after dinner. My parents were already there! We sat on the porch that night catching up all the while missing my oldest sister Kristin and her family. The next morning, Matt, Samantha, Eli, and my parents headed to the World War 1 museum. Matt and Eli had visited last year but wanted to go back to go experience the virtual reality program that put you on the western front in the trenches. The experience was realistic, eye opening, and haunting. Overall, the museum was informative and gave them the opportunity to understand that time period and the realities of war. That night, we were spoiled by Steve who smoked two racks of ribs for us all to enjoy!

The following day, we ran some needed errands including groceries and had the truck serviced. We also spent time with Grandma and Papa playing cards and talking. That evening, we headed to Steve’s parents’ house for tacos. They were fabulous hosts, and everyone enjoyed the tacos. Our time together was short but I’m so glad we were able to spend a few more days with my family!

Our “campsite” at Kathleen and Steve’s house. See my parents motorhome in the back?

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Matt Oliver

A few days ago we arrived at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Once we set up at the campsite, we rested after the grueling 9-hour drive. The next morning we rented some sand boards and toboggans to ride the dunes. We decided to start by going down small dunes AKA: bunny hills. All of us rode down the hills to get the hang of it. Dad and I visited last year so we had an idea of what we needed to do. Later, I took the toboggan up to a more steep area I named Suicide Hill. We spent some time going down the hills but had to head back to the trailer because of lightening. That afternoon we went to the Visitor’s Center to check it out.

The next day we decided to move up to Cardigan Tunnel which is an extremely long and steep run down a huge sand dune. We took turns going down and soon it was Sam’s turn to go. She bent down, started sliding and flew down the mountain passing me with tremendous speed. All the sudden she caught a corner and epic proportions of sand were kicked up into the air. The sand cleared and we saw that she had slid and fell before coming to complete stop. She was on her stomach, but ok. Soon after, we saw rain coming, so we decided to head for the trailer. We spent the rest of the day in the trailer napping, playing cards and hanging out.

On the third day, me and my dad decided to sand board from the top of the dunes. Once we hiked to the top, we could see the entire other side of the dunes! It is as if an alien world had opened consisting of sand dunes, an unnatural landscape. We decided to go down the tallest and steepest mountain in the park called Reapers Cliff. My dad went first. He thought it was super-fast and fun and slightly dangerous. It was my turn next. As I went down on the toboggan, I felt myself speeding up rapidly…10mph, 15mph, 25mph, 30, 35! I felt my eyes dry up from the amount of wind blowing on me and my hair was blowing backwards! I started to feel myself start to faint as I tried to convince myself I couldn’t possibly be moving this fast. My hands dug into sand behind me in order to balance myself. I knew that if I lost my balance the next thing I’d see would be the inside of a hospital room. After a long haul, I reached the bottom and tried to catch my breath. A few seconds later, I found myself back in the alien dune world. I sat there on the toboggan at the bottom of the hill for a while after that contemplating my life. Soon, while still on the highest dune in the park, a massive thunderstorm moved in. It was bad. My dad and I sand boarded down the mountain carving the sand dunes and trying to race the storm. We made our way down the hills and started sprinting to our campsite. The rain was pouring on us and we were completely soaked! We jumped into the truck, and we were safe. Right away, we drove to return the sand boards. What a day!

THE RESULTS ARE IN, AND GREAT SAND DUNES SCORED A 9.5/10 AND THE FIRST EVER “S” TIER RANKING FOR Simply the Best.

Korin walking on the dunes before the storm

Maroon Bells, Colorado

Posted on August 1, 2022August 1, 2022 by Matt Oliver

We left the Grand Tetons and headed toward Silver Queen Campground near the Maroon Bells. The Maroon Bells are said to be the most photographed mountains in Colorado, so we wanted to check them out, do a few hikes, and maybe visit to the nearby town of Aspen.

