August 19, 2014. Hitch-hiking in Glacier!

CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Apgar Campground in Glacier National Park

LOCATION:  Northwest Montana

WEATHER:  Sunny in AM.  Cool and storms in PM. Highs in 60s

Today our goal was to see the Road to the Sun.  We decided to take the free shuttle bus, to help with the initiative to decrease traffic and pollution.

  Still, many people drive, and the road is jammed.   We found out that the  Park doesn't manage the bus system well.  We waited an hour in the morning to catch a bus to the top.  It was a breath-taking ride.  The road is full of switchbacks, steep drop-offs, and is very narrow.  We heard on the bus radio that a lady had driven to the top, but was too petrified to drive back down.  It took us an hour to get to the top.  Then, we took another bus down an hour to the other side.  We rode back up again to the top, and went on a hike.  The trail was fairly steep.  We picnicked with crackers and sardines.  It was a nice sunny day for a hike, or so we thought.

We saw beautiful mountain wildflowers, snow, glaciers, mountain goats, and marmots.  We climbed to about 10,000 feet.  Just before the end of the trail which is an observation point overlooking a lake, it started to pour.  Lighting and thunder were crackling around us.  It was scary.

Then, we turned around to walk/run back, and the rain turned to sleet.  The wind blew the sleet hard on our legs and backs.  It hurt!  We soon were drenched and freezing.

We made it back to the visitors' center to catch the bus back down.  The line had about 100 people in front of us.  The buses picked up about 10 people at a time (small buses as large ones cannot negotiate the road), coming 30 minutes apart.  We figured we would be in line for 2-3 hours!  So, we went out to the road and tried hitch-hiking.  A nice couple picked us up after about 5 minutes.  

They dropped us off at a 100-year old, cozy lodge in the Park.  To our surprise and relief, there was a roaring fire in the fireplace.  We sipped a wine and beer, standing in front of the fire, warming up and trying to dry out our soaked clothes.  I draped our jackets over chairs.

We caught another bus back to the campground.  We talked to our neighbors, a young couple from Seattle on their honeymoon, and to a California couple in a 1966 Airstream.  

Overall, we don't really recommend Glacier.  Too many people, and a bus system that needs work.  The parking lots were full, and people waited hours just to park.  Campgrounds mostly full.

DINNER:  I modified a recipe that was supposed to be a veggie cheese bake.  Since we don't have electricity, I did it over the fire.  I sautéed onions, garlic, spinach, mushrooms,  and diced zucchini.  Meanwhile, inside I boiled macaroni.  At the end, I combined everything with ricotta and mozzarella.  Turned out pretty well.