While in the Glacier NP area, we stayed at a group campground area near Hungry Horse Reservoir. It was nice, and convenient to the park, but we really missed having internet. We're all so spoiled...
The weather was really bad when we were there, but we did make a couple trips into the park. We went to Lake McDonald Lodge -
And had some views of Lake McDonald.
We found this poor guy in the parking lot, just waiting for his best friend to return.
And there were lots of ground squirrels hanging around.
I went up to Columbia Falls regularly to get internet. There were some great murals in the town.
This is definitely my favorite! Very detailed. Done in 2004, it depicts loggers, miners, and trappers in the late 19th century here.
Back at the campground, we had a very short walk to Hungry Horse Reservoir.
Some of the group did some kayaking, while others just relaxed on the beach.
We also visited the beach in Whitefish. It looks a lot better on a sunny, warm day.
They were having a wooden boat festival there. We got to see some great ones.
This was my favorite. I could just picture the kids in the front and the parents in the back.
For the last couple days of our stay in the area, we moved over to the Kalispell fairgrounds. Farther away from Glacier NP, but very nice.
After all, it's been 3 weeks since I went on the one in the Black Hills of South Dakota. So when the WINs moved to a campsite near Glacier National Park, I signed Gwen and I up. I had done this ride 12 years ago and always wanted to do it again. We're ready to go with our pilot.
Some of our first views were of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. We saw several rafters.
Way out there is Mount St. Nicholas, one of their "Matterhorns."
We saw lots of lakes, but the first one was Harrison Lake.
On top of Loneman Mountain is one of the many lookout towers in the park.
I let Gwen sit in the front seat, because she had a better camera. So a few of these pictures, and the 2 videos, are hers.
We went over Logan Pass, at the top of the Going to the Sun Road. The road wasn't open yet, because of snow, but it did open 3 days later.
Then we got to the Many Glacier part of the park, my favorite. Grinnell Lake is in the foreground, a beautiful glacial lake. To read about my hike there back in 2013, that post is here.
We got a better view of the Many Glacier Hotel.
And then! - a view of Iceberg Lake. I had a very exciting hike to the lake way back in 2006 (when I was much younger...). That post is here.
Then we went over a ridge, with Elizabeth Lake in the background.
One of Gwen's amazing videos.
More beautiful ridges!
And yet another. See that notch on the right?
Well, we went right through it!
Wow!
Mokowanis Lake, Glenns Lake, and Cosley Lake in the background.
And finally, Waterton Lake, half in the US and half in Canada.
We went over the line into Canada. Who make that line??? I got a text message from Verizon saying "Welcome to Canada!"
Cameron Lake, mostly in Canada.
We saw at least 15 glaciers, but this is my favorite - Weasel Collar Glacier.
One last spectacular view - Lake Ellen Wilson, Lincoln Lake, and Beaver Chief Falls.
Coming in for a landing! I highly recommend this tour - take the one hour (like we did) instead of the half hour. It's double the price, but 10 times better!
Not for me, but for Lewis and Clark. They had been told about one waterfall, but were very surprised to find five.
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls is one of the best on the trail. There is a life-sized model of how they got their goods around the falls.
It involved an 18-mile portage, back and forth 4 times, to get everything around the falls.
We visited several of the falls. Getting over to Ryan Island to see The Great Falls involved going over a bridge with a 6-person limit. Uh-oh...
Our first peak at the dam and power house.
Wow! It's so wonderful that they built the dam behind the falls, not in front of it.
The water was really gushing through the dam. There's a lot of snow melt right now.
Our WIN group (other than me).
We also went east from there a little to see Morony Dam.
There are no falls here, and never were, but seeing the water exploding in the air was just amazing.
We also saw Rainbow Falls and Rainbow Dam -
And Black Eagle Falls and Dam.
The Roe River is one of the shortest rivers in the country.
It's formed by a spring, described by William Clark as the largest he had ever seen, and quickly flows into the Missouri River.
There were some beautiful trout in a pool nearby.
And a gorgeous White Pelican swimming by.
Our group again. I'm the 5th one from the left.
We also got a private tour of the History Museum -
And loved the C.M. Russell Museum, although there were only two of his Lewis and Clark paintings there.
