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Glacier National Park

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After lack of internet access for a while, finally able to post another update! After leaving Three Forks, I headed for Glacier National Park, which has been on my "to-visit" list for a while. I'll do a quick day-by-day recap. Day 1 Arrived mid/late afternoon, and got a campsite at the Two Medicine campground, in the southeast area of the park. The campground was actually almost full when I arrived, and I was lucky to snag a spot just in time. The campground was along a couple lakes, with some big mountains around it; very picturesque: Two Medicine Lake Since it was going to be light out so late (almost til 10pm), I decided to knock out a quick hike once I'd claimed my campsite and set up basic stuff. I did a hike up to "Scenic Point", an aptly named lookout with a trailhead that started not far from the campground. It was an out-and-back hike, 3.8 miles one way with 2,260 ft in elevation gain, so I put in some good work and knocked it out with ...
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Greybull & Three Forks

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I've spent most of this week hanging with Western Koller relatives: first Uncle John and Aunt Betty in Greybull, WY for Monday and Tuesday night, then cousin Justin and his girlfriend Kristen here in Three Forks, MT Wednesday and Thursday night. Greybull is a small, dusty town north-central Wyoming, with not a whole lot going on, but John and Betty were very hospitable. We caught up on my trip, status of different family members, and various other goings-on. I also got to hear John's thoughts and musings on topics ranging from their problematic neighbors, the state of NBA basketball, and wondering why so many young men these days are growing beards. John and I went on a nice hike outside town up through a canyon to a scenic ridge with a good view of the surrounding area (desert on one side, but a little more color and some big mountains on the other side). John was also on the lookout for Indian artifacts on the walk, and picked out several that he identified as showing signs o...
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Black Hills

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After the Badlands, my next destination was the Black Hills in western South Dakota. I took a quick trip to Mt Rushmore, which felt pretty tourist-y, but it was right in the area, so I figured I might as well. It was indeed packed with tourists, but it was cool to see it up close and in person. Took some pics, although they look pretty much exactly the same as what's on google images, but... at least I know I was there? The main goal of the Black Hills was to try some backpacking, so I did an overnight trip up Black Elk Peak (formerly Harney Peak), the tallest point in the US east of the Rockies (7.244 feet). You can ascend the peak directly via a fairly easy trail, so I made a bit more of a trip out of it, taking an indirect trail out and around the mountain taking 9-10 miles to get to the peak. My pack felt like it weighed a ton, which was more of an issue with back/shoulder strain than with the extra weight for my legs. Maybe because I was hauling a ton of water (don't wan...
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Badlands

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Badlands! Well, before that...Sioux City! No offense to the folks who live there, but not sure that Sioux City deserves an exclamation point. But it was my next overnight stop after leaving Chicago, since I couldn't make it to the Badlands in one day. Not much to say, as I got there late and left early, but it was my first Couchsurfing (yes, that's a real thing that allows budget-conscious travelers to crash with hosts) expericnce, with a friendly host named Angie. Got a few more supplies Wednesday evening, watched the Red Sox beat Minnesota on TV, and drove out on Thursday morning. As for the Badlands, I'll do more pictures than words. Got there a little after mid-day on Thursday and explored a good chunk of the park (there is a main road that runs through the middle, with pull-offs for good viewpoints and such). Camped out that night, but heavy rain and an old tent with imperfect waterproof-ness sent me scurrying for cover in the car, where I ended up sleeping most of...
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