Glacier National Park-Montana(MT) 06/11/98

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IMAGES From Nostalgiaville
MONTANA- GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT- 6/01/98

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GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA

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St Mary's KOA was where I was scheduled to meet Karen and Joel Knapp. They arrived about an hour after I got there. The campground is a bit primitive compared to other KOA sites, but the splendor of surroundings is overwhelming. There are many amenities, the staff is courteous, and extensive improvements are on the drawing board.

It didn't take us long to get the RV's set up and pile in the Tracker to see more of the parks beauty. We drove into the park and up Sun Road to Sun Mountain Point. We parked and started hiking, our destination being St Mary Falls. Wildflower everywhere were reaching for the sun.

Everywhere you look is a new picture opportunity. I took over 100 pictures with the digital camera to end up with the ones on this day's report.

Waterfalls are always photogenic, and are one of my favorite subjects. We hiked about four miles to get these waterfall pictures. The one to the right was at a pull-off on the Sun Road. The ones below were found on the trail.

St Mary's Falls

Baring Falls

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These are pictures of the one and only "Chief Explorer", Joel, Karen, and group pictures. We drove up to the pass at the continental divide and back down to St Mary, ate a nice dinner at a local restaurant, and went back to the RV to do a picture review. To bed about 12:30 Friday morning and looking forward to another exciting day.

Up at 3:30 AM. Worked on computer processing all of Thursdays activities. Took shower and a nap. Ran two miles with Joel down road from the campground.

Joel drove his RV, and I took the Tracker and headed toward Many Glacier, about 25 miles to the north, near the Canadian border. Towering mountains posed for pictures during our trip on this day.

The Many Glacier Lodge was built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the middle teens.

The lodge is built from giant logs from the local forests, and sits majestically on a clear cold glacier fed lake.

The lodge fireplace sits in the middle of a three story lobby. Old touring cars transport people around the park

Horseback riding is poplar throughout the park.

A significant waterfall is created as the water spilling from the lake tumbles down a steep gorge. We stopped and took some pictures, and later Joel did a painting of the falls.

People at the falls.

While Joel painted, Karen and I took the Appekunny Trail to the Appekunny Falls

The trail, rated as "difficult", was about two miles long, and rose 700 feet from trailhead to the falls.

The falls plunged several hundred feet down the side of the mountain, and proved very photogenic. When we got to the falls, it started a significant rain which followed us all the way back to the Tracker.

The actors in today's Montana Exploration drama.

Just because a "griz" had recently chowed down on a hiker, everyone on the trails was looking for one.

We leave this day with the "Griz" still after Sasquatch (a drop of water on the camera lens), and the gift shop bear about to attack Karen and Joel. Note Joel... cool and unconcerned.

It was getting late in the day, so wet and cold, we retreated back to warm and welcome RV's. Took about a mile walk to a scenic lake near the campground, watched the movie "Somewhere in Time", and worked on the computer processing the days picture output on the computer.

Left campground about 8:30 and headed across park on Sun Mountain Road to West Glacier, Montana. It had rained all night, but the morning started out bright and sunny.

Stopped at McDonald's Lodge on the western side of the continental divide, took some pictures, and ate breakfast.

The lodge was built in the early teens, and is majestic, inside and out.

It sits on the shore of Lake McDonald, a clear, cold glacier fed lake. Tour boats are available.

An information sign as to what one might expect to catch in the lake was found at the boat dock.

A unique totem pole was found in front of the lodge.

We took a walk down to the tour boat dock and back across the street to look at the old touring cars that haul people around the park.

Stopped at the McDonald Creek Trail. Karen and I did about a two mile hike along the McDonald Creek while Joel did some painting. The rain forests in this part of the park are significantly different from the eastern side.

McDonald Creek has awesome water. It would be a real challenge for world class kayakers. Took more flower pictures for the "Nature Corner". The dreaded rains started while we were on the trail, and had become steady by the time we reached the Tracker

Again featuring... the principal people of the Montana Exploration.

By the time we got back across the mountain, the rains had become harder and steady so we went back to the RV's. Took a three mile run in the rain with Joel along the campground road. Master Chief Joel prepared a great dinner, and I worked on computer trying to catch up the explorer reports.

Took a parting shot of the campground in some long sought after sunshine, hooked up RV, and headed to Many Glacier Lodge to meet Joel and Karen.

I Parked the RV and we drove a mile beyond the lodge at the trailhead to Redrock Falls. This was by far the most scenic trail of the trip.

Walking the walk on the trail to the falls.

The trail wound through a valley with towering mountains on all sides. Many of the wild flower pictures in the "Nature Corner" were taken on this trail.