Destination: Glacier National Park, Montana (1 of 3)
July 30th– July 31st
The drive from Idaho across the Montana border towards Glacier National Park was spectacular. Most of the drive was on a two lane country road with a speed limit of 70mph (apparently, Montana didn’t actually post speed limits until recently after pressure from the federal government.) We drove through national forest and stopped to picnic next to a river that was popular with fly fishermen. We stopped off for a short hike that took us to a view of impressive waterfalls and a suspension bridge. We stocked up on groceries and gas in Kalispell. By the time we reached West Glacier, one of the gateway towns to Glacier National Park, we had had a full day of sightseeing without even expecting it.
We had half forgotten it was Saturday and by the time we arrived in the late afternoon, all of the park campgrounds were full. We found a cozy private campground in West Glacier with hot showers, laundry and live music at the café. I convinced Fabien to stay two nights there while we got our feel for the park.
The weather was warm and sunny and we were back in the outdoor rhythm. Our first stop the next morning was at the Backcountry Office to see about getting a permit to do some backpacking in the Glacier backcountry. Demand was high and the late snow melt-off was flooding some of the trails, so our choice was limited. A ranger recommended that we do a one-night trek in the Polebridge area in the north of the park. We followed his advice. After we were issued a permit for the next day, we had to watch a disturbing/yet-entertaining video about what to do in case of a bear attack- Glacier is home to both black and grizzly bears. We left the office on high alert for bears and started our visit of the park.
We drove down to the Apgar Visitor Center and village situated next to the enormous, beautiful lake McDonald. There were some spectacular views from the shore, but it felt like a zoo, crowded with tourists. We caught the park shuttle that followed the famous “Going-to-the-Sun Road” to Avalanche Creek. There was a small interpretive trail at the shuttle stop and then a longer trail up to Avalanche Lake. It was a popular, crowded trail, but very scenic. The first part followed the raging creek before breaking off into forest. The lake was in a magical setting, surrounding by mountains with waterfalls fed by glaciers running off in every direction. We found a solitary piece of beach and had our lunch. We ended up helping a lady fix her hiking boot- the sole had come loose while she was hiking, so we helped her cut a piece of string from her pack to the sole back on. We hiked back and caught the shuttle to the Lake Mcdonald Lodge where we had an ice cream by the lake. On the way back to our campground, we stopped off an outdoor shop to by a new filter for our water purifier (a necessity for backpacking) and ran into the lady from the hike buying new boots. We took it easy that evening in anticipation of the 10-mile hike the next morning.
Posted from Custer State Park, South Dakota
Tags: BIG TRIP 2011, In English 2005-2006, Montana
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