Trip Favorites

It wouldn't be a Bolger Family trip without Trip Favorites!

Favorite House
Everyone: Big Sky

Favorite Activity
Torie: ATVing
Maddy: AVTing
Julia: White Water Rafting
Carol: Tour of Yellowstone
Glen: Tour of Yellowstone

Favorite Hike
Torie: DK
Maddy: Beehive Basin
Julia: Inspiration Point
Carol: Phelps Lake
Glen: Beehive Basin

Favorite Restaurant
Torie: Snake River Grill
Maddy: Blue Lion
Julia: Blue Lion & Teton Thai
Carol: Matt Fritz (personal chef)
Glen: Matt Fritz

Favorite Wildlife
Torie: Wolves
Maddy: Bison
Julia: Bison & Wolves
Carol: Wolves
Glen: Bison & Wolves

Favorite Guide
Torie: Chelse
Maddy: Natty
Julia: Natty
Carol: Chelse
Glen: Gibb

Very cool Bison photos

Carol took these through the telescope with her iPhone and some help from Chelse.  This was Monday in the Grand Tetons on our tour.

Random iPhone photos

Good ones taken by Maddy and Carol:

Jenny Lake, full family, first full day.

Reflection of Mount Moran in Jackson Lake.

Beehive Basin

Full Basin Selfie!

Cranky dad on first afternoon in Jackson.

Gondola ride up to dinner, helped 

improve my mood!

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Julia takes her shot.  Literally (and I'm using

"literally" in the literal sense, not the new

figurative sense!)

I would not bet against

Torie in any competition.

Photos by Carol on her iPhone.

Climb Every Basin!

My original plan for Saturday, our last day, was to go back to Yellowstone Park and do the North loop road, to see what we had not covered on Friday. 

However, upon our arrival in Big Sky on Thursday, and in talking to Sarah, I made the command decision that we were not getting back in the car, but would instead stay around Big Sky.  Everyone was enthusiastic about my decision, so it's good to give the people what they want (sometimes, but not always!).

Maddy and I wanted to do a tough hike called Beehive Basin -- 3.3 miles up mountain to an alpine lake basin just below the Spanish Peaks, while Julia, Torie, and Carol did not.  (For those not good at math, that 3.3 miles up means 6.6 miles round trip.  It was listed as an expert hike in the very well done Big Sky hiking/bike trail map.)

They did zip-lining and clay pigeon shooting.  It was the first time shooting for both Torie and Julia, and they both did relatively well for beginners.  That said, it appears they did NOT miss their calling as sharpshooters for the military as they only hit about 30% of their targets.  

Prior to that, Carol had dropped Maddy and I off at the trailhead, saving us a 2.5 mile road walk.  We brought our bear spray, and you never know, but the trail was trafficked enough by humans that any bear encounter would be very, very unlikely -- unless, of course, we had NOT brought the bear spray.

The trail was a relatively continuous climb, with a few short flats or even drops going over folds, but it was probably 90% climb.  We passed through meadows rich with wildflowers, and enjoy the views back down the valley behind us.  As we entered each meadow, Maddy (in front) carefully scanned the meadow for any sight of a grizzly.  I wanted see bears on the trip, but not whilst hiking!  (Like Antarctica, there were no bears seen! -- Antarctic humor there!).

I had to stop and catch my wind multiple times.  It was quite steep at points, or relentlessly uphill and long.  But beautiful.  And, I was not giving up.  The decision to keep going was key -- the views upon arrival to the basin/lake/near top of the mountain were stunning.  

We were surrounded by rock peaks all around, with the alpine lake, streams, and wildflowers.  We saw several people fishing, and the lake was so clear if there actually fish in it we would have been able to see them!  Maddy was skeptical the lake held fish, and I secretly agreed with her.

We then climbed up along trail alongside the big rock at the head of the lake, went out onto the rock, and basked in the views, snacked, and hydrated (a fancy term for "drank water.").  This is a definite must-do hike if you go to Big Sky!  We were pretty euphoric with what we had done, and the pay-off views.

We hiked back down much faster than up.  Maddy wore a Duke t-shirt, so we met a Duke alumni couple on our way up, and a Duke alum on our way down! So, while we met Blue Devils, there were no Bears to be seen.

