We arrived at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds Friday afternoon.  We got settled and decided to go into town.  This place was hopping.  People enjoy the sun as they lounged on park lawns, swimming in the river, strolling, and window shopping along the main street.  Each restaurant, café, and eatery had people occupying both the outdoor and indoor seats.  It was refreshing to see a town so alive.

We took a 28-mile out-and-back bike ride to the Washington/Idaho state line.  When we stopped at the monument, we met three young men and started a conversation.  They were part of a group called Illini 4000.  This group of young people biking from New York to San Francisco to raise funds for cancer research and participate in the Portraits Project.  They interact with people who in some way connect to the disease by having it, dealt with it, or have a loved one going through it.  They interview the people, take their pictures, and write their stories to spread awareness of this terrible disease.  They bike anywhere from 70 to 100 miles a day, depending on the terrain.  We were impressed and asked for a card so we can donate.  If you want to check them out or make a donation go to contactus@illini4000.org.

We stopped at The Old European Restaurant for breakfast.  Everything offered in the restaurant is made from scratch.  Orange juice is fresh-squeezed, and generational polish recipes are on the menu. Mitch said their rye bread was the best he ever tasted.  The menu was extensive, and no one rushed you out the door. 

Have water- will kayak.  Lake Pend Oreille is an excellent place to kayak.  It is 43 miles long and has a depth of over 1100 ft., surrounded by majestic mountains and dense forest habitat for wildlife.  Unfortunately, we did not spot any wildlife. In researching this lake, the Navy uses this lake for underwater acoustic testing due to its depth which mimics an ocean.  In our travels, we have found many interesting tidbits about the areas we are visiting.  Down in the marina district, they boast the world’s longest floating boardwalk. This fact is just one of many and more as we continue our travels.

On our last day at Glacier we made another attempt to hike Avalanche Trail.  We were up at the crack of dawn and made it to the trailhead at 5:30 am and finally secured a parking spot.  Trail of Cedars is the beginning of this 6.5-mile hike.  A boardwalk meanders along beautiful cedar trees giving us a small glimpse of what awaits us when we visit the Redwoods in California.  Can’t wait.

The boardwalk ends and a dirt trail is our guide through a forest.  The trees are tall and the boulders tower over me.  We watch the sun rise over the mountain tops and the ray’s peek through the trees.  There are so many outcrops which are perfect for picture taking.  The trees are the frame and the mountains and streams are the canvas.  

Personal observation- there are those happy hikers who greet people with a smile and a hello- we fall into that category.  Then you have those who don’t look at you or respond when you say hi.  The last category of hikers is those who somehow think they are participating in a 10k and want to win first place. They speed through the hike and don’t stop to fully engulf themselves in their surroundings. The sound of the birds, beautiful foliage and the magnificence of the everything seems to be ignored.  It makes me wonder if their lives are the same way – racing to get to some point only to realize later in life enjoying the journey was most important. 

Our hikes probably take longer because of two factors.  First, I make frequent stops to take pictures of flowers, water, dead wood and anything else I see unique.  I also just stop to enjoy the moment, feel a breeze on my face or just sit for a while.  Second, I married an adventurer.  What does that mean?  If there is a space off the beaten path or a challenge, Mitch will explore it, conquer it and move on to the next adventure. I am grateful to him as I would not have had these memorable experiences.

Avalanche Lake was amazing as was every other trail in Glacier.  Now I know why it makes it in the list of the top ten most visited national parks.

Today, we remembered to bring our lunch.  We wanted to picnic at Lake McDonald.  This lake is ten miles long and is 472 ft deep, formed from the glaciers.  It was the perfect spot to relax, take in the view and promise to visit again.

On the road at 4:20 am and drove to the park.  Fingers crossed; we hope to have an open parking spot at Logans Pass – the highest point on the Going- to- the- Sun Road.  The entrance booth is unoccupied. It’s still dark; however, we are not alone.  Cars are already ahead of us. We start to wonder how early do we have to get up to beat the crowds.  Mitch now has to drive 32 miles in the dusk-lit winding road to Logan’s pass.  As we continue on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the sky begins to lighten and finally – SUCCESS.  An available parking space.  Fellow hikers greet us, all getting their gear ready.  We are eager to start hiking the trail.

