UTV or UTI?

I got up this morning singing Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson:  Can't you see?  Can't you see? We've got to wake up slow.  I finally got myself together and we went out for brunch at the Buffalo Cafe.  They make a dish they call buffalo pie.  Of course, I had to order that dish.  I noticed that there was a bookstore next to the restaurant.  I was attracted by their window display.  There was a notice on the front door that read:  White Supremacy NOT welcome.  Don't leave your pamphlets here, you spineless, gutless wieners. -- The Management.  We spent quite a bit of time inside and I came out having bought enough greeting cards to restore the drawer of greeting cards in my home.

Back when my sister and I were planning our sister vacation part of my road trip together she asked me how I would feel about getting a UTI while we were in Whitefish together.  I told her I was not interested in getting a UTI on our trip.  She seemed surprised.  "Have you ever had one before?" she asked.  "Sure," I said.  "It was fun wasn't it?" she suggested.  "Absolutely not.  I refuse to get a UTI while we are on this trip," I said.  I thought she had lost her mind.  Later that day she texted me:  "Not a UTI (urinary tract infection) a UTV (utility task vehicle)."  I texted back:  "That makes more sense.  Have you ever driven one?"  She replied: "I have several of them." 

So Gayle reserved a UTV for today.  We drove up the 93 for several miles to a place where we no longer had cell service.  There were a couple families in front of us.  We were given a side by side with a map and instructions.  We headed out.  I admit I was pretty nervous.  I wanted to make sure we followed all the rules. Gayle was not intimidated in the least.  Our first stop was Upper Whitefish Lake.  

We got out and skipped stones (unsuccessfully) and waded in the cool lake water.  The UTV was beastly hot and very dusty.

Then we traded seats and I got to drive us up to Red Meadow Lake.  

Red Meadow Lake was beautiful.  We had a conversation with a man walking his Great Dane.  He knew the area and made suggestions about where we might go next.  He also told us that Glacier National Park transports their "bad bears" to this area.  We decided to be more bear aware.

Then we headed to Werner's Peak.  It was up a very steep, rocky, narrow, potholed road with a cliff on one side.  Gayle drove and I prayed that she didn't want to Thelma and Louise this trip. We kept thinking we were almost to the peak when we saw the lookout on the top of the mountain-- just a speck and miles yet to go.

You can't go all the way to the top by UTV.  You have to walk the last bit.  We stopped near the top and enjoyed the view.  We were almost above the tree line -- around 6500 ft.

We had to return the UTV by 5:30 p.m. and we didn't turn back until 4:30.  We knew it was going to be tight.  I drove us back down.  It was good for me to feel the need to hurry a bit because it made me braver. At 5:25 we were 1/4 of a mile from returning to the rental place when a met the UTV driver who had been sent out to find the two old ladies who must be lost.  Actually he didn't say that but it sure seemed to be what happened when he immediately flipped a U-turn and followed us back.  We were so hot and so dusty and so wonderfully invigorated by the experience.

We drove back to Whitefish and ran several errands so that we will be ready to head to Glacier National Park in the morning.  We came back to our rental and cleaned up and packed for tomorrow.  At 9 p.m. we drove up to Whitefish Lake.  The sky is filled with clouds and we decided it would be a great night to view the sunset across a lake.  We were not disappointed.