For the last 3 or 4 days we've been calling home a little campground just outside Hungry Horse, Montana (yep, that's the name), a small town about 10 miles from the west entrance to Glacier National Park. Following a morning of asking questions at the Visitor Center and a bookstore we took a ride up the Going To The Sun Road in the afternoon. It is quite and interesting ride up (and down) the road that was originally built in the 1930's. While I'm sure there has been some new pavement laid down over the years, I don't think it is much wider than when people first traveled in in Model T's and A's. Though I've been closer to the Sun on other mountains, at the top of Logan Pass there is a visitor center and a some of wildlife. There were White-crowned Sparrows either singig or chipping from the tops of several trees; this one was kind enough to pose in about 3 different locations for me (he was a chipper, not a singer and each time I caught him with his mouth wide open his nictitating membrane was closed).

The resident rodents there were Columbia Ground Squirrels who had burrows everywhere. Not exactly sure what they were so upset about, maybe it was all the people up at the top of the pass, but they were barking almost as much as the prairie dogs were when the Bison came in to graze at Theodore Roosevelt National Park's dog towns. I suppose it is possible that this one was worked up about Roxie, but that would not explain what was going on with the others several hundred feet away. I was reading about British Columbia today and I'm thinking that this will not be the last of these squirrels we will encounter as their range extends at least into the southern portion of the Canadian Rockies

As I was finishing up round 2 with the White-crowned Sparrow a Rocky Mountain Goat wandered into the parking area accompanied by a Kid. They come to lick up antifreeze; the rangers try to shoo them away but it is, apparently, an exercise in futility. The funny moment of the goat experience (did you know that they are not really goats and more closely related to African antelopes?) came early on when I was sitting down in the parking lot trying to get as close to eye level with the Kid as possible. Roxie was sitting down next to me when, after I had made a few images, mom caught sight of the dog. Not sure if the momma goat just didn't know the difference between Canis lupis familiaris and the real baby goat-eating Canis lupis, but she began to take measured steps toward Roxie with her head slightly down and staring hard. Fearful of the possibility that Roxie might soon be on the receiving end of a head butt, I figured it was best if I quickly retired her to the safety of the truck parked about 150 feet away. That goat watched us walk all the way back, too.

The following morning (Friday) was spent on fruitless searches for bear, ducks (Harlequin - see the previous entry), and dippers. While looking for a way to get down along the banks of Upper McDonald Creek for the water birds I did get some shots of this dragonfly, a female White-faced Meadowhawk. I did find a trail that would take me to the creek and, given that there were trail rides running through the area all day, it was probably safe. Maybe I'm chicken, but I still opted to heed the warning sign that said not to hike in that area alone since I would be "entering Grizzly Country". As it was, the following day I would find a way to get down to the creek and not need that trail.

In the same area where I happened upon the dragonfly I found these rather interesting looking wildflowers. I wish i could tell you what they were - I now own 3 books on Rocky Mountain wildflowers (the most recent of which looks pretty extensive and is dedicated exclusively to the northern Rockies)and this flower is not in a single one of them. While it could be that this is an intermediate stage of the flower's development, if people who put together field guides for birds can show us different plumages, why can't people who put together guides for flowers more than a picture or drawing of the flower in full bloom? And size. How big is the damned flower? These things were all over the roadside and the trailhead; I can't believe it is because they are not "common". Update: A book in the RV park's store actually had this flower and it is Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris) - considered a weed by some and a possible reason it is not in all of the guides.

Saturday began with a long, scenic drive around the southern end of the park in order to travel Going To The Sun Road from east to west. The best photo ops came at one of the turnouts as the road began to climb along the north shore of St. Mary Lake. The small island is Goose Island, the peak in the center is Gunsight Mountain. Simply beautiful. We made our way to the top but, being a Saturday, the crowds were beginning to build so we went on down the mountain.

I took today off because of the weekend throngs; much of the day today was spent making plans for the Alaska-Canada Highway trip that begins in exactly one week. I plan to spend some more time in the park tomorrow afternoon - the morning is dedicated to having service done on the truck before the journey north.