Another day in Glacier National Park

You have heard the saying "time flies when you are having fun" and how true that was for us during our stay at Rollins RV Park.  Our friends Joe and Cricket Cherry from Shelby, North Carolina joined us for our last week in Montana which was September 1st  thru September 7th.  We met them last year in Michigan and traveled together for several weeks before our routes went in different directions.  We are looking forward to exploring the west coast together when we leave Montana.

We only had a few days left to enjoy the area and we still had a few things left on our list of things we wanted to do.   Seeing a live performance at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse was on the list and was marked  off when we saw "The Hits" which was music from the 50's, 60's and 70's.  We all enjoyed the music that evening as we took a stroll on memory lane.  Bigfork has a year round population of 1400 and has been named "One of the 100 Best Small Art Towns in the nation.  Sixteen art galleries can be found on or around the main street in the town along with shops and restaurants. 

The majestic beauty of Glacier drew us back to the park for a second time.  Since Joe & Cricket had not seen Many Glacier we made that our first stop.  It was amazing to see the difference in the water level of the lakes from when we were there in July.  The closer we got to Many Glacier the clouds became darker.  It started raining just as we reached the Many Glacier Hotel so clicking the shutters on our cameras were only possible by putting on our raincoats or through the windows of Joe's Chevy.  Being the die hard "picture takers" that Joe and I are we had to get out in the rain for at least one shot while Terry and Cricket stayed dry.  Terry, the prankster caused my raincoat to collect a few more raindrops than necessary by locking the doors on the truck.  Oh well it was worth it to get a few clicks.

Going through Glacier for the second time was familiar but the views seemed different from our first trip because of the sun and clouds.  It was hard not to interrupt the drive by stopping at every pull off but enjoying the magnificent beauty continuously gave us a feeling of peacefulness and the vibes of being back in touch with nature.

Inn at Bigfork.  The American flag flying was just as beautiful
as the flowers in the window boxes.

Several sculptures in a park in Bigfork, Montana by artist Eric Thorsen.



"Sitting Bear" seems not to mind all the visitors.



Flathead Lake

Terry waiting patiently while we take pictures of the lake.

The clouds are stunning.

Flathead Lake under the Big Sky



This picture is proof that behind every dark cloud the sun still shines.



On the way to Glacier National Park. 

Lower Saint Mary Lake water level has dropped since July.



Water level was low at Lake Sherburne also.

Many Glacier Hotel offers a Swiss atmosphere in the midst of the alpine beauty in every direction you look.

Red jammers are seen throughout the park transporting visitors. 
The buses are called "Reds" and the drivers are called "jammers".

I couldn't miss this shot even though I had to take it while standing in the rain.

In my opinion, this is one of the most scenic overlooks in the park. 



Clear blue skies and dark clouds share the same space.

The glaciers are going away.  The park will not be the same when they are gone.
 When the snow melts the glaciers provide cool fresh meltwater to the streams and other living things downstream when rain is infrequent during late summer. 

Clouds and mountain tops coming together.

Fresh snow



President Taft signed the bill establishing Glacier as the country's 10th national park.

Bighorn sheep making their way down from the higher elevations.

Good thing we had Terry with us or we would have probably missed seeing these two bighorn sheep.
  He can spot wildlife like no one else I know.



Terry and Joe taking a closer look at the bighorn sheep.  Yes they were standing to close to the edge. 

The valleys once were home to the Kootenai Indians.



This is the same waterfall that Cheryl and I were so intrigued by during our visit in July.
  The water flow has definitely slowed down. 



This is known as the "Weeping Wall".  The water running through the mountains were natural but when the road was built
it exposed the springs and the water poured out on to the road.  You are sure to get wet in early spring as the snow melts and the falls reach out into the road.  Keep your windows up or you may get an unexpected shower.

Meet our friends Joe and Cricket Cherry.  We have seen some of the most beautiful places in America together.



Glacier National Park has moved into the #1 position of all the national parks we have seen.