Glacier! The national park whose only constant is inconsistency. Although we were slightly disappointed that the Going to the Sun Road and the Highline trail were closed due to an unseasonably late snow, we arrived in West Glacier filled to the brim with excitement and glee, and eagerly awaited our first hike. The next day, we hiked in the late afternoon to Avalanche Lake, an old favorite of ours. We arrived at the trailhead shortly after 4 PM and hiked in the sunset through the valley to the lake. It was breathtaking as always, and Eli even made the acquaintance with a friendly deer, whom we christened Bernard.
After our stay at the Granite Park Chalet (which you can read about HERE), we journeyed to the other, equally (if not more) majestic side of the park, East Glacier. We did not have to wait long for adventure, for as we pulled into the Many Glacier Campground, we were greeted by the sight of rangers deploying to chase a grizzly bear away from the campground. After we were filled in on these events by the camp host, and promised to take the proper precautions, Eli and I jumped out of the truck and skedaddled to an empty campsite in another loop of the campground, to permit our parents time to concentrate while backing-in the trailer. However, while they were backing in the trailer, our parents heard a ranger with a loudspeaker shout “EVERYONE BACK IN YOUR VEHICLES, THERE IS A BEAR IN THE CAMPGROUND!” Our parents then realized that they had no idea where their children had run off to. Meanwhile, Eli and I had heard a similar call to action, and without discussing logistics, took off running back to the truck. Although, unbeknownst to us, the bear the ranger had been warning us about was right in our campsite, roughly 30 feet away from the truck. This meant that even though Eli and I were trying to take the bear-aware action of returning to the truck, we were unwittingly running straight towards a bear! What happened next is as follows: (1) I made it to the truck first, (2) realized there was a bear very close to my vicinity, (3) yelled at Eli to “hurry up and get in the truck” and (4) shut Eli’s foot in the door (he was fine). Thus, this concluded our first 20 minutes in East Glacier.
After a day of relaxation to recover from our Chalet hike, we embarked on the Cracker Lake trail, which was 13.5-miles roundtrip. We had gotten a later start on the trail than we had hoped, because we decided to wait out a torrent of early-morning rain in the nearby Many Glacier Hotel. We then started our hike at 9 AM and enjoyed traversing the horse manure laden Cracker Lake Trail. The trail eventually led us to an exquisite valley gushing with pristine waterfalls, adorned by vibrant wildflowers, and a sublime turquoise glacial lake- the titular Cracker Lake. We spent a wonderful couple of hours by the lakeside, ate lunch, watched a moose and then began our return hike. Unfortunately, although we had avoided bad weather by delaying our hike, the last couple miles of our hike were accompanied by a steady downpour of rain, and it was a relief to dry off at the hotel before heading back to our campsite.
On our next trail, Grinnell Glacier, we were able to hike with our Uncle Dan and Aunt Heidi, who had traveled from California to Glacier in order to hike to the Grinnell Glacier. It was an absolute joy and pleasure to chat and catch-up with them as we climbed to Grinnell. Hiking this trail is entering into a fairyland; the colors are brighter, the wildflowers perfume the air with a sweet scent, and the glacial lakes below are grand and serene. Although we did not get to complete the full hike to the Glacier, as the last part of the trail was closed due to snowfall, it was still a magical experience, and spending a full day with Uncle Dan and Aunt Heidi was one of the highlights of the trip.
On our final day in East Glacier, we first decided to take a leisurely hike to Red Rockfalls, where we were lucky to see 1 Moose, and 3 Grizzley Bears up on the cliffs above us, and where Dad caught several big fish. Next, we drove the freshly opened Going to the Sun Road after 4 PM (because we did not have a reservation) and because that is the ideal time to see animals, and watch the sunset turn the park golden. I think, (and so does the rest of my family) that the Going to the Sun Road is the most beautiful drive in the United States. Mere words cannot do it justice. It truly is, as John Muir described it (and as I often have) “The Crown of the Continent.” No, words cannot simply do it justice, yet I will attempt to describe it to you:
The Going to the Sun Road is a harmonious symphony of landforms. From rugged mountains to the enduring snow, to the powerful waterfalls and delicate wildflowers, none of the elements overpower the other, they instead complement and enhance each other. Every inch of the valley, from Logan Pass where we saw a herd of 11 bighorn sheep chow down on glacier lilies, to the Weeping Wall where we were doused by rows of waterfalls, is worth a visit. Be it inconsistent, and even indifferent to the whims of tourists, Glacier National Park truly defies accurate and meaningful description. The best thing I can do is encourage you to see it for yourself.
If you’d like to read about our past visits to Glacier, click on the following:
Trip 1: 2018
Trip 2: 2019
