Going To The Sun - Glacier National Park

The route to Glacier National Park led us along Highway 2, which passes by some pretty spectacular country. At the southern border of the park is Marias Pass, which is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains in Montana. At an elevation of 5,213 feet it is the lowest crossing point of the Continental Divide between Canada and central Mexico. The pass is named after the Marias River which has part of its source in this range. The river was named by Capt. Merriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, in 1805.

There is a Memorial Park here that commemorates the exploration and charting of the pass in 1889 by John F. Stevens, an engineer with the Great Northern Railroad. Long before the railroad explored the pass, this area was known to the Blackfeet Indians and fur trappers. The Great Northern Railroad line was established in 1890. The line is still in use today, as part of a northern line that connects Chicago with Seattle or Portland in the Pacific Northwest.

Glacier National Park - At last!! A long anticipated destination - we were excited to visit the "Crown of the Continent", so-named for it's many glaciers. This stunning area was originally part of treaty lands that were owned by the Blackfeet and Flathead Indian tribes. In 1895, some of the mountainous areas of the treaty lands were sold to the U.S. .federal government. The park was established in 1910 by President William Howard Taft.

Lake McDonald is at the southern end of the park, and is the largest of the lakes in Glacier. It is approximately 10 miles long and over a mile wide. Its sparkling blue waters are a prime area for swimming, boating, kayaking and just lounging!

Murphy couldn't resist taking a refreshing wade in this inviting lake!

Near the lake is the charming Apgar Village, which has several restaurants, places to picnic, for rental of kayaks, canoes, or to get fishing supplies.

The road that leads to the village, and right around the lake is dotted with picnic areas, and is full of people enjoying the lake. It is also inviting to the many animals found in Glacier. In fact, as we drove along the road to the village - we saw one of the locals.

Barely there - but look closely - here is one of the furry residents - a black bear munching on berries, on the side of the road! He was maybe 10 feet from our truck. I was SO excited to see him, but he was less than thrilled to see me....he ran off before I could catch more than an ear!

At the south end of the park, near the village is the starting point of the Going To The Sun Road - a 50 mile road that extends all the way through the park. It winds along through forested areas, near rushing waters, and passing many stunning viewpoints. Hugging the sides of the mountains, it climbs up over the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (at 6,646 feet), and then descends to St. Mary's Lake at the eastern entrance of the park.

Rocky face of the cliffs sculpted by glaciers.

Rushing waters of the upper McDonald Creek,refreshing on a hot afternoon.

Mountain peaks stretching up to a dizzying height.

The clouds seem to sit atop the rugged mountains.

The Going To The Sun Road passes through two tunnels in the rock - one on the west side and one on the east side. This one has "windows" carved into the side of the tunnel, to allow views of the valley below. At the time of their construction, all of the rock removed was carried down the mountain by hand.

Shafts of sunlight pierce the clouds and shine down into the valley below, where the Flathead River meanders through the landscape.

A waterfall runs down the craggy rockface near the top of the mountains.

And Mountain Goats graze on the steep hillside of Logan Pass.

What a cute face!

Mountain Lupine grace the hillside.

A forbidding looking peak doesn't bother the Bighorn Sheep who enjoy the tender summer grasses and wildflowers of Logan Pass.

On the eastern side of Logan Pass, the road descends past sheer rock walls that reflect the late afternoon sun.

St. Mary Lake on the east side of Glacier.

Wild Goose Island in the middle of St. Mary Lake.

Near St. Mary we visited the Blackfeet Indian Memorial Park. Here, we found a beautiful Indian sculpture and two metal tepees. It was late in the afternoon, and the light pouring down over this area was truly amazing,

The flags of the United States, the Blackfeet Nation and Canada, flying in the breeze at the St. Mary entrance to the park. Glacier is a magical place. We will always remember our time here.