July 1, 2018
Mileage 54157
Said
goodbye to the Square Dance center and after fueling up we headed to Glacier
NP. The drive north was along Flathead lake and this was a beautiful drive.
Cherry and peach trees orchards on the north end and this reminded us of
Michigan.
Clear waters with snow melt
When we arrived at Glacier we had no
reservation and were glad we could secure a site B106 for the next four nights
at Apgar campground.
Setup camp
and then took the Jeep and drove the “Going to the Sun Road.” We went to the pinnacle Logan Pass and enjoyed
to the Visitor’s center. It was very
cool at Logans pass with rain. This drive is 37 miles most of it up with one
tunnel and one switchback. The drive is about 6% grade and the scenery is
awesome.
I have included this
link about the history of how they built the road.
Mountains rise around you and the rivers are alongside the road
most of the way.
The water is crystal clear and the incredible views are
beyond mere words. Pictures capture some memories but lack the panorama views
necessary to see this amazing park.
The next day
we took the Red Bus tour again to Logans Pass. It was cold this morning 43
degrees and we turned on the furnace to warm up a bit before heading out. This
campsite like most National Parks has no electricity or water at the sites. Lake
McDonald is about ¼ mile from our campsite. We met up with our driver and guide
Tony at Apgar Visitor Center. The Red Bus has a removable canvas roof and he
rolled it open several times. However, because of rain events he had to stop
and close the roof. We were supplied Pendleton wool blankets to cover and they
were enjoyed as we traveled. The Red Buses were 1935 GM vehicles and GM had
refurbished all of this fleet. This is an experience that you should enjoy. Our
guide gave us the history and pointed out interesting places along the road and
about the park. Through this experience we learned more about the park and also
other places to visit in the area.
Tony had
given us a tip about where we could fish and Jay wanted to try his luck. You
don’t need a fishing license inside the park so taking his advice we were going
to Bowman Lake. We drove north from Apgar and then found a gravel road going
north. This took us to the village of Polebridge. Traffic on this gravel road was sparse and we
were surprised when we reached the turn off for Polebridge with all the cars
parked along the road. Turned out they have an annual Fourth of July
parade. The village of Polebridge has around 10 residents. To see hundreds of
people lined up and down the streets was something we were not expecting. Tony
recommended stopping at the general store and trying there Bearclaw pastries.
We worked our way through the hordes of people and obtained this treat. Never
did find Bowman Lake and with no cell service I couldn’t find the map to help.
Headed back to
the RV after this and decided to drive the full length of the “Going to the Sun
Road”. At Logans Pass we spotted several White Mountain Goats. The next 18
miles was mostly downhill with mountainous views. There is a tunnel 408 feet
long on this road. Several areas were damaged by a previous forest fire. We
finally spotted a Grizzly Bear about a quarter mile from the road. Saint Marys
Lake was another scenic area. Upon reaching the town of St. Marys we went to
this visitor’s center and looked around before returning to the camp.
Look close in the center is the Grizzly Bear
This was our
last night at Glacier and tomorrow we head further west.
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