Day 21 Snow Day at Granite Park Chalet

Still in Glacier National Park-

The plan today was to drive to Logan Pass and hike the Highline trail to Haystack Butte, but the road to the pass was closed at “The Loop” due the winter storm yesterday that dumped over 12” of snow on the pass.  From “The Loop” we decided to hike to Granite Park Chalet today.  The hike was 8.4 miles roundtrip, with an elevation gain of 2450 feet. Whew!! The road up to the loop was clear of snow and so we started our hike.  When we reached about the 5000’ elevation, there was snow on the ground.  By the time we reached he chalet (closed for the winter as of September 2), the snow was a foot deep (elevation 6670’) ,  We were the first to travel the trail so there were no foot prints in front of us. It was exciting to be the first people that day to make it to the chalet and the hike on the way up was one of the most beautiful vistas we have seen.  It included Mount Heaven, Mount Canon, Mount Grinnell, Swiftwater Mountain and Mount Wilbur.  Rene’s bear bells chimed all the way up and all the way down the mountain, as well as, both of us having our canisters of bear spray readily available on our belts.  No sightings this trip.

After our hike, we saw that the road was open further up the mountain to “Big Bend” so we drove up the mountain.  On the way  we passed beautiful vistas including Bird Woman Falls Overlook which is a waterfall across the valley falling 492 feet from the slopes of Mt. Oberlin,   As its name suggests, the big bend in the road provides enough room to park and take in the views of Mt. Canon, Mt, Oberlin, Heaven’s Peak and the Weeping Wall.  Did I forget to mention that this road is very, very narrow and has sharp drop-offs on one side and protruding granite cliffs on the other side.  Scary road to drive!!

the Weeping Wall, and finally the road was closed at Big Bend which is one of the most spectacular views from Going-To-The-Sun Road.

On the way back to our condo we stopped at a Brewery called Desert Mountain Brewery where we not only had a Irish Red (Rene) and a Brown (Steve) beers, but also bought a ceramic mug for future use.  When we got back to our condo Rene’ made a fantastic dinner as usual that was enjoyed by the very tired couple.

Day 19 A Visit to Whitefish, MT

Today was our off day from hiking and our intention was to play a round of golf, however, the skies opened up and it was raining most of the day and a little chilly for my liking.  So instead we went to the next town from where we were staying, Whitefish, MT.  To be honest I had seen it before on the show the “Bachelor” and thought it was beautiful.  Located in the heart of the spectacular northern Rocky Mountains, Whitefish is home to the world-class Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort, the gateway to Glacier National Park, and has a population of 7,436. Today, despite the rain, there was actually a really nice farmers market set up downtown.  We had a great time there visiting with the local farmers and tasting their products. 

So not to bore you with any more of our antics for the day; shopping, brew pub, shopping, brew pub…. you get the idea…..  I am writing about the history of Whitefish.  Reminds me a little of our good old UP in Michigan and the copper mining days. It was neat how just about every downtown building had a plaque and picture depicting what the original use of the building was and the description.
In the mid-1850s, a group of trappers working the Flathead Valley’s rivers, lakes and streams for beaver and other pelts came upon a group of Indians pulling a native fish species – Whitefish – from a long, narrow lake … and suddenly, after tens of thousands of years, the lake had a name!  



Though trappers, traders and waves of westward immigrants passed through the area during the second half of the century, it wasn’t until 1883 that the first permanent settler – John Morton – built a cabin on the shores of Whitefish Lake, just west of the mouth of the Whitefish River. Morton was joined by the forefathers of the local logging industry – including the Baker and Hutchinson brothers – in the early 1890s.  Logging crews “boomed-up” their logs behind a dam built at the river mouth by the Boston & Montana Commercial Company, which – when opened – created a rush of water that helped float the logs down the river to Kalispell.
Crews laying track for the Great Northern Railway entered the Flathead Valley from what is now West Glacier in 1891, and initially followed a route through Columbia Falls and Kalispell, then west through Idaho and Washington to the Pacific Ocean.  But the route west of Kalispell included a difficult climb over the Salish Mountains … a steep and tortuous grade winding slowly up one side, then just as painstakingly down the other. 

It wasn’t long before the railroad’s survey team was sent back to Montana, charged with finding a new – and easier – route out of the Flathead Valley.  And that’s when the two most important decisions in the small settlement’s short history were made: the decision to re-route the Great Northern Railway north to Eureka before heading west to the coast; and another to locate the railroad’s regional headquarters at the south end of Whitefish Lake.
The new Whitefish town site was surveyed and dedicated in June of 1903.  Land was acquired, the rail yards were constructed, and a town was platted. Timber clearing and construction began in earnest, with most of the materials and supplies being hauled-in on a spur line built from Columbia Falls to the new town site.  The “cut-off” connecting Whitefish and Columbia Falls was completed in August of 1904, and the first passenger train arrived at the Whitefish Depot on October 4, 1904.  In April of 1905, the Town of Whitefish was incorporated and held its first official Town Council meeting.

