This is the [Ranger] Life!: Arrival to Glacier!

Monday, April 20, 2009

I arrived at Glacier on an unusually warm evening, probably reaching mid 60’s. Warm for April this far north! I rolled down into the St. Mary Valley at 7:45 pm, the sun was still up and bright, but setting lower towards the mountains. I stopped in the usual spot along Hwy 89 to snap a few early season photos of the valley with St. Mary Lake and the Continental Divide. Some turned out ok, but the zoomed-in shots were too washed out by the sun’s rays. Still, it was an amazing sight to see.

I immediately took advantage of the cell phone coverage and called my Mom, Dad, and my brother Gabe, in that order. It is Gabe’s 30^th birthday today! I wished him a happy b-day and told him I was just gettin’ in to Glacier. It’s a Monday, so he was working today, I suppose the celebration was left for the previous weekend. My Mom didn’t answer, so a message was left. My Dad had a quick conversation, as he knew I was just getting in, after a very long travel. I later called my boyfriend, Dub, to assure him I made it safely.

I started my journey in Gatlinburg, TN. An abrupt invitation to start my job earlier was offered, and I jumped on it! Originally, I was going to arrive in Glacier at the beginning of May and slide on in to the opening season duties…but, my boss decided he wanted me to work on a Watchable Wildlife program for Logan Pass. Needless to say, there was a lot of work to do, no matter what. So, I packed up quickly and planned my trip. It would include a whirlwind tour to see the family, get some side projects done, and head west just in time to show up for work on Tuesday, April 21. I travelled a total of 2,380 some miles to be here now….fewwww…and I did it in about a week’s time. All the while I was able to pack up and move my own belongings, move some of my boyfriend’s belongings in Southern Illinois, visit my Mom, Dad, brother Gabe, my friends Melissa and Joe, and my brother Josh, his wife Dee, and last but not least, my nephew Nathan. I was so excited that I could quickly make my way north and west and still see everyone! It was awesome. I even enjoyed the warm weather before I headed back north to winter again!

I arrived to my trusty apartment to find a big snow drift 20 feet long, blocking the easy access to the front door. Well, it wasn’t blocking it, it was just blocking the path between my car and the apartment. It took me all of an hour to unpack everything, minus the bike and kayak…they can wait til later. I haphazardly put stuff in it’s place and eventually settled in for bed, ready for the big first day of work the next day!

Ps. I saw a moose on highway 89, just south of the Hudson Bay Divide & Divide Mountain. I’ve been looking for a moose in this willow patch for 4 years!!!!…and finally, perseverance perseveres !!! He was staring around and eventually trotted in a circle and disappeared into the aspen trees. I don’t know what it was doing, but it was neat to watch. There were NO cars passing me for the 10 mins I sat there! Amazing what the solitude can do for you!