Glacier

Ok, first off, Montana has speed limits, which was news to me. I had chickened out in Wyoming, only getting the WRX to [censored] MPH, and was hoping for a better test run in speed limit-free Big Sky Country. No such luck.

Second, Montana apparently has a permanent hurricane zone in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation east of Glacier. Crosswinds on Rt 2 were a constant 60 MPH, with higher gusts. I was a little afraid that there might be a tornado brewing; I've never seen a tornado, and don't even know whether Montana gets them. I responded in the only way I knew how: by driving faster.

When I got to Glacier National Park, it was overcast, windy, and freezing, despite a forecast of partly sunny, mid 70s. Worse yet, they were redoing the visitor's center, and had no real bathrooms. As such, my first impression was less than positive.

Of course, my mood improved with the scenery. Beautiful, glacier-crusted mountains, gorgeous, lush valleys, and waterfalls, waterfalls, waterfalls.


I hiked a 1.5 mile, very steep, occasionally snowy and slushy (and slippery!) trail to find "Hidden Lake." The view of the lake was impressive, and the hike itself was a lot of fun, if a bit scary at times, since one slip on the snow could send you down the mountain. I was a little surprised nobody slipped, but I guess I don't give people enough credit sometimes. Had a close encounter with a mountain goat on the way down.

As I headed out, I stopped at Lake McDonald. For some reason, I was captivated. Maybe it was the greenish blue tint of the water, or the rhythm of the relatively large waves for a small, fresh water lake, or the mountain backdrop, but the scene held me, for I don't know how long.

Finally, the road that snakes through the mountains, called Going-To-The-Sun Road, is a marvel of engineering. In fact, I'm not convinced humans were capable of building it. For that matter, I am now theorizing that a higher being put it there. You so-called "scientists" weren't there, so you can't prove me wrong.