For some reason, I am unable to post new pictures. I'll keep trying.
Thursday, 8/2/07 I drove to the Canadian part of the park. Not really realizing I didn't have proper identification other than my driver's license, I decided to give a whirl. The worst they could do was not allow me into the country. You know, a middle-aged white woman of western European descent with a very suspicious looking female Beagle are pretty suspect. I approached the Canadian border. The officer asked for my ID. This guy didn't have much of a personality to say the least. I think if he would have smiled, his face would have cracked. I told him my driver's license was my only id, that my trip into the Canadian part of the park was a spur of the moment kinda thing. That didn't please him all that much. He then asked if I had a rabies certificate for Belle. I pulled my receipt from the vet indicating she had her rabies shot. He wanted to know where her certificate was. I told him that was all I had, but she did have her rabies tag on her collar. He then asked me what was travel plans were. I told him I was going to spend a few hours in the park hiking. He also asked if I had any alcohol, wood, or more than $10,000 in cash with me. I kinda of smiled and said I wish I had $10,000 in cash – he didn't find that funny at all. I told him there were a couple of beers in the cooler and I had a piece of firewood. He took my id and the receipt and told me to wait while he walked into the office. In a few minutes, he came out with another officer both wearing latex gloves (I didnt' know I had to go through a cavity search) and told me to pull into the secondary inspection bay. I immediately began sweating profusely. I was asked to get out of the car with Belle and stand in the front of the car while they searched my car. When I saw him open my glove compartment, I got a little concerned – I had baggies full of vitamins, ibuprofen, Prozac, and a tube of cream for a weird growth on my elbow. I thought, oh my god, he's going to think I'm carrying drugs. He didn't say a word, thank god. After rifling through all my crap, I was told to put Belle in the car and go into the office. At that point, I thought maybe Canadian jails aren't all the bad, plus I needed a shower and I was low on food anyway.
The woman in the office started questioning me about where I was from and what my intent was in Canada. She then asked me what I did for a living. As the words “I'm unemployed” came out of my mouth, I thought this would be the straw that broke the camel's back. She then asked me what I normally did for a living – I told her that I had worked as a Courtroom Deputy for a federal judge in Santa Fe. She raised her eyebrows and asked if I was a federal law enforcement officer. I then had to explain to her that I didn't carry a weapon, that it was an administrative position. Thank god she believed me. You know, I could be a terrorist being paid to come across into this national park to do something, god only knows what, but for pay since I was unemployed. She then asked me how much cash I had on hand, to which I replied $30-$40. That wasn't a good answer either. She wanted to know if I had money available in case I had a flat or something. Of course, I assured her that I had a Swiss bank account (just kidding). She then handed back my id and rabies receipt and said I was free to enter their beautiful country. My next concern was getting back into the States. I told her “you know, I love your country, but I really need to get back to the US to see my kids and look for a job. She laughed and said it wouldn't be a problem.
I got in my car and proceeded into Canada, a nervous wreck. I went into Waterton Lakes National Park. Glacier and Waterton were joined together to make a peace park to commemorate the two countries a peace. I then proceeded into the park. Up on top of a hill overlooking Waterton Lake is the Prince of Wales Hotel. Very beautiful. I drove into the townsite and took a walk around part of the lake with Belle. In Canada, pets are allows on all trails as long as they are on a lease. A quaint little town. I then drove up to Cameron Lake, which is a glacier carved basin. I began my hike around the lake and met up with a woman from the bay area who was also hiking alone. It was nice to chat with someone. She's a middle school science teacher on a camping trip. We then wen to Red Rock Parkway. We hiked for a few miles. She then went on her way. I hung around for a while admiring the beautiful canyon. I then returned to camp.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
8/1 - Leaving Yellowstone toward Glacier
An earthquake hit this area in 1955 killing 25 people. Most of the people were in campgrounds at the time. The slide dammed up the Madison River creating Earthquake Lake.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Last 2 days of travel - 8/31 and 9/1
Left Yellowstone on 8/31 and headed up to Helena, Montana. Gently rolling hills and farm country. Traveled through Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The US government did much better at this reservation than the Navajo. They can definitely farm, even though the winters are probably pretty harsh. I didn't see the extreme poverty as that with the Navajo Nation.
