(surprise!) flower hike

partially, we made the decision to go on only ranger-led hikes in Glacier because we like knowledge.  they're like mini-lectures for a hobby science class that you've always wanted to take.  and, partially, we made the decision because of FOB (fear of bears).  i have long held this fear, and all my reading prior to the trip reinforced it - regardless of reassurances from friends/family who had been to Glacier (and Yellowstone...there are bears there, too).  we debated buying bear spray & had not done so.  not that it is anything more than a somewhat last resort.  in any case, safety in numbers & loud ranger voices - onward!

our first hike (more of an amble) was a easy miler near the Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge.  just a there-and-back-again to Fishercap Lake with the ranger pointing out plants, animals (all we really saw was a deer), rocks, water....  her academic background (master's degree) was in glacial morphography, so she was (naturally) volunteering in the national park for the summer.  as usual, i was highly distracted by the flowers.

Indian Paintbrush...it's the leaves that are red, not an actual 'flower'

Beargrass

 this 'Beargrass' was all over the place.

the ranger said that it is the bighorn sheep that like it most.

sighting the elusive deer

 a fast-moving glacial stream

the ranger, who was a geologist by trade, enjoyed explaining the coloration of these rocks.  if i remember correctly, they are the 'same' rock but the red ones have experienced oxidation & the green ones have not.  please correct me if i'm wrong!

 we had not invested in hiking boots, but our sneakers saw us through.

that evening, we came back for the same ranger to help us see wildlife on the mountainsides through the big park service telescopes.  we were able to find some mountain goats & bighorn sheep, which was fun.

the mountain goats were very, very, very, very, very far away.

the sheep were very, very, very, very, very far away, too.