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20190327

Glacier Natl Park, backpacking, bear

. . .  Glacier National Park (we didn't stay at the lodge)
The Train takes you into the city of East Glacier. We stayed at a Youth Hostel, that was interesting, and fun. From there we hitchhiked to Two Medicine Lake to our base campsite


Bert crossing on log just before encountering grizzly
A 22+ mile week long backpacking trip going from 5000 feet base camp at Two Medicine Lake, to 9000 feet on Morgan Mountain.


A few years ago we went backpacking in Glacier Natl Park It was late August, warmest part of the year (It was cold). The actual hiking part was 5 days.


We had barely walked a mile when we encountered our first bear. A very large 300# Black bear (brown in color). Even though we were wearing noisy “Bear Bells”, the bear walked from the dense brush onto the trail just about 20 feet in front of us, surprised us both. He stood up and POUNCED on a tree making it sway, as if to say… “You’re next”, so we slowly backed away and soon he wandered off. We had a super sized jumbo can of bear repellent spray but didn’t need to use it. 


 
About 5 miles farther we came across two people standing on the trail. They stopped because there was a HUGE Volkswagen sized Grizzly bear just off the trail about 300 yards ahead.


We waited about 45 minutes and by then there were a few more people, day hikers. While we waited, one fellow pulled out a (smelly bear bait) peanut butter sandwich and we made him put it away.
Eventually we decided to walk around the Grizzly by climbing farther up the mountain. Because of the delay, we barely made it the 7 miles to our Oldman Lake Campsite  before dark.


 Since it was late August we were prepared for temps as low as 40f but the cold air from the glaciers flowed down upon us in the valleys. That night it got down to low 20s and we nearly froze, our water did freeze. We were wearing every single piece of clothing we had with, it wasn’t enough. We didn’t sleep much. It snowed a bit the next morning. 
Next morning we started up the switchback trail, well above the timberline, 3000 feet up in just about a mile distance. No matter where we hiked the trail usually sloped , sometimes steeply, toward the drop off.


Bert on the trail. That day, we traveled with a couple we had met at the campsite. He was a Doctor, a cardiologist. PERFECT, I thought. We were carrying 35# packs (plenty heavy). He and his wife each had 80# packs.


Because of the thinner air near the top, the sun burned like a heat lamp. The Doctor was standing inches from a 2000’ drop to the lake.
 

You can see a group of hikers on the trail. About a mile ahead, we had to walk thru snow in upper right, the highest point in our trip, about 9000 feet, we looked down on many of the glaciers..

 “THIS is where the Doctor was standing. (Arrow)

 We rested and enjoyed the view near the top of Morgan Mountain. Our legs were tired from the climb. The view from the mountain tops was spectacular.


 Then we started off for the most treacherous part of the trip. The trail is wide and level here but quickly became narrower and more sloped toward the drop-off ahead.
   Bert on the trail. The next mile had a shear drop off of several hundred feet right at the edge of the trail and then sloped down a few more thousand feet. 



That was the worst section of trail. Aerial photo of the trail ahead. We had to crouch down to get under the two overhangs near the top of pic, shear drop off at edge of trail.



 Another view of overhangs and trail.


The next 2 miles were on the steep slippery West slope of the mountain, Near impossible to pass someone on the narrow trail. Don’t step on loose rocks. If you fell you would slide and tumble a few thousand feet to the bottom and would only need a sponge to retrieve you.

 Close up from previous photo. We walked here, the two pictures following are from these spots (A & B )

 “A” Bert again

 “B” Bert and Karen

 Karen is on the continental divide, the only flat spot we encountered.. . Glacier on the right.


From the continental divide, we walked down this very steep trail (got blisters) into the valley.


 We camped in the shadow of Pumpelly Pillar at No Name lake and the Glacier on the other side kept us cool (cold).

