Into the Rockies

We arrived at Glacier National Park on Wednesday afternoon after driving on state roads thru the rain much of the time, and taking a detour around Rt 89 due to heavy road construction for over 6 miles near the Park.  Elliott was exhausted from the trip and required an immediate nap.


Wednesday night we had rain, with forecasts for potentially serious thunderstorms and a flood watch for Thursday. We ventured out the next morning to the St Mary’s entrance and visitors’ center to talk with the Rangers and scope out the area. Because of extremely overcast skies and predictions of storms ahead, we hung out in our campground and did maintenance and cleaning chores, including laundry.



Friday morning we took a morning drive west on the Going-to-the-Sun Road for the first 12 miles or so.

















On Friday afternoon we went on a scenic boat tour in the Many Glacier area, northwest of St Mary and about a 50 minute drive to the Many Glacier Hotel where we met the boat. We sailed across the Swiftcurrent Lake, then hiked about .2 miles over a steep land divider, and then boarded another boat to cross Lake Josephine.  Finally we reversed direction and returned back via boat to the Many Glacier Hotel and drove back to St Mary. 










On Saturday, we drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road west to its terminus in West Glacier, a distance of approximately 51 miles. Stopping along the way in a number of pull-offs, we took pictures and admired the scenery. We had lunch in West Glacier, drove thru town to see the sights, and then returned via the same route. This trip meant lots of driving - but it was well worth it.



















Next, we’re heading due south.





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