Missed Step Into Canada~

 

 

This post begins in the Kootenai National Forest and heads toward Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish Montana.  

After spending our first evening in this beautiful lodge and getting some good rest from all of the travel, we checked the weather forecast and then set out for a day in Waterton Canada. 
Since we could not get into Glacier National Park, due to the government SHUTDOWN, we decided to purchase expedited Passports and have health certificates done for both dogs, so we could visit Waterton. 

 

We were traveling the Southern rim of Glacier NP, and heading toward the border crossing, on Highway 49, a scenic drive also called Looking Glass Highway. 

* 2 Notes here...our cell phones had quit working on day one of journey and so we had no means to communicate, in case of emergency.

And my husby is an x-police officer from many years ago, and he is an excellent driver...

We got into a snowstorm, and the roads quickly became very slick. 

At times we could not even see very far in front of the car and the only human being that we saw the whole drive was the man on the bicycle. 

It was getting worse by the minute and we were still 47 miles approximately from the Canadian border.

Guess what?

The husby and I decided it was not worth the risk, we were on a road we had never traveled, we had no cell phones, we had not seen any other vehicles so far and so we stopped at the next little town which was closed for the season. 

We drove back to the lodge, filled with mixed emotions, but ever so thankful to be back safe and sound. 

It ended up taking 7 hours to make that little round trip drive. 

Next year...Canada bound!

 

 

Remember to double click on the image, to view a larger slide show of the images shared

 

I am linking up with Mary for:
"Mosaic Monday"

at: 

 

 http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.

 

and

 

I am linking up with Stewart at:

 

   Wild Bird Wednesday

        (http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/) 

 

 

A beautifully marked Harlans Hawk soared along side an equally beautiful Western Red-tailed Hawk in Kootenai~ 

 

Every day, I would announce to the husby what kind of wildlife we would see that day and he would announce back..."sure we will"...and we usually saw nothing that I had mentioned. 

However on this particular day, we were in good fortune, as I had announced that we would see a Moose, and we did ;)

 

A downed Aspen tree still holding her charm~

 

 

 

And then came the snow and slick roads...but oh so very pretty~

 

 

American Coots

 

A Western Red-tailed Hawk having some trouble staying latched onto it's perch as the wind blew snow all around. 

Both it and the livestock out in the fields seemed to struggle~

 

 

A mother cow licks the face of her calf, keeping it's airways free of the snow, and another Western Red-tailed Hawk high in a tree as the snow begins to fall~