This summer we were given the use of a house in Whitefish, MT, right next to Glacier National Park. We stopped along the way at Craters of the Moon National Monument. We were surrounded by the smoke of forest and brush fires all along the route. We never really saw fire, but drove through recently burned areas going north or drove through smoke filled valleys coming back.
It is a two day drive from Las Vegas to Whitefish, so we broke the trip up with an intermediate stop. Once we got to Salt Lake City, we started seeing smoke plumes from forest or brush fires. While the trip was fast, it was somewhat foreboding. We stopped for the night in a motel in Malad City, Idaho. The town is trying to become a tourist area for history and recreation. we drove around the city and the environs but decided more excitement lay ahead.
The next morning we continued along the freeway until our turnoff for Craters of the Moon. On the last few miles of the trip, we came to an area of burned out grassland. The only thing that was not burned out was the rest stop (an area with picnic tables and protapotties). It was fire retardant orange. We stopped to pick up sandwiches for lunch when we got to Arco. I had to try to help the business reboot its cash register, a process that was not very successful because it relied on a long distance connection and the long distance lines were out. Electricity had just returned an hour before we arrived. We continued on from there to Craters of the Moon.
The Craters of the Moon National Monument Visitor Center has displays that explain how vast volcanic eruptions related to those at Yellowstone National Park. A thin spot in the earth's crust created a "hot spot" where the closeness of the magma below the surface caused volcanic eruptions to occur as recently as 2000 years ago. The park has a large amount of area in which you can hike and backpack, but most visitors follow the loop road through the park. Since we only allocated a day top the park, that is what we did.
The first place you pass is the campground. They did the best they could out here, but the place is pretty stark. After all, you are in the middle of a (geologically) recent lava flow and there are few trees. Water is also scarce. The first real stops are the North Crater Flow and the North Crater Cinder Cone. You get out on the trail and are first introduced to the "blue dragon" lava flow. The pahoehoe lava here (ropy and more liquid) has a bluish cast to it. The lava flows I have seen previously have a blackish or reddish coloration. There are areas of aa lava too. It is more blocky and chunky. We saw large blocks (the size of a house) as well as small(the size of your hand). The blocks were rafted to their present position on top of the more liquid lava. There were a few wildflowers still present (it was very dry) and plenty of rodents (squirrels and mice) and lizards scurrying about.
The next stops were Inferno Cone and a pair of small spatter cones. You can climb to the top of inferno cone (about a quarter mile), a short steep climb. The footing is not good, as you are walking on ash and cinders. But the climb is worth it. You can see a large portion of the Snake River Plain from the top, even though you have climbed only about 500 feet. We could see smoke plumes from the brush fires to the east. To the west you could see the smaller cones and to the distant mountains. One of the spatter cone's core was so well protected that there was still snow in the base in July!
After a picnic lunch of our sandwiches, we headed to the next stop, a ranger walk to the cave area. The caves in the area are all lava tubes. The ranger told us how the caves were formed on the half mile walk to the Indian Cave. He showed us how life zones could be microscopic in the lava fields. We saw miniature ferns growing in cracks in the lava flow that collected rain water and were never dry. Nothing could grow on the still rocky surface, but grasses and rabbitbrush and other flowers grew in the wider or more exposed cracks. golden mantle ground squirrels and other critters darted in and out among the crevasses. We passed a lava tube that had collapsed. You could see how the surface was stretched and where it had sagged before the roof of the dome caved in. We walked down into the Indian Cave tube and the ranger told us about the lava flow and showed us the bats that had taken up residence in the cave. After walking through the cave for a while we walked and climbed out the other end, where you emerged from a hole in the earth.
Our final stop was the Devil's Orchard, a trail that had a number of rafted blocks of lava, mostly very large blocks. They were the size of houses or larger. The area was probably one where only early eruptions had occurred and where the land had eroded a lot, because trees and shrubs had started to reclaim the surface.
We drove back to Arco and settled into our motel. Just before we left for dinner the electricity went out again. We found a barbecue restaurant that was marvelous. A family originally from Tennessee, ran the restaurant out of their house. There were tables on the patio and tables on the grass under large oak trees. Nobody wanted to eat inside because of the extended heat wave and lack of air conditioning inside. We talked with the proprietor/chef and with a few locals. The outdoorsyness of the scene made the meal festive and people expansive. It appears that Arco is facing the same problems as a lot of small, semi remote towns. There are not enough jobs to keep many of the young there after high school, so the population is stable or declining. Those that stay and that have secure jobs are content. But those that do not have secure or any jobs and who stay are not. They, the residents told us, tend toward alcohol and drugs and trouble. We returned to our motel and the outdoorsyness continued. We talked to a widely traveled couple in the room next to us until it got dark. We continued to sit outside until about 10:00pm, when the power came back. Our room finally became bearable with the air conditioning back on again.