The shortest (and fastest according to Google Maps) route to Maroon Bells was south toward Rock Springs, catching WY430 to cross into NW Colorado. WY430 was a beautiful drive, but as we proceeded we could see that we would be driving through some rain. The rain turned to a downpour, and we were starting to see signs of flash flooding all around. As we rounded a bend the oncoming lane looked like a river rapid! We avoided the mess and made it to the top of the grade. Just then, we watched lightning strike a nearby bush, exploding it to bits, leaving nothing but a smoke cloud. As we neared the Colorado border, the road surface seemed to change….it was a dirt road! Yes, the nicely paved highway abruptly ended and we were rolling on the wet, pink soil of Colorado. It was well graded, but it was a 22 mile slosh over wet dirt. We merged onto CO318 (and blessed pavement again) only to be greeted by thousands of locusts crossing the highway. We were driving through Exodus!

By the time we reached the Maroon Bells, our trailer was also maroon from the mud. We arrived in the evening, and squeezed our magenta rig into a very tiny site and went to bed. The next day, Korin wasn’t feeling so great (some kind of allergy) so I made my way to Aspen and wow…I didn’t expect the amount of money in that town. It was like being at a Range Rover/G-Wagon convention. Not surprisingly, it was easy to find a bakery that made excellent vegan/dairy free pastries and served them with a smile! They were a bit on the pricey side, but they were worth it! Eli was totally pumped to have pastries for breakfast. As we waited for allergy medicine to kick in, we took another ride into Aspen to grab a burger at CP burgers. Again, excellent food, but at Aspen prices. We took a ride over to Snowmass to wait out the thunderstorms. Eli and I found a ping-pong table and had an epic game.

The next day we were all feeling much better, and we headed for the Maroon Bells, dual 14,000 foot peaks made out of Maroon Formation mudstone. The rock is very unstable, and difficult to climb because it breaks apart so easily. We decided to hike on the valley floor toward Crater Lake. It was beautiful, but crowded. We ended the day by splitting up. The girls went back to Aspen to do some window shopping, and Eli and I went to Snowmass. Snowmass is one of the largest ski areas in the United States, but we were there for summer activities. We decided to check out the Alpine Coaster. It was pretty cool! We enjoyed sliding at 28 mph down the coaster. After that, we took the chairlift to the summit, and we got another great view of the Maroon Bells! We ended the day together back at Maroon Lake. It was a gorgeous evening! We even got to see two beavers working the edges of the lake and diving in and out of their den. They were so cool!

Maroon Creek was in the back of our campsite at Silver Queen.

I’m not sure what happened here, but we survived.

Eli beat me in our epic, 15 game ping pong tournament.

Samantha and Korin on their way to Crater Lake.

Crater Lake at the base of the cloudy Maroon Bells.

Eli getting ready for the Alpine Coaster!

This is what the coaster looks like when you are riding it.

Eli and I at Elk Camp Summit with Maroon Bells in the background.

Beaver heading to their den on Maroon Lake.

Grand Tetons National Park

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Matt Oliver

We were sad to leave Bill and Donna’s but excited to see Giga, Opa, Auntie Kat and Uncle Steve at our next stop, Grand Tetons National Park. We drove south and made a quick stop in Yellowstone National Park. Our last visit to Yellowstone was on our first cross country trip in 2016. Eli was only 6 and while we were at the very crowded Grand Prismatic Spring, someone bumped into him, and he almost fell off the boardwalk! I ended up holding his hand for the rest of the walk. This time, I didn’t need to hold Eli’s hand (since he is now bigger than I am), and it wasn’t as crowded but it was very windy.

We arrived at the Signal Mountain Campground on Jackson Lake just before dinner. The campsite was small and quite complicated to get into but, Matt did his magic, and before I knew it, we were in. Kathleen and Steve were already set up in their campsite and after eating camp spaghetti for dinner we sat around the campfire mapping out our day hikes and catching up.

