This trip is one more example of “aggressive tourism” that seems to dominate many trips we take. For the weekend prior to a Wyoming-based field training I had for work, Nick had the great idea to meet up with me in Montana to adventure somewhere we probably wouldn’t have seen until we were much older. It was a quick trip, and of course we will visit again, but the time spent here was not wasted!
We visited at the end of September, and the weather was gorgeous. Only needing a light jacket as we took on some moderate to strenuous hikes. We were surrounded by sounds of diverse wildlife, scenes of bright blue glaciers and lakes, and the soothing smell of pine. It’s hard to call any of the US National Parks the best as they are all unique, but Glacier is easily one of my favorites. Glacier National Park is one of beauty and sadness that sends home a powerful message of a changing planet. We visited several trails that hosted photos from 100 years past, showing places that were once over flowing with glaciers were now a shadow of their former glory. Or in some places, the glaciers were gone. No matter the cause, it is clear that in our lifetime the namesake of this majestic place will vanish. We take a piece of everything we experience with us, and seeing those valleys and what remains of the glaciers will stay with us forever.
What We Did
We flew into Kalispell (routed through Denver) the night before our first hike, and we were able to see the slight green haze of the Northern Lights!
We had a hard time finding lodging this particular time of year, since we booked the trip last-minute. We ended up staying at the Vista Motel just outside the park. It is by far nothing special, but it was adequate for simply sleeping and a hot shower.
The park: At the time, I think Nick still had his annual National Park Pass ($80 for the year, so the payout is after about three national park visits), but if wanting to visit for a couple days without such a pass, expect to pay $25-35 per vehicle.
Grinnell Glacier: Our first hike during our visit to the park, and we could really feel our hearts beating on our way out from the trailhead. It’s about 7.6 miles round-trip and is considered strenuous at about 1,840’ of elevation gain. It was my favorite of the three tougher hikes since it offered all of the diverse and gorgeous landscapes that I attribute to the park. On our way up we turned a corner and came face to face with a herd of bighorn sheep! The sheer size of these beasts is what impressed us the most. Being that close to a wild animal that size will humble the fuck out of you lol. The only thing we could do to avoid alarm and let them pass was to slowly backed into a bush like a couple of Homer Simpsons. The vibrantly blue lake with floating icebergs was absolutely worth the trek!
Ptarmigan Tunnel: This was the most strenuous of all four hikes we completed. Round-trip it’s about 10.7 miles with some pretty consistent uphill sections with 2,300’ of elevation gain. This trail has a lot more tree coverage but less in terms of lakes compared with Grinnell Glacier. It was still a really great hike, and the trail continues beyond the tunnel if you’re prepared and up for a challenge!
Iceberg Lake: Rather than heading back to the trailhead, we decided to hit up Iceberg Lake since we had some extra time. This was another trail that is considered strenuous, but the lake at the end is so beautiful. It is about 9.7 miles round-trip (from the trailhead) and is similar to Ptarmigan regarding tree coverage, which makes the hike just a little less tough if battling the sun. We definitely recommend this one.
We also did a nice drive to the other side of the park via Going-to-the-Sun Road where we saw McDonald and Saint Mary lakes with a grizzly bear in the distance at one of them!
Fish Lake: On our last day we asked a park ranger what she recommended we do for a short hike in the morning before our departure. She recommended Fish Lake since it is quite unique compared with the other “more typical trails” of the park. It was an easy walk, but it was insanely peaceful. The hike is about 5.8 miles round-trip, and most of it is through the woods. We relaxed for a little bit by the lake at the end of the trail and loved every second of it.
Food
Whistle Stop Restaurant: This place may now be closed and maybe got some poor reviews at the end, but the food was pretty great when we visited. Nick is notorious for finding great spots that have a hole-in-the-wall feel. This diner had great food and awesome service, which is just what we needed after a long day of hiking. The pie was our favorite part!
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