Launched: Nana & Papa Camp Montana

On the road and here we are in Red Lodge, MT:

    Yep, it was a roundabout route, but here we are in Red Lodge via Missoula, MT on our was to Yellowstone. Not the usual way to get to America's oldest national park, but it was a detour down memory byway/highway/interstate/lane from our home in Bend, Oregon. First family stop was in Missoula at my brother and sister-in-law's house where we were shown Montana hospitality that included backcountry fly fishing for my husband, Jerry, and a day at Seeley Lake then Granett Ghost Town for me, Maya and Kai. Keep in mind that the four of us traveled over 1,000 miles before picking up Jackson and Audrey at Billings International Airport.

Billings Airport with the
fearsome foursome

    Red Lodge was home to my mother and step dad and "summer camp" for our two kids for years. As they say, you can't go home again, but being here has brought back the best of memories for me and a chance to show our grandchildren where the place that meant so much to their parents. The historic district of this mining town is just plain hopping with restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops. On the night we arrived,  Arts Guild wine and art auction in the old depot was just winding down featuring plenty of upscale goings-on that weren't there in the 1970s and 80s. What has not changed is the stunning landscapes that just kept on going as we drove to East Rosebud Lake then back to Wild Bill Lake for kid-friendly fishing.

The Beartooth Range

But then there are the oddities like: Pig Racing. What can I say. Pigs with numbers race around a track and you sort of bet on them. Hilarious good time. See Travel Tips.

Pig races: Bear Creek, MT

Those would be the racing pigs

TRAVEL TIPS

• Remember that almost every road in Montana seems to be under construction in the summer. Seriously. That speed limit may have been changed to 80 (or maybe 85 mph) but count on delays and lots of fast drivers with swarms of motorcycles.
• Alpine Lodge, Red Lodge: Love this log-faced motel with great rates, and big outdoor breakfast included each morning, super comfortable beds and rooms or cabins. Nothing fancy, but a great value with a huge lawn full of games, an outdoor fire pit and friendly owners, Larry and Trish. Google them.
• Bear Creek Saloon and Pig Races run Thursday through Sunday. Dinner reservations recommended for no nonsense steak meals. The pig races are a fundraiser for local scholarships, and you can actually win in a very convoluted system of betting. Bear Creek is seven miles from Red Lodge.

NANA & PAPA CAMP: TRAVELING WITH OUR GRANDCHILDREN

Quick background on Nana & Papa Camps

Ready to roll: Nana & Papa Camp 2013

Packed to the gills with four grandchildren, six suitcases, four backpacks,  two totes, first aid kit, camera bag, groceries and cooler (OK, I forgot something), we were four blocks from our house in Bend, OR when then 3-year-old Kai announced: “I have to go to the bathroom, I’m hungry and dehydrated!” Yep, it was the first five minutes of what we all lovingly call, Nana & Papa Camp.

Camp has taken us to the far reaches of Alaska to Camp Denali and Glacier Bay Lodge; the Big Island of Hawaii and Volcano House then onto the beach; Missouri where we connected with my husband’s childhood; Oregon’s Timberline Lodge, Crater Lake and Oregon Caves Chateau along with the coast, Portland Timber’s game and up to Mount St. Helens and this year Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

Here are the basics: we stay at one of the historic lodges of the national parks, no parents allowed, each child is responsible for their own suitcase and backpack and for the past two years, they have started picking the destination. That would explain Hawaii.

Official kick-off is July 11th when Jerry and I, along with Maya (12) and Kai (5) pick up Jackson (13) and Audrey (10) at the Billings, MT airport.

Follow us along the trail as we head to:

Alpine Lodge, Red Lodge, MT.

Skyline Guest Ranch, Cooke City, MT.

Lake Hotel, Yellowstone NP

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Yellowstone NP

Canyon Lodge, Yellowstone NP

Signal Lake Lodge, Grand Teton, NP

FOLLOW US ON LODGE LADY.

