Glacier National Park, East Glacier, Montana
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
