Glacier National Park had some big shoes to fill considering we were still riding a Canadian Rocky Mountain high from our past visit to Banff and Jasper National Parks. It’s as if Banff and Jasper were the opening act and killed it, and just as Glacier, the headliner took the stage, the power went out. While I anticipated the beauty that over 4 million park visitors per year have heralded, I was preparing to be disappointed.
If there were gorgeous mountain views present, they belonged to those with x-ray vision. An impenetrable veil of smoke from prevailing wildfires in western Montana and British Columbia had settled on the peaks and deep in the valleys like a “cloak of choke”, elevating the air quality to alert status.
But there was still a park to discover, so undeterred, we took the high road in search of beauty where we could find it.
In the case of Glacier National Park, the high road is named Going-to the-Sun Road, a marvel of civil engineering completed in 1932. The 50-mile stretch traverses the park from Lake McDonald…
to the western point of St. Mary Lake.
The road crosses the Continental Divide through Logan Pass at an elevation of 6,646 feet, providing a series of white-knuckle hairpin turns that only a vintage fleet of Red Jammer drivers can negotiate with ease.
We drove around The Loop, where a carpet of late-blooming wildflowers painted a swatch of pink across the foothills of Flattop Mountain,
and beyond the Weeping Wall, where embedded glacial remnants…
offered an aerial microcosm of the landscape beneath us.
Yet, excitement was as fleeting as a burst of blue sky…
Our plan called for a stop atop Logan Pass, but 30 minutes of switch-backing through rows of parked cars with no possibility of finding a space left us with few options; either we turn back, or we finish the road.
With the gas gauge nearing empty, it seemed a safe bet to continue to the village of St. Mary, so down the mountain we rode, until the glacial green of St. Mary Lake–winking between the trees–became the itch we had to scratch. A turn-out with parking space (yay!) at the trail head of several waterfalls gave us more of a reason to stretch our legs.
We hiked above a shoreline of densely packed trees, giving us picket-fence glimpses of the lake, until we came to a clearing.
And in the distance, Mt. Siyeh had shed its shroud and come to life.
Baring Falls was the Hail Mary pass we caught to save our day. While it wasn’t a view of monumental mountains in mirrored waters, it was still a place where pretty happened.
The overnight rain was enough to cleanse the sky, and random patches of morning blue gave us enough faith to run to the Sun for a second chance. This time around, our carma delivered us to a parking space at Logan Pass.
From there, our hike across the alpine slopes to Hidden Lake was enough to erase my doubts about Glacier National Park.
Certainly, while I would have preferred the postcard vistas that leave me slack-jawed and breathless, Glacier proved to be a worthy contender to the Canadian twins, and deserving of a rematch.
Muchas gracias. ?Como puedo iniciar sesion?
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Amazing photography!
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Thank you so much. Look back into the archives from the past 5 months if you have the time.
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Beautiful photos! I wish that everyone had an opportunity to visit this magical place. We have been fortunate to visit several times … and each time it leaves us wanting more.
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Thanks for viewing. True, everyone should visit…as long as it’s not all at the same time. Rangers confess that over-traffic is the biggest obstacle to personal enjoyment, and it taxes the park facilities to the max. Best to go in Spring (If you like snow) or Fall.
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Thanks great
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Appreciated!
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Your blog caught my attention because I visited Glacier National Park last year and wanted to be reminded of it magical beauty today. Thank you for sharing your story!
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Thanks for stopping by. Come visit again, or follow at your convenience.
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Thanks for blogging! These pictures took my breath away!
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Thank you. Take deep breathes.
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Hey-your blogs on Canadian and USA national parks and adventurous journey is awesome..especially on Banff and Jasper that I think are one of the best in the world.
BTW.. do you write on Yukon,Nunavat and North west territories?
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I would love to travel North again–especially for Northern lights. I spent last summer in Alaska and Yukon before I started blogging. I’m presently touring the Pacific Northwest with plans to head to California after the total eclipse. Thanks for the compliment.
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great.. do write on your experiences. best of luch
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Congrats on being discovered and on your beautiful shots of Glacier. I was there last year for some gorgeous blue sky days and the photography opportunities were amazing. As was the surrounding countryside as the canola was in bloom and the colors were glorious. Hope you do get to go back when the skies have cleared.
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Thank you. I definitely plan to return.
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Gorgeous photography. Thank you for sharing your incredible journey and photographs. I hope a return trip provides the vistas you are looking to document.
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Thank you. It’s been an amazing trip so far, with another 7 months to go. Here’s raising a glass to blue skies.
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Remarkable photography..
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Thank you.
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Thanks for sharing, what time of year was this visit?
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I was there 10 days ago.
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It looks just as stunning as I remember.
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What I wouldn’t have done for a clear day. Next time!
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I was there during a forest fire several years ago. The hazy sky is annoying, but the smell in the burnt area was the worst.
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