Thanks for the cute video Pam. I love bears, they're such cool animals. I haven't seen any yet, but I was hiking huckleberry mountain two days ago with a friend and almost to the top when a couple of guys came along and said that the trail had a freshly killed deer or something just around the bend and that there was a ranger up there checking it out. It was a total coincidence that there happened to be a ranger on the trail ahead of us, he passed us on the way up. (I read in the paper later on, that this guy was named ranger of the year for 2008, which means he's pretty darn good at what he does) But I was pretty greatful of it, because I think I would have freaked out myself. Tyler and I didn't go too much closer and just turned around. I'd love to see a Grizzly, but I would NOT love to find myself in between a Grizzly and it's food. And sure enough, once he mentioned it we started to notice big fresh bear tracks on the path. Pretty cool though. I'm not really afraid of Grizzlys at all, used to be, but after talking to so many people who have run into them, I feel like they're not really into killing humans, you just need to be prepared and alert. I always carry bear spray. My real fear out here is a mountain lion or pine martins. A hiker found a bear on the side of the trail a couple of weeks ago that was bleeding terribly from the knees down. Almost bled to death, but the hiker got some rangers there right away and saved the bears life. That was the work of pine martins, it's mind boggling, they look like otters or fishers, kinda cute and cuddly and cool to watch in the water. But they have razer sharp claws and wait around in a bush near water for some unlucky being to walk by, then they kinda jump him, and tear him up from the shins down and literally eat some of your flesh. I know this is incredibly gruesome, but I just cant get over it. A guy died taking water samples by the lake four years ago. Bled to death. And last weekend I went camping and hiking by myself at two medicine lake. It was great. And after my day hike I sat by the lake and read (same place we were together last year mom) and watched these three cute critters swimming in the lake. They were just like otters. Diving and swimming and they didn't really notice me or care that I was there and got pretty close. I was like, wow, this is sooo cool to see. Then I got back to property and read a warning on the cabin door to beware of these cuddly deamons. Man, I was going to hike that lake by myself the next day too, but luckily woke up too tired for it. And just so that you don't worry mom, the only hikes I'm willing to go on alone are the really touristy ones with lots of hikers on them. All the back country stuff I do with people who I think know what they're doing. I'm way more chicken then I sound.
The animals are by far my favorite thing about the park. I saw a bull moose drinking from a swamp a few miles from where I live, it was cool. He had big antlers and everything. I see lots of deer, and at the top of the mountain I climbed alone last week I was joined by two marmits, who are so neat looking, they were like white beavers chewing on fallen hiking snacks and sitting just feet away from me. And a ground squirrell right on property just had babies, and they are so cute popping out of their little holes and squeaking at you when you walk by. It's sort of like wack-a-mole.
Anway, I really love it out here. I have the best time by myself honestly, but that' s probably just because I don't know people quite well enough yet for it not to be a lot of work spending time with them. I make pretty good money at work and picked up on it very fast. The going-to-the-sun road is opening either today or tomorrow, which is so great, because there's some really pretty stuff up there that I haven't been able to see yet, plus it's the biggest attraction in the park and business will get even better than it already has been.
I'm really starting to miss my family. I think of all the things I'd love to show everyone out here. I'm really happy that Mom and Mitch found some places to live. They sound great. It's a bummer to think that I would have been seeing mom and Jesse in 12 days but now have to wait a month, but I'll appreciate come October when it's been so long since I've seen them. I hope everyone is enjoying the summer so far. I miss ya all.
Love Shayla
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