The next morning Kathleen, Steve and our family drove to the String Lake Trailhead. We hiked next to String Lake, and then Leigh Lake followed by Bearpaw Lake and Trapper Lake. Once at Trapper Lake we ate lunch, soak our feet in the stream that was feeding the lake and the boys all caught fish! On the way back, we found a beautiful sandy cove along Leigh Lake to swim in. All the lakes were beautiful, and it was a wonderful to spend time together. When we got back to the campsite, we connected with Matt’s parents who were staying in a nearby cabin. That night we had campfire surrounded by family…what a blessing!

The following day Matt and Steve went fishing at Jenny Lake for most of the day. They did well catching large cruiser cut throats on flies. The Grandparents took Samantha and Eli to Coulter Bay to hike and explore. Then, they treated the kids to a nice lunch and dessert at the Signal Mountain Lodge followed by souvenirs from the gift shop. That night Uncle Steve made ribs for dinner with all the fixings, and we tried banana boat smores!

Early the next morning, Steve, Kathleen, and our family took the boat across Jenny Lake. From there, we hiked to Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point and then through Cascade Canyon. Along the trail, we were surprised by two large bull moose. We stayed out of their way but watched them as they ate and made their way along the trail. I am pretty sure this is the closest we have ever been to moose. All in all, it was a long 7-mile hike, but it was beautiful, and the weather was perfect. Matt and Steve stayed to fish along Jenny Lake while the rest of us took the boat back and went to the Visitor Center.

On our last morning at Grand Tetons, we all met at the Signal Mountain Lodge where Giga and Opa treated us to a huge breakfast. It was wonderful to enjoy coffee and food while looking out the window at an amazing view of the Grand Tetons. Steve, Kathleen, Matt, Eli and I took a drive towards the Moran entrance to the park where we visited the Cunningham Cabin Historic Site, John Moulton Barn and Mormon Row. We explored a little of the area and then headed back to String Lake for a swim. As people paddled by us in their kayaks and on their paddleboards, we guessed what state they were from. The water was cool, and the view was spectacular. Unfortunately, that night we had to say our goodbyes which is always difficult. We will see Kathleen and Steve again when we stop by their house on our way home, but it will be a while until we see Opa and Giga again. This stop was definitely extra special since we had the opportunity to spend time with family. We were SO GLAD they joined us on our 2022 trip!

Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park

Sheridan, MT, a little piece of heaven

Posted on July 28, 2022July 28, 2022 by Matt Oliver

We left Glacier National Park and headed south to see our good friends Bill Fraser and Donna Patterson-Fraser in Sheridan, MT. Bill and Donna live the quintessential Montana ranch life in the beautiful Ruby valley, surrounded by hay farming, cattle, moose, antelope, sand hill cranes, and arguably the best trout streams in the US. You know, paradise, but with mosquitos. We nestled out trailer next to their barn and were warmly greeted.

Bill and Donna run the non-profit Polar Oceans Research Group out of their house. For decades, they spent a good part of the year in Antarctica doing research on sea birds like penguins and giant petrels. You know, normal jobs. I first met Donna in 2011 on my first trip to Antarctica. She is a top notch ornithologist and tough-as-nails Antarctic researcher. She helped me tremendously my first season. I met Bill in person a few years later, and spent the 2015 and 2020 seasons with him at Palmer Station. He started going to Antarctica in 1974 and has an encyclopedic understanding of the polar system. You’ll be able to catch him in the Frozen Planet 2 documentary series coming out this Fall. I’ve continued to collaborate with both of them on Antarctic projects.

The first evening we treated to a tremendous dinner. Fresh roasted chicken! We heard the story of how they rescued their dog Frisky off the streets of Punta Arenas, Chile. They kept running into the same stray dog on their way through Chile. Apparently Frisky adopted them before they moved her to Montana. I would say it worked out pretty well for Frisky. The next day, we were treated to bear sausage and eggs with fresh chocolate scones. You read that right, Donna killed a bear turned it into sausage and then we ate it with scones. What kind of place is this?! I felt more manly just being in the presence of bear sausage. Later, Eli and I tried our luck on the upper Ruby River. Unfortunately, the fishing was tough because of very high wind conditions. But, we had a great time exploring, and seeing some submarine sized trout taunting us. That evening we were again treated to an amazing dinner. Antelope steaks, with mule deer chili. Seriously, how many game animals can we eat in 48 hours? They probably killed both with their bare hands. It was followed by fresh rhubarb crumble and cookies. All of it was dairy free, so Eli was in heaven.

