GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – PART II

July, 2019

Glacier National Park has 4 distinct areas to explore: Lake McDonald; Logan Pass, Saint Mary and Many Glacier; Two  Medicine; and Goat Haunt and North Fork Trails.  By traveling Going to the Sun Road we were able to experience the Lake McDonald, Logan Pass, and Saint Mary areas of the Park, and following Park Ranger recommendations we spent hiking time in Many Glacier.  Our education of the Park was enhanced by the Red Bus Tour, we saw a bear within 10 yards or so of our Bus, and Brian fell in love with the Mountain Goats.  We didn’t spend time in Two Medicine or Goat Haunt and North Fork Trails.  Even considering the parts of the Park we did explore, we barely touched much of what Glacier National Park has to offer.

The ecosystems within the Park are incredibly varied, and enhanced the specialness of this place.  Our Grinnell Glacier hike took us above the tree line and into a sub-alpine tundra; the east side of the Park is home to Saint Mary Lake, and features grasslands and foothills for the surrounding mountains and their majestic peaks.  Around Logan Pass we found mountain passes, snowfields and an alpine lake; it is gloriously beautiful along Lake McDonald and Saint Mary Lake with their rocky shores and adjacent pine forest trails; pine forest abounds at lower elevations, the cedar forest is estimated to be over 700 years old and is representative of a rain forest environment, and, of course, at the highest elevations there are icefields and glaciers.  Desert environs were missing!

The hike to Avalanche Lake is 4.6 miles long, starting out along Avalanche Creek and through a thick cedar and pine forest.  The path meanders up and down slight inclines and declines as it makes its way to the lake – beautiful at every turn.  On the return we were told that a bear had been sighted, but that it was heading up into the woods and away from the hiking path.  Damn, no bear spray (pepper spray) or bear bells (bears are supposedly frightened by the sound) to protect us just in case. Reminded Barbara of a joke…what’s the difference between black bear scat and grizzly bear scat?  Black bear scat contains pine nuts and huckleberries…Grizzly bear scat contains bear bells and smells like pepper!

Rocky Point is on the northside of Lake McDonald, across the lake from Going to the Sun Road.  This side of the lake is almost, but not quite, backcountry; dirt roads, tent camping and, other than the hike to Rocky Point, unimproved and not well traveled hiking trails.  The view of the lake and the mountains to the west is outstanding!

Boat rides are offered on Lake McDonald and Saint Mary Lake, and both have the option of adding a Ranger-lead hike.  The Saint Mary Lake excursion included a hike to Saint Mary Falls…easy choice!

The Hidden Lake Overlook Trail is behind the Logan Pass Visitors Center, and it is a 2.6-mile hike with slight elevation changes.   Even though we completed the hike in July we had to cross some pretty slippery snowfields.  We had hoped to continue 2.4 miles further to Hidden Lake, but found that the trail was closed, because a mother bear and 2 cubs had been sighted in the area.  Since this was our last adventure up to Logan Pass we stopped along the way for a few last pictures before heading out on our hike.

A herd of Mountain Goats decided the path really belonged to them!

And of course, a Marmot was hanging around looking for a handout…

There are 2 tunnels along the Going to the Sun Road; one east and one west.  We couldn’t help ourselves and had to have a picture of Heavens Peak from the tunnel on the west side of Glacier NP…

One day while driving out of the Park we ended up at a dead stop for about an hour and a half.  A visitor had fallen asleep at the wheel, drove off of the road and down the forested embankment he went.  The medivac helicopter was needed for the driver, and a very perplexed tow truck driver had the difficult task of figuring out how to salvage the vehicle.  As a matter of fact, once we were again on our way back to Aimee, the tow truck driver barreled out of the woods startling Barbara.  Oddly, or perhaps not, in the next week there was a news report of another traffic jam from another knuckleheaded driver.

Our last hike before saying good-bye to Glacier NP was perhaps our shortest, but moved Barbara more than any other.  The Trail of the Cedars is a flat 0.9-mile loop through a 750-year-old forest of tall and imperial cedar trees.  As mentioned earlier this is a rainforest ecosystem – unique to the Park.  The walk is beautiful, peaceful, shaded, and begged us to just slow down, pause and take it all in.  We found the forest to be centering, and a perfect place to reflect on the grandeur of Glacier National Park, all we had done and seen, and the enjoy all that the Park had given us. 

Glacier National Park is our second favorite National Park to date.  It’s a long way from there to here, and it doesn’t matter how you figure out to get here anyhow…just do it.

Barbara and Brian