Spent a night in a hotel in Helena, a Comfort Inn -- felt like the Ritz. Able to sleep in a bed, have a continental breakfast in the morning, and able to get up in the middle of the night and actually have a bathroom rather than the woods. Belle was in heaven - she didn't want to leave that comfortable bed.
Arrived in Glacier National Park mid-day. The haze is pretty intense as there are several forest fires outside of Helena and apparently one in the western part of the park. I am currently camping in St. Mary's Campground, which is on the east side. Kind of goes with the dream I had with St. Ann (weird). Still have not found a Catholic Church to light a candle for St. Ann and say a quick novena. I took Belle down to St. Mary's River outside the park. I tried to get her to go in the river with me, to no avail. We sat on the riverside and admired the beauty of it all.
Tomorrow we will travel north into the Canadian part of the park where I will be able to take Belle for hikes. The US national parks do not allow dogs on trails, etc., however, those crazy Canadians do. I'm hoping the haze will clear for a while so I can get some good pics of the area.
For those of you who don't know about my dream -- I had a dream that a friend of mind, Amber, who just took the NM bar -- I asked her when the bar results where due and she said on St. Ann's Day in October. I called my friend, Michele, my expert Catholic expert (she went to al all-girls' Catholic boarding school - an expert in my world). She advised me, after some research on her part, that St. Ann did in fact exist and in fact was the mother of all mothers - she was the mother of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the dream, Michele and I are trying to find a calendar with all the saint days. Of course, we can't find one (Michele and I are going into business to put together such a calendar - any takers?). Then out of the blue (in the dream), Michele wants to put together an advent calendar counting down the days for Amber's bar results. The strange thing about the dream, is that I had it when I was sleeping in my car because of Dick "Haliburton" Cheney. That was the date St. Ann was executed. I'm not sure what this means?? Any ideas out there?
On that note, I'll call it a day.
Love you all,
Val
Spent a night in a hotel in Helena, a Comfort Inn -- felt like the Ritz. Able to sleep in a bed, have a continental breakfast in the morning, and able to get up in the middle of the night and actually have a bathroom rather than the woods. Belle was in heaven - she didn't want to leave that comfortable bed.
Arrived in Glacier National Park mid-day. The haze is pretty intense as there are several forest fires outside of Helena and apparently one in the western part of the park. I am currently camping in St. Mary's Campground, which is on the east side. Kind of goes with the dream I had with St. Ann (weird). Still have not found a Catholic Church to light a candle for St. Ann and say a quick novena. I took Belle down to St. Mary's River outside the park. I tried to get her to go in the river with me, to no avail. We sat on the riverside and admired the beauty of it all.
Tomorrow we will travel north into the Canadian part of the park where I will be able to take Belle for hikes. The US national parks do not allow dogs on trails, etc., however, those crazy Canadians do. I'm hoping the haze will clear for a while so I can get some good pics of the area.
For those of you who don't know about my dream -- I had a dream that a friend of mind, Amber, who just took the NM bar -- I asked her when the bar results where due and she said on St. Ann's Day in October. I called my friend, Michele, my expert Catholic expert (she went to al all-girls' Catholic boarding school - an expert in my world). She advised me, after some research on her part, that St. Ann did in fact exist and in fact was the mother of all mothers - she was the mother of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the dream, Michele and I are trying to find a calendar with all the saint days. Of course, we can't find one (Michele and I are going into business to put together such a calendar - any takers?). Then out of the blue (in the dream), Michele wants to put together an advent calendar counting down the days for Amber's bar results. The strange thing about the dream, is that I had it when I was sleeping in my car because of Dick "Haliburton" Cheney. That was the date St. Ann was executed. I'm not sure what this means?? Any ideas out there?
On that note, I'll call it a day.
Love you all,
Val
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