Montana, Day 3 Part 2

(Note: trying to get caught up so be sure to see both posts for today. Why the town is named Hungry Horse at the end of this one…)

From Logan Pass we headed back down the mountain, with me and my trusty camera now able to get pics of things we missed being on the “wrong” side on the way up. 

Garden Wall, my second most favorite thing on the Road

 So pretty and tranquil 

Weeping wall. Soapstone is extremely porous so it’s not unusual for water to “leak” out. It also sloughs off easily which is why there are piles of it all along the Road

 Entering West Tunnel, built through a steep cliff between 1926-27.

 One of two observation windows that show Heavens Peak and McDonald Creek

Avalanche Creek meadow

  Water in Avalanche Creek is a distinctive blue due to glacial “flour” in the water 

 “Flour” is caused by glaciers grinding the rocks beneath them to dust 

 Looking towards Birdwoman Falls (it’s up there somewhere, we never did see it)

 Our Jammer, Rachel, was great. Heading for our penultimate stop at McDonald Lodge.

 Front, but actually the back, of McDonald Lodge

I’d read that there was another train depot in West Glacier, formerly known as Belton, so we went looking. Found it… sorta. The building is still there and it’s used once a day as an Amtrak station but its main use is as a bookshop and gift store for Glacier park conservancy.

 Constructed in 1910 and enlarged in 1935. Building was donated in 1991.

We aren’t having much luck with train depots this trip. 

So, were you wondering how Hungry Horse got its name? Probably not, but the answer is…

Our last stop of the day was Hungry Horse Dam, just down the road from our rental place.

 Dam* that’s a big dam

 Water being released a loooong way down

 Glory hole with water very low in the dam

Favorite thing I learned…

Montana, Day 3 -Glacier NP! Going Up

Daily timed-entry passes for Glacier NP are required and hard to come by. 

You need to request them months in advance and, since we didn’t know we were coming here months ago, guess who missed out?

But there’s a workaround! 

If you have a ticket for a tour you don’t need a timed pass. (Or if you drive in before 7 am or after 3 pm.)

The tour guide asked for help rolling up the canvas top, so it was Pop to the rescue. Teena balanced him because I was taking pictures of him instead… 😜

So rather than doing our tours on the same, or adjacent, days we spread them out over the week so we’d have more time in the park.  

No canvas top = great picture taking opportunities 

Tuesday was our Red Bus tour (link here) of the Going To The Sun Road. 

We thought the cars were reproductions but the 32 in current use are all part of the 35 original cars ordered for the park. (New engines and upgrades, obviously.) Our car - #110 - was built in 1938.

Leaving Lake McDonald

The tour went from Apgar Village, elevation 3173’, to atop the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, elevation 6646’. 

At Avalanche Creek, looking up at the road we’ll be on shortly. Despite the twists and turns, there’s only 1 switchback on the entire road

Letting the pros do the driving on the Going To The Sun Road was a very good decision. 

Sheer soapstone rock walls at the edge of the road

That is one twisty, narrow, scary - and beautiful - road.

The only fossils in Glacier NP are stromatolites, a tiny bacteria (the wavy area on the left). Avalanche Creek area

I took over 300 pictures, culled down to around 90, so this is going to be word light, picture heavy.

Overlooking McDonald Creek, with Mt Cannon to the left

There were 126 glaciers when the park was dedicated in 1910 - only 20 remain today.

Mt Cannon, 8952’

Mt Oberlin, 8180’

Taking pictures into the sun is all click-and-hope

Following the crowd 

Triple Arches, constructed by stone masons from Europe. The arches are not structural, they did it just for the beauty. One of my favorite things on the road.

Recent avalanche just before Logan Pass. A favorite area for the big horned sheep

Logan Pass visitors center

Behind the visitor’s center

View from the front - red buses, big horned sheep, very big rock. (Sheep are some of the ‘white stones’ just above the tree line)

Teena and Lacey loading up

Part 2 - going back down the mountain - is tomorrow 

Montana, Day 2 - Whitefish

For Day 2, we drove the 16 miles into Whitefish 

(formerly ‘Stumptown’ - I wonder why they changed the name…)

to ride up the big hill on Whitefish Mountain Resort’s gondola.

There’s about a 2000’ change in elevation, 

from 4,464 at the base to 6,817’ at the summit,

the trees get more and more sparse the higher you go 

and the temp drops maybe 10°. So pleasant!

Gorgeous 360° views, 

Glacier NP mountains in the far background

a level area 

for the ski patrol office 

and the building housing a small gift shop, bar and cafe … 

even taking time for lunch, we were headed back down in less than 2 hours. 

Definitely worth the trip just for the views overlooking Whitefish 

and the huge mountains of Glacier National Park. 

Next up was the Whitefish Depot, 

a combination train museum (closed today unfortunately) 

and Amtrak station. 

Fortunately, the Amtrak portion of the building 

had some historical pictures and info we enjoyed. (You can click/tap any picture to see it bigger and in more detail.)

The coolest thing was outside - 

The Brunk, a custom designed bus-truck combo that transported train passengers from Kalispell to Whitefish for over 20 years. 

Such a cool piece of history 

We may go back later in the week to see the museum…

We also wandered a few blocks of old town Whitefish, 

 Neat mural facing a rooftop restaurant 

doing a bit of shopping (cute stores) 

Street art

and checking out the Visitors Center for ideas on more places to see. 

Tomorrow is our first tour in Glacier NP. Can’t wait!