Hello and welcome back to my Glacier National Park adventure! I covered my East Side hikes over here.
Day 4
On Day 4, I met up with Joseph, who I met on the trail to Iceberg Lake, to hike the Highline trail, which is considered one of the quintessential Glacier park hikes. It was definitely my favorite hike, with views the whole way. I don't think my words can do it justice, so I'll just post a bunch of photos! The entire hike was quite long (maybe 15 miles in total) but the cool thing about this hike is that, if you aren't up for a long trek, you can just walk out a short distance and enjoy some great mountain vistas
The beginning of the trail
There was still quite a bit of snow along the way
About 7 miles in, there's an optional HELLA STEEP one mile detour to view Grinnell Glacier. One mile might not sound very far, but it feels endless when you're basically going straight up! But it was well worth it for the destination
Looking very dorky and very happy to have a momentary rest. Also it was freezing up there.
The view opposite the glacier
A little ways beyond the glacier overlook, you'll come upon Granite Park Chalet- where you can stay overnight if you're lucky enough to snag a reservation. The staff there told me that this year, they filled up within 10 hours of reservations opening.
Next time I come, I'm staying here!
The way down was a pretty easy downhill, ending at an area called The Loop. From there, I grabbed the park shuttle back to where I parked, at Logan Pass. One piece of advice for future visitors: Parking at Logan Pass is really crowded and difficult, so I'd recommend parking at The Loop, and taking the shuttle to Logan Pass before the hike. This way, your car is right there when you're done, and you don't have to bother with Logan Pass parking or waiting for the shuttle at the end of the day!
Day 5: Fish Lake & Avalanche Lake
Day 5 was my first true day on the West side. I stayed at San-Suz-Ed, which I actually found on AirBnb. It's an interesting mix of RV Park and Bed & Breakfast. I was on the Bed & Breakfast side of things :) It was clean, comfortable, had laundry, and was and well located. It did feel a bit like staying at a grandma's house, but that isn't a bad thing!
This was supposed to be my "go easy" day since my legs were starting to feel like they'd fall off my body, but I still ended up hiking a bunch over a couple shorter hikes.
The first hike I did was to Fish Lake. Honestly, there isn't too much to say about it. The hike reminded me of Northern CA mountains- hot, dry weather and pine trees. It didn't have much to offer in the way of views, and I got eaten alive by mosquitoes. The trail was very empty, which under other circumstances might feel very peaceful, but in bear country, it just made me feel nervous!
Ta-da! Fish Lake.
After Fish Lake, I hung around at Lake McDonald lodge to rest my legs, have a snack, and check out their impressive collection of mounted animal heads. Mainly, I wanted to kill some time before going over to Avalanche Lake, one of the most popular hikes in the park. I was hoping to miss the crowds by going on the later side, and I think I timed it pretty well (starting around 5:30 PM).
The hike is about 2 miles each way- and has a great payoff at the end for a short trek.
It may look pretty serene but there were a good number of people around! I probably waited 10 minutes for this photo spot to free up :D
After my "take it easy" day, I grabbed a bite (for the second night in a row) at West Glacier Restaurant which serves up tasty burgers, sandwiches, and ice cream.
Day 6: Apgar Lookout and Lake McDonald
On my last day in Glacier :( I went up to the Apgar Lookout, a viewpoint at the end of an uphill climb that feels pretty grueling in 90 degree heat. Have I mentioned that the weather was WAY HOTTER on the West side?
The views from the top were great- you could see for miles around. I feel like those kind of views don't always translate very well in photos, but here's one anyway!
When I finished the hike, it was only about 2:00, so I decided to go over to Apgar Village, which I hadn't checked out yet. It's a cute little area with a campground, hotel, and a few souvenir shops. It's right on Lake McDonald where there were lots of families enjoying the water.
While my legs were pretty beat at this point, my ARMS were fine, so I decided to take a kayak out for an hour. Despite my lack of kayaking experience, it was nice to be out on the water. I paddled over to an area where there were some bald eagles nesting, and even saw one in the nest! It was pretty far away, but still cool (and so patriotic on this 4th of July weekend!). Getting back to the dock, there was a pretty strong wind, and I wasn't sure I'd be strong enough to make it, but I guess those Pilates classes are doing something because my arms got me safely back to shore!
Lake McDonald (none of those people is me)
I gave Mexican food in Montana another try at La Casita. TripAdvisor gives it good marks, but I guess living in the Mission for 10 years has made me more picky than most about my burritos!
So with that, my trip to Glacier came to an end! The next morning, before heading to the airport, I drove over to Whitefish for a couple of hours. I was lucky to be in town on a day that they had a very cool art fair with lots of paintings, furniture and crafts. I wanted to take home a painted buffalo skull, but it wouldn't fit in my suitcase ;)
Glacier definitely lived up to my expectations, it's a beautiful place with so much to explore. I'd love to go back one day- to stay at Granite Park Chalet, and check out some of the hikes that were still covered in snow!