The next day we decided to take US93 up to Whitefish instead of retracing our tracks to the Interstate. The route is more scenic and not appreciably slower. We stopped along the Salmon River to wander and stretch our legs. We passed a large field where there were hundreds of tents, including some large ones, and several fire vehicles. This was a staging area for the firefighters. Finally, we crossed into Montana. Passing through Billings, we continued up US 93 to the towns south of Flathead Lake. We stopped at the People's Center, an Indian museum that was quite interesting. It explained how life had evolved for the local tribes over the last 500 years. We also stopped at Mission Mountain Winery, where we sampled the local wines. A couple were quite good. We picked up half a case to drink during our stay and as hostess gifts. We drove past the lake, through Kalispell, and finally reached our house in Whitefish. Guess what. We had brought the weather of Las Vegas with us. It remained in the 90's during our entire stay. Most houses and many businesses in Whitefish and the Glacier National Park area do not have air conditioning. We learned very quickly how to cool the house and keep it cool using the night time air.
After getting settled in the house ad getting food for the week, we settled on our first foray out. We went for the whole thing. We drove the Going to the Sun Road, and from the East side of the park, we drove up to Many Glaciers. The drive can take all day if you make a lot of stops. We made a lot of stops. The first place you come to on the West side is the West Glacier Visitor center, which has all of the exhibits, shops, park food stops and tourist traps you would expect. After a brief look at the exhibits, we drove on to Lake McDonald. We stopped at a couple of viewpoints along the lake to admire and record the views of the mountains reflecting off of the lake. The light in the relatively early morning was clear and bright, giving the lake a nice blue color. The lake gives away to McDonald Creek, were we also made a couple of stops. We found aquamarine pools, shaded coves and small cataracts along the creek. And very few people ventured far out of their cars.
The road starts rising from here. We passed down the long u-shaped valley that the glaciers had gouged out. We stopped at Packers Roost,Bird Woman Falls Overlook, the Weeping Wall and the Garden Wall overlooks before reaching the Logan Pass area. Each location provided majestic, sweeping views of the western valleys and the mountains. The Weeping Wall is a fractured rock outcrop where water seeps up through the cracks. The wall is several hundred feet long and I suppose no one would bother counting all of the seeps. The number probably varies with the current condition of the water table.
The parking lot at the Logan Pass Visitor Center was full and people were parked for a quarter mile along the road in either direction. We decided that Logan Pass would wait and continued on down the east side of the divide. We followed the road to the Sun Point turnout. We hiked in to sun point and ate our lunch on the rocks overlooking Saint Mary Lake. The trail is less than a mile long. but at the end you can scramble along the rocks for views east or west. Both are spectacular. The glacial crests were easy to see in the clear sky. Little Chief Peak was spectacular and the lake was a brilliant blue. From there we drove on to Wild Goose Island. The small wooded island provides a break in the composition of the lake. It provides a front piece for framing the peaks in the distance. We drove from there to the East Glacier Visitor Center. It was still early enough in the day that we decided to drive to Many Glaciers. You leave the park, take US89 north, and then turn off at Babb (motels and a restaurant) to reenter the park. the first thing of note that you drive by is Lake Sherburne. The lake is man made and is not nearly as deep as the glacial lakes. This is reflected by the light blue, almost turquoise color of the lake. Once you pass the lake you come to the turnout for the trail to Apikuni Falls. We had been in the car for too long, so we decided to take the 2 mile trail in to see the falls. You climb steadily about 1000 feet to get to the falls. The day was hot, but the temperature moderated as we ascended, keeping us from overheating. You could get right up to the base of the falls with an easy rock climb, but we decided to enjoy the falls from about 100 feet. We were still able to feel the spray at that distance. We hiked back down to the car, seeing a few other people along the way on the upward climb. At that point we finished the drive to Many Glaciers, looked around, and drove back. We had seen a funky looking restaurant along US89 and decided to stop for pie and huckleberry ice cream. It was a good idea; the pie and ice cream were great. We completed the Going to the Sun Road in reverse and retraced our steps to Whitefish.
Our next foray took us to Big Mountain. This is a winter ski area on the forest service land. Recreation is good in the summer, too. The main area is like all similar places: tons of condos and apartments and a few homes crammed together with a few restaurants and other services. You take the chair lift to the top--that is where the recreation begins. We noted that there was a ranger talk about wildflowers in about an hour, so we walked around to the forest service office and accompanying exhibit to pass the time. The exhibit (and the rangers talking among themselves) stressed forest fires and their effects on the local feral populations, as well as the effects on humans. They were worried about fire outbreaks nearby, hoping that the thunderstorms would stay away. They did, except for one day of our trip, when a light rain fell, cooling the area.
We did not travel far on our wildflower trip. We did little more than walk around the main building at the top, the building that held the stores, restaurant and Forest Service office. There were plenty of wildflowers to see in that area alone. The ranger was great; what she didn't know out of her head she was able to identify out of a book on Rocky Mountain wildflowers. After the ranger talk we decided to take the Danny On Trail back to the parking lot. The trail is 3.8 (or 5.6, depending on the book you read. It seemed like the latter, even though it was downhill) miles DOWN (we saw a few hikers, including a family with kids under 5, take the trail up). The first 3 miles offer panoramic views of the Flathead Valley on a clear day. Unfortunately it was hazy, so we couldn't see all the way to Flathead Lake. We could see Whitefish Lake on occasions, but the mountains usually blocked the view. We found additional wildflowers along the way but saw no bears. We were told that the bears stay at higher altitudes until the huckleberries ripen. Then you can find them wherever you find the berries. We drove back to Whitefish, had a late lunch, and relaxes the rest of the afternoon.
