Glacier Day 6

We slept in today, which is a rarity when we’re on vacation (sleeping in means 7:30). Mom made pancakes and bacon for breakfast and we headed down to the boat dock. We met the LeBarons as we were getting out of the car and picked up some tickets for the lake cruise. It was pretty expensive, but there is so little to do in Waterton right now due to a fire that decimated the park last year. 

The cruise was really great, though. We sat on top of the boat and listened to the tour guide talk. He was so passionate about the firefighters who saved the town while losing 70% of Waterton National Park. Even the top 8 inches of topsoil were completely scorched. They say it will be a lifetime before the park begins really to live again and hundreds of years before it returns to what it was. 

We had such a great time with the Canadians.

Mom and Dad had a fun time on the boat. Mom didn't get sick!

It was chilly on the boat even in July!

Beautiful views all along the way!

Our cruise actually crossed the International Border, which is kept clear of trees at all times. There are obelisks to mark it. We even saw a bald eagle, on the American side, off course. The boys enjoyed stopping and throwing rocks for a while before they blew the horn, signaling us to return.

It was a beautiful, clear day, and there was no wind, which was rare for Waterton. The water is deep and blue, carved out by ancient glaciers. It was really nice to sit and talk as we watched the shore roll by.

It was interesting to see the International Border is clear all the way. 

Back in the United States.

Dad is really great at selfies. 

Ghost Haunt in Glacier National Park was just as beautiful as everywhere else in Glacier.

After the cruise we went back to the LeBarons’ motorhome. For lunch we grabbed a few things, and they grabbed a few things, and we grilled hotdogs with chips and vegetables. The boys ran and played nonstop: football, Frisbee, tag, baseball, card games. It never ended. They got along so amazingly well. It seemed Tyler and Dad were gratified, too, to see that Mom and Lisa blended together so naturally, and everyone seemed to have a great time. 

We enjoyed this little BBQ many times.

Mark loves this picture of him catching the football.

The other boys taught Brock and Drake how to play baseball.

After a long, chatty lunch, we decided to take a hike. It was a few miles to a gorgeous waterfall that was running heavily. The hike started out through the burned out forest and finally entered the trees and ended in a narrow canyon at the foot of the falls. Our boys told stories to one another the whole way while Dad and Tyler reminisced about long-forgotten missionaries and Mom and Lisa talked about raising boys. 

We taught our Canadian friends about Pooh Sticks.

Mark and Seth thought this sign was so funny.

The fire burned Waterton. It was so sad, but the hike was still pretty.

Our one group photo from this trip.

We had 6 boys hiking along with us. People asked if we were some sort of camp.

We loved how well everyone got along!

Bertha Falls was beautiful. 

These two mission companions will be friends forever.

At the foot of the waterfall there was a pool, and the boys took off their shoes and splashed around for a long time, throwing rocks and cooling off in the shallow water. Then we started back down the trail.

You just can't keep boys out of water. 

After the hike we picked up some hamburger patties and buns and pulled dinner together. Again, we made it potluck and ended up with pasta, salad, burgers, and hotdogs. Then the adults sneaked out to try Saskatoon berry pie, while the boys played around the motorhome. It was 9:30 when they asked to go to the park, and we knew it was their last day together. We also knew it was ours, and none of us were too anxious to say goodbye. We picked them up around ten o’clock, but it was still plenty light, and plenty difficult to get them to say goodbye and get in the van. We were so glad that we were able to spend time together, and it certainly won’t be another twenty years before we see them again!

Dad loved the Saskatoon Berry Pie! 

Glacier Day 5

We ate breakfast at the trailhead!

We slept all the way until seven o’clock this morning. Then we quickly loaded the car and drove a mile up the road to a small trailhead parking lot. We arrived just in time and took one of the last spots so we could do a final hike in Glacier National Park. This was a three and a half mile hike to two waterfalls: St. Mary and Virginia Falls. We weren’t a half mile down the trail before we spotted a young bull moose. He was moving away from us in a hurry, but we still saw him pretty well. Farther along Seth almost stepped on a snake. It was across the trail in a snap, but it was exciting to see a reptile. We also spotted a mule deer hiding behind a rock. 

Mark is always out front on our hikes. You can see some of the fire effects on this trail. 

We were excited to see a bull moose!

