Glacier National Park

We rolled off the plane from Hawai'i feeling fresh. We had slept only a handful of hours between us overnight, but the excitement of being reunited with Numa and on our way to a new National Park filled our sails with the hope of new adventures. The kind of hope that only the prospect of going to the mountains can bring. Big Mountain Energy.

I gave a very dusty Numa a big awkward hug when we picked her up from the park-n-fly. We loaded our packs into the back and prepared for the long drive ahead. Being back inside an automobile was novel and we wondered at it.

Wildfire smoke plagued us as the miles lapsed by -- we didn't know what to expect once we got to Glacier. We arrived approximately 10 hours later and pulled in to the Fish Creek Campground just before sunset. There was a group of small children gathering forest objects on our picnic table and we glowered at them as we parked and they ran away.

Our site was right below a steep hill and was very private. I noticed the next campsite over had Pennsylvania plates on their RV -- PA plates had been exceedingly rare the entire summer so I was surprised to see one way out here. I went over and said hi -- they were visiting from State College.

We made dinner and ate just before last light failed, and went to sleep.

We decided to not set any alarms since we had had a long day and woke up the next morning with the sunrise. We walked over to Rocky Point from our campsite on Lake McDonald and Vitali set out to catch a fish. It was extremely smoky, and we could barely see across the narrow lake.

The fish weren't biting so we went back to camp and made lunch. We remarked how well-equipped Numa was after the deprivation of having all of our belongings inside two packs. The ease from which we could open the trunk and draw forth any number of objects meant to aid in our quest of food preparation was dazzling.

After a very satisfactory meal we decided to head up to Logan Pass via the Going-to-the-Sun-Road to check out Hidden Lake. I was looking forward to this scenic drive -- with a name like that, it had to be special.

Like Yosemite, Glacier was on a day-use reservation system (for access to the Going-to-the-Sun-Road, the only road that traverses the park) when we visited. Even with the visitation limit the park still seemed busy. People were even coming into the park before 6AM to circumvent the permit system.

We hoped we could find parking at the extremely popular pass at the odd mid-afternoon hour. It was a long and winding drive up to the pass and while we could tell there were spectacular views in all directions, they were mostly obscured by smoke. We were crestfallen.

We drove around the parking lot and eventually found someone who was leaving. We parked and then headed for the Hidden Lake trailhead, which was about as busy as Grand Central Station during rush hour.

We quickly passed hordes of people and the further we went the fewer people there were. We noticed the mountains here were not the igneous and metamorphic formations we were used to seeing, but sedimentary strata, with clearly defined layers of deposition. Exotic!

We hiked up and over and past the last crowds and Hidden Lake was revealed. It was stunning, with the pyramidal Bearhat mountain as backdrop. I was pretty disappointed I couldn't take a clearer photo.

We admired the view and had a snack. We saw a very cute Mr. Marmot who appeared to be out on important marmot business. The trail continued down to the lake but we opted to head back so we could squeeze in another hike.

Walking back was a nice surprise, as sometimes return trips are -- large glacial valleys spilled away in all directions, the smoke draped heavily across the range.

Water seemed to be flowing everywhere; spilling over this cliff, flowing through that crevice, trickling and tinkling like bells.

We made it back to the car, packed up, and started heading back down. We had to stop by a small waterfall on the side of the road though. By "we had to stop" I mean I made Vitali stop so I could take a photograph. 🤭

Roadside attraction complete, we headed back towards Apgar and parked at the trailhead to Avalanche Lake. It was already 6:00PM so we found parking easily. This was another hike I had seen everyone on the internet recommend.

The first part of the hike was on the Trail of the Cedars Nature Trail, which was a raised boardwalk through a cedar forest. The light was golden hour warm from the smoke, which was an unexpected but welcome side effect.

After a mile or so the boardwalk ended and the trail picked up along an absolutely stunning stream. Uh oh... I didn't have my tripod. I turned slowly to look at Vitali who already knew what I was going to ask. And with an exasperated sigh... he took off running. He was back in 15 minutes, having sprinted all the way to the car to grab my tripod and bring it back. New course record!

I'm not sure if any of these cascades or waterfalls were named but I documented them nonetheless. The water was a muted turquoise and the stone was a beautiful ruddy red, making for an unbelievable contrast that was a delight to photograph.

After I had delayed our adventure quite a bit by dawdling and taking photos we continued on. We followed the stream all the way up to the cirque.

A trio of rivulets cascaded down the mountains that ringed the minty hued lake. Water seemed to spring forth from nowhere and everywhere, all at once. It was stunning - and only slightly marred by the heavy smoke.

We hiked back down, running most of the way.

The sun was getting low by the time we were driving back to camp. We stopped by McDonald Falls which were remarkable.

And as we drove by Lake McDonald we realized the remaining daylight was doing very interesting things through the smoke, and we pulled over to walk to the shore and take a look. Beautiful pastel hues languidly enveloped the lake.