 The next day we descended toward Two Medicine Lake leaving Pumpelly Pilllar behind us. In the background is the Continental divide, In the foreground is Two Medicine Lake. 
 Before we started our hike the ranger told us that there was a hiker missing for a week on Mount Sinopah on the left. When we got back 4 days later, they had searched but he was still missing and presumed dead. Weeks later he still hadn't been found. Much later we heard he had been found dead.....fallen off the trail.

Approaching Two Medicine lake, this is one of the many clear cold ice water streams where we got and filtered all our drinking water.
 

  










Bert crossing a few of the many creeks.
 


Back near our starting point on East end of Two Medicine Lake looking back where we came from, Mt Sinopah center, Rising wolf on right. Then just a few more miles back to base camp.
 


END 

20190101

Highlights of 2018

Highlights from 2018 We were in Mexico twice, .. once inland Yucatan, Merida area






































We stayed at an AirBnb hacienda in Muna with 250 sheep.

20181125

HEATED PIGEON OR CHICKEN NEST


HEATED PIGEON OR CHICKEN NEST for use in Outdoor aviary. Radiant floor heating for birds ~:<)
Will keep nest 10 to 15 deg F above ambient down to minus 30 deg. . .Made from ordinary 10" Pine boards.
15 watt Coffee cup heater Electric costs just pennies per year.
.
This is what I made, used for 15 years in Minnesota in the draft free unheated flight aviary.
Sometimes the Pigeons sleep outside the nest anyway even at minus 25 deg ... but they do lay their eggs and sit in the nest area, If set up at eye level, you can easily see the Pigeons in the nest ( I use net-cams).
. . Works fine for Pigeons, but may NOT be warm enough for Chickens at minus 25 deg F. For Chickens, there are other easy solutions to keep Nest area ABOVE freezing
. . My Chicken coop which is attached to the outdoor aviary, uses the same principle but stays ABOVE freezing even at minus 30 degrees with the door OPEN to the unheated aviary, no need to heat water, no frozen eggs. The aviary is Solar so it's almost free heat, ..$5 per YEAR electric for small 100% VERY safe plastic dog house heater, timers, lights, vent fans, 35 net-cams. Extremely efficient for operating cost AND ridiculously easy Chicken maintenance (seconds, not minutes). For you critics, if elec goes out, it still stays at about 20 deg F above zero with no electric.
.

20181011

Mourning Dove breast torn open, had it's innards exposed.

2010 - When I walked near, she didn't move. I threw some seeds, she didn't move. Threw more, they hit her, she didn't move, something wrong.  After a bit she started walking toward the street. Tried to fly but couldn't, so I herded her into the grass, caught her with a fish net.
.


Then I discovered what was wrong. Just a baby, badly injured and weak. Her breast had been torn open exposing her innards. I got her some water, Very thirsty, extremely thirsty, dehydrated, she perked up immediately but wouldn't eat. She was still bleeding a bit. I cleaned her up and she seemed like she'd survive. Should have stitches, but I will watch her, should be ok? 



Doing pretty good now, healing well, new skin even some new feathers on her belly  As soon as she's old enough to fly and then in a few days after when healed enough, I'll let her go.




Just before release... She was very Very healthy, fully feathered, and anxious to be free.(VIDEO)




Good luck little bird. Come back and visit someday  (VIDEO). 

(the Chicken wire was temporary)
Good news, she DID come back and visit... I'm sure it was her ~:<)

















20181006

The life and adventures of Khufu Egyptian Swift Pigeon.

