GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

September 4th to 6th, 2009

It was late when we left Spokane so we spent the night at a rest area in Idaho about 25 miles away.

                                 

There was a nice hiking/biking trail that  ran behind the rest area.  We took a short walk when we arrived and I biked a ways in the morning.                                                  The views as we continued were great.

                               

We were 4 days late arriving at the Canyon RV Campground near Hungry Horse, MT where we met friends Ron and Anita Adamson.  Hungry Horse is a small town just 10 miles from Glacier National Park.  It got it's name when two freight horses wandered away from their sleigh in the winter of 1900 -1901 and weren't found until a month later in belly deep snow nearly starved to death.  They had to be fed and cared for before recovering enough to be led back to safety.    A mountain, lake, creek and later a Dam were also named after them.   Steve and Patty Porter whom we know from Yuma, work as camp hosts there.  It was a pretty park.

                               

Steve is a square dance caller and Patty is a round dance cuer in Yuma.  when we arrived there were enough for a square so we were gently eased into dancing....we hadn't danced since we left Yuma in April.

                                

                                  

                                 

 

The plan was to visit Glacier and than some other National Parks on our way to Yuma, AZ.  We spend the winter at Cactus Gardens RV Park in the Foothills there.  Because of our delay in Spokane getting the radiator and changing weather we spent only one day in Glacier.... driving the 50 miles, Going To The Sun road through the Park.  It was a beautiful drive even though the weather was not as bright as we would have liked.  The weather looked to be heading downhill so we decided we would just do the one day before heading south.

                                                  

WATERTON - GLACIER International Peace Park World Heritage Site started out as Waterton Lakes National Park established in Alberta, Canada in 1895 and Glacier in Montana, U.S.A. in 1910.  In 1932 the two parks became the world's first International Peace Park.  This area of the Rocky Mountain West has been and is sacred to the Blackfeet, Salish, and Kootenai peoples.  We should all  be grateful  for the foresight of those who had a part in preserving this area for us to enjoy today.  I praise God for his awesome creation!

 

                                    

We stopped at the Visitor Center to check out our the information there.  The topography map was helpful.

An interesting feature in the Park is Triple Divide Peak.  Rain falling  less than 6 inches apart on the summit will end up in either the Columbia, the Mississippi, or the Saskatchewan Rivers.

                                                     

 

The road takes you past lakeside forests, alpine meadows with glacier views and than to the prairie. Spectacular is the best word to describe this 51 mile drive.  We drove West to East and had quite a bit of fog.

                                       

                                    

                              We stopped to walk....... and take pictures....... and look at the smaller beauty.....

                                    

                       There were tunnels and construction  and even a number of bicycle riders on the steep road.

                        

                                        

                             Logan's Pass had a nice visitor center.  There were a lot of other visitors there.

                                      

                             Marmots welcomed us....some from a distance and others  close up.       

                                                      

                                                        Wild flowers added color......

 

                    

              Two minutes after this picture was taken the fog rolled in so we gave up our plans to take a walk.

                                   

                                                  

                                                   At Many Glaciers we find an artist at work.........

 

                                                     

                                             Less than 30 of the original 150 glaciers are left.

                                                   

                                There were many creeks and falls throughout the drive........

                                    

                                 

                                    

Because the fog continued we decided to return by way of Highway 2 around the south edge of the Park.  At  East Glacier we stopped for a look at Glacier Lodge built in 1913 and containing 60 Douglas Fir columns 40 feet tall and 36" to 42" in diameter.  It was really something worth seeing.

                                    

                                    

                                   There were some cute things to see at the East Entrance.

                                                         

 

At Marias Pass we stopped to view Memorial Square .... where Theodore Roosevelt is honored on land donated by William H. "Slippery Bill" Morrison a mountain man also honored as well as John S. Stevens railroad engineer who planned the route over Marias Pass for Great Northern Railroad.

                                                  

 

Back at West Glacier entrance we finished the day off with ice cream treats.   We were all reasonable with our treats except for Hoyt.     He had a  Huckleberry Mud Pie, intended to be shared.  He managed the WHOLE thing on his own!

                            

                              

                                                            A good, and tasty  way to end a great day!