This trail scaled along the mountainside with its narrow path.  One spot even had a cable to hang onto. (Not a comforting thought) We watched the sun come over the mountain and glisten on the many snow patches still positioned in several areas of the mountains.  The wildflowers on this trail were plentiful, unique, and could have been in the “Sound of Music” movie.  The lush terrain begins to taper off as an area filled with boulders begins to emerge.  Stopping for a quick snack, I sit on a boulder and look at the next portion to tackle.  We are now three miles into the hike. The next part is two switchbacks straight up the mountain.  The altitude is now getting to me; my mind is racing as I think – no way in heck am I making it up that part of the trail.  Dread fills me, and it must have shown on my face because my caring husband said,  “I’m good if you don’t want to go any further. We’ve had a great hike so far.” Typically, I push myself to finish a hike, but 14.9 miles was something I could not phantom on this day.  We began hiking back. When we got to the parking lot, I felt a six-mile hike was nothing to be ashamed of.  Sometimes, one has to admit you aren’t up for the challenge and make peace with it.

When we got back to the Visitor Center at Logan’s Pass, Mitch spotted a sign- Hidden Lake overlook 1.3 miles.  You guessed it – another hike.  The Hidden Lake Trail is closed due to heavy bear activity as the fish spawn this time of year.  Even Yogi bear wouldn’t pass up a free meal.  The overlook trail started on a boardwalk which increased in altitude the further it spanned.  Besides the beautiful mountain views, we spotted mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and marmots that look like puffed-up squirrels. The most unexpected part of the hike was trekking through slushy snow at various parts of the trail—snow in July – who would have thought.  Fun fact – the Going-to-the-Sun-road was only cleared six days before this hike.  I fought to keep my balance on the snow patches.  Even with my hiking boots, the slushy snow won, and down I went. The overlook gave us a magnificent view of Hidden Lake and made me wish we could have gone down to the lake.  Maybe next time.

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St. Mary, Virginia & Baring Falls

I forgot to mention an entry pass is now required to control the number of people entering and driving Going- to- the- Sun Road.  This road is scary as it has twists and turns like a snake slithering along the mountainside.  At spots, it is incredibly narrow and inches away from the cliffside. One wrong move and one will find themselves free-falling off the cliff.  Hearing this, we decided to rent a small car rather than using our 3500 dually and having Mitch stress out.

Arriving at 6:30 am, only to find a packed parking lot once again at the Avalanche trail.  We decided to continue up the Going-to- the- Sun Road to Logans Pass.  While scary as heck, as I am on the passenger side closest to the edge of the road, it is beyond amazing.  The views are spectacular as you carefully turn the corners and scale up the mountain.  So glad we didn’t take the truck, and the rental was worth every penny.  Logans Pass was closed – parking lot full.  We continued down the road towards the east entrance and hiked St. Mary Falls/Virginia Falls trail.

The trail leading to the falls went through an area that had gone through a forest fire. We heard the sound of water long before we saw it. The terrain started to change as we approached St. Mary falls.  It became lusher and greener.  The falls crashing over the rocks and flowing into the stream was a welcoming sight. We enjoyed the surrounding for a bit and continued onto Virginia Falls.  Virginia falls were 450+ ft higher, so the upward climb began. This part of the trail was more enjoyable, with a variety of green plants and flowers.  The air became cooler the closer we got to the falls.  The Virginia Falls were spectacular.  It is 35 ft cascading over three separate tiers—something about waterfalls I find mesmerizing.

We forgot our lunch and realized there are no concessions in the park. Since we were close to the park’s east entrance, we would go outside the park and grab something in the town of St. Mary.  It is 50 miles from one end of the park to the other.   On the way back from lunch, we stopped to take a short hike to see Baring Falls.  As we enjoyed the scenery, a butterfly landed on my hand and kept me company for a while.  They say butterflies are hello’s from heaven, and the thought brings a smile to my face.  Three falls in one day, it  doesn’t get better than that. 

It was a glorious day, and tonight the alarm is set for 4 am as we vie for a parking spot at ever-popular Logan’s Pass to hike the Highline Trail. 

Glacier National Park, East Glacier, Montana