Grief counselor

At the very end of the trail, I found this mountain goat at the edge of the cliff.  Was he surveying nature's bounty or contemplating suicide?

"No, don't jump!!  Don't do it!  You have so much to live for.  Grass to eat.  Sheer rock walls to ascend and descend effortlessly."

I got through to him.  I saved his life.

End of the road

The Hidden Lake Trail leads upwards and culminates, of course, in a hidden lake.  The scenery is dramatic.

Surefooted

At the end of the Hidden Lake Trail, which increases in altitude the whole way, there were mountain goats everywhere.  I took so many photos of them that I eventually just stopped, unless they were striking dramatic poses.

The elusive bighorn sheep

I was lucky to spot these bighorn sheep while hiking in Glacier.  They were far away when I first saw them, but as I watched them they kept getting closer.

A tough hike

After the Hidden Lake Trail, I hiked a trail with very different terrain and foliage.  This waterfall was the big payoff at the end.

Fighting Griz

After Glacier, I drove on, stopping in Missoula, MT (childhood home of avant-garde film director David Lynch).  I walked around the University of Montana campus.  Nice, but smaller than I expected.

Mach 2 across the ND prairie

Then I drove due east across Montana and North Dakota.  It is amazing how fast you can go.  300 miles equals about two hours of driving.  You just set the cruise control and then read a book or watch a DVD.  This photo captures pretty well what that was like.

Cowboys and Indians

The next stop was Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is just outside of Medora, North Dakota.  It was a nice complement to Glacier because the two parks are so different.  TRNP is only about 10% as large as Glacier.  This is the little town of Medora.

Exploring TRNP

For such an inhospitable place, Theodore Roosevelt National Park has lots of animals, including wild horses, prairie dogs, mule and white-tail deer, rabbits, and bison.  It allegedly has some elk, too, but I didn't see any.

North Dakota badlands

There are some dramatic vistas in the park as well.