Short Stories: Schwieterman Summer Adventure Series - 2023 (Part 5.1 – Montana)
We broke up our Yellowstone adventure by splitting time at two different campgrounds, the latter being in Gardiner, MT along the banks of the Yellowstone River. The mosquitos were well-fed and quite large, just like the elk that we saw throughout the campground. Gardiner is a cute touristy town, one that we would definitely return to. It is home to the original entrance into the national park, where the Roosevelt Arch still stands.
We also checked out the less popular northeast entrance to Yellowstone as we made our way out of the park to navigate a portion of Beartooth Highway. I picked out a couple of stops (Clarks Fork and Crazy Creek Falls) to see some more waterfalls before heading back to Gardiner after an already long day in the park.
We also checked out the Yellowstone Hot Springs Resort a few miles north of Gardiner. A day pass provided entrance into the three mineral water pools, one of which we dubbed the polar plunge. Its temperature was a balmy 68 degrees. The main swimming pool was kept at 98 degrees and the “hot tub” was 106 degrees. It was exhilarating to go back and forth between the different water temperatures and is evidently good for circulation. (I will say that I didn’t have my restless legs symptoms that evening.)
It was our initial plan to start heading home after our stay in Gardiner, with the departure day coinciding with my husband’s birthday. He decided that his birthday wish this year was to not go home, at least not yet. So, we did a bit of research and settled on a long weekend at Glacier National Park in the northwestern corner of Montana. It was an eight-hour drive, but the drive was pleasant with beautiful forest views.
We did experience something new while in Montana: wildfires. My phone alerted me to a wildfire which ended up being less than ten miles from our campground. There were actually a few active wildfires in the area, fortunately our stay was not impacted. We did choose an alternate route to travel to our destination to avoid coming too close, which took us directly along Flathead Lake. What good fortune that ended up being! All of a sudden, as we crested atop a hill, there it was, the most beautiful lake I had ever laid eyes on! The blue waters shimmered amid the tree-covered banks and the distant mountains. The image is stamped in my mind. Vacationing at that lake is now at the top of my list of future adventures!
The lake at our campground was no slouch either. We stayed on Lake Five, whose temperature was quite comfortable for swimming, a rare feature for lakes near Glacier National Park, which are typically around a frigid 50 degrees. We fell in love with the campground and made some incredible memories, thanks largely to our company. My husband’s brother and wife joined us for our stay. It was the perfect birthday present! Well, that and the huckleberry pie we had to celebrate the occasion.
Prior to making our trip out West, we purchased an inflatable kayak. The weather while in Yellowstone didn’t cooperate with putting it in the water as planned, so her maiden voyage was Lake Five in Montana. Paddling around the beautiful lake was perfection. We even took our trachie and the ventilator out in the kayak, while staying a lot closer to the shoreline. It was also the girls’ first fishing experiencing on the trip. It yielded no results, but they still enjoyed the activity, especially when Daddy took them out fishing in the kayak.
We truly loved everything about Glacier. Our adventures inside the national park will be in a separate post because I have a whole lot to say! Stay tuned!
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