On Monday morning, we left the Hungry Horse Dam and headed even further north to Glacier National Park. The last time we were there it was quite eventful. Glacier was the location of the campsite shooting (see our blog from two summers ago for the details) and it rained the entire time we were there so we didn't get to drive the Going to the Sun road.
This time, we were sure to wait for a clear day so that we could be sure to enjoy the drive. We originally planned to camp outside of the park in the national forest, but decided to check out the Fish Creek campground inside the park before making up our minds. We found a great spot--even if it was a bit crowded--nestled under some pine trees and decided to leave the Scamp behind and head for the Going to the Sun road.
Built into the side of the mountains during the 1920s and 30s, the road is considered a feat of engineering because it was designed to blend into the surroundings while also connecting the west side of the park to the east side of the park across dangerous albeit gorgeous terrain. The road had only been cleared of snow and opened to traffic just a few days before we arrived, so we timed our arrival perfectly.
Kevin drove (thank god) as my stomach lurched the higher we climbed towards the sun. Only an 18 inch wall separated us from tumbling down the mountainside. The views were breathtaking. It was a little crowded for our taste, but we had to see what all the fuss is about!!! It was most definitely worthwhile.
After surviving the Going to the Sun road, I drove us back to our campsite where we unpacked and got set up for the night.
We decided to let someone else make dinner for us and climbed back into our truck to make the drive to a "town" we fell in love with on our last visit to the park--Polebridge. Located on the west side of the park about 30 miles north of our campsite at Fish Creek, Polebridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and basically consists of two buildings--the Mercantile which features a bakery (get the Huckleberry Bear Claw) and the Northern Lights cafe (only open for about 16 weeks each year).
On our drive up to Polebridge Kevin got pulled over by a Park Ranger. We hadn't yet seen the speed limit sign, but she was sure to inform us it was only 45 and to be careful because two bears were hit and killed on the road last year. Believe it or not we are happy she stopped us (and didn't get a ticket) because as soon as we turned around the next bend we saw a bear crossing the road! It is the first bear we have seen in the wild since our trip to Alaska many years ago.
We eventually made it to Polebridge where we stocked up on pastries for breakfast and we ate dinner and enjoyed some Montana brewed beverages out on the lawn of the Northern Lights Cafe. The dogs sat by the picnic tables while we chatted with the workers and other diners about our travels.
Once we were stuffed, we headed back "home" where I promptly rode my bike to take a nice hot shower--an unexpected but much appreciated feature of the Fish Creek campground.
Another campfire and sunset brought another cozy night in the Scamp. This visit to Glacier was a success! We got to drive the Going-to-the-Sun road and no one got shot!
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