More training. Great big waterfall. A cool cabin.

So now comes what I like to call the bounce-back. I onboarded for being a new Jammer on a Friday. Spent the weekend off hiking. Then did four days of training (because Friday everything was canceled due to covid outbreak in my Jammer class.

Took that next weekend ‘off’ to drive to the East side of Glacier Park and check into my summer accommodations there. And of course, hike for two days. Then did a marathon drive home on Sunday so I could start my last week of school bus driving on Monday.

Once the bus was put to sleep for the summer, dropped about 100 dollars in the gas tank of the Dodge and landed in Missoula Friday night. After some face time with a couple of Ohio-ites and a bottle of wine, took a couple of one-gallon baggies of left-over pizza (thanks Emily, made it feel like going to summer camp) and hit the road back to the East Side of the park.

I roll in only to find out my roommate had contracted covid while I was gone, so I had to get another cabin to stay in for the night (because I’m hiking Sunday and going back to the West Side for training first thing Monday).

Wow. That’s a lot of bouncing around. So the temp cabin I’m in for the night is the one I was supposed to be originally assigned to for the summer. As can see, not too bad. I’d give up the walk-in shower for this deck. It would be nice to hear the birds coo me to sleep at night from the Aspen grove and again wake me up in the morning with the dawn.

But no. It seems the company has to keep six of these units empty now for potential covid quarantine. That explains the crowding and double stacking elsewhere. Not often you are rewarded for covid.

Right in the middle of an Aspen grove. Lots of privacy.

Classic little front covered porch with full-on log style motif.

Simple. Plenty of space for a couple of people. Of course, I would split the bunk beds.

Nice little front sitting area with plenty of room to write inside during stormy days.

The bathroom is nothing to write home about, but it is inside the same building (very cool).

But I think I’d spent time out on this deck just taking it all in.

I guess I could call this My Yellow Chair Time. No better time in the world.

Or just pull on the laptop and compose on the little sofa.

I had to shoot a little video of the front porch side to side. No voiceover. Just trying to capture the vibe. The birds are loud but peaceful.

So a gal called Rebeka (1^st year Jammer) was looking to go for a hike. It’s pushing six o’clock, but what is my saying this summer? ‘Sure, I don’t have anything else to do.’ Other than starting to study for my tour guide commentary which I’ve been putting off for two weeks. But time to get to know the other drivers. And she clearly didn’t want to walk into bear country alone.

We head up to Appekunny Falls in the SWC valley. Now the last time I was up here what when I was doing Nataki with my daughter Jac. Also, Brigid and Kurt from Ohio made an appearance, and even Jon W somehow got in there for some comic relief. It’s been a few years, but we bypassed the falls back then, so it was a nice revisit today.

And the falls were RAGING. Again, a lot of late snow and water this season. It was nice getting to know Rebeka and exchanging backstories. Although thirty, she had the exuberance of an early twenty-year-old. I love seeing people experience Glacier for the first time and just being consumed by it.

So with that in mind, I suggested we take a few steps up the climber’s trail that leads up to Nataki. Ok, it was raining some, stuff got a little slick, and scree can be difficult for those not used to the horrible rock and scrambling conditions that GNP has to offer.

I noticed she was having a REALLY rough time. No trekking poles, four points of contact, and the scree was messing with her mind given the steep grade. Ugh. My bad. Glacier newbie. Better to save this for another day. Gave her my trekking poles and some pointers. Went thru the step/slide scree methods. Glacier has a specific climbing classification nomenclature and rating scale that is unique only to the Park. She took instruction well and I see her having a fantastic time during her days off here.

Me just being goofy.

The rain cleared for the hike down and reminded me of why I love to hike in this environ so much.