Glacier National Park : Fire!

Tuesday, July 21st ~ Today was an R & R day (Rest & Recovery) for me. With the elevation and the hiking yesterday, my body was saying "take a break" even though my mind and heart really wanted to take a hike, I listened to my body. It was after 1 o'clock before I left the campground and drove south along US 89 and turned onto the twisting, hilly, bumpy, Montana Highway 49 to the Two Medicine area. Although I had driven on highway 49 on a previous visit, I had never stopped at Two Medicine.

There were a lot of trails to hike in the area but I chose to walk along the shore of Two Medicine Lake and just sit now and then and enjoy the view. It was extremely windy and overcast. Also a bit chilly, particularly in the shade and along the lakeside. After an hour or so I headed back to the campground.

As I came over a hill and could see Saint Mary Lake, I also saw smoke on the other side and thought that it seemed awfully close to the campground.  When I got to the entrance station, I asked the attendant about the fire. He didn't even know there was one until I pointed it out! But given the fact that he faces the other way most of the time, how would he have known? Anyway, I made it back to my site and sat down for a few minutes, periodically looking over my shoulder and the ridge behind the site.

Within about half an hour of my arrival a park employee came around in her little golfcart and said the campground was being evacuated. The fire had jumped the road and was now on our side of the road about five miles distant. I looked around at all the sites and saw perhaps a dozen or so other people who happened to be in the campground. What about the RVs and tents and other gear in all of those other sites? I didn't know it then, but the road had already been closed to traffic at the Saint Mary entrance station.

I packed up my tent and chairs and went to the camp store to see if anyone knew anything more. No one did.

The camp store is located just outside of the entrance to Rising Sun campground. This was the view of the fire as I left the campground. It had apparently been reported at about 4 p.m. and was 2 acres in size at the time. It quickly grew to 500 acres within the first few hours.

I had stopped a Ranger driving through the campstore parking lot and asked if it would be okay to stay the night at the Visitors Center. He said there wouldn't be any problems since other people were already there, so that's where I went for the night.

This shot was taken about a mile east of the Rising Sun Campground. The dramatic effect of the sun behind the plume of smoke made it appear rather ominous.

The view from the Visitors Center (a portion of the building on the left) about an hour after evacuation from the campground. The Visitors Center was six miles from the Rising Sun campground so, at this time the fire was a little more than 10 miles away.

I ran into several of the people I had met at the campground. We had said hello in passing and I had talked with Leslie for a few minutes on Monday, so we "kind of" knew each other, at least they were familiar faces! Shown above are Steve, Leslie, Luri, and Bob. We spent the evening together sharing stories and food and quickly became camping friends. There were a few other people who joined us, and some others who came and went.

They all still had their gear at the campground and had missed being allowed to go in by just a few minutes. So they, and many others, were waiting and hoping to be able to get in and get their equipment later. The Visitors Center was closed up for the evening at its regular time but we were told the restrooms would be left open.

Lucky for us, the strong winds were keeping most of the smoke high aloft and sending it away from us. This shot makes the smoke look much closer than it actually was.

The smoke-filled air made for a rather dramatic and oddly beautiful sunset.

At about 10:30 p.m. we got word that the Rangers were going to create a caravan to allow campers to go into Rising Sun for 30 minutes to get their gear and get out. So my new friends got in line out on the highway and after a wait that seemed forever, a caravan of about 40 vehicles left for Rising Sun. An hour and a half later, they returned, happy to have their stuff in hand. They said it was pretty smokey in the campground but not as bad as they thought it would be.

Wednesday Morning, July 22nd ~ It was a restless night. I awoke several times during the night, thankful that the smoke wasn't any closer, thinking perhaps the fire was holding steady since the wind had died down considerably at sunset. But at about six or so I got up and out of the van and the air was filled with acrid smoke. You could taste it and it quickly stung the eyes.

The above photo was taken at about 6:30 a.m. At one point we could actually see flames shooting up from the area behind the hill on the right. The sun was behind my back casting its golden rays on the plume of smoke.