And wish us all good luck!

    Volcano National Park, 2014

Yellowstone in Words

I just finished reading Gary Ferguson's The Carry Home. Gary and his late wife, Jane, lived in Red Lodge, Montana, the same postage stamp-size town where my mother and stepfather lived for many years. Jane and Gary were friends with my mother. The Fergusons called Red Lodge their base, but traveled extensively because of their work as an award-winning writer, speaker and conservation advocate  (Gary) and as an outdoors teacher/ranger/conservationist/cafe owner (Jane). Their work was their life, and they had the ability and good humor to share that.

That is what is so wonderful about Gary's books. Whatever the subject, he always shares that broad sweep of the West: most often the Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone National Park. Not the Yellowstone most of us know, but the backcountry, the hidden lakes, views, wild life and adventures many of us miss.

 Jane was killed in 2005 in a hideous canoeing accident right before her 50th birthday. It was just the two of them, as was so often the case. The Carry Home tells the story of Jane's death and the subsequent spreading of her ashes to five of her favorite places by her husband of 25 years. That final act is woven through their years together---the places where they spent their lives exploring, writing, researching and teaching about. Gary's books are always personal, but this journey takes us deep into the the wilderness of the West and Gary's soul while he spreads his wife's ashes. It is painful, but also healing. A history seen by two "kids" who became adults who became partners who became advocates for such a big swath of land. And more than that it offers a big dose of recent history of the West.

I remember when Jane died, Gary took the time to write my mother a personal letter. Mother was very ill with a debilitating disease, so I read the letter to her. The pain was palpable, but he said the last thing Jane shouted before the tangle of trees and white water took her life was, "Thank you, Universe." It is something we all need to say....every single day.

###

I am looking at Yellowstone books in anticipation of our trip to Red Lodge, Cooke City and Yellowstone National Park with our grandkids this summer.

So, here are some Yellowstone books worth looking at if you are going to this country's first national park. Or even if you're not.

1) My favorite is Gary's Walking Through the Wild, A Journey Through the Yellowstone Rockies about his 500-mile "walk" through Yellowstone. This is an armchair journey the likes of which I will never take, but the history and deep spirituality of the place is for anyone who needs a sense of the place. I think our 13 and 12-year-olds grandkids will enjoy it, and I'll love rereading it to them.
2) The Yellowstone Wolves, the first year, also by Gary Ferguson, offers insight into the reintroduction of of gray wolves into the park. The beauty of this book is not only the extraordinary story of the wolves, but Gary's writing. It is magical.
3) OK, I like Gary's work: Hawks Nest: A Season in the Remote of Yellowstone is his 100-mile hike and three months of living alone in the wilderness of Yellowstone monitoring grizzly bears and wolf packs. This is a first hand account of the challenges of preserving the Yellowstone wilderness.
4) While Gary knows Yellowstone, Steve Chapelle was a Montana transplant, relative city-boy who headed down the length of the Yellowstone River by kayak. Kayaking the Full Moon, Journey Down the Yellowstone to the Soul of Montana is that story. OK, so the river is mainly outside of the park, but it's one crazy and stirring adventure....and he took his family.
5) One of my favorite books I read during researching both Yellowstone and Grand Tetons national parks was Worthwhile Places, Correspondence of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Horace M. Albright.
John D. Rockefeller. Jr. was American power personified. Among his interest was a passion for national parks and the wilderness. Horace Albright was a UC Berkeley educated man, who set his sights on the outdoors rather than the law office he was destined to run. As superintendent of Yellowstone National Park and later Director of the National Park Service, Albright could hold his own with a man like Rockefeller. The correspondence between the two vividly illustrates what it took (and how) a public servant and private citizen forged their ideas into reality for the betterment of the national park system.
6) For the brass tacks history of the park, there is the two-part Aubrey L. Haines, The Yellowstone Story, A History of Our First National Park, Volume One and Two. This is the book history buffs go to....I certainly did.
7) Finally, park historian Lee Whittlesley took on the dark side with Death in Yellowstone chronicling, yes, all of the deaths within the national park. Someone had to do it, right?