The next day we decided that it was Logan Pass or bust. We started out early and headed straight for the visitors center with no stops. When we arrived at Logan Pass, the parking lot was already crowded, but we found a spot with a little effort. We should have started earlier than we did. We walked around the Visitor Center, which was very crowded. The exhibits were informative, telling about how the glaciers carved the mountains into the sharp peaks that we see and about the rough life plants an animals have in the high mountains. We then took a hike through the kind of country I most love in this world: mountain meadows. The Hidden Lake Trail takes you on a boardwalk to the Hidden Lake Overlook. The boardwalk last for most of a mile and then the trail becomes rock and sand. We were at Glacier at the high point of the flowering season: there were flowers of all varieties and colors everywhere. Paintbrush and Beargrass predominated, but there were yellow and pink flowers as well. There were tons of people on the boardwalk, thinning out the farther you went. You could see a pair of lakes in the deep valley below at the overlook. Few people ventured past this point, but the trail goes alt the way to the lakes. We walked about a half mile further and were amply rewarded. A pair of women were sitting on a rock eating their lunch. A mountain goat and her kid, at least half grown, walked down an animal trail straight for the women. The women though that the goats were after their lunch. But the goats really wanted nothing to do with them. Their trail merely skirted the place the women had chosen for their lunchroom. The women retreated and the goats passed peacefully. All of this transpired within 50 feet of us. After enjoying the area for a few tranquil moments, we walked back to have our lunch (picnic style) in a less exciting place: the edge of the parking lot. On the way we passed the goats again. The mother had chosen a thicket of trees for a nap. Unfortunately for her and her kid, the thicket was right up against the trail. People were hounding the goats for photographs. The mother finally gave up and went in search of more privacy. Another group of goats was visible in the distance. We ate at the far end of the parking lot where we could look east into another U shaped valley, but could not quite see Saint Mary Lake. Since it was just past noon, we decided to take the long drive to the goat lick. The drive takes you around the south side of the park along Bear Creek to the middle fork of the Flathead River. You follow a short trail to an overlook of a steep valley where avalanches have exposed the underlying sedimentary rock. The grey clay contains minerals that the goats crave but cannot find elsewhere. The goats are half a mile away so you need binoculars to see them. They are still small when viewed through binoculars, but you still marvel at how they are able to climb up and down the vertical walls. The road follows the Flathead River to West Glacier. You are not much higher than the river and look across it to the rising mountains as you drive. It is a pleasant way to end a busy day.
The next day was our adventure day. The morning was occupied by a horseback ride. The ride was fairly disappointing. We rode for two hours through a forest with very little open space where we could see the views that lurked nearby. We skirted a pond, which might have been the most picturesque part of the ride, but didn't get a clear view and certainly didn't stop by it.
The afternoon was much better. We rafted the Flathead River where it borders the park. The rafts were standard 10 person rafts. The views from the river were great. You could see the mountains in the park over the foothills beside us. We went through 3 class 2 rapids and a class 3 rapid. The rafts were safe enough, but you still get a thrill out of traversing the surging, boiling water. The river was filled with boats, a great thing to do on an abnormally hot afternoon.
The next day was supposed to be rainy, so we stayed at home and rested. There was not a lot of rain. But the main attraction at home was watching a family of hummingbirds fledge. People who used the house 3 weeks before us watched the eggs hatch. We got to see the little hummers fly away from home. Once the babies were gone the adults abandoned the nest for the season.
Our final day's tour led us to the artists colony in the Flathead area. The town of Bigfork is sits on the northeast shore of Flathead Lake. The townspeople have tried to keep the western look but have not decided to keep in the old western rough edges. In addition to a number of restaurants and bookstores, the town is filled with art galleries. Some of the galleries have really nice paintings and pottery in them. We ended up buying an Escher-like lithograph of bison skulls morphing into bison. Robert Kercher had a number of interesting lithograph in the same style, involving animals such as swans, turtles and horses. Bigfork looked like a fun town for nighttime activities too, but we spent so much time there that we did not have much time to spend in Kalispell. We did spend a little time in Whitefish (including dinner out in a nice Italian restaurant). The town is more touristy than Bigfork. But it could be fun just the same.
Having spent all of our vacation time (wisely, we hope), it was time to return to home. The skies were hazy all of the way on our 2 day drive. The worst of the forest fires in Idaho were contained, but not those in Montana. We saw 2 plumes of smoke in the distance as we entered the Salt Lake valley. There were even brush fires in Nevada. One was about 100 miles west of us, the other was just over the Spring Mountains outside Las Vegas. This attests to how hot it was during this vacation!
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