The next day we would have to switch campsites -- Fish Creek Campground was on the west side of the park and we were now headed to the east side, to Many Glacier Campground. I had originally booked four days at Fish Creek but as our plans evolved over the summer I had modified the reservation down to just two, and then two nights in the backcountry, to Otokomi Lake.

After Hawai'i though, we unanimously agreed carrying our stuff around in our packs was done for the summer (and I had read on alltrails that the mosquitos up there were horrific), so we endeavored to get frontcountry campsites in the park. I had missed the initial release of availability for Many Glacier but was able to book three nights in two different sites by utilizing the same strategy we had at Yosemite -- obsessively check the campground availability whenever we remembered and hoped someone would cancel.

We took our time, packed up camp, and drove through the park, out the other side, north, and then back into the park towards the Many Glacier area. The access road was under construction and had been torn up. Vitali complained loudly, and at length, of its condition.

Our new campsite was just okay -- it was right near the bathroom but also pretty close to other campsites.

The next morning we decided to get up extra early and drive back up to Logan Pass to ensure we had a parking spot so we could hike the Highline Trail. We planned to get up there at something like 4:30AM. We headed down the access road and before long was confronted with a sleepy man getting out of his car and grabbing a stop sign. He walked up and told us the road wasn't opening until 4:30AM. We looked at the clock -- it was only 3:30AM.

So we sat in the car and pitied ourselves until they unexpectedly let us pass through about 30 minutes later. We arrived at Logan Pass around 5:15AM and gathered our wits about us.

The Highline Trail is a point to point between Logan Pass and the Loop, something like 13 miles, and also a portion of the Continental Divide Trail. There's a shuttle system that can pick you up at either end but it requires tickets that were sold ahead of time. We didn't have tickets so we opted to do an out and back from Logan Pass.

Haystack Butte is about 4 miles up the trail and I had read that the views weren't quite as good past that point so it seemed like the perfect spot to turn around.

We hit the trail just behind another couple but quickly caught up and passed them in the pre-dawn light.

There is nothing that compares to being first on the trail in the early morning.

The first part of the trail hugged a steep cliffside that seemed like it was chiseled from the rock over a very precarious afternoon.

After a time the trail changed from naked rock to vegetated.

The blue hour gradually faded away and after two miles or so we got our first really dramatic glimpse of the adjacent mountains. We felt fortunate that the smoke was less dense this morning -- we could actually see detail of the mountainsides in the distance.

The trail hugged the Garden Wall in a wide sweeping arc. We made our way like ants, pulled inexorably, towards the butte in the distance.

Eventually we reached about the mid-point of the arc and a spectacular view of the peaks to the west, just as the sun was rising.

We were getting some interesting coloration in the sky from the smoke.

And so it was that the sun kissed the peaks of the mountains, and the mountains reached up and greeted the sun with a deep and abiding tenderness.

It just so happened that we reached Haystack Butte in time for the show.

We sat for awhile, admiring the quiet beauty of the dawning morning. The views in the other direction were spectacular too.

After a time we left the butte and started running back downhill and towards Logan Pass. We passed some folks who called us overachievers! We didn't disagree.

We watched the sun's progress over the mountains as we made our way and before long we were back at the trailhead.

Even though it was nearly 8AM by the time we got back we still had lovely golden hour light -- the smoke was extending this window which was a great boon.

These fuzzy guys are western pasqueflowers. They remind me of the trees from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.

Back at Logan Pass, it was a shitshow. People were everywhere, jockeying over parking spots, milling about, seemingly unsure about who or where they were. We had a guy approach us asking for our parking spot and we chatted with him for a few minutes about our travels while we waited for the park store to open.

We picked up our stamp, sticker, and coin, and then packed up Numa and departed. We stopped at Lunch Creek and I watched a dude take a nasty fall on the smooth wet rocks near the water. He nearly hit his head but arrested himself in time.

We continued on and then stopped at one of the turnouts and admired the view. The trees and meadows in the valley below gave a great sense of scale to the scene.

There was also a roadside waterfall at one of the pullouts. The sun was hitting just right.

Far in the distance was another waterfall.

We continued east and tried to stop at the Saint Mary Falls trailhead. It was full, so we stopped at Sunrise Gorge instead and endeavored to try again at Saint Mary shortly. Sunrise Gorge was a very narrow canyon with colorful rocks in the stream water which was probably the least exciting thing we saw in the park.

We followed the trail under the road and hiked down a short way to Baring Falls. The trail traveled through recently burned forest filled with fireweed, and much to our chagrin it was starting to get hot.

Baring Falls - another beautiful chance composition of rock, water, and vegetation.

After hiking back we drove down the road to see if the Saint Mary parking lot had opened up. We found a parking spot at a turnout a little ways down that worked just fine.

This hike was fairly busy, now that it was nearly 11:00AM and people were starting to get going for the day. We passed quite a few families with young children, all who looked like they were suffering miserably.

Saint Mary Falls was mobbed -- it was only a mile from the road. Virginia was another 1.2 miles beyond that, so the crowd thinned out substantially after we left and continued on towards the second waterfall. They didn't know what they were missing!