It started sprinkling for a few minutes, we even had a rainbow appear briefly. After saying goodbye to my new friends, I left Glacier National Park, taking US 89 south to highway 49, to US 2 where I found a lovely National Forest Campground near the Idaho border to stay for a few days.

I posted this link to the Wildfire Today blogpost on facebook. It was written on the 22nd but has been updated frequently with maps and details of the fire.

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Glacier National Park : Fire!" Kinexxions, posted July 30, 2015 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2015/07/glacier-national-park-fire.html : accessed [access date])

Glacier National Park : Hidden Lake Overlook

Monday, July 20th ~ I was up early this morning and arrived at Logan Pass to a nearly empty parking lot! On the agenda was the 2.7 mile (round-trip) trail to the Hidden Lake Overlook, with an elevation gain of 450 feet.

Conditions on the trail this day were somewhat different from my visit five years ago! Now blanketed with wild flowers, back then this lower portion of the trail was covered with slippery snow!

Clements Mountain dominates the view along the lower portion of the trail. The first half mile or so consists of a boardwalk and stairsteps. Many stairsteps. I didn't take a lot of pictures along the way because of the cloudy conditions but there were a lot of small waterfalls and some little ponds.

First view of Hidden Lake.

The view from the overlook. I walked a little beyond the overlook and found a nice boulder to sit on for a few minutes and to eat a breakfast snack. I was immediately inundated with hordes of mosquitoes. I really didn't notice them on the way to the overlook but they sure made their appearance known once I sat down!

The hike back to the visitors center was more difficult on my knees and hips. Some of the steps in the lower portion were rather high and each one became a little more painful. After a few stops along the way, I made it to the visitors center where I sat and watched the cars go around in circles looking for a non-existant parking space! It was about 10:30 and a few minutes later they closed the parking area to incoming traffic. I drove on down to the valley on the Going to the Sun road and spent most of the day stopping at several pull-outs and taking short walks. Also ventured into the town of Columbia Falls (about 15 miles west of Glacier) and found their nice little library to post a status update to Facebook.

About 4 p.m. I started the 50 mile drive back along the Going to the Sun road to return to the campground.

Looking down into the valley about 3/4 of the way to Logan Pass.

Almost at Logan Pass. The lower "gash" in the mountain is the Going to the Sun road while the upper "gash" is the High Line Trail. In spite of the cloudy, overcast skies, it was another beautiful day in Glacier National Park!

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Glacier National Park : Hidden Lake Overlook," Kinexxions, posted July 29, 2015 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2015/07/glacier-national-park-hidden-lake.html : accessed [access date])

Travel Update... Glacier National Park

It's been 2 weeks and 2 days since leaving Indiana... Thankfully it was a rather uneventful drive through Illinois, Iowa (though I did get a chipped windshield while driving through a construction zone - a "nice" star shaped chip with many tendrils that glitters in the sunshine - my Iowa souvenir), Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. Then there was that 600 mile drive through Montana on US 2 - a long, rather lonely, stretch of highway with a lot of small, bleak looking towns. It took me a week, but I made it to Glacier National Park on Sunday, July 19th.

First thing on the agenda was getting a spot at the Rising Sun campground on the East side of the park. I lucked out and got a good site on the first pass through! The "plan" was to stay until the next Sunday morning.

About 11:30 I took off for a hike along the 2.5 mile Beaver Pond Loop on the Red Eagle Lake Trail. It went along the south side of Saint Mary Lake but the lake was only visible for a short distance then the trail went uphill, away from the lake.

Saint Mary Lake, looking toward the South.

The trail narrowed to barely a foot path through these waist and chest high plants. I don't know what they are though. Someone at the campground told me they were native to the area.

Following a brief respite after the hike I drove north about 30 minutes to the Many Glaciers area of the park. I stopped at a pull-out to follow the trail along the lake and to get a picture of the Many Glaciers Lodge across the lake.

When I first saw the moose, its head was fully submerged in the lake and I had no idea what it was. Quite a surprise when it lifted its head out of the water!

Rather strange looking, indeed!

It "browsed" along the lake pulling up vegetation as it went.

