We woke up early headed to Glacier National Park. Box lunches from the hotel, good strong coffee and we're off. Entering the West entrance of the park, head up Going-to-the-Sun Road, the most appropriately named highway in the world. It's one of the must do drives in the country, watching the landscape change frequently with elevation. We stopped at Logan pass, the high point of the road, with beautiful vistas in all directions. It's cold, low forties in late August, but we're dressed in lots of layers. Iceberg Lake Trail is closed for Bear activity, so we decide to head to East Glacier for the Grinnell Glacier hike.
The trail starts at the Many Glaciers Hotel, a beautiful property but long past its prime. It's about 7 and half miles up to Grinnell glacier. The views of the three lakes are stunning, and we were surprised at how frequently the blue water changes to an even crazier deeper blue. The landscape of the mountain changes frequently from flowered sloping medows to evergreen forest to unforgiving steep Granite Mountain sides with narrow paths. It's challenging and completely worth it.
Mandy tells me lunch on Grinnell Glacier is the greatest picnic ever.
Rain starts as soon as we start to descend, but fortunately we're prepared. 5 miles in the rain but surprisingly comfortable the entire time. Feet aching, we head out the east entrance of the park. Not much to be had in the towns on the eastern side of the park, and we're starving. We take a chance on the Summit Mountain Lodge and Steakhouse and it was fantastic. The young waiter knew the menu very well and found us some delicious scotch. The steak was perfectly prepared and just the thing for the end of our day.
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