Friday, July 14th – Thursday, July 20th
Crooked Tree RV Park,
Hungry Horse, Montana
As we headed north towards Glacier N.P. we again took some
back roads that we had not traveled. The drive along Highway 3 passed by the St. Joe
National Forest and also along the Coeur d’Alene River, before reaching
Interstate 90. This was such a long drive that we needed to do a one night
stopover at our favorite flop, Walmart. We found one in the small town of
Smelterville Idaho along the interstate. The next day we crossed into Montana,
then headed north to Glacier. Along the way we passed by Flathead Lake, WOW this
is a huge, beautiful lake in an amazing valley that we didn’t expect to see.
Ultimately, we made it to Hungry Horse and got settled in the campground. This
RV park is only 3 miles from the west entrance to Glacier N.P.
That afternoon we drove into the Park to the Visitor Center
to get maps and speak with a Ranger about hikes. This is a vast park with
numerous hikes and scenic drives. We were strongly advised regarding grizzly
bear activity, as huckleberries were in season and the bears were out with
their cubs to feed. We then drove the park highway for a few miles to get our
first glimpse of the lakes and mountains, they were spectacular!
The next day, we hiked the Avalanche Trail, which was a rugged
climb along Avalanche Creek, up to an alpine lake. The views were amazing of
mountain peaks and several waterfalls from the melting snowfields.
Another day we drove the 50 mile Going-to-the-Sun road to
the far end at St. Mary, east entrance. This mountain road was built in the
1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This 50 mile, spectacular
highway bisects the Park and hugs the cliffs below the Continental Divide. Most
of the road is narrow as it climbs the mountainside and also has rock guard
rails in many places where needed. On the return trip we stopped at Logan Pass
Visitor Center to hike the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail. There was no parking
available at the center, so we had to park about a mile down the road at an
overlook and hike back to the trailhead at the Center. This trail is only 1.4
miles with a 500 foot gain, not a tough hiking trail. After about ¼ mile, we
found snow covering the trail. I had not brought my hiking poles as it seemed
to be an easy trail. I never made it to the overlook as the snow was melting
and very slippery. I along with others, were falling on the slippery snow. After
about a mile, I headed back to the trailhead to wait for Kurt. This is another
aggravating issue with the National Parks trail descriptions. They should have
advised hikers of snow on the trail, which would help those who have limited
hiking skills to not go on the trail or be prepared. I am a very experienced
hiker and had to turn back. If the trail conditions had been divulged, I would
have taken my hiking poles and been able to make it all the way… uuggghh. At
least I had the pictures that Kurt had taken to see what I missed. Too bad!
There are mountain biking trails in a nearby town of
Whitefish. We rode the trails there and really enjoyed the well designed and maintained
single tracks. We took turns riding, as we had taken the dogs with us. Kody was
not feeling well and we didn’t want to leave them alone in the RV. Also, we had
to carry bear spray with us as there had been some reported bear activity in
the area (we only had one bear spray can). We never saw any indication of bears…
The Flathead River flowed right through the area and Kurt
wanted to kayak the river. He found put in and take out boat ramps, so I
dropped him off and picked him up. The river was flowing fast and he really
enjoyed the great paddle on such a crystal clear river.
The last day in the area, Kurt went back into Glacier and
rode the hiker’s shuttle back to Logan Pass. He then hiked the 14 mile Highline
Trail carved into the mountain side. There is a spur trail that goes up to Granite
Peak Chalet, a historic lodge for hikers. At the end of the trail, he was able
to take the shuttle back to the Visitor Center where the truck was parked. The
views along the trail are stunning and the pictures were great. Kurt loves to
do these long trails, I really don’t enjoy them so much. Kurt carried his bear
spray, but never saw a bear. During our time in Glacier; we, nor anyone else we
asked, had seen one bear. Kurt had used his binoculars to scan so many valleys
and lakes, never saw any bears. We felt that the rangers have really overblown
the bear threat. We understand that bears could be anywhere and one must be
prepared, but some trails were closed because of this “threat”.
Overall, we truly enjoyed Glacier National Park and its amazing
topography, carved by glaciers. This landscape is so different from any other
N.P. that we have visited. The traffic is so well managed there, the only
exception is parking at Logan Pass is limited. It is truly one of God’s
creations and we humans can marvel at the stunning beauty. This is definitely one
of our top favorite National Parks, the “Crown of the Continent”.