Timber, farming, ranching and the railroad were the backbone of the town’s economy – and culture – for the next 50 years.  In time, summer cabins began popping-up along the shores of Whitefish Lake, and the strength of the logging   industry began to wane. Modern technology (and equipment) led to a severe downsizing of the railroad’s workforce.  The economy was on a downward skid…but changes were on the horizon for Whitefish.  A nine-hole golf course and clubhouse was built in the 1950s, and in the early ‘60s another nine holes were added.  By the mid-1990s, Whitefish Golf Course had grown to 36 holes – the largest (and best!) in the state of Montana. 

Meanwhile, a few adventurous Whitefish folks had been bitten by the downhill skiing “bug” in the 1930s and ‘40s, and began hiking to the upper reaches of Hell roaring Mountain so they could ski back down an open slope into the Hell roaring Basin.  In 1947, the first lift was built at what became Big Mountain Ski Area, these days known as Whitefish Mountain Resort, the cornerstone of our area’s winter tourist trade.

Whitefish is still a working railroad town.  More than 300 workers are directly employed by Burlington Northern/Santa Fe, and hundreds of families rely on highly-skilled- and high-paying jobs that BNSF creates.  Amtrak passengers arrive twice daily at the historic Whitefish Depot, and dozens of freight trains pass through the BNSF rail yards every day, en route from Chicago to Seattle and all points in between.

Our day ended with a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant called “Ciao Mambo” in Whitefish. Tomorrow we are supposed to get 6-12" of snow in the area where we are planning to hike.  Not sure the pass will even be open so stay tuned.....

Day 18 Glacier National Park

Yesterday we drove from Big Sky Montana to Columbia Falls, Montana and Glacier National Park our final destination on our out West adventure.  On May 11, 1910, Glacier National Park was designated as our nation’s 10^th national park.  Known for its glacier-carved jagged peaks, turquoise and emerald lakes.  Glacier is comprised of 1,600 square miles, with lowest elevation of 3,150 feet and the highest elevation at 10,466 at the summit of Mount Cleveland. 

Today we hiked the Avalanche Lake Trail it begins from the Trail of the Cedars trail head, located 5.5 miles east of the McDonald Lodge via the Going to the Sun Road.  

The Scenery on this trail was beautiful; the humidity in the valley allows cedars to grow to heights of 100 feet, and diameters of 4 to 7 feet. Some of the trees in this area are more than 500 years old and the waterfall cascades along the Avalanche creek were awesome.

The trail, a total of 4.6 miles, was a stiff climb in some places toward the lake and it was raining most of the time but it was beautiful and I was able to take a few pictures in between the rain drops. The self-timed pictures aren’t pretty but wanted to show everyone that we were prepared with our rain gear and bear spray…..

Lake Avalanche sits at the base of 8694-foot Bearhat Mountain, which rises almost 4800 feet above the lake towards the northeast. The mountain dominating the view towards the south is 7886-foot Little Matterhorn. If you look closely at the cliffs and mountains that surround the lake you’ll notice several long waterfalls cascading hundreds of feet as they make their way towards the lake. 

Lake Avalanche

Day 16 Yellowstone Canyon Hike

Today we ventured back to Yellowstone for our final visit and hike in the Canyon area.  Before reaching our hiking destination we stopped by the Monument Geyser Basin Beryl Spring, hard for Steve to resist that steam coming out of the ground, and then headed to the Visitor Center at Canyon Village to go over our trail choice with the park ranger. 

On to the parking area at Uncle Tom’s Point and the trail head for the Clear Lake Trail.  It was a beautiful trail that meandered through the woods, meadows, and geological mud and steam pots spewing steam, sulfur and lime.   It was amazing to see and experience. 

We passed by Clear Lake then Lily Pad Lake and then on to Artist Point and continued on the Sublime trail.   The trail follows the edge of the canyon, there are no railings along the way, and believe me I have a fear of heights so I struggled a little with this hike. With that caveat, the views along the way are amazing. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is over 20 miles long with steep, rugged walls that drop a thousand feet to a violent river.  We found a great little spot with these breathtaking views and had our picnic lunch.

We Continued our hike back to Artist Point where we had awesome view of the Lower Falls. 

Then  continued on the South Rim Trail back toward Uncle Tom’s Point and descended down Uncle Tom’s Trail. The trail is a series of paved inclines and more than 300 steps that lead you about 500 feet down into the canyon. You can see, hear, and feel the power of the lower falls.

It’s called Uncle Tom’s Trail because in the late 1890s, “Uncle” Tom Richardson was granted a permit to take tourists across the Yellowstone River and into the Grand Canyon. From 1898-1905, Richardson ferried guests across the river and led them along the canyon’s South Rim. There, he installed a series of ropes and rope ladders that offered some security amid the sheer cliffs of the canyon.

“It was a pretty difficult climb for most people. “He would bring pins for the ladies to pin up their dresses to make the hiking easier.”

Richardson operated tours into the canyon until park development killed his business. The completion of Chittenden Bridge in 1903, which allowed visitor access to the South Rim, and the installation of wooden steps along Uncle Tom’s Trail by the Park Service brought with them the demise of his enterprise.

After hiking our journey continued with a drive along the East side of the Park along the Yellowstone River and the Yellowstone Lake before heading back to Big Sky.  Just before leaving the park a huge Elk was just waiting for us on the side of the road. It was a great end to a great day!

We hiked a total of about 4 miles today descended 328 steps to the lower falls and then back up, saw breathtaking views, waterfalls, steam pots, Bison, and Elk.