Short Stories: Schwieterman Summer Adventure Series - 2023 (Part 5.2 – Glacier National Park)
We were not prepared for the awe-inspiring beauty that awaited us in Glacier National Park. I had done plenty of research in preparation for our travels on Going-to-the-Sun Road, but no pictures I saw came close to the true majesty of being in the presence of its pristine perfection.
We saw some amazing sights on all our adventures, but Glacier is in a class of its own. If no pictures can do it justice, I know my mere words won’t come close, but I will give it my best shot. Here is the itinerary we followed:
We stayed in West Glacier and entered the park via the west entrance. First stop was Lake McDonald Lodge. The rustic, three-story structure was quite impressive, but the real star was the lake itself. The kids were immediately drawn to this amazing babbling brook that led to the lake. The bed of the crystal-clear waters is rocks in brilliant hues of purple, red, and green. Our girls are rock enthusiasts, so they were mesmerized by the beauty of every rock they pulled from the water to inspect. A few “keepers” found their way into a pocket or two.
The mountains in the distance were hiding behind a bit of haze, which we were hopeful would burn off as the day went on, but the view was still phenomenal. We could have lingered there the entire morning, but I had a suspicion that even more stunning sights were in store, so we wrangled the kids back to the vehicle for our next stop at McDonald Falls Overlook. Our view of the cascade waterfall was a bit obstructed by lush pine trees but still spectacular.
Next on our itinerary was the one-mile loop of Trail of the Cedars, a stroller-friendly path through a dense forest of western hemlocks and towering western red cedars. It is a popular attraction so parking can be difficult, but once we were on the trail, the crowds thinned. We spent ample time off the path, balancing on downed timber, which provided a natural obstacle course over the running waters of the Skagit River. It was fun for the whole family and Mommy went overboard snapping pictures of all the smiling faces.
We really worked up an appetite on our hike, so we had a tailgate lunch in the small parking lot of our next pull off at Redrock, just about one mile up the road. It’s easy to miss so be on the lookout because this was my favorite place in all of Glacier National Park. I truly am at a loss to find adequate words to describe the scenery, so I’ll let my inadequate pictures do the talking on this one to give you but a glimpse of its splendor.
After leaving what I would say is one of the most beautiful places on earth, we began an arduous incline on Going-to-the-Sun Road. The winding drive along the steep cliffs was a bit scary for this Mommy. OK, I’ll be honest, I was terrified! Every time oncoming traffic passed, I cringed, I screeched, I squeezed the door handle. . . I was a mess! I was quite grateful when we pulled off at the Weeping Wall for a panoramic view of the valley far below. I felt much safer with my feet on the ground.
At the peak of the mountain is Logan Pass Visitor Center, the most popular stop on the route. We circled the inadequate, small parking lot a few times before deciding to move on. At this point, I knew I had to return to Glacier someday, so we chalked the sight up to one we would see on our next trip. So, we began our descent toward St. Mary, the eastern entrance to the park. Not long after leaving Logan Pass, a black bear popped out from the brush in an effort to cross the road directly in front of us. Our truck scared him back in but not before we all squealed in excitement over such a close encounter with a bear.
We did have one last stop before we made our way down the mountain, Sun Point. It is a turn off to a rather large parking area to hike the nature trail that overlooks St. Mary Lake. This hike was not stroller-friendly, so Daddy pulled the ventilator straps on his back and put our daughter on his shoulders while Mommy carried the backpack with emergency supplies as we embarked on our two-mile hike along the rugged terrain. The hike was a bit harder than we anticipated, so we took turns carrying our 32-pound daughter and the 14-pound ventilator.
The payoff was well worth the effort once we reached Baring Falls, an incredible, off-the-beaten path waterfall. If you keep walking several more miles, you encounter two more waterfalls, but we headed back to climb to the top of the very windy Sun Point promontory, which boasts exquisite panorama views of St. Mary Lake. It was the perfect adventure to end our incredibly full day in Glacier National Park.
Glacier is full of hiking opportunities of all skill levels and duration. We barely scratched the surface of endless opportunities to immerse yourself in the peace and splendor of nature. There are also other parks to explore, such as Two Medicine and Many Glacier. I truly hope to return to this magnificent corner of the world, which should be on everyone’s bucket list. Leaving Glacier was the most bittersweet departure we made in all our travels, perhaps it was magnified because it was not time to turn around and head back East.
Although, we did manage to find some adventures on our way home too. It’s not over yet!
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