With the hard work done, God created a place to play. He didn’t just build a playground; He created a masterpiece, and we named it Glacier National Park. We loved Yellowstone and came away fascinated by the chromatic pools, thermals, geysers, and wildlife encounters. However, nothing compares to Glacier National Park and the spectacular beauty of the mountains and streams.
In a series of posts, I will share our visit there. The volume of pictures on my hard drive is too large to publish in one post so, I plan to break it up into three posts centered around the six hikes we took during our stay. Additionally, I am experiencing computer issues and don’t have the patience to work my way through a long post so, readers will get the abridged version.
Our base of operations, Mountain Meadow RV Park in Hungry Horse, Montana, conveniently located nine miles from the park’s entrance, made travel to and fro very easy. My sister, LeAnn, visited Glacier earlier in the month and sent word that the lines to enter the park were long because only one entrance was open and that we should go early in the day. Appropriately for a trip to Glacier National Park, Helen and I usually move at Glacier speed in the a.m.. Still, we broke one of our retirement pledges by setting an alarm for 6:30 on three mornings (applause line), filled our thermos with coffee, and passed through the gates with no lines. Thankfully, we beat the crowds to the trailheads every day. On our first day in the park, we hiked John’s Lake Loop then, on to and McDonald Falls.
John’s Lake Loop, a one-mile trail, served as a warmup. This trail took us through a thick forest with a thick moss carpet for a floor. We arrived at the lake as the sun was coming up over the mountains and I captured the picture above. I love the image of the distant peak reflected in the water.
We felt good after completing the loop, so we decided to make the three-mile round trip to McDonald Falls. The trail followed McDonald Creek to the waterfall and began at an area known as the Sacred Dancing Cascade. The water in the creek is almost iridescent blue and as clear as tap water. Helen got a great look at the stream while walking ahead of me.
For unexplained reasons, the trail below the falls was closed, and the best picture I could get was from the overlook along the road. Be assured that the falls were better than the picture.
We hope you enjoy the first post from Glacier and will come back for more. There is so much to see, and this is just a sample of a masterpiece created by the Almighty.
For now, we’re Easin’ Along.
Good Morning! Love y‘all’s trips. Thanks for taking me along. Glacier looks like a splendid place. Are you wearing sweaters, too? So it’s a bit chilly? Water, waterfalls, forests, trees, skies, and mountains….does it get better? Enjoy and thanks!
Good morning, Nancy,
Thanks for joining us. We’ve enjoyed perfect weather. Almost every morning begins with temperatures in the 40’s before warming up into the 70’s. Glacier is one beautiful place and we plan to come back.
Joe, places like this do make you feel a little closer to heaven, don’t they? I’m glad you set an alarm and avoided the crowds. Looks like you have it all to yourselves.
Hi, Suzanne,
Heaven indeed! One of the side-effects of this plague has been small crowds in the National Parks. Wit no international travelers and no tour busses, we have been able to get around quite easily. On the days we arrived early, we met few people on the hiking trails…and kept the bear spray close at hand! Great to hear from you. Joe
Beautiful country indeed!
Hello, Ingrid,
I thought nothing could top Yellowstone, but I was wrong. Glacier is stunning! I hope all is well with you and Al. I read that AZ is boiling hot. Enjoy Wisconsin and stay safe up there. Joe
Love the wildness of Glacier NP. Backpacked there in 1979 and have glamped there a couple of times. Glad your having a wonderful experience. Safe travels.
Hello Donald,
An incredible experience indeed. I’m certain the backpacking adventure left you with some great memories. I would have loved that opportunity in my younger days. I’m definitely a “glamper” now! Stay safe out there. Joe
Fantastic photos..as usual. Steph and I look forward to seeing your next hike.
Good afternoon, Dynamo,
Please come back–the better ones are yet to come. Stay safe down there. Joe
What an awesome trip, Joe and Helen. I can’t wait to read more. Your opening photo is especially provocative. I starred at it for a long time trying to decide if it was a sketch, a painting or a photograph. I still haven’t decided.
I’m sorry to hear about your computer struggles, but I am pleased that you sent us this update. I’ve been wondering how your trip has been going.
Also, what kind of hiking boots did Helen finally decide on? I couldn’t tell in the photos.
Hello, Donna,
Our trip has been an unbelievable journey. Please stay with us and we’ll roll it out eventually. The opening photo is a photo, but my camera has some built-in filters that I love to use when shooting landscapes. At this point, we are in Coos Bay, OR on the coast. It is so very beautiful and the chilly temps have us in sweats and seated in front of a campfire. Lovin’ it! Helen found a pair of Merrills that have served her well. We’re not hiking every day like you and Richard, but we’re hiking a lot. Thanks for checking in and please stay in touch. Joe
Wow, Joe, Glacier NP is at the top of our list once we get moved up to Spokane. Your pictures are glorious and prove exactly why I want to see this place. Wonderful!
Terri,
Hook up that JayFlight and go! Glacier is just stunning and you and you camera would be right at home there. Hope the move is going well. We passed near Spokane on our way to Mt. Rainier and will be coming back next year. Maybe we can hoist a glass together then. Stay in touch. Joe
Such a beautiful place! Looking forward to additional photos (that first one was awesome!) and hearing about your hikes.
Hi, Addy,
Thanks for the kind words. Glacier National Park is an awesome place. Thanks for stopping by and please come back. We have more hikes to share. Joe