We stopped at a local winery for some wine tasting fun on our first night at Flathead Lake.
The first 5 tastes were free then $1.00 a taste after that. We purchased wine and accessories but since they couldn't ship to Minnesota, they agreed to hold our order for us and we picked up two boxes of wine on Sunday before we left. Way to go ladies! We ordered wine!!
This is the most unusual landscaping I've ever seen. It's filled with corks.
A group shot of us under the arbor at the winery.
Here is the lakeside chapel where we did devotions one morning. There was usually a fire going just below the cross. Very pretty at sunset.
Thursday evening the counselors put on a passion play, the death of Jesus. They did an incredible job. It was very moving. The poor young man who played Jesus really did get slapped, hit, pushed to the ground and was sore for a few days after. He told us that the others felt bad about the "beatings" and really didn't want to hurt him but wanted the campers to really understand what Jesus went through. Friday morning they did a resurrection service. The music was done by students from St. Olaf college in Northfield, MN, there were almost 20 counselors from St. Olaf. Kind of cool to find such a close Minnesota connection. A friend of my daughter, Emily, goes to St. Olaf and some of the kids knew her. It turns out her roommate was there for the summer too but we didn't find that out until we were almost ready to leave. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to connect.
Sunrise devotions at lakeside.
The cross above the dining hall.
This is a cross at another outdoor chapel where we did our prayer walk on Sunday morning before we left. It was the most perfect way to end a most perfect experience. We hiked a short trail around the side of a hill (mountain) and stopped at stations along the walk to read the message that was there and to reflect on it or to pray. This description doesn't do the experience justice, but like I said, it was the most perfect way to end our journey.
We arrived at camp on Wednesday around 1:00 in the afternoon. This was the view from the back of the dining hall. We generally ate breakfast here on the deck or down below at lake level. It was beautiful.
Here are the tents at "Bear Valley" - named that for a reason. One morning while we were walking to camp to shower, we saw bear tracks. They must have been fat and happy because they left us alone. Maybe the snoring from the tents kept them away? I'm pretty sure I held up my end of that one!
The tents were "adirondack" style. They had a wood floor with canvas stretched over a frame. We slept on camp mattresses which were more comfortable than I thought they would be. The porta-potty was just nice and handy with real facilities about a 1/2 mile hike away. It was fun. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
The most spectacular view of a river from the Tower Trail.
Yes, the same river. Sometimes I get a crazy idea for a picture and then love the way it turns out. Maybe I'll have this made into a poster and hang it in my room. Or maybe not.
Sunset at the Tower.
Oh look at the turkey buzzards in the tree. I think they might be waiting for a slow, dehydrated hiker to happen by. I better walk faster...
I can't remember if this is from Montana or Wyoming but I know this is why I love the west. The landscape is so beautiful!
Devil's Tower - I'd never been there before but discovered that I love it from any angle, in any light. It's completely fascinating. We hiked the trail around it and it was the perfect chance to stretch our legs after many, many hours of driving.
A group shot at Devil's Tower.
And our willing photographer, Rooster. Yes, that what he said his name was. He's currently homeless - but has a car - and is traveling the US to find ???
See, I told you. Beautiful from any angle and in any light. There will be more pictures later. They take a really long time to upload to my blog and I will get back to it another day.
Here are the 12 of us getting ready to leave for Montana. The sheet hanging in back of us is our banner, our covenant. In the center of the sheet, we drew around our hands to form a circle. On the outside of the circle, we wrote things that we were promising to leave behind. Things like jealousy, gossip, bad attitude, meanness. On the inside of the circle of hands, we wrote things that we are taking with us on this trip. Things like love, helpfulness, encouragement.
