Glacier National Park and The Road to the Sun.

We leave Polson on Friday 16 August. Trevor is keen to get on the road early. I want to walk first. When I get back to the RV he has already raised the levellers and is 'good to go'. I have a quick breakfast and shower ... things are getting pulled in and shut down around me; almost as if he is saying 'what part of "get away early" don't you understand?'

He is prepared to stop on our way out of town though so that I can get a coffee from Starbucks in Safeway.

I may not have mentioned it, but we (me) are now finding coffee everywhere!
Safeway, a large chain of supermarkets all over the country, almost always has a Starbucks in their store. There will also be several Starbucks in town and lots of little 'coffee cabins' - small, brightly painted stand alone shacks, sometimes with parking - which sell the best espresso.

We continue on Highway 93 up the west side of Flathead Lake. It is a beautiful drive along the lake with fantastic views. It is also a pretty day; a clear blue sky; about 65F.

We enter Kalispel a town at the north end of Flathead Lake. A parade is about to start. The parade is part of Kalispel Fair. Main Street is closed.  We are directed through back streets and into residential areas; lots of overhanging trees and bumpy roads!

We have a rental car booked for 11 o'clock. We check into the Spruce Park RV Park on the Flathead River.

Kalispel is about an hour's drive from the Canadian border and half an hour from the Glacier National Park. It was founded in 1891 as a railroad town. Its period of railroad prosperity didn't last long as the Great Northern Railway relocated the main line to the north with Whitefish MT as its new destination.

Kalispel however had by then established itself as the trade and financial centre for the Flathead Valley. That prosperity continued as highways opened up. It was to become the Gateway to Glacier National Park after the Park was created.


Trevor gives blood at the American Red Cross in Kalsipel. He has continued as a blood donor while we have been away - every 3 months. Then we go to the Visitors Centre; again we are overwhelmed with information, maps and brochures - all we need to explore Glacier National Park. We are advised to arrive in the Park early
otherwise we could become completely bogged down in traffic!

Cowboy town!

On Saturday we arrive at the West Entrance to Glacier National Park about 9.15. Already there is a steady stream of cars into the Park but its not too bad yet.  And what scenery!!


We drive along the shore of  Lake McDonald with tantalising glimpses of the lake through the trees. Fortunately there are places where we can pull over; we stand in awe of the beauty of nature and take photos.




The beauty of it all brings to mind a quote -
Life is not about the breath that you take but the moments that take     your breath away! 

You all need to come here!!



The water is so clear; you can count the stones on the river bed!

It is also fairly cold!






Glacier National Park was established in 1910. It is 1,013,594 acres or 1,583 square miles.
Glacier has 762 lakes the largest of which is Lake McDonald which is 10 miles long and 6,680 ft wide.
The Park also has 563 streams or rivers.
Only 25 glaciers remain that are large enough to be named - down from an estimated 150 in the mid-1800's.
Glacier has 175 mountains, six of which are over 10,000 ft high
The Continental Divide runs through the Park for 106 miles.

More than 2.7 million people visit the Park each year.

We take the famed Going To The Sun Road.

Considered one of the most epic engineering feats in the world, the 50 mile long Road takes travellers through the heart of Glacier National Park. It climbs 3,000 ft to the 6,646 ft high Logan Pass at the top of the Continental Divide.

It is carved out of sheer mountain slopes. It is a National Historic Landmark.

The road is windy; it twists and turns with stunning views at each turn.

If you want, you can take free shuttle bus, a Red Bus. After driving the Road from end to end the shuttle makes a lot of sense!












We stop at the Logan Pass Visitor Centre. Now we understand about getting to the Park early. Although we have been in a continuous line of cars as we drive, it is when you look for a park in a carpark - such as at Logan Pass - that you want to be at the head of the line! Fortunately we find a park.


I am reminded of Trevor's usual practice at home if he is looking for a park at Garden City, Booragoon - once round the carpark - if no park, he goes home! Thankfully he stuck to it and we eventually find a park. Sorry Trev!

We take a hike to Hidden Lake which is about 1.5 miles each way- straight up and straight down!! The round trip takes us about an hour and a half; it is a good climb!

More views! Although it is a fine and sunny day, there is a lot of haze from forest fires - I think they are a long way away.

Following Lewis and Clark

I have referred to the Lewis and Clark Expedition in previous posts; we are now closely following the Missouri River across Montana ... as they did in 1805. Well not actually 'as they did', but we are coming across many sites where the history of their journey is exhibited.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition travelled from Illinois to the Pacific Ocean, and back, between 1804 and 1806. Their goal was to find a waterway to the Pacific while exploring the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase. Their journey followed the courses of the Missouri and Columbia rivers. They crossed the Rockies and the Bitteroot Mountains

Their route can be retraced by following the Lewis and Clark National
Historic Trail. There are more than 100 sites along the Trail which covers 3,700 miles. The 'interpretive' sites provide a wide variety of exhibits, activities and programmes for users of all ages.

