Saturday, August 14, 2010

Going-to-the-Sun-Road - Glacier National Park


It is sad that predictions say that in about 10/15 years all the glaciers in Glacier National Park will have melted. Actually, unless you hike deep into back country, you can only see a few small glaciers from the road. If you have been to Alaska where there seems to be a huge glacier tucked between the mountains around every corner that you turn, the glaciers in Glacier will be disappointing. But the gorgeous lakes and mountain passes that were carved out by the glaciers are the true highlight of the park.


We left Lake McDonald Lodge in the morning and took "The Going-to-the-Sun-Road" that intersects through Glacier. This spectacular 50 mile long road was carved through the mountains about 75 years ago. I hate heights, and the passenger side was right on the edge of the road. I opted to sit in the back seat (wise decision) and spent a large part of the drive looking at the wildflowers and waterfalls on the opposite side of the road!



We made frequent stops to enjoy the views. The drive was slow in spots because of construction. We finally reached the highest spot, Logan Pass. We were lucky to score a parking spot during the busiest time of the day!

We were also lucky to find a sweet mama and baby mountain goat right outside the visitor center. My biggest wish during this trip was to see a mountain goat, so I was a happy traveler!


The wildflowers along the road were unbelievable! Below is a mountainside covered with fuzzy bear grass.

It was too bad that it was gray and a bit drizzly during most the ride, so no pretty skies in my pictures of Big Sky country. But it certainly was a lovely drive and I am glad I braved it!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Karen, it sounds like you had a very memorable time. I was there 2 years ago and was amazed at the breathtaking views. My Plurk profile picture is my husband and me on one of our hikes in the park.

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin