Hidden Lake

St. Mary and Logan Pass VC's

The Experience - in detail! (7/23 through 7/25)

Glacier National Park is another of absolute musts to visit in your life time. Similar to Zion, Bryce, or the Badlands, no video or photo can match the experience of visiting in person. Give yourself as much time as you possibly can inside the park and traveling in, out, and around as you possibly can. It still will not be enough. 

The Drive:

The Going to the Sun Road is the famous scenic traversing through the heart of the Park traveling from east to west. It is only open to drive for a few months each year after the annual snow melt - usually April/June through September so be sure to plan your trip accordingly if you want to take advantage of the straight shot through the center. It is an incredible scenic drive that easily takes a couple hours to enjoy with all it's stops, overlooks, and, if you are lucky, some wildlife crossing. As one of the bigger and more famous parks as well as visiting in the height of July, the crowds were quiet large. Visitors must reserve a pass through the online ticket system to be allowed to enter the park between 7am and 5pm. It is possible to enter the park for free and with no ticket outside that window and the line of cars to enter near those times can get quite long (though not as large as those at Yellowstone in 2021 from what I heard). 

I was able to snag a ticket and arrived at the St. Mary Visitor center at 4:30pm local mountain time after driving almost non stop from Devil's Tower that morning. My timing could not have been better. There was a line of cars waiting for the 5pm window to open up that I whooshed by and the crowds at the VC were very light making it easy to snag photos of the entrance, grab my stamps, a map, and pester the rangers for some best tips on what to see first with the few hours I had left before sundown (they told me that the hike to St. Mary and Virginia was the best option and they didn't disappoint). 

I started my drive heading west through the park and was blessed with a very early wildlife spotting - a baby brown bear. It was adorable looking and was taking its time crossing the road with no sign of Mama bear near by. My only regret of the entire trip was that I did not have my good camera ready at this point and he scampered off into the woods before I could get a clear shot. I considered hopping out to follow him for about .5 seconds before realizing that would likely lead to my eminent demise from the Mama bear that was certainly hiding just out of site.

I finished completing the tour of the Going to the Sun road on Sunday morning after a couple of days of camping and hiking. While the views are incredible, I have to say that in comparison, Zion still has the best scenic drive. The mountains, glaciers, and valleys of Glacier are incredible but I realized that something was missing as I drove through - the snow. There were still a few snow caps and patches of snow even in July, but I am quite certain the views would be so much more spectacular in the winters month. Additionally, there is a lot of growth along both sides of the road that would often block some of the more majestic views to enjoy along the way. Knowing how long the drive would be I opted to skip recording a 360 tour from the front windshield which was probably for the best as I would not have had the awe-inspiring views like the Badlands and Zion have to offer. If my next visit can be timed when there is still solid snow cover a 360 scenic drive along the road will be recorded. 

One additional factor that detracted a bit from the experience was the smoky haze from the distant wildfires. The smoke and fires weren't enough to close any of the places I was visiting, but there was a continual distant haze that impacted the scenic view, sunrises, and sunsets. 

Hiking: 

I only scratched the surface of what Glacier has to offer and while I can rave about the great hikes I did enjoy, I know there are even greater hikes throughout the park that are even found along the Going to the Sun road and backcountry hiking would take the possibilities of what can be seen and experienced to even greater heights. 

Day 1:

On the eastern side of the park, my first hike was a three mile round trip starting at the St. Mary Pass Trail head. There are three waterfalls in the area of this hike. Shortly after you start the hike, there's a split where you can head left to one waterfall or head right to St. Mary and Virginia falls which is where I was itching to visit. It is not a very strenuous hike, but it it is popular. Even at 5pm, there was a good amount of traffic which tells me that it is likely crazy crowded in the morning and during peak visiting hours. The waters are gorgeous and it only takes maybe and hour and a half or so to see them both and return to the trail head. The wildlife was out and about including a deer that had zero fear of humans. 

I have seen deer all my life but they always had a healthy sense of fear of humans from all the hunting (deer meat tastes great). In Glacier - they have no fear. This deer just walked right down onto the trail where myself and few others were walking and just began pacing right along with us. I could reach out and pet him and it did not cause a stir. Eventually he found some taste vegetation to munch on and I went on my way to leave him to his evening dinner. Deer may not be the most special of wildlife, but to be so close to one that was so calm was a moment I will never forget. It reminded me a lot of the scene with Wil Wheaton in Stand By Me. 

I also spotted a large moose during the return leg of the trek walking down by the water without a care in the world. 

Day 2:

I started off the day at the Logan Pass visitor center. Be warned - this parking lot fills up very fast. I had heard rumors from others about how quickly it was filling up that when I woke up about 1am at a campground just outside the park, I opted to pack up early and get to the VC before the sun was up. I pulled in and found almost another dozen vehicles with the same thought and so I followed their lead and caught some extra sleep until the main crowd began to arrive about 5:30/6am. 

From here, I first made my way to Hidden Lake. Like most hikes along the Going to the Sun Road, this one is popular and gets crowded quickly. I was able to enjoy watching the sun rise of over the peaks of the park but was disappointed to be denied hiking the entire length down to the lake. The fish were spawning in the lake which meant that it was prime feeding season for bears. The rangers only allowed us to scenic over look, but not closer to avoid encouraging an 'incidents' down by the water - like being eaten by one of the earths best predators. I did see a few other fun members of the animal kingdom including a family of Big Horn Sheep and Mountain Goats. 

