We left Makoshika State Park in Glendive, Montana and drove through Big Sky Country across the great empty spaces of Montana towards the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park. We arrived at Glacier Bible Camp in Hungry Horse, Montana late in the day. We set up camp and took showers, visited our new friends then rested.
On Wednesday, July 6, we headed to the Western entrance of Glacier National Park. We stopped at the visitor center, gathered maps and information then headed to view Lake McDonald.
Excited, we headed up Going to the Sun Road, a modern marvel. I drove…it was a real nail biter. The two lanes winding up through the mountains seem awfully narrow at times with sheer drop offs on one side with a short retaining wall between your tires and eternity, and steep cliff walls on the other. Rock doesn’t give. I didn’t see any of the stunning views my passengers were exclaiming over, pointing at and enjoying except out of the corner of my eye. I saw asphalt, the short retaining wall, other vehicles I was sure were going to trade paint with me and the sheer cliff walls. I was a bundle of nerves by the time we got to the visitor center at Logan’s Pass.
Needing to burn off the adrenaline build from driving this extraordinary road, I suggested we do the 1.5 mile hike up to Hidden Lake. It was 48 degrees on the 6th of July! There was snow on the ground. This Southern girl was delighted to stand on a snow field in the middle of summer. Sometimes, it is the little things. Craig, Amber and I started up the trail. About 1/2 way up to the overlook for Hidden Lake we spotted a Grizzly Bear in the distance. It was a mother bear with a growing cub. I got a picture of the mother bear against the snow field but the cub was too quick as it chased its mom. The picture was fuzzy but, hey, it was a picture!
Amber decided to turn back and Craig and I continued on towards Hidden Lake. We slipped and slid across the snow field along with several other determined hikers. The fog got thicker and it started to sleet, little icy pellets stinging as we walked. As we hiked up and the visibility deteriorated we heard a rifle shot from somewhere behind us.
At the top of the trail, on the overlook it was so foggy that Hidden Lake remained hidden. I took a picture of the panel describing Hidden Lake and a picture of the enshrouding fog. As we started back down the trail we were stopped by Ranger Eric and sent back up to the board walk where we were held for over 1/2 an hour.
Rangers had spotted the Grizzly too close to the trail and hikers. A warning shot had been fired sending her away but visibility had gotten so bad no one knew for sure where she had gone. Afraid she might have curled back around towards the trail and all us unwary hikers rangers closed the trail and made arrangements to lead us off the mountain safely. Mom, Abby, and Amber waited at the visitor center while we waited at the top of the trail. We chatted with fellow hikers and passed the time until the Rangers led us down as a group. There were about 35 of us in a group that Ranger Eric led down, other Rangers were spotters keeping an eye out for the Grizzly.
Ranger Eric let us go out onto the snow pack and get photos of the bear’s Paw prints. What a wonderful adventure to start out our exploration of one of the Crown Jewels of the National Park System!
We finished the drive down Going to the Sun Road and checked out St. Mary’s Lake then headed to the Two Medicine section of the park to locate trail heads for future adventures.
MrsSmithsLifeUnexpected 