Oh, and if you want to know about the history of Old Faithful Inn and Lake Yellowstone Hotel, there are always my books, Great Lodges of the National Parks that include Old Faithful Inn and Yellowstone history or Volume Two that includes Lake Hotel!
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Lodges made for winter

I was making national park reservations for NEXT July at Yellowstone, and finally found rooms at 4 different lodges during stay. Crazy. But it got me thinking about winter in the National Parks and how much easier that would be. Here are some of my favorites:

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, CA

Furnace Creek Inn, Photo David Morris

Furnace Creek Inn closes each summer as temperatures soar, but come October the 1927, luxury resort reopens. This is the ultimate oasis with fresh water, spring-fed swimming pool, lush gardens, locally inspired cuisine and the kind of setting that drew the Hollywood crowd of the Roaring 20s. Guests still get VIP treatment at this intimate retreat where days are filled with exploring the park, playing golf on the lowest elevation course in America or taking part in a variety of special events at the inn. The best part of one's stay is simply the solitude. As one park ranger said of Death Valley, "The silence is deafening."  There are special Stay and Play packages at the Inn or the less expensive Ranch at Furnace Creek. www.furnacecreekresort.com or 800-236-7916.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLO

Stephen King may have been inspired to write The Shining after a stay at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, but today the elegant 1909 Colonial Revival hotel is anything but creepy. The devastating flood that hit Estes Park didn’t touch The Stanley. No rustic design here, rather a neo-Classical hotel that is magical come wintertime. www.stanleyhotel.com or 800-976-1377.

OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST, WA

Set along the shore of Lake Quinault, surrounded by one of the Western Hemisphere's three temperate coniferous rainforests is the shingle-covered shake-roofed Lake Quinault Lodge. The lodge is located in the south central portion of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Guests gather around the massive brick fireplace for games of Scrabble and chess while they look out through floor-to-ceiling paned windows at the wonder of it all. Meals are served in the same dining room where President Franklin D. Roosevelt dined during his 1937 tour of the peninsula while evaluating the feasibility of creating Olympic National Park. Bring your rain gear and a good book www.visitlakequinault.com or 888-896-3827.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA

The Awhwanee Hotel stands as the most elegant lodge in a National Park. Designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the towering stone, glass and concrete (made to look like wood) hotel was meant to draw visitors of "means" to the park. The hotel opened in 1927 and fabulous public rooms such as the 77-foot long Great Lounge and rustic yet formal dining room along with intimate spaces such as the Mural Room or Solarium wowed guests then as they do today. Winter hotel events include Vinter’s Holiday with three remaining “sessions” in November and December, Bracebridge Dinner (Dec. 13-25), but nothing beats taking in the breathtaking views of the frozen Yosemite Falls, Half Dome or Glacier Point from one of the hotel’s many vantage points.

www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_TheAhwahnee.aspx or 801-559-4884.

Most visitors to Yosemite know about The Ahwahnee, but one of the oldest mountain resorts in California is located just seven miles from the park’s south entrance. Built in 1879, the Wawona Hotel is part of eight New England-style buildings set on the site of old Clark Station and lodge in the park. The hotel is an ideal place for skiers headed to Badger Pass Ski Area. The 12 Days of Christmas is also celebrated from Dec. 20-Jan. 1. If you’re looking for a Currier and Ives setting in California, the Wawona Hotel is it. www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_WawonaHotel.aspx or 801-559-4884.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ

The 1905 El Tovar Hotel is the classiest lodge on the South Rim: Great rooms, gorgeous dining room and history-seeped atmosphere. Winter is an ideal time to miss the crowds at the canyon without sacrificing the heart-stopping views found just steps from the hotel. Xanterra operates the Inn along with other less expensive lodges on the South Rim. Special winter rates along with packages on the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams to the South Rim station on the Polar Express make for some pretty special winter adventures. www.thetrain.com, or 800-843-8724 for the railway and  www.grandcanyonlodges.com or 888-297-2757 for lodging information.

MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL FOREST, OR

Timberline Lodge, photo by Jon Tullis

Most lodges were built with summer in mind, but six miles up a winding road on Mount Hood, Oregon, stands the 74,000-square-foot Timberline Lodge. This elegant piece of architecture is often buried in snow drifts and melds into the backdrop of the looming presence of Oregon's highest peak. Built by the WPA during the Great Depression, this is the ultimate ski lodge where everything remains as it was in 1935. The Cascade Dining room offers fabulous Northwest cuisine and if you have a family, check out the “dorm rooms”.  www.timberlinelodge.com or 800-547-1406. You might also check out Silcox Hut a small lodge that rents to groups of at least 12 and also features a Winemakers Dinner series featuring Oregon Wineries. A mile above Timberline, it is a world away….from everything! Same website, same phone number as Timberline Lodge.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT

 The big lodges at Glacier National Park close up for the brutal winters, but the intimate Belton Chalet reopens for the snowy season. Tucked against the hillside outside the west entrance of the park, the chalet opened in 1910 the same year President Taft signed a bill creating Glacier National Park. Cottages and rooms are available, and the restaurant and taproom are open on weekends during the winter season (beginning Dec. 12). You won’t find crowds this time of year, but you will discover a slice of “real” Montana. www.beltonchalet.com or 406-888-5000. If you hanker for something else, try Isaac Walton Inn in Essex, Montana. This family-run historic hotel and refurbished train cars is a great spot to stay if you’re a cross-country ski fan. www.isaacwaltoninn.com or 406-888-5700

GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL PARK, CA

Set within the Golden Gate National Parks at Fort Baker, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge near Sausalito, California, is the national park's newest "historic" lodge. Cavallo Point Lodge is a compound of twenty-four former military buildings, transformed into a combination of historic rehabilitation and contemporary construction. The one-time military post became a 350-acre national park site in 2002, and in 2008 the parade grounds and hillside became a “green” destination resort. Cavallo Point offers a high-end Healing Arts Center & Spa, posh restaurant with extensive wine cellar, cooking classes, meditation and yoga in the former chapel, hiking and biking. Not exactly what those who awoke to revelry found. www.cavallopoint.com or 888-651-2003.

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
photo by Xanterra

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WY
The venerable 1904 Old Faithful is shuttered against the elements each winter, but winter guests to the park find accommodations at Old Faithful Snow Lodge  the historic Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Half of the fun is just getting there. The interior of the park is only accessible by snowmobile, snowcoach or cross-country skis. Winter packages include snowcoach transportation. Once you’ve checked in, the park is yours via cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or limited snowmobile and snowcoach rides. Geysers, roaming wildlife and the stark beauty of the snow-covered landscape make it a favorite time for a visit. www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com or 866-439-7375

Old Faithful Snow Lodge
photo by Xanterra

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UT

Zion Park Lodge, the park’s only lodging facility, offers budget-friendly travelers  “Winter Bed & Breakfast” package through March 20, 1915. The original lodge burned to the ground in the 1960s, but the quickly rebuilt main lodge has been refurbished and the historic cabins are charming. www.zionparklodge.com/dealsandpackages/Winter-Bed-Braekfast.com or 888-297-2757.

Volcano House, photo by Jerry Barnes

VOLCANOS NATIONAL PARK, BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII
We took the grandkids to Volcano House last summer, and I can guarantee winter is perfection. The hotel has been totally renovated taking it back to its hey-day. The restaurant views along with the lobby views of the calders have all been restored. The bar is even a treat! Remember, with the high elevation, we are not talking balmy weather rather spectacular geology. Hiking and taking in lava tubes, steam vents and the sight of lava flowing and spewing is spectacular. www.hawaiivolcanohouse.com or 866-536-7972. What? You want a picture of the Volcano House not our grandkids? More on the blog about Volcano House to come!

