Easin' Along | Easin' Along

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On June 23rd, Helen and I were supposed to be camping beside Lake Louise in Canada’s Banff National Park. We made reservations last summer, but the border never opened due to COVID. Helen and I wanted to visit Lake Louise very much, so we agreed to give it another try this summer. On April 21st of this year, Parks Canada opened reservations at 8:00 am EST. I signed into their website at 8:00.01 that morning and was already number 39,525 in the queue. Five hours later, I had reservations for Lake Louise Campground.

The Canadian government planned to allow US citizens to cross on June 21 but later postponed the opening to July 21. As a result, we had to forgo a second attempt at camping in Canada.

Our mission now was to get from Whidbey Island, Washington, to the eastern entrance of Glacier National Park near St. Mary, Montana. We accomplished the task with three one-night stops in Moses Lake, WA, Moyie Springs, ID, and Kalispell, MT. We arrived at the KOA in St. Mary very road-weary.

Helen made her usual rounds through the campground, meeting people and getting the scoop on places to see and things to do. She received some bad news. We had explored the western side of Glacier the previous summer and looked forward to viewing the Glaciers of Glacier National Park on the eastern side, which closed in 2020. The bad news was that the Park Service required every visitor to obtain a pass to drive through the east entrance and travel Going to the Sun Road to the Visitor Center near the center of the Park. No car passes were available for the next two days, and only 165 would go on sale then. After a similar experience at Yosemite National Park, and now this, I was ready to peel the “National Park Geek” sticker off of Ruby and never again visit any of America’s treasures. Thankfully, calmer heads prevailed.

Although we tried to secure access through the east entrance every day, we had no luck until our next to last day there. All passes would sell out within 30 minutes every morning. After some checking around, Helen learned that some of the entrances to Glacier, besides the east gate, did not require a pass. We took advantage of every opportunity and had some delightful outings and hiking experiences in a portion of our country that’s so beautiful it defies description. Helen booked us a tour boat excursion on Two Medicine Lake. We spotted a moose partially hidden in the willows on the shore of the lake near Red Rock Falls.

We hiked to Red Rock, Running Eagle, and Baring waterfalls on three different days. The weather was as beautiful as the waterfalls. We also had a stunning view of Many Glacier and the calm waters near the observation point where we parked. On our first trip to Many Glacier, a Grizzly Bear came out to greet us. He had little to no interest in making small talk and wandered away. Park Rangers were nearby to monitor his behavior.

After finally securing vehicle passes for Going to the Sun Road, we packed up early on our last full day and drove slowly to the Visitor Center. Waterfalls, mountain peaks, and crystal clear lakes filled our view from every vantage point in that part of the Park. The lake surfaces reflected the scenery above them and gave my camera a workout.

The plan for the day was to hike to Hidden Lake, just beyond the Visitor Center. We attempted to take this hike last summer, but the trail was closed. The Grizzly Bears were chasing Mountain Goats as a main course for brunch. This year, Park Rangers denied us the opportunity once again. A Momma Grizzly and her two cubs were hanging out on the trail, and no one wants to mess with a Momma Grizzly. We hiked to some lookouts near the Visitor Center instead.

Our luck was not all bad. Walking back to the Visitor Center, I looked up to a cliff overhead as a Mountain Goat came into view. He lingered long enough for me to take several pictures before scampering off without missing a step on the rocks of the cliff.

A few minutes after he disappeared, a herd of Big Horn Sheep walked down a mountain slope across the trail from me. These fellows were quite handsome. I walked right up to them to take pictures. By the time they reached the roadside, they had attracted lots of attention from Park visitors but did not seem to mind. After at least thirty minutes of grazing, they slowly walked back up the slope out of view.

Big Horn Sheep beside Going to the Sun Road – Glacier National Park

Although we encountered a few challenges on this visit to Glacier, I still consider our time there extremely rewarding. The beauty of the Park is jaw-dropping, the clear air is refreshing, and wildlife viewing is there for the taking. You have to see this one…we’re Easin’ Along.