The mountains are calling & I must go.
John Muir
We have finally made it to the mountains!
Joseph & I awoke at 4:30am for our first day in Glacier National Park. If you plan on driving your own car through Glacier, early wake up times are a must. The parking at Logan Pass at the top of the Going-to-the-Sun Road fills up fast, & besides this lot, there is very little parking to the trails in this area of the park. We drove the 15 minutes to Glacier & then sat in the line of cars waiting to get in when the gates open at 6am.
The mist was heavy as we drove our car into the park. As we passed through the tall pine trees that surrounded either side of the road, we gazed up in wonder at the tall shadows that loomed ahead of us, only to realize a moment later they were mountains.
The drive up Logan Pass can be nerve wracking. There is a short barrier separating your car from the drop below, but as you wind higher up into the mountains, you begin to realize that barrier can probably do very little to impede a speeding car. The views, however, are worth it. It was like stepping into a fantasy world. Forested mountains stretched on as far as we could see, basking in the early morning light. Every so often, waterfalls would tumble down the sides of these majestic beasts. Below us, clouds floated between the trees.
When we arrived at Logan Pass at 7:15, the lot was already nearly full. We parked our car, pulled on an extra few layers to fight against the chilly wind, & began our hike to Hidden Lake.
A good part of the hike had been made accessible with a wooden boardwalk that wound over the landscape. The only challenge was the consistent elevation. Every so often, we would stop to catch our breath & look back to watch the sunrise over the mountains behind us. Beside the boardwalk, pink, purple & yellow wildflowers swayed in the wind.
We reached the Hidden Lake overlook & were dismayed to see the remainder of the trail had been blocked off due to bear activity. We learned later a grizzly bear & her cubs had made their home around the lake & were attacking hikers that came too close. However, the view of the lake was still worth it. The harsh wind bit at our exposed faces & hands, & yet, we still stayed rooted to the spot, staring down at the crystalline blue water surrounded by tall, green fir trees. Already, the views in Glacier National Park had stolen the show. Nothing we had seen yet in our trip even came close in comparison to these magnificent views.
Running ahead of schedule because our hike had been cut short, we drove the remainder of the Going-to-the-Sun Road to St. Mary. Just as we were leaving the road, we slowed to a stop behind a line of cars that had ceased driving in the middle of the road. Confused, we peered through our windows, only to spot a black bear right beside the road! He was happily eating leaves from a small tree & paid little attention to us. His black fur looked silky soft, & his snout was nuzzling into the leaves, looking for a good bite. We watched him eat for a few moments before we had to drive on to let the drivers behind us see, but the bear remained a topic of conversation for the rest of the day. He was the first bear I had ever seen, & I understand now why black bears are said to be big teddy bears – he was adorable & looked sweet enough to hug, although I am sure if I had approached him, I would have felt differently.
We stopped at the ranger station in St. Mary to talk over the itinerary in our trip with a park ranger. Many of the trails we had planned to hike had also been closed due to bear activity, & every other trail had high bear warnings, a risk it seemed we would have to take. We adjusted our plans & then returned to our car with a new, very important mission: coffee.
Just a two-minute drive from the ranger station was a coffee shop serving espresso. Joseph & I ran inside, eager for a caffeine fix. I ordered a slice of lemon bread & the largest size of an almond milk latte available. Joseph ordered an americano & a coffee bombolone, an airy, Italian doughnut filled with sweet, espresso cream & topped with chocolate ganache.
After this, we took our time driving back over the Going-to-the-Sun road, stopping at overlooks to marvel at the views. One of our favorite stops was at the Sun Point Overlook, where we hiked a short distance up to a cliff side that overlooked St. Mary Lake. I have never seen water so blue! It truly looked like a photo from a travel brochure, overly saturated & edited to look appealing. But there it was, right in front of our eyes, against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.
For our afternoon hike, we chose to do Avalanche Lake. The trail had some elevation, but most of the hike was relatively easy. And the ending view was more than worth it. Being up close to that perfect blue water felt like something out of a dream. It was so blue it looked tropical, but surrounded by cozy pine & fir trees. It was something I have never seen before & still cannot believe is real.
As we trekked back, the rain clouds that had been threatening to pour on us all day finally did. We scurried back to our car & decided to head out of the park early. Joseph suggested going out to eat, & because I had been dreading our evening freeze-dried meals all day, I happily accepted.
We chose Backslope Brewing, a brewery just a few minutes outside of Glacier National Park with delicious, inventive food. For an appetizer, we shared the Labneh Plate, a mediterranean-style dish with fresh, creamy labneh cheese, a nutty pistachio mint pesto, salty kalamata olives, & soft, warm pita bread. I had to stop myself from eating the full plate so I could still enjoy our main course. For dinner, Joseph ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich, which is pickle-brined, served with a tangy house slaw, a creamy aioli, & a spiced tomato glaze. For a side, he ordered the Garlic Parmesan Fries, which are served homestyle & have the perfect level of saltiness that keeps you grabbing for more. I ordered the Sunshine VegBurger, which is a house-made veggie burger served with a creamy aioli, spicy pepper jack cheese, bitter microgreens, a tangy wing sauce, fresh tomato, pickled red onions & pineapple, & a sunny-side up fried egg. Even though our stomachs were full, we couldn’t help but finish every last bite.
Overly satisfied, we returned to our campsite & retired early to bed. We had another early morning awaiting us & a long hike through the mountains to look forward to the next day.
It feels good to be back in the mountains. The fresh air & sweet smell of pine is everywhere. Despite the cold, it feels cozy. There is a special kind of energy that exists in the mountains & calls to explorers & adventurers. It’s serene & yet bursting with life. It feels like home.
The mountains have called, & we are here to answer them.