"Far away in northwestern Montana, hidden from view by clustering mountain peaks, lies an unmapped corner - the Crown of the Continent" -George Bird Grinnell (1901)
Asgard is the realm of the Norse gods. It is a place of plenty, wonder, and magic. Within the Sagas and the myths of the Norse people, there was no more incredible a land. It was the host of Odin's mighty Valhall - the home beyond death for the finest of warriors. Artists of every discipline have attempted to portray it to varying success, but never in a satisfactory way to its mythical proportion. It is a place that even today's warriors fantasize about, but I believe its closest representation can be found in the remote north of America.
An Outside Perspective
I would be remiss to not begin this article with the negative qualities of Glacier National Park. I have remarkably little negative to say about my experiences, but that isn't to say there were no issues marking our time there. While I would have been content to have simply parked our camper and lived in Montana for the rest of my life, that wasn't the case with my wife. She's been adept at counterbalancing my absolutely slavish affection for Glacier since we left.
It's not difficult to see what the issues are, even when you're a strong advocate in favor of the place. The remoteness of it alone is a massive knock against it. The town of Kalispell is the only notable civilization for hundreds of miles and we, unfortunately, did not choose that for our stay. Rather, we found an RV park on the other side of the mountains in a "town" called St. Mary. It's a quaint little stretch with a couple gas stations, a nice motel, and three small restaurants.
It's also in the middle of a massive dead zone for cellular coverage. This is a problem when you work from remotely and use a WiFi Hotspot to do your job. That problem is only alleviated when you drive 35 miles to "nearby" Browning on the Blackfeet Reservation to work from a coffee shop (huge thank you to Hinman Coffee House for accommodating us, the ladies working there were wonderful). That kind of puts a damper on getting to enjoy the scenery, which is the one reason you might pick St. Mary over Kalispell.
Additionally, St. Mary doesn't have much to really offer. The gas stations close early, so you won't be making a late night run for snacks and a beverage. The restaurants are also pretty subpar and service is certainly lacking. This could have been due to the time of year we went there, but I suspect it's more so to do with Kalispell being wildly more popular as a tourist destination. This seems especially likely due to the sizeable Many Glacier Hotel nearby which has a singular place to eat inside.
Inside the park, there aren't a lot of amenities, either. There are no gas stations within the park, although there is a convenience store by the lodge at Lake McDonald. There are also only three visitor's centers - one at each end of the Going-to-the-Sun road, and one in the middle at Logan Pass. However, their hours are actually pretty forgiving compared to some parks with open times between 9:00AM and 7:00PM. The Lodges at Many Glacier and Lake McDonald do bolster restaurants and some additional amenities, but we found them to be quite crowded despite the park being relatively empty otherwise.
My wife would also probably appreciate my mentioning the weather. While I absolutely love the cold, it was a bit much for her. That's reasonable, since we're not used to mid-August highs of 71 and lows of 39. I can't tell you how ecstatic I was to celebrate my first birthday in 30 years without sweating myself to death, but it definitely was a shock to the system. Our camper's heating system, to be precise, as we found out it - like our A/C - has a temperature differential of +/-20 degrees.
Finally, the Going-to-the-Sun Road which is the only road which cuts through the park is what some might consider a tad perilous. Surprisingly, I didn't have any trouble driving it despite a crippling fear of heights. It did, however, make my wife very nervous - especially the day we were a bit late coming back and the sun set as we were coming down the mountains. The roads are better maintained than what we saw in Yellowstone, but they are tight and one side is always next to a sheer drop off. Combine that with the park being Dark-Sky Preserve (ie, no lights) and it can be daunting if unprepared.
It is also worth noting that the road in question also requires reservations to use during peak hours. This is likely due to the risk of congestion causing accidents on an already dangerous road. However, it also means that there is a flood of drivers seeking passage when 5:00PM rolls around and they lift the restrictions. Make sure you schedule your passes well in advance, because driving around the park is a full day ordeal.
Far Over the Misty Mountains
With such negativity, I've set myself a challenge to justify my adoration of Glacier. After all, why travel to one of the most remote parks in the nation if there's so many issues? Why not simply drive to Yosemite, Grand Teton, or Smokey Mountains? What can possibly justify a visit?
That's easy enough for me to explain by quoting Forrest Gump, "Like that mountain lake. It was so clear, Jenny. It looked like there were two skies, one on top of the other."
There is nothing I have seen in my entire life that compares to Glacier's natural beauty. It's a feast for the eyes unlike anything else, appearing almost like a scene pulled from mythology. When you reach The Loop and see Heavens Peak for the first time, you can almost see Valhalla through the mist, resting upon the rays of sunshine breaching the clouded sky. For a moment, you feel as though you've crossed the Bifrost and found yourself gazing upon the realm of gods.
There's no pictures that could ever do justice to being there and seeing these things for yourself. They can entice you, but they don't carry the gravity of presence. Within the borders of Glacier, you transcend from being in Montana to a different, ethereal plane unlike anything else. It's magic, pure and simple. The kind that you forget about after transitioning from childhood to adulthood.
When you see the lake Forrest spoke about, you see what he described. The rainbow colored pebbles of Lake McDonald are like sparkling gemstones beneath the water. The Weeping Wall along the Going-to-the-Sun Road gives the illusion of driving along the base of a waterfall. The cedar woods leading to the Western entrance appear as fantastical as the Fangorn's Forest of Middle Earth.
Standing anywhere in the park, away from the distractions of our society, you can so very clearly understand the minds of artists throughout time who created fanciful tales of wonder. You can believe in the Norse myths, in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, or in Rowling's Harry Potter. It becomes so easy to find the magic that made the world so much brighter and fascinating as a child. It's pure, distilled fantasy made reality.
