Montana's Glacier National Park - Glorious!

Aug. 16, and 17
St. Mary’s, Montana, Glacier National Park – East Entrance.

We pulled in on Saturday afternoon after bombing down from the Canadian Rockies, waving at Calgary, and crossing back into the US of A. It was rainy, sleety and freezing – all my fears about weather hotter than 75 have been allayed. Another lovely KOA Kampground (the “K” theme is a big thing with them) but this one had a pool and a little water park. 47 degrees and Cal is in his wetsuit running around and swimming. We caught up on laundry and groceries and had a wonderful dinner at the Two Sisters Café. And when I say sisters, I mean sisters. We got no gay discount, but it was really delicious food and a treat to see “our people,” even if they were of the Montana Outback ilk.

My brother Steve and his wife, Cynthia, their kids Nash and Annie all spend part of every summer in Montana, near East Glacier National Park. The only way we could boost Cal out of our fancy hotel was with the promise of seeing his cousins. They came over on Sunday morning and we explored Glacier National. We were on our 10th straight day of rain, but in the proper raingear – who cares? Well, we all forgot our rainpants, and the answer is, I care. It was frickin’ freezin’! And one of the most beautiful places on earth. Tall, jagged peaks, beautiful ice blue lakes, a marmot. We hiked over 5 miles – Cal’s longest ever (Steve only carried him 1 or 2 of the uphill ones. Steve carried me the rest). Steve’s kids are accomplished mountaineers, having conquered 10 or 12 of the peaks we could see, and we are not. We do have an endearing tradition around hiking though – The Dead End Dance (Having reached the end of the trail - we dance!)