After returning the visitor center, I snagged a photo at the Continental divide and headed out on the Highline Trail. The entire trail is about 7.6 miles to Granite peak, but it isn't a loop. That's 7.6 miles to Granite Peak and then 7.6 miles back to the Logan Pass VC. If that is the only hike planned for the day, just get an early start and you will be able to make it back at a decent time. Keeping an average two mph pace is achievable which would keep the total hike time in the 8-9 hour range. I knew I would only be going about half way before turning back due to time constraints and wanting to be sure I found a campsite at the Apgar campground.

This was my first face off against my fear of heights on the trip and it went rather well. At about a half mile into the trail from the Logan Pass VC, you find yourself walking along a not too narrow path carved into the side of the mount with a flexible (rubber?) hanging hand rail on the side of the mountain and a very nice drop off to the other side if you are not careful. Folks had warned me that having a fear of heights could be an issue on this trail, but it is really not too bad. I did not feel the need to use the hand rail and just focused on not looking down to avoid getting startled. Once passed this area, you find yourself still walking along the side of mountains and experience some solid elevation, but no real fear of plummeting to an early grave. Most of the hike is level and not very strenuous until you begin to near the midway point. 

The midway of Highline trail is very obvious. The trail begins a series of very strenuous switch backs up to a pass with that opens in a spectacular panoramic scenic view. Once you make to the obvious viewing area, there is plenty of space to sit, catch your breath, have a water and food break, and simply enjoy the peace of what a place like Glacier has to offer. 

My last journey of the day was Lake McDonald. I found a decent site at the Apgar Campground and set off to see little village and Lake McDonald which was about a 15 minute walk from the campsite. This was another site that did not disappoint. I spotted the lake along the drive to the campground and am glad I took the time to visit up close. The tavern offered a good selection of drinks and by keeping Baby Yoda with me, it was easy to strike up conversations with folks in the area. I had the pleasure of meeting Matt Bass and his family to swap stories about National Park and Disney World adventures over the years. There is a lot to do in this village including renting paddle boards and kayaks to take out on the lake, local shops for souvenirs, and a hotel right on the beach of the lake that is probably crazy expensive, but with a view that cannot be beaten. 

Day 3:

I woke up early at the Apgar Campground and made my way to the Cedar Pass trail loop to head towards Avalanche Lake. More experienced travelers and hikers take on more unique and less touristy  sites, but sometimes the popular journey are popular for all the right reasons. I researched a number of hikes I thought I could tackle during my visit and Avalanche lake is one that pops up frequently with high recommendations. I will always be thankful I saved this as my last adventure in the park on this trip. 

The hike itself is about 2.5 miles from the start of the Cedar Pass Trail to the lake. The hike itself was incredible with the Cedar forest, waterfalls, and continual rapids that parallel the trail. Even if the final view at the end had been a let-down, the journey there was awesome enough to have been worth the time and effort. 

The best choice I made was to be awake by five AM and be on the trail soon thereafter. I arrived at Avalanche Lake about 6/6:30am and was absolutely stunned to silence upon entering the valley (glade? lake area?). There are moments in nature one never forgets with memories that will never dull or fog over with age. Summiting Devil's Tower. Looking down upon Bryce Canyon. First spotting Rainbow Bridge. Reaching the top of Angel's Landing. And seeing Avalanche Lake.

Something that really helped make this moment all the more special was arriving as early as I did. There were only three other people at the lake at the time and they seemed to have the same sense of awe as myself. For a very short period of time we were able to stand there in the quiet and take it all in. The sounds of the three waterfalls reverberating around the echo chamber created by the peaks, the rustle of water on the shore, and the sounds of the forest. For those few minutes, there was nothing else - just me and the majesty of one of God's greatest creations. How anyone could ever visit a place like this and not feel the hand of God in the creation of such a place is unfathomable. I will never forget Avalanche Lake and if I return at any time other than sunrise before the crowds arrive, I know it will not be the same.

Go see Avalanche Lake. Sacrifice the sleep and be there before dawn and hopefully before other people. It will move you. 

Camping:

Outside of Glacier on the eastern side of the Park is a nice little KOA styled campground - Johnson's of St. Mary's. I cannot say it is anything special, but the sites have water, electricity, and a great view the park. 

Inside Glacier I stayed that Apgar Campground near West Glacier. It's first come first serve for many of the sites, but even in the peak of July still had a solid number of sites available by mid afternoon. The walking distance the village and Lake McDonald make it a great place to pop a tent for some non-back country camping. 

Eating:

After grabbing stamps at the Apgar VC, I ventured out of the park to the Conservancy VC and Train station for a few additional stamps. On my way back to the park, I stopped at the West Glacier Cafe hoping for some decent cell or wifi signal (no luck) and grabbed a burger and drink. Their burgers were better than Mammoth Cave and Badlands, but not by much. 

The tavern/pub inside park at Lake McDonald had a much better selection of food and beverages. I drained a draft of the Glacier Golden Ale and would gleefully down a few more of those at my next visit.