All photos copyright as noted on captions. Read more about these lodges in Great Lodges of the National Parks, original and Volume Two

Glacier Bay Lodge: Back to the '60s

Our flight from Juneau arrived at 8:30 pm just in time
 for dinner at Glacier Bay Lodge.

Some things never change, and Glacier Bay Lodge, on the edge of Bartlett Cove in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, feels like one of them. Built in 1966, it is the only federally funded lodge in the national park system. Building it was no small trick, since everything for construction arrived by barge. There are no roads into Glacier Bay National Park. We are talking remote.
We arrived with our three grandchildren, ages 10, 8 and 6, after 13 1/2 hours of flying...and we only came from Oakland, California! We had a couple of long layovers, and caught the daily flight on Alaska Airlines from Juneau to Gustavus, a burg of about 300 hardy souls. The shuttle bus was there to take us to the lodge, where we checked into our room. Rooms have one double bed and one single: there were five of us. A large rollaway was soon in place, and as our 10-year-old grandson wrote in his journal: "It was a bit small, but it all worked out." And it did.

Swinging at Glacier Bay Lodge.

We hustled to get dinner before the dining room closed, and found the food as good as our last visit four years ago. At 10:30 pm, it was still bright outside, so we took a little walk and swung on the wooden swing below the lodge.
It was 7 am before we knew it, so it was on with the gear, breakfast and our all-day cruise. The Baranoff Wind is a comfortable day cruiser that shuttles guests through this water wonderland taking whichever route seems best for the day. On our last visit we went to the Margerie Glacier; this time it was to Johns Hopkins Inlet and Glacier that had been sealed off due to heavy ice until a few days before our arrival.

Johns Hopkins Glacier looms behind the inlet.

Think bobbing among icebergs. Each trip is different, but a ranger accompanies you, and everyone gets an eye-full of wildlife including hundreds of birds, grizzly bear, sheep, sea otters and whales. Ranger Emma was not only knowledgable, but great with our grandchildren. Two opted to become Junior Rangers, and the experience was fun for both girls.

The second day, it was rain, rain, and more rain, but that didn't stop my husband and grandson from their planned day of halibut and salmon fishing with Capt. Mike Halpert. How often can a boy catch is own bait then pull in a fish that weighs as much as he does? Pure joy!
We had seen a few whales as part of our Baranoff Wind tour, but our half day on The Taz was extraordinary whale watching. The 45 foot, 23-passenger craft is outfitted with a hydrophone system that gives guests an incredible opportunity to not only see whales, but to hear them. The mammoth humpback whales had a lot to say as they swam around us, under us then "bubble netted". The feeding technique involves a warm of whales that circle creating a bubble net around their herring prey. You can hear them chatting and see the surface bubble; then suddenly there is a loud call and in unison their mouths soar into the air, swallowing their catch in openings big enough to hold a VW bug. Humbling for humans to watch.
John Muir was humbled by Glacier Bay in 1879, and again, some things never seem to change. The massive ice that once filled the bay is gone; huge chunks of glacial history crash and fall, calving into the water; sea life abounds thrilling those who watch; multi-storied cruise ships slide through the wonderland and kayakers do the same. So, it has changed, and will continue to do so. But whoever experiences these  feats of nature continues to be humbled.
As Bill Brown, former NPS historian and author says: "It is a great cultural adventure. Whatever your discipline or your profession or your avocation, when you see Glacier Bay in all its magnificence, you know you're in the presence of glory."

Humpback whales "bubble netting" their catch at
Point Adolphus in Glacier Bay National Park's marine preserve.

