Tonelli's Travels

The grandeur and beauty of Glacier National Park is unrivaled. The mountains jutting up in every direction are spectacular. By far, this is my favorite part of the trip to date.

On our first day we rose (what we thought was) early to head into the park. By 8:00AM, there were already lines forming at the entrance. Everyone wanted to explore the beauty of the park. We didn’t let crowds deter us though and headed forward to Siyeh Bend on the Going to the Sun Road.

Now, let me tell you a little about the Going to the Sun Road. Completed in 1933, it connects the west and east sides of the park. How this road was constructed is difficult to fathom! First, your vehicle cannot be longer than 21 feet or wider than 8 feet – it’s narrow. Second, the speed limit for most the road is 25 miles per hour – what does that tell you? It snakes up and down the mountain side within the park, lending itself to majestic views if you’re the passenger. If you’re the driver (like me), keep your eyes on the road and hands on the steering wheel! I hugged the yellow center line going up and down, carefully rounding corners and passing cars. On one side is a short guard rail separating you from the cliff and on the other side is a rock wall. When we got to the parking spot, I let out a huge sigh and felt pretty proud of myself. Kuddos to all the workers who contributed to this masterpiece.

It took us about an hour to reach this part of the park, and when I said it was busy early, I meant it! Logan Pass, the visitor center and major parking lot in the middle of the park was already closed by 9:00AM. Feeling nervous about our parking prospects at the trailhead a few miles ahead, we continued cautiously looking for any open spot. We eventually found one ahead, about a mile from the trailhead. I guess our 10 mile hike was about to be 12 miles. Eager to begin, we headed down the windy road to locate the trailhead.

The trailhead to Piegan Pass began at the bend and headed down to a stream that gushed under the road. All geared up, we slowly trekked next to the stream and around the bend, up into the woods.  The trail slowly climbed back and forth through the forest, treating us to snowfield blanketed stone mountains every so often.  After we turned left at the trail juncture, we were greeted repeatedly by lovely wildflower meadows in the subalpine terrain.  Yellows, pinks, purples, and greens spread out between the trees and across both sides of the path as we hiked higher and higher.  We are delighted to see a wide variety of plants – pale yellow columbines, purple asters, false sunflowers, tall fluffy white ones, paintbrushes, and more.  I just wanted to skip through the fields!

As we climbed higher, the temperatures dropped and we soon found ourselves walking along a ledge cutting across the mountainside.  Open to the beautiful views, we were reminded just how small we are in this world.  There is so much to admire, respect, and nurture.

Soon we came upon a snowfield in the middle of the path, a unexpected but welcome adventure.  We cautiously walked across, firmly planting each foot as we went.  To think there is still snow in August!

Miles later and with tired legs, we reached Piegan Pass and were rewarded with stunning 360 views of the epic mountains.  Rock giants erupted from the earth with sharp, pointy peaks.  Horizontal stripes of gray, black, white, maroon, and brown crossed the stone. We found a cozy spot protected from the wind and settled down to eat lunch.

After resting, and before heading back, we walked the few hundred yards to the other side of the pass to see what else this magical place had in store for us.  It did not disappoint.  The other side looked down into a valley where a waterfall filled a brilliant blue glacial lake below.  The colors were unbelievably bright from the rich minerals of the snowmelt.

The walk back treated us to more stunning views and a few friendly ground squirrels scurrying ahead of us down the trail.  My dad generously offered to hike ahead and up to the Solis, a mile from the trailhead, to save us from the tough uphill hike.  Without hesitation we accepted his offer!  We met him down at the turn around when we were all done and headed back the spectacular (and terrifying) Going to the Sun Road to our campsite.  Many miles of 25 miles per hour, we were back and had a splendid night of rest.