Day Fifteen

Got woken up by my phone ringing at 7.30am. No idea who it was, but it was a London number. I didn't answer it. That rude awakening prompted us to get up. Nipped down for breakfast which was actually very good.

Facetimed mum and dad to make sure dad was ready for his trip and his subsequent arrival in Montana on Saturday.

Then packed up and rolled on out. Ann decided to do some driving today, so she took the first leg. Stopped literally next door to the hotel in order to get some stuff in for a packed lunch, the premise being we wouldn't have to worry about finding somewhere to eat in the park.

Headed on up to the west entrance of Glacier National Park. Paid our $30 and drove in. First stop was the Apgar Visitor Centre which was very busy. Had to wait to get a parking space. Used the facilities and bought a fridge magnet. Most annoying thing was that there were too many good magnets. Some places you have to choose the least worst magnet as they are all fairly poor and then somewhere like here you can't decide because they have five or six really nice ones.

We then started the long, slow drive along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Our plan was to drive the fifty or so miles and just stop whenever something looked nice. That proved to be a lot of stops.

The first was at the north end of Lake McDonald. There was a small road leading to a bridge across it. Parked up and wandered to the bridge to take some photos. Ended up staying for about an hour and a half because we decided to climb down the rocks to the river and walk up the gorge to the waterfall at the top.

Bridge over the River McDonald

Arty

When we eventually decided to move on it was already lunchtime. We thought we would find somewhere nice to sit and eat. So we did.

After lunch we headed on up the road, reaching the top at Logan Pass before heading down the other side. We stopped numerous times on the way and took lots of photos. Here is just a selection.



Heavens Peak

Stanton and Vaught

Back down the valley we had come from

Baby mountain goats

Glacier

Random snow

St Mary lake

Near the Weeping Wall

Finally having made it across to the east entrance we stopped two final times. This was to make sure we got to see two sections from Forrest Gump. He runs across the bridge at the east entrance and also along side St Mary Lake.

Like that mountain lake. It was so clear, Jenny

Run, Forrest

Eventually we had to leave this wondrous place. We could have stayed for longer but realised it was gone 6pm and we had 160 miles to drive to the next hotel.

Luckily the route we followed was pretty much deserted. First Highway 2 and then even I-15 when we hit it. 80mph speed limit and we saw literally four cars over the 83 miles we covered on it.

Arrived just after 8pm at the hotel. Checked in then ate the rest of the food we had as we couldn't be bothered to go out again.

As ever, Ann is asleep. Not surprised, it is 12.40am. I'm tired.

States visited - 7

Bear watch - low

Goat watch - high

Glaciers seen - plenty