Glacier National Park: Day 1

Glacier National Park, the crown of the continent, introduced to us by an episode of Stephen Fry in America. Where to begin? We spent a perfect three days here, and I can't do them justice in one post.

The overnight train from Seattle dropped us in Whitefish, Montana, where we picked up our hire car (after booking an SUV we declined our allocated minivan and ended up with a rather nice Subaru Outback) and hit the road. Having bought backpacks and hiking clothes in Seattle, we simply made an obligatory visit to Walmart to stock up on all the necessary bits and pieces and just as many unnecessary ones. We decided against buying a gun, mainly due to the current ammunition shortages (it's huntin' season y'all).

Whitefish Station

Park Entry

Lake McDonald

The Going to the Sun Road is the park's premier attraction - I think I mentioned last time that Americans don't like walking if they can avoid it. It traverses the park, winding for 85 kilometers along mountainsides and over the Continental Divide. Those who don't want to drive the road themselves can catch a 1930s 'red jammer' bus.

Red Jammer on the Going to the Sun Road

The road is only open for a few months each summer. Its pinnacle is Logan Pass, located along the Continental Divide at an elevation of 2026 meters. In winter, this area is often under more than 30 meters of snow.

The views are beyond literal description. Understand that the photos below don't even come close to doing the scenery justice.

View from East of Logan Pass

Hiker Dan

Another View the Logan Pass Area

We did our first 'hike' this afternoon - from the Logan Pass Visitor Centre up to the Hidden Lake overlook. I use the word 'hike' loosely - it was only a 4.5 kilometer round trip, with an elevation gain of 160 meters.

Hidden Lake

Just Chillin' at Hidden Lake

The scenery is much more rewarding when you've had to 'hike' for it. An exhilarating introduction to this beautiful place, the likes of which make me remember why I so dislike city travel. People miss out on so much by just going to LA and NYC.