Tips on visiting Glacier Bay Lodge:

• Rooms are along wooden walkways set along the water or tucked into the woods. If you have any mobility issues, make sure to let them know.
• The restaurant offers excellent food. The morning buffet is worth it, particularly for kids. 
• Enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail on the deck.
• Go on both the all day Baranoff Wind trip and a separate whale watching morning or afternoon trip on The Taz. Lunch is served on the Baranoff but not The Taz.
• Go into town one evening if you want a change from the lodge. The Homeshore Cafe is VERY casual, but offers good pizza. Oh, and there is a museum in the filling station.
• Evening ranger programs are informative as is the Visitor Center on the second floor of the lodge. 
• There are easy, beautiful trails around the lodge. I have seen Black bears walking in front of the lodge, and there were Brown bear encounters with stream fishermen while we were there. All of these are posted, so simply be aware.
• You do not need to rent a car. There are virtually no roads. The lodge shuttle bus is on Alaska time, meaning check and double check on pick-ups particularly for the airport. We hauled our luggage onto The Taz to make sure it would be with us for our flight that left an hour after we disembarked from our cruise. It was a good call.
• The Taz, Glacier Bay Lodge and the Glacier Bay National Park websites are all helpful in planning your trip.

I like to read books on wherever I'm traveling, and I recommend Kim Heacox's The Only Kayak. There are signed copies at the visitor center bookstore or order it through this site and Amazon.com. Kim and his wife, Melanie, live in Gustavus, and among other things, he is an exquisite writer and storyteller. Lucky for me, we unexpectedly ran into them at dinner one night at the lodge.

Glacier Bay Lodge is featured in Great Lodges of the National Parks, Volume 2.

Camp Denali: a gem in the tundra

Our intrepid crew on the porch of Camp Denali Lodge.

Four years had passed since I was at Camp Denali, 85 miles deep into Denali National Park, Alaska. That trip was research for my last book, Great Lodges of the National Parks, Vol. 2 and joining the PBS crew for the scout. This time it was all pleasure.
And pleasure just doesn't cover a stay at "camp."
"A wide place in the tundra where we offer hospitality," explained owner, Wally Cole back then. And hospitality still abounds. Wally and his wife Jerri's daughter, Jenna, and her husband, Simon Hamm, have taken over operations at camp, and if there was a hiccup in the transition, no one would notice.
Running a wilderness lodge in the, well, wilderness is no small undertaking. Nothing seems quite as wild as Alaska, so the warmth from a staff of 50, your own beautiful log cabin with full view of Mt. McKinley (Denali, the great one) and personal outhouse, pot belly stove, propane lights, fantastic food in the new Potlatch dining hall and friendship with strangers each evening in the original Lodge is wildly exciting. Even in the rain. Even in the snow. Even with our three grandchildren ages 10, 8 and 6. Actually, the grandchildren were the reason for the trip and our reward!
We arrived at the Denali train depot at 1 pm on August 8th to load onto a private bus headed to Camp Denali and its sister lodge, North Face Lodge. Stays are 3 or 4 days, and the turnaround for staff is quick and efficient. We, and our luggage, was chugging off in no time with our first wildlife sighting before we got comfortable. Everyone was on high animal alert, so we saw a lynx, brown bear, golden eagle, caribou and Dall Sheep. Our 6-year-old granddaughter spotted a bit of white in the distance and announced, "I see a sheep!" Everyone sort of wrote her off until Brian (driver and naturalist) saw it and confirmed her sighting. Arms up in the air, she announced, "I am woman." Cheers followed, and we were off.
Guests got a break for a huge late luncheon buffet, but this one was rather special. There had been a caribou kill earlier, so warning signs surrounded the picnic spot, and we were asked not to stray too far. Over smoked salmon, orzo salad and reindeer sausage, we watched a bear chew on caribou antlers while a wolf circled awaiting its turn.
Arrival at camp was late, so it's straight to Potlatch for desert and a quick reception and explanation of the next day's activities. We opted for the "moderate" hike from the choice of challenging, moderate and nature (small buses shuttle guests to various spots). When they say "moderate" at camp, you best be in shape.
We awoke to a drizzle. Big breakfast promptly at 7:30 am, hikers gathered at 9:30 and we were off.  The constant rain didn't dampen our grandkids enthusiasm for berry picking and tromping through the tundra. We crested Cranberry Ridge with our guide, Maria, learning more than we could ever retain. In a nutshell: The flora is tiny. Everything is miniature. And old. And resilient. Oh, and there are bears.
Back at Last Chance cabin (a charming 2-room affair with bunks for the kids), we warmed up and headed to the Lodge where our granddaughters brought their stash of blue berries. Before we knew it, Maria had the girls in the kitchen, and our 8-year-old appeared back at the Lodge with a tray of fresh blue berry smoothies.

