EPIC TOUR OUT WEST: WHICH HIKES TO TAKE!
Wow Montana really outdid itself! I arrived in Kalispell and had wonderful hosts The Lincoln’s who took my sister and I down the middle fork of Flathead River 30 minutes after she stepped off of the plane, we grabbed our Starbucks, and hit the river! Led by our savage leader Wendy and her friend June, we didn’t have to do much but hold on, take pictures, and smile! We glided effortlessly around the rapids with our fierce guide, and stopped for a beautiful picnic lunch. The water was freezing, but we finished out with stopping at a local watering hole: Packers Roost.
Day 2
My sister and I set out for Canada and drove through beautiful Glacier National Park. (Be sure to get a park timed reservation if you want to go through by 8am on the day BEFORE you plan to travel through the park! Click here to get a timed reservation!) We pulled into Waterton National Park, and arrived at one of the most spectacular sights I’ve ever seen: The Prince of Wales Hotel. We went there when I was 15 when my Mama and Neighbor/other Grandmother Betty Jane cruised in a rental van from Georgia to Montana to pick up my sister from her summer job at Yellowstone National Park. We stayed with my cousins that I’d never met, who drove us up across the border to this pristine lake sitting between huge mountain ranges nestled in this fairy tale town on the border. I swore I’d go back here, and in 2019, I took the drive up and was so in love with this place. I wanted to take my sister back to explore! We arrived at the Tudor Style Mansion Lodge and with the high winds, we decided against the hike. I grabbed a glass of wine and we hung out in the beautiful lobby of Prince Edward’s namesake, while we played some board games: Sorry and Scrabble, bringing back many fun childhood memories. We dined waterfront on the river at Lakeside Chophouse, where I devoured a huge ribeye steak, and deer were walking in the grass 20 feet from our table. It was light out until about 10pm, so we went to the riverfront and skipped some rocks to burn off some of the dinner, and took a nice scenic walk through downtown Waterton. Everywhere you look here it’s a postcard.
Day 3
We woke up early the next morning to tackle my second trek up to Bertha Falls and Lake. The round trip hike was 9.1 miles with an elevation gain of 2125 feet, and the huge waterfall in the middle of the hike was quite rewarding…I’d compare it to the scene in “Last of the Mohicans.” The first time I hiked here I thought the smaller waterfalls at the bridge was the actual falls, but keep going, you’ll be in awe. The crystal teal lake at the top was the perfect payoff to the strenuous incline, but the killer stinging flies made it a short rest at the top of the hike. We made it safely back down and drove to the ski town village of Fernie, which was my time ever going into Alberta…had dinner at the Northern Bar downtown with a nice sized burger, average wine and service. We had an incredibly scenic drive back across the American border cruising by Eureka, and taking in the sights of many beautiful lakes in the pines, along with rustic barns and ranches.
Day 4
We tackled a local hike of 2.9 miles up and back trail at the Lone Pine State Park, which has a much less elevation gain (669), but in a short amount of time, so the incline can leave you winded, especially if you’re not accustomed to the intense high altitude. The view of the valley at the top was breathtaking watching planes flying overhead, and seeing a glimpse of Flathead Lake in the distance. We ventured out to the local market that was held at a remodeled barndominium, featuring local and national vendors with fun trinkets, apparel, food, styles, and decor. After acquiring my fun new earrings from High Noon Market, we headed back to the house for my first House Concert in Montana at the Lincoln’s! We had a packed back yard with over 70 guests, and the weather was about 80 degrees! The ambiance, grilled out burgers, fun audience and incredibly hospitable hosts made this an unforgettable evening! I loved when their dog started going #2 in the middle of my song “Love Thy Neighbor,” and we even had some neighbors hanging outside listening to the show!
Day 5
We took the drive back into Glacier National Park, but this time went through the western entrance. Stopping at the first scenic overlook, we got some photos of Heaven’s Peak, then continued on to the Eastern Entrance all the way to the spectacular Many Glacier Hotel. If you’re looking for that special honeymoon or getaway peaceful retreat, this is the place. With incredible panoramic views of snow-capped mountains, inside the lodge with open rafters, and kayaks to rent and hikes galore, this is a must stop! After the jaw dropping views, we went back through Glacier and took a trip to Saint Mary’s, and walked around the lake to Virginia Falls. This 3.1 mile hike with a 452 elevation gain makes an easy day hike, you can even take kids! It was so scenic with waterfalls, bridges, gorgeous river views with fly fisherman, leading up to cascades and the final payoff of the epic Virginia Falls. This was my sister’s favorite day by far! We got to enjoy these unbelievable views and stroll around the emerald lake with epic mountain backdrops.
