Glacier National Park is not named for its 26 present day glaciers, but for the work of much larger glaciers during ice ages of the past. The ice carved through the rock, scooping out valleys shaped like an ice cream scoop (called cirques). Unlike rivers, the glaciers erode steep-sided, wide-bottomed, U-shaped valleys, many of which today are the deep glacial lakes we know as Waterton, Saint Mary and Lake McDonald near the west entrance, where Ron and I spent much of our time. There are over 700 sparkling lakes and countless cascading waterfalls. Like most visitors, we managed to see only a fraction of the park.
When we arrived to pick up our e-bikes, our hosts informed us that the weather was too foul to permit safe operation of the electronics. Truth be told, we were a bit relieved, as we had spent the early morning hours debating if we should even attempt a ride in the bitter cold (25° when we woke) with a 90% chance of snow. Instead, we bundled up, packed a lunch, and headed out to hike. There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear!
One of the biggest draws to Glacier is the Going-to-the-Sun Road, a fifty mile two lane road that goes through the center of the park, east to west. The road climbs from Lake McDonald on the west side, up and over the Continental Divide, and then descends down to Lake Mary on the east. The road is not passable during the winter, and opens in sections during the spring thaw as snow is plowed. This is the best time of year to bike the road, because only the first ten miles are open to cars, yet 15 more miles have been cleared of snow, making it perfect for hikers and cyclists to explore a good amount of the park without having to share the road with cars, trucks, RVs, etc.
There were a surprising number of hikers and bikers out on this cold and dreary day, and soon we knew why - it was beautiful. Granted, we couldn't see the mountains that surrounded us, and the flat light from the storm clouds made for lousy pictures, but we saw sights we would have missed if we were flying along on e-bikes, "Oh"-ing and "Ah"-ing at distant vistas.
The promised snow never materialized, only a light drizzle of rain the entire day, with temperatures that stayed near 40°. We stayed on the road for the first hour or so, steadily climbing.
We ducked into the forest to eat lunch, where it was surprisingly dry under the canopy of pine trees. We would probably have eaten standing up anyway, as it is hard to relax with the threat of bears. Everywhere, we were reminded to watch for bears: "Bears have injured and killed visitors and may attack without warning and for no apparent reason" read one sign as we entered the park.
We heard the falls long before we saw them. The sound of rushing water grew louder as we climbed, and then we were there, at McDonald Falls. We could see hikers across the river, but couldn't see how to get across, so we continued up.
The next series of falls was the Sacred Dancing Cascade. It was here we met Ranger Mary, who explained how to reach the bridge to carry us across, and where it would take us to another trail head near McDonald Lake, not far from where we started out this morning.
Ron shared his lost dream of being a Forest Ranger; Ranger Mary quickly became recruiter Mary, telling Ron all about the mature candidates who become rangers and volunteers as a second, or even third, career. Hmmm, Ranger Ron has a nice ring to it, yes?
We continued our trek, and found the bridge. On the other side of the river we were welcomed with "You are entering a wilderness area and must accept certain inherent dangers, including snow, steep terrain, water and wildlife. There is no guarantee of your safety." Smaller print on the sign urged the use of bear spray in the event of an attack: "Use a fire arm only as a last resort. Wounding a bear, even with a large caliber gun, can put you in far greater danger."
Was the journey worth the risk of encountering dangerous wildlife? Yes, we thought. We followed all the suggestions. We made noise. Ron had bear spray unlocked and ready. We were smart hikers! Until we almost bumped into a deer with her fawn, and I realized just how blind we really are in this world.
Exhilarating. Humbling. And everything in between.
"A wiser feller than myself once said: Sometimes you eat the bear. Sometimes the bear, well, he eats you." Sam Elliot, The Big Lebowski
Fortunately for us, today was not that day...
Car Talk
Distance: 89 miles
Driving Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Mileage: 31.7 mpg
Average speed: 38 mph
Trip Total: 6,018.7 miles
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