Author: Easin' Along

For those who might not know, the main road through Glacier National Park from the western entrance is Going To The Sun Road. This scenic highway will take visitors from one side of the Park to the opposite side–in a typical year. This year the road was closed at the boundary to the Blackfeet Reservation, which is about 12 miles from Logan’s Pass.

On our last day in Glacier, Helen and I decided we needed to see as much of the highway as possible and do some hiking. Once again, we rose at 6:00 am and passed through the west entrance loaded with coffee and other breakfast essentials. The plan was to make it to Logan’s Pass Visitor Center and hike one of the trails adjacent to the Center known for the wildflowers and wildlife. The day started a bit overcast, but we were optimistic that good weather would prevail.

At one of the overlooks, I stopped to take pictures of the canyon below. As I have said before, Glacier is a work of art. The gorges and the waterfalls all along Going To The Sun made for one spectacular drive. As we neared the parking lot for the Visitor Center, a Marmot came out to greet us.

A sign, posted at the entrance to the Center, said that the trail we intended to hike was closed. I walked to a Park Ranger and asked her what was up. She explained that some Grizzly Bears were chasing Mountain Goats in the area and had not left. That was good enough for us. The Grizzlies might miss a Mountain Goat, but, sure as hell, they would find me. We looked for an alternative hike. Before we left the Center, I took a picture of the mountains in the distance. In this picture, a Mountain Goat (spared from the Grizzly lunch menu) walks above the snow line as a fuzzy white dot. A gentleman from New Mexico with binoculars pointed him out to me.

 

Helen asked the Ranger for hiking suggestions. She told us to go to the last open mile of Going To The Sun Road and hike the trail to St. Mary’s Falls and, if we were feeling frisky, continue to Virginia Falls. I checked my frisky meter and discovered I was up for it, even though the hike was a six-mile round trip.

 

The first thing noticeable about the trail was the Fireweed and the other wildflowers I cannot name. Please comment if you are familiar with any of them. I also ask for help in identifying birds. St. Mary’s Falls and the area downstream to the lake featured water as blue as a gleaming Topaz. The crowd around the Falls was as dense as any we encountered all week. I saw no masks, and certainly no social distancing, so we side-stepped everyone and continued to Virginia Falls.

Halfway to Virginia Falls, we met a Mule Deer feasting on Huckleberries. A large group of hikers waited patiently until he had his fill. Finally, the deer licked his chops and moved on. After my Huckleberry Bear Claw experience, I understand this deer’s cravings.

 

Our hike to Virginia Falls proved rewarding. Water cascades over a rock wall for probably 125 feet, and the force of the water splashing on the rocky surface below, sent a cooling spray over us. We asked a young lady to take our picture.

What a day! What a week! Our entire visit to Glacier was an unforgettable chapter in this journey through the northwest. I probably took over 1000 pictures during our stay here and have posted a few of my favorites in a Gallery. Click here for the Gallery and click on any image to enlarge or start a slide show.

 

We’ve moved on from Glacier with the intent to return and continue Easin’ Along Going To The Sun Road. If this section is a preview, we need to see what happens when we get to the Sun. Thanks for Easin’ Along with us.

As we drove away from Logan’s Pass, we spotted these Bighorn Sheep above the road. I took this picture through the windshield.

My sister, LeAnn, and her husband, Marty, are RVers. They left their home in Florida about one month ahead of us to park their motorhome in Washington State, where they own a lot alongside a lovely mountain lake. LeAnn visited Glacier National Park told us that they experienced long lines of cars at the entrance to the Park and that we should plan on arriving early.

We don’t do early very well. We tend to move at Glacier speed in the morning (pardon the pun), but we set the alarm for 6:00 and made it to the gate before 7:00 and drove right in with a thermos filled with hot coffee.

On the northwestern edge of the Park, Bowman Lake, a 45-minute drive from the west gate, was the destination. Our friends, Sally and Bill, had spent a summer there as campground hosts, and we felt we should check it out for them. We arrived as the sun was rising above the mountains. The water was as still as a glass surface, and we were the only visitors at the lake. We walked around on the shoreline, and, eventually, a few kayakers arrived to paddle the still waters.

Also, coming at about the same time were mosquitoes as big as butterflies. I couldn’t shake them and didn’t want to wear bug spray for the rest of the day so, we left the shoreline to walk the campground for Sally and Bill. There were only a handful of campers. Bowman Lake Campground is a primitive site with no utilities, and I tip my cap to our friends for “roughing it” an entire season. Helen and I are committed “glampers” and wouldn’t last two nights here.

As we were leaving, we noticed a family of four seated at a picnic table eating large, delicious-looking pastries. Helen asked about them and learned that these delectables were Huckleberry Bear Claws, a specialty of a general store we passed earlier. I had to have one to accompany my thermos coffee, so we drove quickly to Polebridge Mercantile and stood in line with about twenty customers with the same idea. We bought four and, after eating the first one, wished we had purchased a dozen. Without a doubt, the best pastry I have ever had.

We needed to walk off the bear claws and drove toward the Rocky Point trailhead near McDonald Lake, stopping several times to photograph dramatic Glacier scenery. Rocky Point Trail is a two-mile loop from the parking lot out to a bluff above McDonald Lake. Across the lake, mountain peaks stand majestically, framing our view. Once again, the weather was perfect, and the skies were bright blue. We passed several patches of huckleberry bushes and evidence of bears that had stopped to sample the berries. After my bear claw experience, I completely understood the affinity for huckleberries. They are delicious.

By getting an early start, we completed our hike and returned to Lucy in the early afternoon. We agreed that we should leave early the next day and hike the seven-mile round trip to Avalanche Lake, one of the more popular trails in the Park. With plans made, it was time for lunch and a nap. Did I mention we’re not early risers?

I hope you will join us at Avalanche Lake…it’s beautiful. For now, it’s time to be Easin’ Along.