Khufu (Coo-Foo) Egyptian Swift Pigeon. . . . She is very much a hyper-active tomboy.  Her father was Nile and her Mother was Cleopatra.. and her surrogate mother was Sue-Ez. All three of them raised Khufu together, with loving care.
. . When Khufu-the-egg hatched June 15, 2016, In the cool darkness, with flashlight, I first discovered her cold blue naked dead body laying on the floor. After hatching, she had fallen out of the nest and dropped 2 feet to the wire mesh floor. I picked her up, her blue lifeless limp body cold as ice, but then I noticed she was still Very slowly breathing so I cupped my hands around her and dashed to the house to get her warm. Slowly she seemed to recover but I didn't hold out much hope for her... if she did live she'd probably have serious lifelong development problems from being SO cold and near-dead for a few hours?
. .  When sufficiently warm and recovered I returned her to the heated nest where all three parents were waiting to feed and take care of her. I made a bigger lip on the nest so she wouldn't fall again. From then on they took excellent care of her, all three feeding and nurturing her. They were excellent parents, tutoring her in all aspects of being a Pigeon. Slowly she grew up with no noticeable consequences.  It was a real learning experience (for me)..
 . . Not sure if she was male of female, I waited until she was over 6 months old before I decided HE was Male (no egg), So I named him after the Egyptian Pharos Khufu, owner of the Largest Pyramid in Egypt.
Then .. HE decided to lay an egg... but everybody in the neighborhood already knew him as Khufu.
. . Right from the beginning I knew Khufu was not going to be just another ordinary Pigeon. Full of surprises every day, very impetuous, curious,  and mischievous.... unpredictable ...never followed the rules (a lovable brat). It's been quite an experience knowing her thru her Teen years. She has a very strong confident personality.
. . NOW she is a grown young woman (but still a lovable brat). She is overflowing with endless non-stop surplus energy, never stops moving for an instant. She still doesn't follow the rules, does everything to the extreme, including cuddling and loving, flying, eating, etc.. She's the boss. She'll usually do what you want but It's always on HER terms, done HER way, when SHE wants. Sometimes she's just a little feathered Imp.. She never asks me for what she wants, She Demands if from me (food, hugging, treats, etc).
. . But .. she tells me every day that she truly and deeply loves me (she Demands my love), and, I rather like her dynamic confident independent unpredictable personality.

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Note, Almost all the outside pics take place under a huge tree that totally shelters the deck and patio.... it's safe.

 June 15, 2016 Just hatched... After falling, ..... Returning Khufu, the "dead" blue baby Pigeon to the nest after getting warm and recovered in the house.


 160621a  Baby Khufu 6 days old

160624aa Baby Khufu 9 days old.
 

160630b Baby Khufu 2 weeks old

 160715a... One month old














160719b
















160720b Mom Cleopatra feeding 5 week old Baby Khufu (VIDEO)


 160721b . . .Khufu's surrogate mother ... Sue-Ez


















160722d . . . 5 week old Khufu and her Mother Cleopatra

 160726a . . Family Portrait ..Mom Cleopatra, 5 week Baby Khufu, Mom2 Sue-Ez

160810a . . At 2 months old  Khufu quickly discovered she cannot fly when wet.
















160908 . . Khufu shares her food with a Cardinal

170420 Khufu Portrait, 10 months old.

170508 . . .Khufu visits the Nursing Home.

170926d . . . Khufu is determined to eat whatever is on my plate. Her favorites are Pizza and Corn on the cob (and everything else, no meat) .. does not like Spinach.

170930aa . .She knows... a Plate means food. ... ... She's very persistent and determined.


171020b . . This is what a Pigeon sitting on eggs, looks like from below.
 

170626c . . .Khufu loves to help with the chores


















171211b . . Khufu loves to help with the chores

 180211b . . Khufu Loves to cuddle


180623. . When she hears the water running, Khufu wants to take a shower















180714 . .  Khufu flies to the wrong arm. (VIDEO)

180818 . . Khufu and Bert eating corn together. Once, before I could stop her, she landed in the middle of my mashed potatoes.  . .  (VIDEO)

180905cb  Khufu, just before landing on my camera lens.

180908c I cannot sleep late because Khufu flies to my room for her morning cuddle.



















Khufu continues to surprise and entertain me. Quite unpredictable. Never a dull moment .

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