Glacier

We are falling in love with Glacier.  

We haven't made much of an effort to explore it as much as we have Waterton but every time we do we are surprised by how stunning it is.   

It's HUGE.   And chalk full of kid friendly hikes.   

I read through our Glacier Hiking book and dog eared the pages of TWELVE hikes that we plan to do with the kids.

John is determined that we spend all of next summer exploring this beautiful place.     

Usually when we go to Glacier we walk around swift current lake and then finish off with some fishing there as well.      It's the perfect stroll and just long enough for a group of kids who lean towards the wimpy side when it comes to outdoor adventures;)    Yesterday we decided to push the kids just 10 minutes further and check out Lake Josephine.     It's about a 0.3 km hike from swift current lake (the one right below the hotel)  yet it is soo much more secluded.     Even Sam was happy that we'd gone the extra short distance by the end of it.   

As always the kids had to ride on the "Elephant Trunk,"  a name we gave this tree trunk when we all unanimously agreed that it looked like an Elephant's head.   

As we neared Josephine we found this tree that had recently been used by a Bear as a scratching post.       

We also found this beautiful butterfly that stayed still for over an hour!  No matter how close we got to it, it never moved!

 

   I tried to identify it later at home and the best I could determine was that it is a Papilio-multicaudata or the two tailed swallowtail.   

At least that's what I told my kids it was, and they totally believed me;)         

Which is perhaps why hiking with kids is so much fun.    

Even when you have no idea what you are talking about - they still think you know everything!

I'd better enjoy that while it lasts;)