Travels Inspire More Travel
©Bert Gildart: Heading home now to Bigfork, Montana, but we left much undone from this trip into the Southwest and expect we’ll soon return. We have to!
Lake Meade is experiencing low water levels, and that could make for some fascinating excursions. When Hoover Dam was constructed water levels rose and covered a vast area to include the abandoned St. Thomas settlement. But the severe drought of the past couple years has reduced water levels on Lake Meade leaving many areas exposed for the first time in years. Once the town was flooded higher than 60 feet above the tallest structure. We’ve been told it’s eerie now — a visit to a real life ghost town.
Lone figure helps inspire inspiration from The Wave
Of course, we’ll want to see more of Valley of Fire, one of the most remarkable parks we’ve recently visited. Though the park is not huge, we didn’t get a chance to see all we wanted, primarily because we spent so much time at the geologically fascinating area called The Wave. I think the lone hiker in my associated photo peering down onto the chasm supports our thinking. He’s shown here spreading his arms attempting through a body gesture to understand all that spreads before him. His expression remains motivational, but so was that of a very elderly gentleman whom we met later. He was stumbling along with a pair of walking sticks and told us he’d been coming here every year for decades.
“It’s inspiring you know. And I learn so much.”
Same holds true for us.
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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THIS TIME LAST YEAR:
4th ed. Autographed by the Authors
Hiking Shenandoah National Park
Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Often the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.
Big Sky Country is beautiful
Montana Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Treasure State
Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
What makes Glacier, Glacier?
Glacier Icons: 50 Classic Views of the Crown of the Continent
Glacier Icons: What makes Glacier Park so special? In this book you can discover the story behind fifty of this park’s most amazing features. With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes and little known facts, Bert Gildart will be your backcountry guide. A former Glacier backcountry ranger turned writer/photographer, his hundreds of stories and images have appeared in literally dozens of periodicals including Time/Life, Smithsonian, and Field & Stream. Take a look at Glacier Icons
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
