I just spent the last week in a place I've wanted to visit for a while: Glacier National Park in Montana! It was amazing, and I saw a lot. I'm going to split up my blog into two posts since there are two main sides of the park. For now, let's get into the East Side!
Breathtaking views abound! (this isn't even in the park, just nearby)
The park is huge, and I managed to see a good bit of it in a week, but there is still a lot there that I wish I could have done! Even in July, many of the most well-known hikes there were still closed because they were covered in snow. Guess I'll just have to go back again in the future (ideally in August next time :)
When I got in, I drove from the airport (on the West side) to the East side. I drove through the famous "Going-to-the-Sun-Road" which winds through the park. Unfortunately it was super rainy, so I didn't get to enjoy the legendary views- but don't worry, I drove it again in better weather.
This view is much better when not covered by clouds!
I stayed in Babb, at Glacier Trailhead Cabins, where I had my own cute little cabin super conveniently located to the park. The night I arrived, I went to dinner at Two Sisters Restaurant, where I ended up chatting up my waiter, Giancarlo. He had a couple days off while I was there, so we did a bunch of hiking together over the next few days.
Day 1: Two Medicine
My first full day at the park, I looked at the weather forecast, saw numbers in the 30s, and decided to seek out warmer temperatures. So I drove about an hour down to the Two Medicine area of the park. This was the day I learned not to bother looking at the weather- it was also pretty bad in Two Medicine! A ranger advised against doing the hike I wanted to do (Scenic Point) because of strong wind, so I ended up on a long but flat hike to Upper Two Medicine Lake. It had its beautiful moments, and it also rained about 75% of the time, which was...uncomfortable.
A brief pause in the rain for stunning views.
Those gray clouds in the background pretty much sum up the weather that day!
Some blue skies at the end of the day
Even though I was very tired and my left foot was soaked (I'm not sure what happened to my boot!) there was another very short "Nature Walk" that I wanted to check out: Running Eagle Falls. It was worth the quick trip.
Hello gorgeous waterfall!
I definitely worked up an appetite, so went over to East Glacier for some Mexican food at Serrano's. It was....about what you'd expect from Mexican food in Montana. Also, it's up for sale in case you know anyone who wants to move to Montana and own a Mexican restaurant!
Since I was in the area, I also stopped to take a look inside the historic Glacier Park Lodge. It has a beautiful entryway, and the lobby is held up with beams made of huge trees. They even had a hipster dude playing guitar. The one photo I took isn't very good, so just use your imagination or click on their website.
Day 2: Iceberg Lake
On my second day, I met up with Giancarlo in the morning to hike to Iceberg Lake in the Many Glacier area of the park. It's not too hard, so there were lots of other people on the trail, but we still managed to find a bit of peace and quiet at the lake. We got all kinds of weather- sun, rain, and even a little hail. Pack your layers if you visit Glacier!
Yay! Made it to the lake!
#nofilter
How beautiful is this water!?
On the way back down, we ended up meeting another solo traveler named Joseph and convinced him to hang out with us. The boys even agreed to join me in this amazing photo.
A photographer once told me you should cross your ankles in a photo. What do you think?
That night, Giancarlo and I went to dinner at Babb Bar Cattle Barron Supper Club (really rolls off the tongue) where we wolfed down some delicious steaks, and afterwards, we saw a bear by the road!
Excuse the poor image quality, it's pretty zoomed in. Seeing a bear from the safety of the car is exactly how I wanted to see a bear.
Day 3: Cracker Lake
On my last full day on the East side, Giancarlo and I headed back to the Many Glacier area to hike to Cracker Lake. The first two miles of this trail are used by horses and it was NASTY. Super muddy and horse poop everywhere. Luckily I only fell in it once, and it was on the way back when we were almost done!
After the first couple of miles, it was a beautiful trail with loads of great views, like this one:
The lake itself is a stunning milky blue, which is most striking in the direct sunlight. We didn't get too much full sun, but just enough to snap some great pics!
Unfiltered colors!
Afterwards, we were so hungry we could barely move, so we grabbed a bite inside the park at Nell's, which was completely adequate.
The East side was a ton of fun! I got acquainted with the wild weather of the mountains, saw some beautiful sights, and even made a couple of new friends. On Day 4, I headed over to the West, which I'll cover in my next post!