Holland Lake

After a rainy, yet restful evening at the Double Arrow Lodge and a heavenly meal of lamb roasted with enough mustard and rosemary to bring tears of joy to my eyes, we checked out before the Mothers' Day masses arrived for brunch. We drove a little further north in the Seely/Swan Valley to Holland Lake, where the MM and his brother passed through on their five month, central Wyoming-to-Canada backpacking trip in 2001. I think it was far more beautiful on a still May morning (it was a hot, dry August when he was there 9 years ago), and we spotted half a dozen very chipper ruby-crowned kinglets.  Our little bird nerd hearts sang for joy.

From the size of the parking lot, this is clearly a popular trailhead into the Swan Range and Bob Marshall Wilderness (largest in the lower 48 for you neophytes), but it was deserted on Sunday morning and we had the trail around Holland Lake and up to Holland Falls to ourselves.

Camera self-timer blooper:

That's better:

Our first house guest in the new house arrives on Friday evening. The MM's best climbing bud from Virginia, and a fireman to boot.  So I've pulled The Pioneer Woman cookbook to plan some meals fit for not one, but two hungry males.  This is what my mother-in-law must have felt like for about 15 years of her life feeding three boys!