Floral Park Traverse + Mad Wolf Mountain

Mary Ann, Deb, Tom, Ruth and Danni at dark-o-thirty Saturday -- Floral Park traverse

This weekend was a veritable whirlwhind of hiking and excitement. Saturday I did a 14 hour half trail/half off-trail traverse of Glacier National Park from Logan Pass to Lake McDonald Lodge via "Floral Park" and on Sunday I climbed Mad Wolf Mountain on the east side of Glacier National Park. Saturday was long (14 hours) and partially scary and Sunday was less long (7.5 hours) but scarier in bits.

Hidden Lake and a mountain (Reynolds?) (I am so bad at mountains...)

Mountain goats are really antelopes

I may have previously mentioned that I am not a seasoned mountaineer (actually it would be a stretch to say I'm at all a mountaineer -- I'm more of an enthusiast!) but my friends bring me along anyhow and instruct me through the parts that require minimal sense and ability. (i.e. hand here, foot there, hand there, foot there etc.) I will say that the main lesson I am learning, which my friend noted is a statement about life, is that things that look absolutely impossible and/or terrifying from afar are often totally do-able when you get close and give it a try. Stuff that looks like sheer cliff faces can be ascended or descended -- you just have to be open-minded. Or maybe experiened enough to be able to tell from afar. Either way, it's crazy cool to see a CLIFF and then get up it -- or look back and think "I went down that!" Yes, I am easily amused but I feel so empowered and embiggened mentally after I shakily venture far outside my happy place.

Glacial silt makes pretty blue ponds!

On Sunday a new family member joined us -- Rhino the giant "Inuit" dog from Alaska. Our friend from Fairbanks finally convinced us to adopt the guy and while he's very pretty and sweet it's a rough transition in many ways. Sonja has gotten bloody and is definitely scared of Rhino. Afterall, he's already 85 pounds at 9 months.  But, he's bred to be a bear dog and is clearly a loyal, loving, giant, slobbery oaf of a furball.  I think he will fit in well once he can learn to not hurt my precious Sonja (who I previously thought was an Alpha...I think maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere).

Unfortunately, it was such an intense weekend and so incredibly blog-worthy (to the extent that anything is really that blog-worthy) that I can scarcely piece together an adequate blog entry to describe everything that transpired. Since I like to be in bed by nine I really don't have enough time. So, I will leave you with a few pictures and my lame attempt at a video. My friend Dave makes some cool videos, which inspired my efforts, but my efforts probably fall a little short.  Pretty grade-school quality with classic shaky cam... but nonetheless if you have a little under 3.5 minutes to kill enjoy my Floral Park video. 

Floral Park Traverse -- 8/20/11 from Danni Coffman on Vimeo.

Ted is ridiculing my music choice... perhaps it makes it seem like we were all being marched to our death... but it's just a cool song I like darnit. :p

Mad Wolf (Sunday) (Elisa and Laura)

 I didn't take enough Mad Wolf pics because, truthfully, it takes all my energy to soldier through some of the scrambling -- either mental, physical or both. I was thrashed after Saturday and the friends I went with Sunday are just a wee bit (maybe a lot more than that) above my level of athleticism. I would feel pathetic and embarassed but these are just cool people who truly don't seem to mind bringing me along for a day in the Park. That's what friends are for (Whitney Houston anyone?)...

Mad Wolf -- Brad



Heading off Mad Wolf for Margaritas (Elisa and Laura)

 Great weekend.  Another great weekend on tap.  Man it's tough to squeeze a whole summer into such a short period of time...