Walking along the ridge line in the wilderness.

Dinner and breakfast are announced by the ringing of a big bell. The food here is fantastic, as beautifully prepared as a city restaurant. There is a set menu with a vegetarian option, good for us since we had one veggie in the group. (If you want beer or wine with your dinner, bring it in and they will serve you.)
Camp always has a resident guest speaker for those who can stay awake. Don't miss them if you can.
The second day we were up at 6:30, breakfast at 7:30, packing our lunch and onto the bus to take us to the trail head (there was no trail) for a five mile trek into the park's wilderness.
An hour later, we stepped out into heavy mist that would turn to rain that would turn to snow that would turn to sleet that would somehow all seem acceptable. Because we were traipsing through the tundra, scrambling up the scree, balancing along a caribou trail on a ridge line wondering why our grandchildren were unphased by the steepness and the challenge. Our guide, Katie, taught wilderness skills to kids in the winter, so when they all started "tundra rolling" down the spongy slopes, we went with it. No injuries and peals of laughter for 45 minutes. They jumped into huge holes dug by brown bears (yes, Grizzlies), saw more bear scat than I cared to count along with dozens of Arctic ground squirrels burros. Tiny flowers and plants and tufts of caribou hair were all for the discovering. Magical.

Denali caught in the alpenglow of early morning.
 Photo by Jerry Barnes

We awoke to sunshine! The mountain was "out" and it absolutely energized guests and staff. What a powerful picture: a 20,000 foot massive, totally white mountain that simply fills your imagination.
Our third day, we opted to go out on our own. My husband and 10 year-old grandson fished for Grayling (successfully) on Moose Creek; we all canoed on Wonder Lake; and more fishing with two new friends and their dad (again successfully) and lots of berry picking and walking. In a world of catch-and-release, it was fun for each boy to keep a fish, take it to the kitchen and have it served along with the planned fare.
It is always hard to say good bye to special places. Places that capture your heart. And you don't just leave camp, you are given what feels like a heart-felt good bye then take another journey riding along the dirt road, spotting brown bear, sheep, porcupine and caribou. You chat with your new acquaintances and share stories.
And, then you have to say good bye. Vowing to come back. Alone. Together. In your dreams or in you memories.

Denali by moonlight.
 Photo by Jerry Barnes

Tips on visiting Camp Denali:

• Work with the reservation staff. They can answer any questions you may have. The goal is for you to have the best experience possible.
• Camp Denali has a wonderful website, and they actually answer their phones and emails. Stays are pricey, but it is a totally unique experience. 
• Flight sightseeing is also available, and they will arrange it. A terrific experience.
• You don't need to pack a lot, but bring everything suggested. There is extra rain gear, packs (much better than the one I brought), boots and mosquito head nets for your use along with some gear you can purchase.
• Bring an extra pair of warm gloves and plenty of hiking socks.
• I brought extra gallon size ziplock bags. Very handy to keep things dry in your pack, or bring a pack cover.
• Good binoculars are a plus!
• Understand what is involved in each day's hike. "Challenging" hikes are just that, so be sure you are physically able to do the trek.
• The season is short. We were there in early August and it was "fall" weather (with snow flurries). The upside: few mosquitoes to speak of.
• The bus ride is long and fun on a narrow dirt road. If you are uneasy about heights, sit on the right going up and left going back.

