May 30, 2013 Glacier National Park

Thursday, May 30     Every Day Is a Winding Road…

Rose early and left Big Creek around 6:30.  It had rained during the night and a light sprinkle kept the dust down on the gravel road.  Stopped for coffee in Columbia Falls’ version of Starbucks – Mountain Coffee.

It was a short ride to the West Entrance to Glacier National Park, and once again no one was manning the entrance, so we sailed on in.  The Visitors’ Center wasn’t open either, but had maps outside, so we headed up the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  We had called earlier and knew that it wasn’t entirely open yet, but took the drive as far as Avalanche Creek.

We began with a stop at Lake McDonald.  Low clouds and early morning light made it seem almost unworldly.  There was a single man on the dock playing a flute, which added to the amazing aura. 

There were several lovely stops with short trails to or overlooking the  Flathead River, with spectacular falls, canyons  and vistas.  Rained lightly on-and-off.  We saw deer, elk, chipmunks , ground squirrels.

 Since the Going-to-the-Sun road was closed, we had to backtrack and travel about two hours around the southern perimeter of the park to get to the East Gate.  Good road, pleasant drive with a few stops for pictures.  We paralleled an Amtrak passenger train for much of the way.

Arrived in Saint Mary's and entered Glacier at the East Gate (which was fully staffed J)  Stopped at the visitor’s center and found that the camp ground with showers that we planned to stay at didn’t have showers till June 1.  But the lady told us about Johnson’s RV/Hotel/Dinner/Resort?You-Name-It  where you could buy a shower, so we went back to St. Mary’s and did that, as well as buying a few groceries.

Then we headed to Rising Sun Campground inside the park.  Picked campsite #24 which had a deer browsing nearby, and went off to explore this end of the Going-to-the-Sun road.  

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 As on the west, it began with a beautiful lake,  then followed a rushing river.  Near the end we walked a trail to St. Mary’s Falls and had an escort part of the way!

The Falls were beautiful, with a unique aqua color to much of the water.  Still a little rainy now and then but the air is wonderfully clean and crisp with a hint of evergreen smell.  Wish we could bottle it! And add the rushing water soundtrack!

The small campground was about half full by dusk, with half tenters and half rv’s.  Quiet.