in response to adies last post, i am totally ready to get on planning some exact dates and areas of the park to see, suchlike things. i think we may have a pretty good place to start, when it comes to the dates we want to actually be IN the park. I know heather and darin and matt/amy/babes were planning on doing some tramping thru south dakota possibly, but i seem to remember that that part of the plan may have been scratched in order to supply more time in glacier. so...with that in mind, why dont we stay within the boundaries of Glacier for anywhere from 5 to 7 days (seven being ideal, and hopefully we can try and make that work for everyone. maybe 6. we'll see) And i know matt can get one week off work, so that might seem like wishful thinking, but six days could work, just with very quick drives each way....but matt, does a week mean sunday thru sunday? we could spend a monday thru saturday in glacier. thats six days.
anyways, some dates to get us thinking could be the second week in august, from august 10th thru 15th? (thats a monday thru saturday.) we can always expand. everyone should let me know how that sounds. and from there we can plan what nites we might want to do some backcountry stuff, do the going-to-the-sun road, whatnot.. anyways, anyone who wants to do some research about the park and areas they might want to see, let me know. if no one gives me some cool suggestions, im getting on it myself! and PLEASE let me know about dates, because i REALLY WANT TO SEND IN THE APPLICATION FOR A BACKPACKING PERMIT! let me know everyone. lets get this shiz begun. love josiph
A Moment in the Sun - a literary journey
2 years ago
10 comments:
I'm good with this - except I have a huge request that I can't imagine you guys will say no to: can we please drive through the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore on this trip? I beg of you. This is something I have always wanted to do, and now that there is an opportunity for it I feel like I have to seize the chance. We could all benefit from that, even if you've already seen them.
Gracias.
Migs
mikie, that is kind of what darin and i had wanted to do with matt and amy and the kids but now we're not sure we'll have time. especially them...and darin and i have already been through western south dakota twice. anyway but the thing is, there are so many much cooler things to see in the black hills than mount rushmore. is there a specific reason you are intrigued by that place in particular? cause you can see it from a distance and to me that's all you really need. it is kind of offensive really that it was carved into sacred spiritual lands that were stolen from the native people and then marked with the faces of the oppressor. it's just a weird situation. now they are making a giant Crazy Horse carved into a mountain which is planned to be much more massive. but i even feel indifferent to that, somehow. but the real beauty of the black hills, and all the wonderful places to see and animals and camping spots and hikes and rocks and mountains there, well, you're right it is something we can all benefit from. anyway sorry for the letter here.
next item, joey those dates you suggested are perfect for us. we just need to get the okay from matt and amy gang and then we'll for it! get the permit! i looked through matt's Glacier National Park handbook and the ideas we've already talked about...entering at West Glacier/Apgar, next day spent on Going-to-the-Sun road, next day camping on the east side (St. Mary?) and then heading out for at least an overnighter backpacking trip (i haven't researched backcountry stuff at all but i know you have fofe) and then perhaps up into canada?
anyway i'll keep reading. so excited. just so you know, the absolute busiest time of the whole year is mid-July to mid-August but i've kinda decided there is no point in worrying about that? the only possible solution is to go a little later...but it seems overboard to switch up the whole trip unless that is actually a good idea for a lot of us. we'll keep thinking.
i wouldnt mind making it later, that depends on everybody else. it gives me an extra week or two to save money, which of course would be helpful, but im game for whatever. it would be nice to avoid some of the white-sock-and-birkenstock bay area tourists, and have a little more solitude and peace up there. so if everybody else can do that, i am TOTALLY into making it two weeks later, say, the LAST week of august, instead of the second. everyone figure that out too. i think we should backpack wednesday or thursday nite (or ideally both!) of the week we're there. and if some want to camp two nites in the backcountry, they can, and if some only want to do one, they can too. its not imperative to stay together the entire time, you know? sweet.
oh yea, and mikie, i am totally into going to the black hills. its a beaufiful place. i do agree with heather on the specific case of mount rushmore, for various reasons, but that entire area is totally beautiful and worth spending time in. im game.
Duders, I'm so pumped and ready for this. And I'm secretly glad we are pushing back the dates. I really think it will be better for us too.
sorry guys but candice and I can't do the last week of August, so we can't really change the dates. Hopefully that's OK.
Also, Heather, I'm sorry but the Mount Rushmore monument is as spectacular to me as the Pyramids or any mountain range, and its a part of history so it's important to recognize. I understand native American history better than you might think since i studied it at the UC for a year and a half, and Mount Rushmore is something I've wanted to look at since I was a little kid regardless. Hopefully you don't mind being open to people who haven't had the privilege of seeing this part of the country ever before so that we can all participate in a trip together instead of having to split up.
damn. sounds like mikie got a little flustered there. why dont you give us the last possible dates you are able to do, considering the fact that we have not set anything in stone at all yet. hopefully we can all agree on something. this should be regarded as just a fun and adventurous time for all and anyone who is interested in going. no one is trying to control or exclude here. lets just figure something out that works for everybody. it shouldnt be difficult, it should just be exciting.
i dont think heather was trying to suggest that you have some misunderstanding or lack of understanding of native american history, i dont think thats what she was saying at all. she was simply expressing her own opinion concerning the mount rushmore monument, the truths and history of which i find difficult to ignore and accept as positively important or glorious. i mean, it truly is a pretty blatant symbol of oppression, forced assimilation, bloodshed, greed, and practically genocide. i do understand that it is an interesting thing to see, but dont get mad at heather or anyone for feeling a little offended by the 'history' of the sculpture, the idea of which was initially conceived to promote tourism in the black hills. it is important history to recognize, but it is undeniably history filled with deceit and greed. the black hills are a totally beautiful and magical place, and no ones trying to put it aside and avoid going there and keep people who havent had the privilege of experiencing it in the past from experiencing it now. i would love to go back there. personally, i dont think splitting up is the worst thing in the world, considering we're all different people who might want to do different things for different amounts of time, who knows? we'll just see i guess. i think the important thing right now is just to figure out who is into going to Glacier for how long and when, or at least thats my goal, because that's where i want to go, and i decided to try and get everyone into it if they want. thats the reason i posted this blog. not everyone has to go if their not into it, and i know some people arent, because some people have given me crap about trying to get us all to go there, considering the distance, the remoteness, what have you. but its simply where I to go, and not everyone has to join me, NO ONE has to in fact, im not trying to force anyone, but im sure we'd all have a great time. anyways, post a blog about the black hills and mount rushmore and we'll get that figured out too. it will be a really fun time, just like havasu last year.
We want to go!! So you guys just plan the dates and we will go for as long as we can, so don't worry about us. Just set the dates and let us know so we can start planning. We are so excited. It just seemed better for us to go later only because matt just started his new job yesterday. But it really makes no difference. Love you guys! xoxo
well i feel kinda bad about writing anything, lets just make it fun because we all have fun together and forget me being argumentative.
I too am stoked for all of this.
Mikie, I want to see Mount Rushmore too (but more especially the Black Hill and Badlands and the sites of some tragedies, and also Devils Tower). In fact, originally we were planning on heading that way first. But the big problem here is geography. It's WAY out of the way to go to the Black Hills from Glacier. That is, unless a whole second leg of the road trip is planned. Know what I mean.
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