Understand the following:

• You have your own spotless outhouse. (There are 4 flush toilets on the property for guests.)
• Heat is from a pot belly stove. You need to know how to build a fire.
• Lights are easy to use propane. Same with the hot plate for warming water.
• Water in most cabins is from an outdoor spigot.
• There is a bath house for women and one for men.
• Be prompt for meals.
• You pack your own lunches from a wonderful selection of goodies.
• BYOB
• You will be well cared for in the wilderness.

Camp Denali is a privately owned, family-run business, and it has been that way since it opened in 1952. Camp and North Face Lodge are "in holdings" within the national park. This makes your stay exceptionally special. That and the Coles', Hamms' and the entire staff's devotion to the wide place in the tundra and this wilderness they call home.

I'll post about our stay at Glacier Park Lodge later in the month! We're talking whales and more whales!

If you want to read about both lodges, they are the final two chapters in Great Lodges of the National Parks, Vol. 2.

Chateau at Oregon Caves opens May 6!

Seen from the back, the Chateau seems tucked into the ravine.
Photo by David Morris

    Oregon Caves Chateau is one of the state's sometimes forgotten gems. Nestled in a ravine in the Siskiyou Mountains in the southwestern part of the state, the bark covered lodge is a lesson in "less is more." Designed by local builder, Gus Lium from nearby Grants Pass, it is a prime example of environmentally compatible, rustic architecture. The lodge, a National Historic Landmark, opened in 1934 and is one of the last examples of a hotel built on public lands in the rustic picturesque style. That public land is the country's first National Monument (1909) featuring Oregon Caves as its center attraction.
    Due, in part, to its remote location and limited activities, even Oregonians seem to forget that the lodge and monument are national treasures. Oregon's Timberline Lodge and Crater Lake Lodge are hallmarks of great lodge architecture, and they deserve that status. But the Chateau is a delight. For a time, Timberline Lodge, Crater Lake Lodge and Oregon Caves Chateau were packaged in an advertising campaign to get more notice to what was the step-sister of the great lodges. In 2008, a group of Chateau admirers formed Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau. Lots has happened since then including the production of forthcoming documentaries, "The Marble Halls of Oregon" and "The Chateau at Oregon Caves," airing on PBS stations in southern Oregon and northern California at the end of June. (Oregon Caves Chateau was featured in both of my books, Great Lodges of the West, 1997, and Great Lodges of the National Parks, 2002 and the subsequent nationally televised PBS series.)
    Years ago, the Chateau was open in the winter, but visitorship during the chilly months was usually low. The 2011 season runs from May 6 through October 16.
    This lodge qualifies as a "little" albeit "great" lodge with only 23 rooms, each a bit different. I love the attic rooms each filled with the highly collectible Monterey furniture with its metal strapping, painted details and distressed wood. The main lounge is anchored by a two-sided stone fireplace, and again, plenty of Monterey furniture from sofas to writing desks along a bank of windows. The recently restored split stairway off the lounge looks out at a pond with the dining room and coffee shop in the lower level, where a small water feature gurgles through the dining room, and guest rooms off the main and on the upper levels.
    A major renovation of the Chateau is planned for 2015, but some work has already taken place. The guest room photo here is a blueprint for renovation of all of the guest rooms created with funds from the National Trust for Historic Preservation garnered by the friends organization. 
    This organic, authentically charming little lodge is a not to be missed summer stop for anyone on a road trip of the Pacific Northwest. There are some terrific Spring rates being offered now, so don't miss out.

Monterey furniture fills many of the guest rooms as shown
in the "model" room.

Rates, directions and news can be found on the website oregoncaveschateau.com