Glacier NP

The 1520 mile trip through 5 states to Glacier National Park went well. Stops were made for gas or lunch or overnight at Wisconsin Dells, Menominee WI, Avon MN, Moorhead MN, Fargo ND, Dickinson ND, Malta MT, Chester MT, Shelby MT and Hungry Horse MT among others. We crossed countless rivers, including the Mississippi, Saint Croix, Red, Missouri and Yellowstone. The only tough day was Saturday as we crossed ND and fought a 25 mph head wind; had to stop twice for gas as the truck was only giving us 8 mpg under those wind conditions and the AC running.

 

We did make a quick stop at Theodore Roosevelt NP in ND and snapped a shot of Painted Canyon. And the hotel we stayed at in Malta, MT had a sign from the 1960's that we couldn't resist photographing. Dickinson had a great dinosaur museum which we toured. Ronna took some pictures there but I don't have copies of those yet to post.

 

Arriving at Glacier Campground on Labor Day we set up camp, had a great dinner at the Glacier Grill in Hungry Horse and hit the hay.

On Tuesday we did the Red Bus Crown of the Continent tour. This 9 hour drive in a vintage, 17 passenger bus, started at Apgar Transit Center at the west end of the park and followed Going to the Sun Road to Many Glacier Hotel at the east end of the park and back. Stops were made at various points along the way including McDonald Lake Lodge, Logan Pass Visitor Center and Many Glacier Hotel where we had lunch. These convertible coaches were built by the White Motor Company between 1936 and 1939 and the canvas roof can be rolled back to allow a great view during the ride. Heavy wool blankets are available if the weather chills, which it did for us. We had an overcast day with intermittent rain, so the top was on, then off, then on, then off ……. But I did manage a few pictures when the driver stopped for a photo opportunity and we did get a quick look at a black bear feeding on berries near the road. He didn’t stick around long and I couldn’t get a photo. 

If you haven’t traveled the 52 mile Going to the Sun Road you might want to consider putting it on your bucket list. The experience of being on the side of a mountain with high and wide vistas is dizzying and exhilarating. Check out Youtube for clips of this famous roadway.

We got back to Apgar Transit Center at 530pm, ate dinner at the West Glacier Café and called it a day. Below are some pics from our trip to Glacier and from the Red Bus tour.

 

 

 

Wednesday turned out to be a beautiful day, sunny and warm. We wanted to hike Hidden Lake tail and that meant driving up to Logan Pass. The vehicle size limit on Going to the Sun Road is 10 feet high, 8 feet wide, and 21 feet long. My truck is 8 feet wide, and 20 feet 10 inches long. I have to admit there was some “white knuckle” driving. Scattered here and there were the plastic remnants of tail lights and side view mirrors.  I even removed my tie-downs to gain an extra inch or two. But we made it up and back without a scratch.

 

Before we started out we stopped at Glacier Café and picked up sack lunches to take with us. Of course there were stops along the way for picture taking and we didn’t get to Logan pass till almost 1pm. Hiking the Hidden Lake trail we caught a glimpse of 2 Mountain Goats and a female Bighorn sheep. The overview at Hidden Lake is just beautiful as is the alpine meadows. Everywhere you turn is another beautiful picture. 

On our return to the west side of the park we stopped at Eddies in Apgar Village for dinner, sorry to say I can’t recommend the place. Wednesday's movie was Charlie Chan at the Circus.

 

Here are Wednesday's pics:

 

 

Thursday we decided to take the Camas Road to the Outside North Fork Road up to Polebridge and then on to Bowman Lake. The road to Polebridge isn’t all that bad as it’s paved for more than half the way and because we had rain early in the morning there wasn’t any dust. But the truck had a half inch of mud on the runners by the time we arrived. The drive also allowed us to photograph 2 Mule Deer bucks along the way.

We thought we would have lunch at the Northern Lights Saloon but found they didn’t open till 4pm. Lucky that Polebridge Mercantile is well known for its baked goods and we dined on a turkey, cranberry and cream cheese pasty, with a huckleberry fruit fritter for desert.

Now the road to Bowman Lake is another story; 6 miles of pot holed, gravel, narrow, winding, steep road. It’s only about 1 and a half lanes wide and passing oncoming vehicles is a challenge. Lucky that every time we met we were at, or near, a spot we could pull over a bit. But I have to say that all the drivers we met on this road were very courteous and tried their best to make room for us. As you can see from the picture, Bowman Lake is just beautiful. But that 6 miles took almost 45 minutes to drive.

Back at West Glacier we dined at Belton Chalet. Not someplace I would eat on a regular basis due to its expensive menu, but the food and the service is top notch. I couldn’t resist ordering the Elk. Thursday's movie was To Have and Have Not, with Bogie and Bacall.

Here are Thursday's pics:

 

 

Friday was a hike on the Trail of Cedars and to Avalanche Lake. Again, wonderful scenery; you just can’t take a bad picture at this park! We had an early dinner at West Glacier Café and then drove along Camas Road at dusk, hoping for a few more wildlife shots. Saw a few Mule Deer but not the bears we were looking for. Friday's movie was Bogie and Bacall with Edward G in Key Largo.

 

Friday's pics:

 

 

On Saturday I took Ronna to Glacier International for her flight back to Chicago and I spent the rest of the day getting ready for my morning departure to the KOA in Townsend MT. I should be in Yellowstone on Monday morning. Saturday's movie was Bogie and Bacall again in Dark Passage. 

 

Have to say that Verizon is paying off. My hot spot has worked at everyplace we stayed!

Hope this update finds everyone happy and healthy!