Tired and wiped out upon reaching the bottom, we tried calling for a shuttle but it turns out Moonlight does not have one.  So we (I) hitched.  The first couple leaving the parking lot after we got there picked us up, although they first thought we were joking.

Once I explained that Carol (my wife, since they don't know her) and two other daughters had the car and were off shooting, the had us climb in.  It's only 1.5 miles to the main road, and maybe another mile (or less) to the house from there, but not having to walk any further (especially since it was a lot of up hill/down hill) was quite the relief.

In talking with this very nice empty nester couple from Seattle, they decided just to take us all the way to the house -- which saved my legs!  

Back at the house, we hydrated some more (it's more impressive medically if you hydrate rather than just drink water!), had some cookies, and tried to decide if hiking the 2+miles (downhill at least) to the Lake for lunch at the food truck was worth it.  We were hungry enough that it was worth it -- so we tromped down the road to the lake.  

The burgers are among the worst I've ever had, but food was needed, so que sera.  I could hardly move, so Maddy took pity on me and got my ketchup, napkins, etc.  

When Carol, Julia, and Torie got back to the car (in the lake parking lot) after shooting up on Lone Peak, we climbed in, went back to the house, where I promptly napped for a good three hours.  

Then, it was watch Olympics, grill, and hot tub (great for the tired legs), and then bed!

The next morning, we drove to Bozeman, had lunch with college friend Seth Friedman, who we haven't seen in probably 15 years, and then headed to the airport, to wing our way back to dogs, work, heat, and humidity.

Shortly into the hike, we were already

above the lowest ski hill at Big Sky.

Lone Peak, on it's lonesome.

It's a long way to

Tipperary Beehive Basin

Above those trees but below the rocks is the Basin.

Yes, the trail goes down here, but it's all uphill

after this!

Wildflowers fighting to

live in a low water area.

Almost to the Basin, with the Spanish Peaks above.

If I look tired, that's because I was.

The basin!

Wildflowers crowd a

mountain stream

Evolution has caused every

Millennial's hand to grow

a permanent smart phone.

The alpine lake gave us something

to reflect upon in thought.

Maddy talked me out of scaling the cliffs.

A geologist would know what the striations

in the rock are.  (If these aren't striations,

let me know and I will fix this caption!)

Wildflowers growing on rocks in a snow

melt stream.  Nature finds a way.

This has the makings of a puzzle.

Lone Peak, as we descend.

Dinner & A Show

We returned from Yellowstone to Matthew Fritz cooking dinner in our house. Now, that's not an unusual local custom where chefs just show up and cook to delight you.  Since it was Carol's birthday, I had worked with Sarah to arrange for a private chef.

Matthew ("call me Matt" he said, so I proceeded to call him "Mike" by mistake all night and he was so gracious he didn't correct me) was the most engaging private chef we've worked with -- interesting to talk to as he was preparing food and I was catching up on work emails.

While he served us dinner in the family area, we watched the Olympic swimming on Maddy's iPad, using mine as a back-up for when her's would go blank.  That system worked well, and it was another great night for USA Swimming.  Maddy DiRado wins the 200 backstroke gold in stunning fashion.  Michael Phelps ties with two rivals for the silver in the 100 fly, as Joseph Schooling wins gold for Singapore!  Katie Ledecky swims like, well, Katie Ledecky and crushes her own 800 world record.  Anthony Ervin and Nathan Adrian go one, three in the 50 free.  (The Olympic 50 free is an amazing race -- because of the thrashing in the water, I can never tell the medal winners until their names flash up.)

I think Matt was amused by our enthusiasm for the Olympic swimming.  If not, he's got a good story to tell his local buddies about the weird family he cooked for.

And the food was fantastic.  The starters were plenty of dumplings and poke tuna, then a Caesar salad, followed by perfectly done (medium rare, of course) bison tenderloin.  Dessert was fabulous as well - a very tasty carrot cake with stuff to spoon over top AND ice cream for the a la mode!  

Later, after Matt kindly cleaned up and then left, we hit the hot tub under the Big Sky stars.  A perfect day -- Carol really enjoyed her birthday!

Old Faithful Photos

Carol took a great video, but alas I can't get it to load to Blogger.  As you look at the pictures, note the height in relation to the trees in the background up the hill, as well as the few shots I included with people -- the size perspective is incredible.

Before

It begins

Halfway up the hill

Getting to the top of the hill.

Way above the hill.