As we were wined and dined Montana style, the name of our trailer came up. Most trailers you see on the road are called things like Puma, Cougar, Flex, Fuel, Torque. You get the picture. My trailer is called the Imagine. Seriously, what am I imagining? It doesn’t help that my last boat was called the Dolphin Sunset. Bill agreed that I needed to increase my manliness factor. Donna just rolled her eyes. Eli suggested that I hang truck nuts off the trailer bumper to indicate that I am the type of guy that will eat bear and antelope. Korin didn’t like the idea, so that settled it. Someday I hope to return to the Ruby valley with a better trailer name, and maybe to go on a hunt with Donna and Bill. Our kids loved their house, and now affectionally call their house the “meat house”. This part of Montana is truly awesome.

Our Sheridan campsite next to the hayfields.

Eli discovering that he is about to eat bear sausage.

Glacier National Park

Posted on July 26, 2022July 26, 2022 by Matt Oliver

Glacier! The national park whose only constant is inconsistency. Although we were slightly disappointed that the Going to the Sun Road and the Highline trail were closed due to an unseasonably late snow, we arrived in West Glacier filled to the brim with excitement and glee, and eagerly awaited our first hike. The next day, we hiked in the late afternoon to Avalanche Lake, an old favorite of ours. We arrived at the trailhead shortly after 4 PM and hiked in the sunset through the valley to the lake. It was breathtaking as always, and Eli even made the acquaintance with a friendly deer, whom we christened Bernard.

After our stay at the Granite Park Chalet (which you can read about HERE), we journeyed to the other, equally (if not more) majestic side of the park, East Glacier. We did not have to wait long for adventure, for as we pulled into the Many Glacier Campground, we were greeted by the sight of rangers deploying to chase a grizzly bear away from the campground. After we were filled in on these events by the camp host, and promised to take the proper precautions, Eli and I jumped out of the truck and skedaddled to an empty campsite in another loop of the campground, to permit our parents time to concentrate while backing-in the trailer. However, while they were backing in the trailer, our parents heard a ranger with a loudspeaker shout “EVERYONE BACK IN YOUR VEHICLES, THERE IS A BEAR IN THE CAMPGROUND!” Our parents then realized that they had no idea where their children had run off to. Meanwhile, Eli and I had heard a similar call to action, and without discussing logistics, took off running back to the truck. Although, unbeknownst to us, the bear the ranger had been warning us about was right in our campsite, roughly 30 feet away from the truck. This meant that even though Eli and I were trying to take the bear-aware action of returning to the truck, we were unwittingly running straight towards a bear! What happened next is as follows: (1) I made it to the truck first, (2) realized there was a bear very close to my vicinity, (3) yelled at Eli to “hurry up and get in the truck” and (4) shut Eli’s foot in the door (he was fine). Thus, this concluded our first 20 minutes in East Glacier.

After a day of relaxation to recover from our Chalet hike, we embarked on the Cracker Lake trail, which was 13.5-miles roundtrip. We had gotten a later start on the trail than we had hoped, because we decided to wait out a torrent of early-morning rain in the nearby Many Glacier Hotel. We then started our hike at 9 AM and enjoyed traversing the horse manure laden Cracker Lake Trail. The trail eventually led us to an exquisite valley gushing with pristine waterfalls, adorned by vibrant wildflowers, and a sublime turquoise glacial lake- the titular Cracker Lake. We spent a wonderful couple of hours by the lakeside, ate lunch, watched a moose and then began our return hike. Unfortunately, although we had avoided bad weather by delaying our hike, the last couple miles of our hike were accompanied by a steady downpour of rain, and it was a relief to dry off at the hotel before heading back to our campsite.

