Elaine and I on a last minute whim decided to visit Glacier National Park in Montana. It was one of the few large parks remaining that we had not gone to before and we decided it would be a nice break to get out of the Florida heat, which has been ferocious so far this summer. I fear that it does not bode well for the hurricane season when it is so hot so early in the summer months. We made plans to stay in Whitefish, a small town about 25 miles from Glacier. We had no idea what to expect, but were shocked when we arrived there to find a quite modern town with many good contemporary restaurants and several nice hotels. There were some local trails that we enjoyed walking in the morning before we set out for the park, which we found was a bit of an annoying drive, since the 25 miles to the park gets you to an area that is not especially interesting visually. It is then another 10 miles or so before the park really begins to show its true colors. It turned out to be a truly beautiful place, ideal for hiking (we saw no bear activity, but we were cautious), and a site for many spectacular images. We lucked out in that the Going-to-the-Sun Road opened two days before we arrived. That road, bombed with snow during the winter, takes about 3 months to clear out, a real challenge each year for the Park service. But they opened it up just in time and the drive over Logan Pass was spectacular to say the least. The west side of the park was far more interesting than the east, but there was beauty everywhere. By entering the park late, as we did each day, we also found that traffic thinned out a good deal and it became far easier to park wherever we wanted. Returning home from MIssoula, our flights challenged us a bit, with several delays built in, but we finally arrived to veg out the next couple days. I think that this is one park where staying in the lodge is almost mandatory because of distance, though the food in town was certainly much better than what we would probably have eaten in the park. All in all, a very enjoyable week in Montana with a few nice images.
Mountain View Near Logan Pass, Glacier NP, Montana 2019