We arrived at the first waterfall, and it was gorgeous. We stood on a bridge and the icy blue water cascaded right below us. It was a nice wide curtain that plunged about 40 feet. We stood in the cool spray for a few minutes before continuing on. 

St. Mary's Falls was beautiful.

The second waterfall was tougher to get to. We had to climb up for the last three-quarters of a mile. We were hot and sweaty and tired when Virginia Falls came into view. It was a massive, sparkling waterfall that splashed terrifically on the solid rock below. The boys rushed over to feel the spray and it was like being wrapped in frozen mist. They giggled as they ran back and forth and posed for pictures. You can see the pure joy in their faces in the pictures we took. It was one of the most fun waterfalls we’ve been to, and definitely worth the hike.

Our boys have hiked hundreds of miles in their lives.

Mom and Dad really like each other.

There were many small waterfalls along the trail.

The boys all bring their binoculars along the trail.

The climb to Virginia Falls required some rests.

The spray was sure nice when we got there, though.

We were soaked in glacier water, and it felt great!

After the picture, everyone made a run for it to avoid more spray.

Mom liked the spray the most.

We were lucky to get a family picture.

The overlook for Virginia Falls was much drier.

After stopping for some souvenirs, we left Glacier and drove north to Canada. The boys were excited to cross the border and visit their first new country. It was a short drive to Cardston where we stopped at the temple. The boys were excited for their first “foreign” temple, and the workers were really nice and answered all of our questions. They even directed us to a grocery store. The lady asked Mom if she wanted any "begs." Mom looked puzzled and said, "Just one," so the lady put her groceries in a bag. We laughed pretty hard at that. In fact, we did a lot of math in Canada. We had to figure out prices and the metric system because we didn’t want to overpay or get pulled over for speeding.

The boys visited their first country!

Canada's rolling hills are perfect for spotting deer.

The Cardston Temple has a Visitor Center with really nice workers.

We had a picnic right across the street on the chapel lawn.

About that time we contacted Dad’s friend from his mission in Alaska, Tyler LeBaron. He had said he wanted to see us when we came to Canada, and we thought he was a little crazy to drive five hours from Sherwood Park just to say hello. It turns out that he organized a whole vacation around our visit, so he is off work and his wife and three of his boys came with him to stay in the park with us for two days. So after seeing a moose and some swans on the drive in, we met them at the park in Waterton. 

The moose greeted us near the entrance to Waterton National Park.

This section of Canada was more rolling cattle country than sharp mountains.

While we were watching the swans a car pulled up.
It was missionaries and a member who saw our Utah license plate and wanted to say hello.

We weren’t sure if we’d recognize the LeBarons at the park having only met Lisa and their four boys last summer, but as soon as we got out of the car, Drake yelled, “Seth, come on! We’re playing tag!” After that, the six boys laughed and chased and tagged for a long time. As we stood chatting with Lisa and Tyler, the sky began to darken. Suddenly, the rain came pelting down. We scurried under a pavilion and made plans for dinner. Everyone wanted pizza (except Mark) so we went to a little place in Waterton. The food was good, but it was even better to sit and chat and enjoy ourselves. It is amazing how well our boys get along. They clicked naturally just like Dad and Tyler did twenty-five years ago. Tyler secretly paid for the pizza at the beginning of the meal, which was really nice. Then we all went back to their motorhome where Tyler made Mark some hotdogs, too. 

Our boys are 6, 9, and 12. The LeBaron boys were 8, 11, and 14, just a little ahead of ours.

The boys took care of each other while the adults talked.
Drake and Brock are with Seth. Mark and Dax are sitting by Colby.

Finally we went down by the lake and threw rocks for a few hours. We sat on the beach and talked and the boys splashed and threw perfectly round skipping stones. They even pulled out a kite and flew it into the stiff breeze while Dad and Tyler talked about Alaska and Mom got to know Lisa. It was a clear change of pace from our usual vacation, but it was good for us.

The other sad thing we’ve come to realize is that about 70% of Waterton is closed due to a massive wildfire last year. So almost all of the hikes we had planned were unavailable. This gave us even more time to hang out with "the Canadians," as the boys call them.

The fire destroyed most of Waterton, and it won't recover for dozens of years.

Is there a more beautiful place to skip rocks?

Some of the boys did a little wading, but the water was really cold!

Even 20 years apart haven't put a dent in Dad and Tyler's friendship.

Colby was really good at being the oldest boy. He made sure to include everyone.