Glacier National Park
Montana, August 2016
“As the Crown of the Continent, Glacier is the headwaters for streams that flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and to Hudson’s Bay.” – NPS
Trip Highlights: Two Medicine Lake * Going-to-the-Sun Road * McDonald Lake
Two Medicine Lake
We left the cozy cabin we had rented in Kalispell at a reasonable time to knock out the two hour drive to East Glacier Park Village. The drive took us through West Glacier, where we will be staying tomorrow night, and into pretty mountain country as we circumnavigated the southern border of the park on Highway 2. We grabbed a tasty lunch at Whistle Stop and got to nearby Two Medicine Lake in plenty of time for our scenic boat tour reservations.
Two Medicine Lake aboard the Sinopah
Two Medicine Lake and the boat tour was all-around fantastic! It is a beautiful two mile lake nestled among the park’s iconic jagged granite peaks and the boat takes you from one end to the other in about 20 minutes. We opted to get dropped off to do the 2-mile round trip hike to Twin Falls . . . as did most everyone. We hustled to stay ahead of the guided group and managed to get a little time at the falls before the crowd arrived. It was beautiful nonetheless and Katie and Elizabeth managed to scramble a ways up for a unique view.
Hiking to Twin Falls
We were back at the dock to catch the final boat for the night and were blessed with it being too full to take us! This simply meant we got an extra 45 minutes at this end of the lake while the boat took the first group and came back for the rest of us. We hung Katie’s hammock and relaxed and the kids played on the small sandy beach. To top it off, when the boat picked us up, we were treated to a moose wading along the nearby shoreline!
Left Behind by the Last Boat
Back at the east end of the lake, we threw out a blanket on the beach for a picnic dinner and were wowed by the dramatic skies mixed with sunshine, lightening, and rolling thunder. After an hour of driving north along the dry side of the park, we made it to St. Mary’s Campground and quickly pitched our tent as the sun went down.
Lower Two Medicine Lake from Highway 49
Going-to-the-Sun Road & Logan Pass
The next morning, we left as early as a family of six packing up a campsite could and embarked west on the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road which bisects the park. We wanted to stop at the Logan Pass Visitor Center and had read that apparently other people like to do that too so one needs to arrive before 11 to avoid parking difficulties. We would get there with plenty of cushion. The campground was right inside the east entrance putting us only a half hour away. Immediately we saw a sign warning us the parking lot at Logan Pass was full. This obviously could not be true for I had meticulously planned. They probably always say that, we laughed. But my eyes darted side to side, wary of a sucker punch . . .
The drive to the pass traced the north shore of nine-mile-long St. Mary’s Lake before climbing into the mountains. It was beautiful but unfortunately wildfires had left only skeletons of the surrounding forest. We only stopped once for Katie to hop out and snap a few pictures.
We reached Logan Pass on schedule and way too late.As we approached the highest elevation of the drive, we squeezed past countless cars parked precariously along the ribbon of road carved into the mountainside and then took a left into the fifth circle of hell. Comprised primarily of asphalt and bumpers, one loses years of their life spiraling into oblivion, continuously mocked by empty spaces reserved for the virtuous riders of the shuttle. We escaped at one point hoping to park along the road somewhere and hike back, tempted by the prospect of getting hit by traffic or falling off the cliff. Our guardian angels were able to talk us out of that but the call of the gorgeous surroundings was still too great to abandon the stop altogether. Back in the parking lot, Katie set out on foot to cut a deal with anyone who even glanced in the direction of the parking lot, expecting to have to sell one of the kids in return for a their spot. Eventually she found a kind man who agreed to give us his spot and wanted nothing in return! He must have seen the mix of insanity and desperation in our eyes and either feared for his life or felt sorry for us. He even held to his offer when threatened by other desperate souls circling this forsaken place. With a cold shoulder and the help of a park ranger, we prevailed and parked the van. It was worth it . . .
With that scarring parking ordeal behind us, we set off on the boardwalk hike to Hidden Lake. The setting is truly stunning – rugged rocky mountaintops, expansive lush green valleys, and sunny skies to boot. There were a couple park rangers along the hike with fun facts and displays to learn about the wildlife. We got to see both bighorn sheep and mountain goats, albeit at a distance. Our energy waned about a half mile up the trail, though, and we took a snack break at a rock outcrop.Hidden lake was still hidden, sitting a mile ahead over the saddle between two towering mountains. We decided to call it quits and just soaked in the ever- captivating scenery for a long while before heading back. We stopped by the visitor center as we left and then returned the parking favor to an incoming frantic family.
Back on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, we continued west and into the most impressive and beautiful part of the drive. Mountains surrounding you, valleys below you – this is some of my favorite scenery! The road being carved into the sheer rock face of the massive mountains made for a breathtaking drive but as a result, the parking pull-offs were small, very busy, and didn’t offer a very safe setting to get the kids out. We were hoping to find a spot for lunch but by the time we found a suitable place, we were out of the mountains and the kids were asleep. We settled on driving into town for pizza which turned into a minor fiasco. I was determined to find a local pizzeria but was foiled at every turn – finding a chain restaurant turned out to be hard enough! We ended up 20 miles out of the park at a Pizza Hut in Columbia Falls – it wasn’t so bad.
Time lapse of our drive on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (East to West)
Music: Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela
McDonald Lake
Further improvising the plan, we headed to our campsite at Glacier Campground early. It was relatively close to the west entrance of the park and we would be passing by on our way back into the park anyway. We set up camp and spent some time relaxing in the hammocks.
The remainder of the afternoon and much of the evening was spent at the southern end of McDonald Lake, specifically the beach near the Village Inn at Apgar. It was very busy here too with the inn, lodge, and campground nearby but we were still able to find a parking spot and stake out a portion of the beach for ourselves. The view was fantastic – straight down the 10 mile length of the lake with the magnificent mountains from our day’s drive beyond.
The multi-colored stones on this beach were a must-see for us and they didn’t disappoint! Katie and I took turns photographing them to our hearts content while the kids were lost in their imaginary play – surviving on a deserted island. Attitudes almost cut our visit short at one point but we were able to get past that and ended up staying for dinner and all the way through sunset. What a beautiful way to close out our visit to Glacier National Park.