On our next trail, Grinnell Glacier, we were able to hike with our Uncle Dan and Aunt Heidi, who had traveled from California to Glacier in order to hike to the Grinnell Glacier. It was an absolute joy and pleasure to chat and catch-up with them as we climbed to Grinnell. Hiking this trail is entering into a fairyland; the colors are brighter, the wildflowers perfume the air with a sweet scent, and the glacial lakes below are grand and serene. Although we did not get to complete the full hike to the Glacier, as the last part of the trail was closed due to snowfall, it was still a magical experience, and spending a full day with Uncle Dan and Aunt Heidi was one of the highlights of the trip.

On our final day in East Glacier, we first decided to take a leisurely hike to Red Rockfalls, where we were lucky to see 1 Moose, and 3 Grizzley Bears up on the cliffs above us, and where Dad caught several big fish. Next, we drove the freshly opened Going to the Sun Road after 4 PM (because we did not have a reservation) and because that is the ideal time to see animals, and watch the sunset turn the park golden. I think, (and so does the rest of my family) that the Going to the Sun Road is the most beautiful drive in the United States. Mere words cannot do it justice. It truly is, as John Muir described it (and as I often have) “The Crown of the Continent.” No, words cannot simply do it justice, yet I will attempt to describe it to you:

The Going to the Sun Road is a harmonious symphony of landforms. From rugged mountains to the enduring snow, to the powerful waterfalls and delicate wildflowers, none of the elements overpower the other, they instead complement and enhance each other. Every inch of the valley, from Logan Pass where we saw a herd of 11 bighorn sheep chow down on glacier lilies, to the Weeping Wall where we were doused by rows of waterfalls, is worth a visit. Be it inconsistent, and even indifferent to the whims of tourists, Glacier National Park truly defies accurate and meaningful description. The best thing I can do is encourage you to see it for yourself.

If you’d like to read about our past visits to Glacier, click on the following:

Trip 1: 2018

Trip 2: 2019

Our third time in Glacier National Park!

Korin and Eli on the trail to Avalanche Lake

Aunt Heidi and Uncle Dan join us to hike Grinnell Glacier!

Eli, Uncle Dan and Matt hiking to Grinnell Glacier

Korin and Eli stop to pose in front of Grinnell Lake

Aunt Heidi and Uncle Dan treated us to an amazing dinner at the Nell’s Cafe!

Eli catches a fish after hiking to Grinnell Glacier

Matt catches a fish and becomes a local celebrity at Red Rock Lake

Granite Park Chalet

Posted on July 23, 2022July 26, 2022 by Matt Oliver

HELLO EVERYONE and welcome back to the show. I can’t believe after giving my National Park opinions on this show, none of the park employees have sent a hitman or poisoned my food or something. But that aside, we have a write up tonight that takes you from criticizing campsites to Mafia marmots. Without a further ado, I give you the:

Granite Park Chalet

We packed up and said goodbye to our boring roadside campsite outside Glacier National Park where there were moldy cigarettes in the fire ring. Next, we parked the trailer in the Apgar Visitor Center parking lot and were picked by a white shuttle van. I wasn’t sure if my parents scored these reservations from some sketchy backdoor, black market way, so I sat firmly next to the emergency exit door while in the van. As we drove up the Going to the Sun Road, I realized I was being taken to a secondary location. After about an hour, we arrived at the Loop trailhead, and we were thrown out of the van. It’s fine, they only took one person in the van as a hostage. Hey, they didn’t take any of OUR family members, so the van gets five stars. All the other trails that lead to the Granite Chalet were closed due to late snow. In fact, at the time of our arrival the Going to the Sun Road was still closed to the public. After gathering our packs, we started hiking up the trail. I had to use some strategies to get my parents up the mountain since the hike was steep and about 4.4 miles. The strategies included, “I’ll give you back massages at the top” and “I’ll make you dinner once we arrive”. As we hiked up the mountain, we saw breathtaking views…even more beautiful than a picture you might see on a desktop screensaver. As we hiked on, we saw a dark mean cloud that looked way meaner than a group of high school girls. As this cloud advanced on us, it started pouring rain. Rain and little bits of hail beat us down, as we pushed on towards the chalet. After hiking through rain and packed snow, we reached the chalet. As I entered the building, I almost started to cry. There was a fire, decks of cards, books, and strangers sharing stories over cups of warm coffee and hot chocolate. I was so happy to have warmth, blankets, a guitar, most importantly food (I was really, really hungry). Compared to the harsh conditions outside, it felt like a haven with the friendliest strangers known to man. The view right outside of the chalet was so incredible I kept doing a double take. Soon the rain stopped and we saw double rainbow across the sky at sunset. I gambled pebbles away in a game of poker with some girls, and then our family ate a wonderful dinner my mom made in the community kitchen. The night ended with us softly singing Under The Bridge by the Red-Hot Chili Peppers around the indoor wood burning fireplace. As we walked back to our cabin the clouds parted and revealed the moon between the mountains. Soon, we climbed into our bunkbeds and said goodnight as we looked out the window at the mountains.