Day 6
We were able to sleep in and rest our muscles on the pontoon ride on Flathead Lake with friends! We ate at the Sitting Duck right on the water and I loved my Thai Chicken wrap! They even had some fresh picked local Flathead Cherries, which we all made disappear pretty quickly! It got chilly on the water as the sun went down, Amanda lost her new Montana Trucker hat in the wind, but luckily we circled back around and saved it! Got it at the airport gift shop - so cute! Then after a while, we got back to the house and decided to squeeze in one last hike around the corner from Flathead lake. We went over to Herron Park and did the Notch Trail to the overlook, and this quicker 3.7 mile hike had beautiful views of Herron Lake.
Day 7
Sis flew back home, had a gig down on Flathead lake at Andy’s Drafthouse and my girlfriend Corey from California came up to visit! Their brisket tacos were amazing, and I loved the staff here! Such a cool distillery, in fact it’s the oldest one in Montana that’s still operating. Even inspired me to write a new song, stay tuned :)
Day 8
Corey and I hiked back up the Lone Pine State Park Trail, then went out on a friend’s boat all day on Flathead Lake, then I got to perform at the Riverside Bar in downtown Big Fork. I love this family oriented community. Kids were dancing, people were singing along, and they had a drillmaster flipping homemade burgers! Such a beautiful atmosphere underneath the outdoor gazebo. I’d been here for the first time in 2020 and saw my friends playing a Tropical Rock event, and knew then that this was a place I definitely had to add to my tour stops.
Day 9
Had a fun Time riding my bike around Kalispell, Mike took me on a tour by the river, then I stopped by Boot Barn and did some credit card damage…then headed back to Andy’s Crafthouse Show to see new and old fans who drove out from Wisconsin to see me!
The days get blurry after that, but I did manage to get another 10 mile hike in Herron Park, the 4 mile hike to the top of Big Mountain Ski Resort and took the gondola down! This epic scenery was magnificent looking over Whitefish Lake! I also did a quick loop on scenic Lions Park trail!
WYOMING:
Leaving Montana was difficult after all the time with friends, great shows, soaking up the incredible mountaintop scenery, and challenging myself to new heights, but made it to Cheyenne, Wyoming for the Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Josh flew in and we got to go to Estes Park for our 2 year anniversary date! We hiked over 8 miles from outside the Rocky Mountain Park Entrance to get to the stunning Ousel Falls! We passed 2 other falls on the way, I got stung by a bee, and we got rained on, but we made it back just as the bottom fell out! We also stopped by Lucy Lake, and its was a serene sight to behold, but since we’d hiked enough for the day, we snapped some pics and headed back to town. We had dinner downtown at this lovely Italian restaurant, Mama Rose’s, outside by the river, and there was a band playing in the park as we rode out of town.
We spent about 8 miles covering ground in the Curt Gowdy State Park. I'd done this hike about 5 times before, but this time we took the upper loop trail to extend the voyage, and challenge our legs a little more! The wildflowers were gorgeous, and even though it sprinkled a little bit, we made it to the falls without getting drenched. We took the Crow Creek to Mo Rocka and made it back in time for my show!
Our final hike in Cheyenne consisted of the beautiful views overlooking farmland, mountains, rivers and insane cloud formations at Turtle Rock trail at the beautiful Vedawoo State Park. We challenged ourselves more vertically, and scaling rocks and jumping off boulders was one of my most adventurous and rewarding hikes. We had our picnic sandwiches on top of the world, and I’ll definitely be back!
COLORADO:
WOW! I never thought I’d hike a FOURTEEN THOUSAND FOOT MOUNTAIN, but I DID IT!! My buddy Pete and I began the drive at 7am, and made it to the top of this very off the beaten path, beat up road, extremely rocky terrain around 9am. The hike actually took us around 6 hours round trip. Not being used to the altitude is brutal on lungs. We stopped many times on the way up to the top of Forrey’s Peak, and even began some of the Gray’s Peak trail, but 1/4 of the way up a nasty storm began to roll in, so we decided we better head back down the mountain so we didn’t get fried by lightning.
I hiked to the top of the French pass with my friend Peggy, 7 miles round trip, and we enjoyed a beautiful home cooked meal at their amazing retro cabin in the woods. We ventured up to Georgia Pass for scenic views where Jeeps often climb up and down to and from Breckenridge, a desirable trendy upscale ski village….to be continued….