It was fascinating to watch as it moved closer to shore then further out, apparently seeking the best morsels. It was a good start to my visit at Glacier National Park!

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Travel Update...Glacier National Park," Kinexxions, posted July 28, 2015 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2015/07/travel-update-glacier-national-park.html : accessed [access date])

Glacier National Park :: A Visit With Jack Frost

Tuesday, September 20th - - We drove as far as we could from the east side on the Going to the Sun Highway – to Logan Pass. The highway had closed for the season at midnight on Sunday the 18th; not because of the weather but so that construction crews could work on the road.

On the way up to Logan Pass. Can you see several waterfalls toward the center of the picture? They can be seen if you double-click on the image for a larger version...

Clements Mountain and the beginning of the trail to Hidden Lake.

We walked a (very) short distance on the Hidden Lake Trail... The snow that I encountered in July of last year was no where to be seen, but I think there will be plenty of snow very soon!

In one section of trail, wildflowers blanketed the meadow.

We decided to walk a ways along the Highline Trail. Even though it was late in the morning there were traces of frost on the trails in the shaded areas, especially along the first portion of the Highline Trail. (As always, double-click on the image to see a larger version.)

Perhaps it was a good thing that the Going to the Sun Road was closed since the valley below was covered with fog.

You can see a little of the Going to the Sun Road on the right side of the above photo, just to the right and above the top of the fog.

Since the “season” was over, work crews had removed the chains along this section of the trail, parts of which are very narrow with a rather long fall if one should happen to slip! Crews were working on the trail around that far bend and we were reluctant to attempt to pass by them so we returned the way we came. After a short break for lunch, sitting in the glorious sunshine and taking in the awesome views, we went to the 'Many Glaciers' area further north in the park.

Glacier National Park :: St. Mary and Virginia Falls

Sunday, September 18th - - Just prior to going to Alaska in July of last year, I stopped for a few days at Glacier National Park (you can read about that visit here and here). I figured since I was in Montana again I might as well stop in for a visit. The fact that my friends Sue and Fred were returning from a fantastic adventure in the Yukon Northwest Territory and would be at Glacier for a few days was additional incentive.

I arrived at St. Mary on the northeast side of Glacier National Park in the early evening and found Sue and Fred at the KOA campground there. For the next few hours I was entranced with tales of their trip north and impressed with the incredible pictures that they took. I will also admit to a touch of envy – the trip was amazing!

Monday, September 19th - - It rained during the overnight hours of Sunday. It was wet, foggy, and very cloudy this morning with temperatures in the 40s. A mid-morning attempt at taking a hike was aborted when we arrived at the trailhead in the pouring rain. We returned to the campground where we relaxed and chatted some more while it continued to rain off and on.

At about 2:30 we noticed that blue sky was beginning to show through the thick layer of clouds. It was truly amazing how quickly the wind blew those clouds away! And then we saw that Mother Nature had left behind a light dusting of snow on those mountains.

Well, maybe more than a light dusting!

We decided to try the hike to Virginia Falls again, hoping that the clouds and rain and snow would be gone by the time we arrived at the trailhead. Considered one of the easier hikes at Glacier, the trail was 1½ miles long, dropped 260 feet to St. Mary Falls then gained 285 feet on the way to Virginia Falls. It was a well maintained trail but had some rocky areas and other areas with tree roots, which meant you had to watch where you were stepping much of the time.

The trail ultimately takes you to Virginia Falls but a little more than half way there you cross the St. Mary River (shown above, looking East) on a foot bridge.

The view from the footbridge, looking west! I will never cease to be amazed at the power of flowing water and how it can cut through hard rock. This is the lower portion of St. Mary Falls.

And this is the upper portion. Standing on the footbridge you could feel the power of the water hitting the sides of the canyon walls – the bridge was quite solidly built but it was moving ever so slightly and vibrating as the water passed beneath it.

The trail meandered through the forest. We were thankful for the patches of sunshine as it was a fairly brisk 45 degrees. There was just a light breeze, otherwise it might have been a bit uncomfortable.

