Saturday June 17th 2017

It rained off an on all night. This morning it was dry and looked like it was clearing up. The sun didn’t peak through the clouds until after 4PM, but I was in Glacier National Park by 10AM expecting it to clear at any moment.

I took 55 pictures of the scenery, but none of animals. I saw the back end of a white tailed deer as it ran away, 2 squirrels and a few birds. All of my photos from today can be found in my Google Photos shared album called Glacier National Park June 17 2017. Click on the link to see them all. The cloud cover makes some of the pictures look washed out. On the other hand the cloud formations are interesting to look at.

There were thousands of these white flowering plants on the floor of the pine forest. I’m still trying to figure out what they are called.

I traveled all of the paved roads on the west side of the park that are open. The Going to the Sun Road is closed 15 miles into the park at the Avalanche area. I stopped at every significant area that I could find a parking spot. There were a lot of people jammed into the small part of the park that is open. At Avalanche, where the road is closed, the lack of parking and traffic jam is particularly annoying. It took twenty minutes to get turned around and out of the area. During the whole exercise I never saw an open parking spot.

Panorama of Lake McDonald.

High meadow on the northwest side of the park.  

McDonald Falls

McDonald Creek above the falls

Lake McDonald looking southwest.

I took one side road that started out fine. It turned into a wide gravel road then something else. The road became one lane with a few wide spots to pass if you meet other cars. That’s exactly what happened. On my way up a hill, three or four cars started down the hill right at me. I had to back down the hill around a bend to find a wide spot in the road. Halfway down the hill a vehicle came up behind me. Luckily it was a park ranger that saw what was going on. He ended up giving me hand directions to the wide spot in the road. I turned around and got out of there. Why I was on the road, and so many others, is a mystery to me and the park ranger. Apparently there is nothing on the road but a fishing spot. There weren’t any signs.

I’ll return to the park during the week when the sun is out. I still hope the Going to the Sun Road opens while I’m here. The more unique parts of the park are on that section of road. I will also drive around to St. Mary on the east side of the park if necessary. It is about 100 miles around vs. 55 miles through the park if the road was open.