Glacier

Yes, finally to the park…the reason we came to the Kalispell area.  The day dawned clear and cool at Lakeside and we looked forward to the drive into the park.

We headed north on 93 through Kalispell, following the signs to the park.  Both of us decided we needed coffee and so we stopped at a local stand before heading on up the mountain.

As we approach the park we stop at the entrance for a photo op with Flynn the Fabulous Flamingo.  RP has decided to have Flynn along as a subject for her Twitter channel (@ErinMaj).  A nice couple from Yakima pulled up and took our picture for us and we returned the favor.  Then off and into the park.

us at the entrance to Glacier

The drive into the park starts out with no surprises.  There is a warning to motorists that the are size restrictions for vehicle.  Nothing over 10 feet high, 8 feet wide and no combination of vehicles longer than 21 feet.  There is a turnaround spot for larger vehicles.  This restriction becomes self evident once you start up the mountain.  You definitely need to listen to this warning.  If you are in a large vehicle and you plan on driving across the park in either direction, don’t do it.  The lanes are narrow, there are literally hairpin corners and spots where the rock overhang is low.

Use your dinghy car (motorhome drivers), your tow vehicle (if in a trailer) or buckle down and take one of the parks transportation options.  The park provides a shuttle service, a tour service and the Red Bus tour.  I would recommend using one of these because they get you right to the places you want to go.  If you want to hike a lot of places, take the shuttle.  I think the Red Bus is the coolest way to go.  These are vintage 1930’s buses that were designed for the National Park Service.  The park transportation will also get you a guaranteed way to see Logan Pass and the attractions there.  Parking is extremely limited at the visitor center at the pass and you literally cannot get in the lot at times.  There are cars parked in every wide spot available (not very many of those) and in every open spot at the top.  You don’t want to park illegally in this park as the Park Law Enforcement will write you a large FEDERAL ticket for it (we saw a number of tickets on cars that were obviously parked illegally).

On the way up Going to the Sun Road, we stopped at the loop trail at Packers Roost.  Parking was at a premium and we wound up parked in a wide spot off the road.  We walked down the road to the bathrooms and checked out the information there.  There is a shuttle stop there so if you decide to ride and hike it is a very convenient stop.  This is the jump off for a number of different destinations.  The trail is well marked and traveled.  There are Bear warnings all over the park and this trailhead is no exception.  Along with their bear warning, they remind everyone not to bring dogs of any kind.  The possibility of running across a bear is real even though we did not see any on our trip.  We laced up the hiking boots, got out our walking sticks, shouldered our packs and headed out on the loop trail.  We decided to only do a couple miles on the trail so we wouldn’t run out of time to see everything else in the park.  The area had been burned by a fire back in 2003 but is growing back in nicely.  The smell of the high country and the last frenzy of flowers and bees is incredible to witness.  The sweet smells and vistas across the valley are truly astounding.  At some point in the trail another one joins up that is not marked but comes up from the valley below.  As I look at the trail, we see horse prints and I smell horse.  This just kind of adds to the ambiance.  I remember as a kid, being in the high country with my parents on crisp fall days with our horses.  We follow along the trail but never catch up to the horses but the sign gets a little more fresh.  We finally reach our designated turnaround point and, with some regret, head back to the trailhead.  We meet a number of twenty something Euro travelers on the trail with full kits and figure they are headed out to spend a couple days.  We pass one young solo fellow with what is definitely a full pack heading into the high country, his back country hiking permit affixed to his pack.  We made our way back to the Beast and headed on up the road.

At Logan Pass we could not get a parking spot so RP jumped out, got some photos and then we were on our way down the other side with St. Mary as our destination.

We had planned on eating our packed lunch at Logan Pass but we were glad in a way that we couldn’t find parking at the top.  We pulled off the road at “Lunch Creek”, walked down the trail and ate creek side.

where lunch creek runs down the mountain to our crossing

If we hadn’t gotten shut out of parking we wouldn’t have pulled off here and would not have seen the herd of mountain goats on the hill above us as we ate.  This area is known for it’s goat population and we enjoyed getting to see these ghosts of the mountain.  After our lunch, we head on down the mountains toward the east visitor center at St. Mary.  One of our requirements for ourselves to get a pin or medallion is that we must complete a hike in whatever place we are.  This is a great way to make sure we are not just driving through and not getting out of the rig and experiencing the sights, sounds and smells.  Get out and get some dust on (and maybe in) your shoes.  Feel the weather, whatever it may be, and truly try to experience where you are.  Get out of the car!

We have set ourselves the task of not having any time constraints this trip.  No deadline means we have no pressure to leave where we are and hurry to the next destination.  This lack of pressure equates to slowing down and getting a more in depth experience.  Spend the time walking in the park, read the literature (it isn’t going to kill you to pay the buck for the trail guides), buy that souvenir and keep the mementos of your visit.  Take the pictures, make a game out of it or post to your favorite social media, make your visit memorable and pass those memories on to others.  I wanted a new ball cap (RP says I am a hat whore because I have a ton of ball caps) but I hesitate to get one because of the rolled eyes.  I wasn’t going to buy it (I really didn’t need to spend the 20 bucks either) but I really wanted it to commemorate my visit to a particular monument (Big Hole National Battlefield, coming up in a future blog).  As we were pulling out of the park, I turned back to the visitor center and purchased that hat.  I did it because I took the time to decide I wanted it and had set the money aside for souvenirs.  Like the commercial says…Just Do It.

While travelling down the east side off the park we stopped at one attraction that was a must….Jackson Glacier.  It is named after Mount Carli Jackson on whose flank it lies.  I have no clue who Carli was or how the mountain got its name but I do have a niece nick-named Carli.

Flynn shows us the way

Jackson in foreground and background…guess which is the glacier

We rolled on down to St. Mary where there is a beautiful lake.  RP just had to see how cold it was so we went down to the waters edge and I got a handful of water in my face….she said it wasn’t too cold on her fingers….brrrrr.

We got to the east gate, hit the visitors center and got our pins and a snack.

Headed back across the park we drove the same road as, the only other roads either go south around the park or into Canada and we left our passports at home (don’t leave home without them).  We saw sights that we didn’t see going east.  I took a couple videos driving the road and got a couple more pics.

looking down on the canyon entrance from above

The above video is a little long but kind of gives you an idea of what the road looks like.  It’s shaky due to the rigid mount in The Beast for my phone not compensating for the rough ride the road gives.  It does show a red bus though.

We really enjoyed our day in the park.  We stopped on our way out at a couple of shops.  Headed back down to Lakeside to Piper and back to Bigfork for some more fun.

Remember to get out and enjoy the trip.  Slow down and see what you are driving by, roll down the window and get the smells.  We rush and rush and have no fun (there’s a song there somewhere, LOL) Forget that rush and buy into a better one…the rush of really seeing what’s out there.

Until next time…….Let’s Go!

BFD