Closest to Wilderness: Glacier National Park

Day 3

On our trek to Glacier National Park from Yellowstone, we came across a charming little town called Ennis, MT. We stopped in a little sandwich-tea shop where we gained not only an excellent panini, but also the recommendation to make a stop in a ghost town. Armed with this knowledge, we walked down the street for a quick flight at Burnt Tree Brewing and added Virginia City to our route. This little town, frozen in time, took us back to what a mining town in the 1800s was like. Each shop along the road was preserved and my favorite was a little gypsy arcade equipped with multiple penny-operated machines that offered you a fortune or a show. The collection was impressive. As we attempted to continue on further to Glacier, we made another detour to a ruby-sifting stand along MT 287. It was run by two men along the side of the road where there was no electricity or internet offered - cash only of course. Finally, we really had to commit to the drive to Glacier. I was taken away by the beauty of golden hour against the the mountains as we drove through Condon, MT. By the time we got to the park, it was 11PM and it was practically impossible to find food. Word of advice - plan accordingly to always eat before 10PM. We managed to grab a burger from a food truck and ate at a picnic table near the campfire - it was chilly!

Day 4

Glacier National Park runs essentially along the Going-to-the Sun Road. Starting from Apgar we drove by Lake Macdonald to the famous Highline Trail. However, this is when I quickly realized I was more afraid of heights than I realized. Even driving along the road next to the edge made my stomach turn. I attempted hiking the first quarter of a mile of the Highline that was equipped with a “railing” aka essentially a garden hose that was mildly secured to the side of the trail. Once this hose ended, I couldn’t find the courage to make the next step and had to turn around. We hiked across the road to another loop: Hidden Lake. Though a few scary parts, I was able to stomach the 3 mile loop to the crystal clear waters to dip my tootsies. The first portion of the hike is flatter and then you descend into a seemingly vertical hike that winds back and forth to drop 770 feet. We scampered back to the cabin to make a reservation I had made in Whitefish at the Firebrand hotel. I had a delicious duck confit leg dinner which turned out to be the best meal I had on the entire trip. If I were to come back to Montana, I think I would do some more prior research to seek out some more of the culinary and brewing experiences that MT has to offer.

Day 5

Watching the sunrise is an integral component to any national park trip and Lake MacDonald, next to our lodge, was the perfect open mirror to watch it on. We watched it on the Apgar end before driving a bit further up on Going-On-The-Sun Road for a quick hike to do before our horseback riding appointment. As we pulled up Lincoln Lake, I noticed that there weren’t any other visitors parked in the lot and that immediately set off my internal bear alarms. The trail was fairly uninhabited until we came upon a fresh pile of bear scat which prompted us to turn around.

We ended up driving out of the park to horseback ride on a beginner’s trail through forests and open fields. This was a first for me and an essential part of the Montana trip. After grabbing lunch at a little cafe in the park, we did a hike to Avalanche Lake that turned out to be one of my favorites. Although I typically prefer to be in less tourist-congested trails, the presence of others gave me more of a sense of security in terms of bears. The hike followed rapid waters and forests until you reach a beautiful melted glacier lake. Finally, we drove to the east side of the park where we planned to spend our next two days at the Glacier Park Lodge. My favorite part of this lodge was its architecture: all the rooms look into the lobby where giant logs stretch from floor to ceiling. The lodge also made sure to include a corner filled with an exhibit on the history of the park and how the going-to-the-sun road was built. On the backside of the hotel is also a beautiful porch that overlooks the mountains, an excellent place to enjoy a drink in a giant log rocking chair while admiring the sunset.

Day 6

We woke up early to make the drive to Grinnell Glacier, a windy 6 mile hike around the mountains, through many switchbacks to reach a real glacier. There were a few moments that felt a little risky to me, one being a narrow edge of the trail where a tiny waterfall made the steps slippery. However, it was worth the hike when I laid my eyes on a real glacier for the very first time. Any “first time” experiences are so rare and valuable to me especially as the sad reality is that many of the glaciers in the park will disappear in this generation.

Day 7

On our drive back to Bozeman Airport, I left an extra day in our itinerary to stop by the Lewis and Clark Cavern State Park in Whitehall, MT. To check off another first for us, we were able to join a tour group and view bats and stalactites. The tour was excellent and very informative. During the trip, I also learned that the very first Chinese restaurant in America was located in Montana, so we made our way to Pekin Cafe. Unfortunately, the food and service did not do it for me and we were left pretty disappointed.

Our trip to Montana was filled with adventure, but it also made me realize that after the hustle and bustle of life in the city, sometimes what I need is to do simply nothing. I cannot believe how fortunate I was to experience something new within the week, from sulfur springs to bison to bears to glaciers to being inside a cave. At the same time, for the first time ever, we were excited to go home and relax. I hope to return to Montana in the future to experience more of its culture, culinary offerings, and ranches.