Day 20 July 22nd 2011:
Good VERY late morning from West Glacier, day 2. Yesterday was a long but un-believable and un-forgettable day!
Our campground is literally at the base of Glacier Park, so the view from our Motorhome is just fantastic, and this campground is off the hook cool. We have a huge patio, a barbecue, and a fire pit with log chairs. An absolute first and is definitely one of the best places we have ever stayed!
After enjoying the morning, we decided to drive – in a rental car – the “Going to the Sun” scenic by-way, which runs through Glacier. It is a 50 mile road, and all the literature said it would take 2 – 3 hours to see the park. At first I was mad they wouldn’t let me drive the motorhome…I was like, how bad could this be. WELL!!!!!!! Without doubt, and I doubt I will ever eat these words, but it was the most TREACHEROUS drive and road I have ever, and I mean ever been on! Not the whole 50 miles, just a 15 mile climb through what they call Logan’s Pass – you are close to 7,000 feet at the tip of the pass, and the mountains are at 11,000, so they still loom over you. Now if you have a fear of heights, claustrophobia, panic-attacks, weak heart, and are not a good driver. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS PASS EVER!!!!!!! All I can say is I hope the images capture the essence of the drive. White knuckle doesn’t even come close to describing this…if it was just me on the road, it is wild, but not white knuckle…add tourists who don’t know how to drive, and it was SCARY!
Aside from that pass, and even on that pass the scenery is absolutely one if not the best national Parks we have ever been in. Just breathe taking and majestic beyond words. To see real Glaciers and not be in Alaska is really something special. There was still a TON of snow, and for most of the drive it was 50 deg., sorry all you East Coast folks who are sweltering in the heat, we have been below 70 the past 2 weeks, and last night it dropped to 45 deg.
Before I forget…as I mentioned earlier, the brochures said it was 2 – 3 hours to get through the park which again is 50 miles, so we thought, sweet early night, nice dinner, blah, blah…what they failed to say is ITS ONE WAY!!!!!!! It takes 3 hours to get to the East entrance, and another 3 hours to get back to the West…and 100miles if you want to drive around! So what started as a 3 hour tour was a 6 hour drive…WE WERE EXHAUSTED, thus the sleeping in.
Today, we hang by the pool and will shoot into the lower lakes tonight for some photos…tomorrow is white water rafting and MAYBE a helicopter ride, at some point. We will see.
We miss you all and are looking forward to seeing you! The boys especially are missing their Homies…YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!!! ;-).
Until the next Blog, please have a very BLESSED Day!
MOST OF THE PHOTOS ARE FORM MICHAEL, NICHOLAS AND PATTY...
Our motorhome is in the middle....
Welcome to the hardest drive, your mirror scratches the wall.
At least a 2,000 foot plunge to the right..
See the drop around this curve?
This is the zoomed view...see below for the whole view...those little spec's are cars
If you click on the image you will see a larger view of what you go up!
Very smart note!
They have old style buses as tour vehicles.
Do you get a sense yet?
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