We're off!




On Sunday, crack 'o ten thirty, we rolled out of Jackson and headed north. Anything we don't have with us, we either don't need or can find along the way. Hot day up through Montana...94 degrees north of Helena. The Pony fire in the Tobacco Root mountains must be under control; didn't see much of a smoke plume.
Off the interstate and onto state highway up to Augusta and Choteau. Sign to Valier, setting for Ivan Doig's books. Great rolling hills with the Chinese Wall of the Rockies coming up..watch those 35 mph turns!




After Browning, the road gets even twister, up and down over foothills as you approach Glacier Park. We got into our campsite around nine and bedded down for our first night.
Monday
Our first day on the trail led us up towards Otokomi Lake. We didn't make it all the way. I guess we spent too much time getting ready for the trip and not enough time getting in a shape! We did around seven miles round trip. Beargrass everywhere! There are whole meadows of it interspersed with lupine, paintbrush and the like.




Speaking of bears, Mary caught a short glimpse of a small black bear ahead of us on the trail. As soon as he saw us, he scooted as fast as he could...good bear!
Nice cascades with melt water from the high places.




In the evening, we drove up .Logan Pass to catch last light on the peaks.




Tuesday, we drove to the Many Glacier area and hiked up the Swiftcurrent trail. Much nicer than yesterday; a more gradual climb past three lakes with falls between and open vistas. Redrock may be one of the prettiest falls I have ever seen. It is only eighty feet or so but goes over many ledges of angled red rock. Flowers abound on either side, nourished by the spray. We sat in the shadow of our natural swamp cooler where the temperature was ten degrees or so lower.








Four miles up, we rounded a corner and could see the full sweep of the cirque.




At this point, the switchbacks start and we declined. Half way back, we ran into these critters on the trail.








Being tired and lazy, we opted for dinner at Many Glacier Hotel. Very good food at decent price, good service and a world class view...what more could you want?
And so, to bed.