The next morning I woke up slowly, fell out of bed and put some clothes on. I ran to the main chalet, chugged a bowl of warm porridge, and got ready to hike up to the Swiftcurrent Lookout. This hike was 2.2 miles with an elevation gain of approximately 1800 feet and included hiking in snow. Dad and I sprinted up the mountain because we had shuttle to catch by 2pm and if we didn’t make it, we would have a 6 MILE EXTENSION to our hike which would then TOTAL 14 miles. So, hence all the sprinting. As we approached the lookout the wind was roaring. It was so windy that if I let go of my hat, it would probably have landed somewhere over South Africa. When we got to the lookout, the view was incredible. We could see down into the Swiftcurrent Valley on one side and West Glacier on the other. The view was great but I soon noticed a marmot named Pierre. I sat down and he started to talk with me. He said, “Hey, in exchange for some food and a little cash, I can get you the loan of lifetime, start a business… get your life started.” I said, “Keep talking.” He said that he could get me loan for almost no interest, and I responded, “That sounds fishy.” Just then two other marmots came up behind him and asked me if there was a problem. The scene suddenly became a black and white detective film that included marmots and it was apparent I was here to bust a criminal. I whipped out my pistol and said to the two bodyguard marmots, “I must catch your filthy, tick filled, loan shark, Mafia Boss Marmot. So, let’s make this quick.” The two marmots lunged at me and I uppercut one and roundhouse kicked the other. By this point, Pierre was shaking in his boots with only his skinny squirrel assistant trembling beside him with a thick Italian accent, “Whatttta we gonna do boss? We’re FINISHED!” I grabbed Pierre, bolted down the mountain with my jacket rippling in the wind and a group of marmots chasing me screaming, “IT’S OVER DETECTIVE EXPLODING BEAVER, HAND OVER THE BOSS!” Soon, I was surrounded. Tiny Marmots waved their tiny broken beer bottles at me. “Oh yeah?” I asked the marmots. I threw down a smoke grenade and continued to run down the mountain with the Pierre in hand. “We’ll get you one day!” they yelled. As I looked back, I saw marmots rolling in every direction and I, Detective Exploding Beaver, successfully turned in the Loan shark, Mob boss, Marmot. A job well done.

My dad and I came down the mountain surfing on the snow. We hurried back to the chalet at breakneck speeds. We packed up, found Samantha and my mom, and the four of us sprinted down to the shuttle. We made it with only a handful of minutes to spare. As I was riding back in the shuttle, I thought about how privileged I was to have such an amazing experience at the Granite Park Chalet.

AHEM.

THE SCORES ARE IN,

AND THE GLACIER GRANITE PARK CHALET GETS….

DRUMROLE PLEASE….

A 9.5/10 AND “A” FOR Awe-inspiring views (way better than a DESKTOP SCREENSAVER)

YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN AN AMAZING AUDIENCE! THANKS FOR COMING OUT FOR THE SHOW TONIGHT!