Marleta Meanders

July 2024 – A multisport adventure and meeting two bears

I drove straight through Washington state and landed in Cataldo, Idaho. The campground sits alongside the Coeur d’Alene Bike Trail that is 75 miles long. I got up early the next day and rode out. This Great Blue Heron could be seen from the trail amid the lily pads and grasses. Very peaceful ride!
After spending a few days in Missoula with Chris, Natalie, Moose and Juniper, we left for Idaho. This is Trapper Peak in the Bitterroot Mountain Range. Chris worked in the Bitterroot years ago and it is a special place for him.
Redfish Lake near Stanley, Idaho is a rather large idyllic lake.
With the help of Chris’s friend, Haley, from the Montana Conservation Corp, Natalie is getting the dogs prepared to kayak with us down the Salmon River
After several adjustments, we floated six miles down the river and Moose only had to be hauled back into the kayak a few times. She just loves swimming in the water and was not taking “NO” for an answer.
The following day we hopped on a pontoon boat to be taken to the end of the lake and the trailhead for a special hike
If you forget your hiking poles in the van, its good to have a mountain man along to craft one from a fallen tree.
First swimming lessons for Juniper in Redfish Lake
We were sad to leave Stanley but stopped by Craters of the Moon. This National Monument and Preserve is the result of a lava flow in southern Idaho! It is very accessible to visitors with lots of educational material to explain what happened 2500 years ago.
We traveled further south and east and stayed in “Falls” Campground right on the banks of the Snake River.
Always looking for a spot to let the dogs enjoy the water, Natalie found the Palisades Creek Trail and after a short hike, we let the dogs cool off.
Chris and Natalie had to return home and I drove to Jackson, Wyoming. This photo shows the remains of the Gros Ventre Landslide of 1925. The landslide created a dam and two years later it broke and debris flowed downstream to nearly wipe out the town of Kelly.
On my first hiking day in the Grand Tetons, I got an early start and hiked to Bradley Lake. Along the way I saw what I thought was bear scat ( later confirmed by Chris ) and no two legged animals.
I then hiked to Taggart Lake and met up with more humans. Chris had given me an in-service on Bear Spray and I was “prepared”
After my hike, I rode my bike on the paved bike path to Jenny Lake. This mule deer was just hanging out along the trail.
I could get around the massive crowds at Jenny Lake on my bike!. It is beautiful but very crowded.
The following day I hiked out to Hermitage Point from Colter Bay. A encountered a very large brown black bear. It wasn’t interested in me and left the trail.
This is what my first bear looked like. I did not get my bear spray out soon enough and I debriefed with Chris so I could be better prepared the next time.
Not wanting to see a bear two days in a row, I kayaked on Jackson Lake. It was pretty empty and I went to the middle of the lake to have lunch just floating on the water.
This is the end of the Leigh Lake Trail I hiked the next day. As I was hiking back, another bear leaped out of the brush and crossed the trail 20 feet in front of me. I had been warned by a pair of volunteers and had my bear spray out and the safety off. He wandered up the other side but then turned around the started back down. I kept calling out in a loud, low voice as instructed. He turned and walked back up and started eating something at the base of a tree. After a bit, I walked purposefully on.
String Lake is so tranquil! I was out early and dined in the middle of the lake. After my kayak, I swam across the lake and back because there are no motorized boats on this small, shallow lake.
What a treat ! Paddling quietly along the lake, I came upon this Merganser duck and her ducklings! They hopped off the log and swam toward the shore. My last day in Jackson, I went biking with a friend up to Wilson and the small roads in that area.
This beautiful painting of a black bear is by Carl Rungius who is a master painter of North American wildlife. He has an exhibit at the National Museum of Wild Life Art in Jackson. This was a fun and interesting stop just outside of Jackson.
Owen Anthony Kucich was welcomed by his brother, Declan, and admirer, Scooby on July 25. He looks very much like his brother, father and uncle Chris at this age. He was immediately surrounded by love.
I flew back to Jackson, Wyoming after helping out a bit with Declan and Scooby while we waited for Owen to arrive. After I picked up the van, I restocked it and headed to Alpine to hike and visit with Ann’s friend, Jan. Her backyard is literally a remarkable forest and a place to hike and enjoy watching her dog, Bella, run into the streams running through it.
Because of a raging fire in northeast Oregon and after consultation with several websites and the Oregon Dept of Transportation, I changed by route and headed south west. Ann found this adorable bed and breakfast in Hines, Oregon. Edward Hines, for whom the Hines VA Hospital in Chicago is named, owned a mill here. The current owners have restored some of the buildings and collected hundreds of artifacts from the Hines family, the mill and the community. I had a delightful tour and a lovely stay.
The next day I meandered northwest to Prineville. Not much happening here but the next morning I rode out on the Crooked Creek Scenic Bikeway. The 30 mile ride was beautiful and was only shared with a few cars.

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