Virginia Falls was beautiful, and once again, the sun was hitting it just right. I generally look at a map before we go to make sure we have the general orientation of the sun in the right place for photographs -- but I don't evaluate much further than that. The sun being here to illuminate the apex of the fall -- wonderful luck.

On the way up we had passed multiple interesting cascades but I prefer to go up without stopping and then photograph on the way down. And so we slowly made our way back down from Virginia Falls, stopping to photograph along the way.

Vitali was getting a little hangry but I was not deterred. I continued on snapping while he huffed about.

But I couldn't stop, you see. I was deep in the throes of waterfall fever. Just...

One...

More...

Shot!

Vitali was getting progressively angrier the more photos I took. Just when I thought he might abandon me in the forest the trail separated from the creek. Much to his relief we set back towards the trailhead in earnest, and then to camp. I can report that after eating and drinking water, Vitali was feeling much better.

We decided to hike to Grinnell Glacier the next morning, the trailhead being right down the road from our campsite. The only hiccup being we weren't sure if we wanted to pack up our camp before or after, since we had to move to a new campsite for our last night. By pure chance, I was able to book the first two nights in Many Glacier in the same campsite, with separate cancellations!

And so we packed up in the pre-dawn darkness and headed over to the trailhead.

We were once again, the first people on the trail. We passed a solo dude sitting on a bench just past the trailhead and he got up and followed us once we passed. I suppose he was waiting for a group to avoid being eaten by grizzlies.

We first passed Swiftcurrent Lake, and then Lake Josephine, all the while gradually gaining altitude.

Once we got our first view of Grinnell Lake, the trail started to steepen.

After a ways the trail crossed a waterfall, which was unique.

As we approached the cirque we got gradually better views of the mountains surrounding and some spectacular geology.

The guy that had followed us the entire time took off ahead of us at this point and after a very steep final climb, we topped out! Laid out below was a vast aqua lake. What a color! I've never seen any body of water this particular shade of blue.

Grinnell Glacier was depressingly small. Very sad chunks of ice floated around the lake, affirming the reality of climate change. I could only be thankful that I came and saw these glaciers before they are gone forever.

There was also a spectacular waterfall (how many times can I say spectacular before it loses meaning?) It was Spectacular. Like a window into an ancient and wild north.

After 45 minutes or so the next people made it up, and we talked to them for a bit. Vitali even did a pano of the father-daughter pair, having them move into the other side of the frame so they appeared twice. They got a huge kick out of that.

We found a ziploc bag that said Open Me on the ground. Inside was a photograph of a man and a letter he had written. He had multiple sclerosis that had slowly robbed him of his livelihood. His letter asked us to take a selfie where the letter was found and to send it to him, and to take the letter to beautiful places, so he could travel vicariously through others as his life came to a close. We sobbed.

The sun was getting high already but it was still veiled -- the smoke was thick again. We started to head back.

A little ways down we saw a group of dudes off of the trail, observing the local wildlife. They were way too close, and we watched this big guy approach the foremost dude, who quickly pulled out his bear spray. What an asshole. The dudes ran away.

Our progress downhill was slow. The trail was narrow in places and required stopping and waiting for others to pass -- and it was starting to get busy.

The sun was reflecting off Grinnell Lake in a very spectacular fashion -- a metallic reflection on top of the turquoise water, like watching a shimmering copper sheet travel through time.

We got stuck up on a rock for a little bit waiting for the crowd to pass, so we admired the sick sedimentary strata.

And so we retraced our steps and the lakes, in reverse, eventually coming back upon Swiftcurrent Lake, and the Many Glacier Lodge, which we didn't see on the way out. It sure looked nice!

We drove over to the lodge after we got back to the trailhead because I was curious what the view was like. I saw on the park brochure the view below, and had to see it for myself.

Unfortunately the smoke took a little bit away from the majesty of it, but it was still impressive.

We headed over to our new campsite and set up and then walked over to the camper store and bought some snacks. We relaxed for a bit and then headed over to do one last hike.

I was determined to visit Apikuni Falls before we left. I thought we could squeeze it in in the afternoon instead of having to do it the next morning, when we were slated to drive another very long distance to get to the next park.

We were a bit tired from the 11 miles we had done earlier but placed 7th overall for the climb without even trying! It was short and sweet (and steep).

Unfortunately... the waterfall was not very exciting, being mostly obscured by the surrounding terrain. Oh well, they can't all be spectacular!

The hike back had some nice views in the late afternoon sun.

Numa said she was done for the day so we headed back to camp.

We packed up and left early the next morning -- we only had 560 miles to drive to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

We passed Mr. Bear on the way out, who was out on urgent bear business. Looks like he needed to use the restroom.

Overall we thought Glacier was another spectacular mountain park, right up there with Mount Rainier. We did miss the Two Medicine area of the park, and we were pretty disappointed that the smoke cast its pall over our visit. We also forgot to take a picture of ourselves with the park sign. All three excellent reasons for us to visit again in the future.