pics from my xc ski day

[NwMtGardener]

Thanks guys!! I think that's why i like posting pics for you guys, you remind ME to appreciate it!!! Of course, like Lesa said its easier to appreciate it in pictures since you dont have to shovel it

 

[Sprinkler Buddy]

It's really incredible how small our world is but yet our weather is so drastically different at times.

 

[NwMtGardener]

OK, a few more pictures from another xc ski trip yesterday. The light was not as good, and I screwed up some pictures by blowing out the whites while messing around with the exposures, whoopsies! Still, I thought you'd all appreciate the scenery.

Lake McDonald Lodge, Glacier National Park (I really played around with this photo since I messed up the exposure, and cropped some signs)

parking lot raven, begging for Cheetos!

A tunnel we explored. The rock on this hidden side of the tunnel is covered in rime, very thick frozen fog. (not me in the pic!)

McDonald Creek

 

[thistlebloom]

Great pictures Heather! As always
I'm totally envious of you casually x/c skiing in Glacier!

 

[canesisters]

Beautiful (as always). Love the raven!

 

[digitS']

Me too, Heather!

You can just know the raven isn't only there on contract!

Then you give us a bird's eye view of Big Sky Montana.

Steve

 

[NwMtGardener]

Steve mentioned a "Birds Eye view of Montana" and just a few days ago I came across this picture of my town. I did not take this shot, it was a local company called Gravity Shots that has those helicopters they take amazing pics with. I live in the center of the town in the center of the photo, which is taken looking east, and the mountains (the reason I haven't taken any sunrise photos for Kassaundra's thread ) are in Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Well, except for the front two, those are just national forest.

 

[baymule]

Beautiful!

 

[thistlebloom]

Got out the magnifying glass and ...yep, there you are slaving away in the garden!
Nice tomatoes!

 

[digitS']

What a grand place, Heather!

I have wondered about the name, Columbia Falls. (Here are some fun stories about the early days of your community - link.) First there's the idea that this is the headwaters of the Columbia River. I think you could make a case for the fact that your lakes are higher than Columbia Lake in British Columbia . . . well, there's that name again!

Anyway, turns out there is a mountain to the south of the city called Columbia Mountain. Who was this Mr. Columbia anyway?!

I'm not sure if I wouldn't be campaigning for a name change for "Flathead," however. As best as I understand, when the Americanos got there, they realized that the natives were related to the folks on the coast. The ones who had that clever way of strapping their babies on a cradleboard in such a way that the infant's head would be flattened in the back. The fact that these were a different Salish without that characteristic, bothered these "namers of names" not a whit. So, Flathead this and that . . . A grand lake off downstream - what would that be -- just over the right shoulder of the photographer??

Steve