I have the book 'Undaunted Courage'  written by Stephen E Ambrose which presents a definitive account of their journey and the hardships they endured. It has been so interesting to read those chapters which cover the areas in which we are travelling - through the eyes of Lewis and Clark!

Our drive from Glasgow to Great Falls takes us away from the Missouri River for most of the day. We take Highway 2 west until we reach Havre. It is Saturday and there is a Farmers Market in town. We wander through it for a while, find coffee and then 'ride on'.


We turn southwest on Hwy 87 driving through endless rolling prairies covered in wheat. We are in Chouteau County, the largest winter wheat producing county in Montana. A lot of harvesting is happening. Huge vistas of wide open range under that enormous sky!!









We catch up with the Missouri River again when we arrive at Fort Benton. Said to be the birthplace of Montana, Fort Benton is one of the oldest settlements in the American West. It was established in 1847 and was once a hub of trade and travel in Montana territory's early days.
An important economic centre,  it attracted steamboats from New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Bismarck and Kansas City. It was also the overland link for trade on the Missouri River and the Columbia River in Washington.

Lewis and Clark Memorial

From the historical references we see and read, Fort Benton was a pretty lawless town in its heyday!

The Grand Union Hotel beautifully restored.

We arrive in Great Falls at about 4pm. We stay a couple of nights.

Great Falls is the third largest city in Montana. It is in close proximity to a series of 5 waterfalls on the Missouri River (hence the name) that the Lewis and Clark Expedition had to portage around. A 10 mile stretch, it took them over a month of hard labour. Today each falls has a hydroelectric dam ... thus Great Falls' nickname is the Electric City.

Then we are headed more west than south as we make our way to Helena, the capital city of Montana. We have missed several places that I think would have been highlights including the Missouri Breaks Back Country Byway. It consists of gravel and unimproved roads - clearly not for an RV. It is about 80 miles in length with several side trips off the route.  Oh well - we will just have to come back ...!


Helena is one of the country's smallest state capitals with a population of about 28,000. The main street is called Last Chance Gulch reflecting its history as a gold-mining camp in the 1860's.

Although we continue to follow the Missouri River, the rolling plains and wheat gradually give way to mountains. It is a lovely drive.

We both need a haircut badly! I have checked out a hair salon for me and a barber for Trevor; they appear to both be in the same block. Unfortunately the salon I was going to is booked out, so I sit and wait for Trevor to have his haircut.


From Helena we start to climb -seriously!  Helena is at an elevation of 4090 ft; within half an hour we are at 6362 ft at MacDonald Pass.

The devastation caused by pine beetle infestations is very apparent here. Whether it is the warming temperatures or changes in climate, the scale of die off is unprecedented, with a huge impact on the ecosystem.


The scenery is great - despite the pine beetle. We stop for fuel and coffee just outside Missoula, the city that formed the backdrop to the book and subsequent movie ' A River Runs Through It'.



Montana has been closely tied to fly-fishing - the wide, fast rivers always spectacularly beautiful and filled with fish.




 



 







The Blackfoot River lazily follows us as we head north from Missoula on Highway 93.
We enter the Flathead Indian Reservation at Evaro. We stop at a store selling of all things - licorice! They have an enormous selection;  many of which are from Australia! It's amazing how exciting it is to find licorice after not having had any for 13 months!



















The Flathead Valley which stretches between Flathead Lake and Missoula is very fertile; lots of farming and rolling ranchland.
We watch out for harvesting and are intrigued by the different shapes of hay bales - I guess there are reasons for the differences, probably largely due to the climate??











Then we are driving into Polson, a small town at the southern end of Flathead Lake. Trevor drops me off at a hairdressing salon which advertises 'Walk-ins Welcome.'  I am told there is an hour wait; I decide not to wait. It looks more like a barber shop to me!

We stay at the Eagle Nest RV Resort. We will be here for 3 nights. The bikes are off. I make an appointment at another hair dressing salon... finally!

We enjoy Polson. The RV Park is friendly; we meet some lovely people; there are a lot of visitors from the South who come North for the summer - many of them are regulars. Happy hour is a great time to share experiences.





Flathead Lake covers nearly 200 square miles, is 27 miles long and 15 miles wide. It is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River.





We bike into town each day. We find coffee and spend some time down by the lake. Main Street is decorated with hanging baskets - as most towns are -  these baskets are spectacular. They are full of blossoms from 3 or 4 different plants; they seem to be multi layered.
We find the nursery which grows the baskets for the town. The staff are happy to share their secrets .. but I still don't know if I could re-create such perfection!

The Flathead Valley is known for its cherries. There are stalls selling cherries all along the road. They are quite lovely and so cheap! Huckleberries are also in season. I haven't tasted them before. They are like a blueberry only a bit smaller with a slightly tart taste. The best way to have them is in icecream or stuffed into pancakes with a huckleberry sauce over the top!!

I walk each morning we are in Polson. I need to do some exercise with the wonderful food we are eating!