As we ate our lunch by Lake MacDonald we were reminded of our trip a year before when we just missed being able to drive over the Going to the Sun highway because it was closed for the season. This year we were just a few days ahead of the closure that is usually about the middle of September. The park visitor's center warned us that there would be construction delays but there should be no problem getting over the pass that afternoon and both campgrounds sh
ould have openings. The fall colors were evident and we enjoyed driving up the pass hanging on the side of the majestic mountains. We were delayed a couple of times but with the breathtaking views we were not anxious to get going anyway. Actually it was nice to be stopped as sometimes you want to stop but there are no places to pull over on the narrow road. After crossing over the summit we dropped down and traveled along Lake St Mary going to the town. As we soaked in the views we decided to go to the campground at Many Glacier which was a bit further but more remote and up a different canyon. The views to the campground were worth the extra miles and we found a ver
y nice campsite. With daylight still with us we decided to take a hike that had been recommended by the ranger to Red Rock Falls. We would have liked to hike to Iceberg Lake which we had done many years ago with Kari and Brett but the trail was closed because the bears were eating berries in the area. On the trail to Red Rock Falls we passed the trail head to Iceberg Lake and could see the weather was deteriorating. We had been told that afternoon and evening thunderstorms were possible. We reached our van just as few sprinkles were starting to fall. At our campsite we sat in the van as the skies opened up and heavy rains pounded the area. The rains stopped as quickly as they started and we quickly cooked our dinner and
had almost completed the dishes when the next rains hit. With everything put away and it starting to getting dark we headed to the park lodge to spend some time at the gift shop and enjoy the huge fireplace at the lodge. While there another storm hit and rained so hard that the pounding on the roof made it hard to hear anything else. It rained so hard the roof leaked some and staff were quick to move some couches and put out buckets to catch the leaks. We learned they are putting on a new roof as soon as the hotel closes for the season next week. We met a couple from near Atlanta that we enjoyed visiting with and sharing information. Later that evening we returned to our camp and were glad to be in the van in cas
e any more storms hit. The next morning as we emerged from our van we saw the many tent campers working to dry out items. Our neighbor campers thought we had left for the night and when we told them where we spent the evening they wished they had been with us as it was pretty wet in the campground. With the skies clearing we finished our breakfast, packed up and headed out of the valley for our drive back over the highway headed west.
As we ate our lunch by Lake MacDonald we were reminded of our trip a year before when we just missed being able to drive over the Going to the Sun highway because it was closed for the season. This year we were just a few days ahead of the closure that is usually about the middle of September. The park visitor's center warned us that there would be construction delays but there should be no problem getting over the pass that afternoon and both campgrounds sh
ould have openings. The fall colors were evident and we enjoyed driving up the pass hanging on the side of the majestic mountains. We were delayed a couple of times but with the breathtaking views we were not anxious to get going anyway. Actually it was nice to be stopped as sometimes you want to stop but there are no places to pull over on the narrow road. After crossing over the summit we dropped down and traveled along Lake St Mary going to the town. As we soaked in the views we decided to go to the campground at Many Glacier which was a bit further but more remote and up a different canyon. The views to the campground were worth the extra miles and we found a ver
y nice campsite. With daylight still with us we decided to take a hike that had been recommended by the ranger to Red Rock Falls. We would have liked to hike to Iceberg Lake which we had done many years ago with Kari and Brett but the trail was closed because the bears were eating berries in the area. On the trail to Red Rock Falls we passed the trail head to Iceberg Lake and could see the weather was deteriorating. We had been told that afternoon and evening thunderstorms were possible. We reached our van just as few sprinkles were starting to fall. At our campsite we sat in the van as the skies opened up and heavy rains pounded the area. The rains stopped as quickly as they started and we quickly cooked our dinner and
had almost completed the dishes when the next rains hit. With everything put away and it starting to getting dark we headed to the park lodge to spend some time at the gift shop and enjoy the huge fireplace at the lodge. While there another storm hit and rained so hard that the pounding on the roof made it hard to hear anything else. It rained so hard the roof leaked some and staff were quick to move some couches and put out buckets to catch the leaks. We learned they are putting on a new roof as soon as the hotel closes for the season next week. We met a couple from near Atlanta that we enjoyed visiting with and sharing information. Later that evening we returned to our camp and were glad to be in the van in cas
e any more storms hit. The next morning as we emerged from our van we saw the many tent campers working to dry out items. Our neighbor campers thought we had left for the night and when we told them where we spent the evening they wished they had been with us as it was pretty wet in the campground. With the skies clearing we finished our breakfast, packed up and headed out of the valley for our drive back over the highway headed west.
No comments:
Post a Comment