We left Kalispell in our rear view mirror around 4;45 AM. On to the main event: Glacier National Park (oops sorry Charlie and Alyssa your wedding is indeed the main event, Glacier is the warm up band!)
We know nothing, we are not hikers: backpacks, sticks, gear, yabba dabba dooooo goes over our pay grade, but the opportunity to hike in such a crown jewel is not lost on us. So our goals are commensurate, see as much as we can without being airlifted out from the back country.
First up, a grand plan to see the sunrise from Apgar Village. Alas this is a brilliant spot for sunset sightings – don’t laugh – roooookies! But we were up early so away we went. (Insert Picture) First stop Avalanche Lake Trail.
Quick note – I’m struggling to upload pictures but I promise a swath of them once I solve the hiccup. In the meantime I’m adding Insert Picture so my brain does not forget.
Avalanche Lake Trail has some elevation through the forest and then you end up at a lake. Close to 5 miles round trip. It was a great first start. Early bird gets the worm, less hikers on the way up, more on the way back. Did they lolly gag and have coffee? Pfiffff!!
On this maiden voyage, we learned lots of things. bears and the need for bear spray is real, water is your friend drink a lot of it, over prepare – lots of things happen on the trail. Runner/Walkers do better hiking than paddle players, some paddle players are afraid of heights (another topic for my someday stand up career). Lastly, look up, look around, pause. Unless you’re training for a trail run (we criss crossed with a few), this is why you’re here to soak in this majesty. (INSERT PICTURES)
Feeling full of ourselves, we did an additional 1M loop through the Trail of the Cedars. Very curated, boardwalk even, but signage indicated that many of the trees we were walking under could be as much as a 1000 years old. We were just Philadelphia giddy over a 250th birthday… 1000 years, put that in your pipe and smoke it. Super interesting to read about the ecosystem – big shady trees help the valley floor and the small animals that feed off the floor. Anyway, time to find food and drive along Going to the Sun Road. (INSERT PICTURES)
Insert another bookmark for my stand up career. Let me set the stage (haha bad pun), I’m the driver, the mister is on the “ledge side” heading west to east in the park. Clear to only one of us, we were an inch from plunging to our death for many miles into the park. And needless to say only one of us got out of the car at the Continental Divide (INSERT PICTURE)
Surviving near certain death, we made it to Logan Pass and hiked up the pass. Only so far however due to “frequent bear activity” and that was good news for both of us as we were walking on fumes at that point. Really time to find our hotel and food.
Hotel.. no, motel, yes. But no numbers this time. The park system for mere mortal has a few hotels/motels. Many many many people obviously camp. SwiftCurrent Motel was our spot for the night. Dumb me did not take any pictures, think tiny houses or old school motel rooms, we were in a motel room type. Had a huckleberry seltzer thing, we are in the land of the huckleberry, and a pedestrian chicken sandwich. Spoiler alert this would be a meal on repeat for a few meals.
Giving some perspective, GNP is only open from late May to September and that is snow dependent. The season is limited, the devotion to keeping the park pristine is paramount, the ability / access to update or bring in is limited to a two lane road as noted above..very narrow and probably not befitting an 18 wheeler truck hauling supplies. We leaned into the perspective and reminded ourselves for this trip the goal is to see / appreciate / wonder / wander. We’ll have downy sheets and escargot another time.
After a late lunch we walked over to the lake and sunk our feet in… for a while. Felt great. We also hatched a plan for a cocktail as our hotel for tomorrow night is a lodge.. they must have a bar. And just down the road. Let’s go blend in at the lodge… (INSERT Picture). Finished the day with grilled cheese sandwiches. Lights our baby, hikers need their sleep!
More hiking tomorrow.
Hope to see you along the way.