These pretty little flowers were seen all along the trail.

We passed several small waterfalls while continuing on to Virginia Falls. That golden colored spot on the lower left is a bit of sunlight coming through the foliage and striking the water.

Virginia Falls is a multi-tiered cascading waterfall that simply takes your breath away. I'm including two shots of it because I couldn't decide which one I liked best... You really do need to double-click on the images for a larger version to truly appreciate the falls.

Not quite as sharp as the previous photograph, I was attempting a more “artistic” slow-motion representation of the moving water. (No tripod, balancing the camera on one of the nearby rocks, and trying to hold it steady!)

Sue and Fred at the lower portion of Virginia Falls.

Yours truly, standing at the base of Virginia Falls. Thanks to Sue for taking the photo. It was a wonderful hike, except for a slight slip at one spot, thankfully though no damage was done.

Glacier :: Highline Trail

The next morning (Tuesday July 27th) I drove the Going to the Sun Road. The shuttles are nice and you have the opportunity to look at the tremendous views as you are riding, but it is nearly impossible to get good photos through the window of the moving bus! Also, the shuttle does not stop at any of the overlooks.

Taken from about a third of the way up the road.

A little further up the road with the road visible on the right. Steep drop-offs were the norm with guardrails in only some sections.

Nearing Logan Pass. This was taken from the Highline Trail. Construction along the highway can cause delays of up to half and hour in several different sections. It took me 1.5 hours to get to Logan Pass and another 1.5 hours to get to the east side entrance at St. Marys.

The Highline Trail, which begins at Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun Road, is one of the premier hiking trails at Glacier National Park. I only walked the first mile or so where it hovers several hundred feet above the Going to the Sun Road. This section of trail was rather wide in most places, perhaps 5-6 feet, but narrowed to less than 2 feet in some spots. They did have a chain threaded through water hoses and attached to the mountain side for you to hang onto if you felt the need...

A portion of the Highline trail on the left (in the shade), Going to the Sun Road winding up the hill, and Clements Mountain in the background.

Wildflowers were in bloom, scattered here and there, clinging to the walls of the mountain.

Another view of the Going to the Sun Road and Clements Mountain. Waterfalls graced the sides of the valley – one can be seen in the lower right corner.

Glacier National Park

It was mid-morning on Monday (July 26th) when I arrived at Glacier National Park. Since I didn't have reservations, the first order of business was to find an open campsite! Rather than stay at Apgar on the west side I decided to take a chance on Avalanche Campground, which is just before where the Going to the Sun Highway starts its climb to Logan Pass. Luck was with me once again and I got one of the last five sites still available!

Lake McDonald on the west side of Glacier National Park. It was a hazy day with mist rising from the lake. This is from about half-way down the lake looking to the northeast, before you get to Avalanche Campground.

About four years ago Glacier National Park began running shuttle buses on the Going to the Sun Road. They aren't mandatory, but enough people use them to take some of the stress off of the parking areas, which are limited. In fact, the shuttles that I road were filled to capacity with people waiting for the next one. The do run frequently but with construction on the “Sun” road, the schedules are all out of whack.

As soon as I got settled into my campsite, I walked to the shuttle stop and took it to Logan Pass where there is a Visitor Center and trails. The trail I took that afternoon was to Hidden Lake. It is 1.5 miles to the overlook along boardwalk and snow...

Note to Steve: Our shoes are made for walking, but not for walking in icy snow! I was slip-sliding all the way...

The view to the northeast. Part of the Going to the Sun road is visible in the center of the picture.

This is looking to the southeast.

There were several small groups of Mountain Goats that frequented the trail area. They didn't seem to be afraid of people.

The destination: Hidden Lake, looking south.

Bearhat Mountain towers over Hidden Lake and environs.

A bit of Hidden Lake and Bearhat Mountain on the left. Lake McDonald in visible in the distance in the center of the photograph. The trail from the overlook continues another 1.5 miles to the lake shore. Due to time constraints (having to catch the last shuttle back to the campground) I didn't go all the way down.

The snow-covered trail on the way back to the Visitors Center.