I've never felt closer to my ancestors than I did at the edge of Lake McDonald, celebrating my thirtieth birthday this year. There, on the rocky shores, I rose a drinking horn to my forebears who worked tirelessly to ensure I could find myself in a place as close to Asgard as any of us could have imagined. It was a moment I will cherish in my heart as long as I live and I hope that whatever waits after this life is as beautiful as what I saw there. That is something that cannot be replicated or found anywhere else.
That is why Glacier is my favorite place in America.
Sobering Truth
These articles aren't just about my feelings, though. They're always intended to be a realistic and honest take on the National Parks. As much as I believe the previous section is enough for me to say about it, I know that I have to be a little less animated in description. I need to be more grounded and realistic in my assessment for you, dear reader, to take away something useful from this. So, let me explain more fully what Glacier offers beyond the spiritually and emotionally satisfying.
First, I'd like to assuage fears about driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road. If you're not confident in driving yourself, there are seasoned drivers who operate Red Jammer buses and shuttle people back and forth across it all day long. These 70+ year old machines are delightful to see on the road, but bolster surprisingly modern underpinnings from a renovation project courtesy of Ford back in the early 2000s. Despite their charming, antique appearance, they are effectively Ford E Series Vans built for all the comfort and safety one might need in traversing the historic road.
I do recommend you drive yourself, however. As I stated before, I have a crippling fear of heights, but found myself exhilarated rather than mortified by the views. When you are driving yourself, it's easy to simply pull off at major turn outs and snap pictures or just enjoy the scenery. It also means that you can come and go as you wish, rather than waiting for buses to shuttle you to the next destination - which can be quite a distance considering the road's approximately 50 mile length.
It also means you can drive yourself into Kalispell whenever you'd like. The town is definitely worth a visit even if you aren't staying in it, as it offers plenty of tourist attractions, restaurants, and shops for you to peruse at your leisure. For the off road enthusiasts amongst us, it's also home to one of the entrances to the Jeep Badge of Honor trail, Black Tail Wild Bill. That was one of our favorite trails we've done on this trip and definitely worth a visit while you're at Glacier.
All along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, there are plenty of hiking trails worth checking out due to the nature of the park. Since it's a Biosphere Reserve, there is a minimum of development that necessitates hiking to see some of the attractions. Many of the glaciers for which the park is named require you lace up your boots to see. Likewise, the best chance you have of seeing significant wildlife such as Grizzly Bears, Moose, or Canadian Lynx is on foot. This is not to mention the incredible experience of hiking the Highline Trail which affords those willing to see the Grinnell Glacier, named for the man responsible for the park's existence.
For the more nautically minded individual, Glacier is regarded as one of the finest fly fishing locations in the nation. Catchable fish species are broad, including trout, salmon, and whitefish of several varieties. St. Mary Lake and Lake McDonald both offer boat tours as well, which is perhaps the best way to see them. Notably, these boats are also historical artifacts of the park's storied past just like the Red Jammer buses.
The lodges I mentioned at Lake McDonald and Many Glacier are also worth a visit. Both are beautiful historical buildings with fantastic views of their respective regions of the park. They would certainly make for great lodging during a visit, but are equally intriguing for the passing tourist. If nothing else, grabbing a drink from the bar and sitting by the water to observe nature from the comfort of a bench is a fine way to close out a day.
Mountain climbing is, of course, another big draw to the park as it offers some very technical peaks for the daring sorts who are into that. Although mountaineering is outside of my wheelhouse, we did run into a few climbers who were coming in from a climb while we were there. From what they told us, it can be an ordeal to summit the mountains as changing weather is a serious hazard. This was backed up by park employees who informed us that one week prior to our visits, highs were 90s and lows dropped into the 30s. There were clear skies as well, as opposed to the rain we saw most of the time we were there.
In all, Glacier is sort of in a middle ground between Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain for their draws. While it requires quite a bit more effort to actually see what the park has to offer than Grand Teton, it's also not necessary to backpack for days on end to see the best on offer like at Rocky Mountain. It rewards those who are willing to go off the beaten path, but it is also perfectly accommodating to those that would prefer the comfort of a car or a lodge.
Drawing Conclusions
I can't be certain whether or not my words will convince anyone to see Glacier the way that I did. However, that's the case with all of these articles. My hope is that I can entice at least some of my readers to give these places a try. Glacier is, of course, the one I hope is most effective. That's not just because of my perspective, either, but because of a sobering reality we faced while being there.
Unfortunately, Glacier will one day not live up to its namesake. The tragic fact is that the glaciers are melting and only 25 of the estimated 150 that once gave the park its name still exist. By 2030, scientists believe none will remain - irreversibly changing the biosphere of the region. What exactly that means for the natural beauty of the park remains to be seen, but even a chance that it could be lost is heartbreaking.
Glacier has been internationally recognized for its importance as a nature preserve. It's unique terrain and wonderfully diverse flora and fauna is unmatched in the region. Effectively, it's a time capsule of this nation before civilization spread far and wide. There is a purity and authenticity to the park which reflects the land which our forefathers saw as fitting for conservation and protection. If nothing else, it's important historically to every man, woman, and child of this land.
So, whether its the attractions, the history, or the promise of magic that grips you after reading this, seriously consider a visit. No matter how far or how costly, I promise its value is greater.
I won't give it a score like I have the others. A number is meaningless. You can't put one to that experience. Maybe that's a copout, but it's the call I'm going to make. Glacier is different than any other National Park and shouldn't be judged against them.
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