Montana, You Were the Best of Times, the Worst of Times…

Life on a Sprinter Chassis is both a blessing and a curse. The rig drives like a dream. Hardly more struggle than driving a regular-sized van. For a solo-RVer, it’s both comfortable to drive and easy to maneuver. But placing an entire 24 ft house on a van chassis also means we Sprinter squatters must “watch our weight.” Not only are we limited in how much we can carry on board, but also on how much we can tow. The maximum towing capacity is 3,500 lbs, fully loaded. Continue reading

A Most Costly Cheeseburger

I awake in Many Glacier Campground to what my boating friends would call a “snotty day.” It’s thick pea soup fog, cold and gray out my rain-streaked window. I have done a “big hike” yesterday, and I have another one planned for tomorrow, so I do not feel guilty for taking a day off and being lazy.

It has now been three days without any internet connectivity, and I am starting to exhibit signs of addictive behavior. Continue reading

Grinnell Glacier — East Glacier Hikes, Part II

I consider the hike to Grinnell Glacier to be the pinnacle of my Glacier National Park vacation, and the only part on which I have actually done research.   I have been looking forward to this day for months.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, there were 150 glaciers when the park opened in 1910, and now there are only 25 remaining.  Scientists expect by 2030, there will be none, at the current rate.   So I really want the chance to hike up to the foot of the glacier, stand and contemplate the evolution of our species.  Continue reading

Redrock Falls to Bullhead Lake — East Glacier Hikes, Part 1

It’s now “Day Four” of my Glacier National Park vacation, and the only “bigger than a breadbox” wildlife sightings I have seen amount to one lousy goat.  Sure, there have been marmots, chipmunks, squirrels. But nothing worth getting excited about. Now that I am on the more remote east side, I think my chances will improve.   In fact, my anticipation is bordering on angst, as I have heard the likelihood of encountering bears on the trail is much greater in this section of the park. Continue reading

The Mini-Glaciers of Many Glacier

I really want to visit Many Glacier campground during the second half of my week-long vacation in Glacier National Park.   It is considered to be the “heart” of Glacier, and also the only way for an RV of my size (over 21 ft long, 8 ft wide) to be able to camp in the interior of the park, as the Winnie is not allowed on the only road that crosses the interior, the Going to the Sun Road. Continue reading

Hidden Lake — West Glacier Hikes, Part II

My third day in Glacier National Park and still no wildlife sightings bigger than a bread box.   I awake to sun peeping through the clouds in Apgar Campground with the promise of another beautiful day.  I have decided to take the shuttle back up to the top of Logan Pass, the Continental Divide.  I am feeling ambitious today,  so I plan to do two hikes from Logan Pass because I can’t decide which one sounds more appealing; the wildflowers of Hidden Lake, or the vistas of the Highline. So I pack a lunch and plan on both. Continue reading

Avalanche Lake — West Glacier Hikes, Part 1

All comforts aside at the Pine Near RV Park, the thing that really kept me anchored in Winthrop for three days was my insane job.  I had scheduled 10 days off on vacation to visit Glacier National Park.  I always say you don’t really take a vacation from my corporate job…you just shove a week’s worth of work to either side.  Once clients realize you are leaving, they start piling on the “one last thing before you go” list.

It was also a much longer drive from North Cascades to Glacier National Park than I had anticipated.  It was a gorgeous drive along the Jocko and Flathead Rivers, following the expansive Flathead Lake just outside of Kallispell, with its 160 miles of shoreline. Continue reading

The Bear Facts about Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is a hiker’s paradise. Over 700 miles of trails lead through some of the most spectacular and wild country in the Rockies.

But this is also bear country. There are an estimated 1,000 bears in Glacier National Park – around 600 black bears, and less than 400 of the endangered grizzlies. Continue reading

Going to the Sun in the Sun!

What do you do when you arrive in Glacier National Park on a sunny day?   You drop everything and head straight for the “Going-to-the-Sun” Road!   Weather is fickle here in the park, and if you should get a sunny day, take every advantage!

The Going-to-the-Sun Road is a 50 mile stretch of two-lane that runs east to west, right through the heart of Glacier National Park.  In fact, the Going To The Sun Road is the only way you can access the park by automobile.  And not just any automobile.  Continue reading