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.
 

Blacktail Mountain, Kootenai Falls & Swinging Bridge

We were becoming very comfortable in Flathead Lake country.  The weather was so nice and the scenery around the lake was the kind that you just didn't get tired of seeing.

After passing the sign several times to Blacktail Mountain Ski Area in Lakeside, Montana we decided it was time to make the trip up the mountain.  We did not meet many vehicles on our way up or down but did see deer.  There are so many deer in the area they are considered a nuisance.  One local gentleman told us that it is not a matter of if you are going to hit a deer but rather how many will you hit.  There are several ATV trails on the mountain and a ride that bicyclist seem to enjoy. 

Rollins being such a small rural town one might think there is not enough to do to keep from being bored.  Well that was not the case as long as we were willing to fuel up the jeep and go for a ride.  One of those rides took us to the Polson Classic Car Show.  It seems like we can always find a car show when we are out traveling.  Another trip we made was to buy some of the best tasting jerky we have ever bought from the Montana Jerky Company in Columbia Falls, Montana.  I intentionally did not say the best we have ever eaten because the best we have eaten comes right out of our smokehouse at home.  This is the Grand Champion jerky of Montana and after the first piece you definitely know why. 

Kootenai Falls and the Swinging Bridge near Libby, Montana was another long day trip  we made with Kathy & Mike Wilson.  It was 270 miles after we made the scenic loop and came back through Eureka.  The Kootenai Falls was the setting for the filming of the movie " Wild River" and a scene from the movie " The Revenant.  Crossing the Swinging Bridge may not be for everyone especially those that are afraid of heights but the scenery is some of the best in Montana from the middle of the bridge if you can stand the swaying.

We made a quick stop at the Libby Dam and after crossing the Koocanusa Bridge we spotted an eagle in flight.  We were able to watch it for awhile after it landed in a treetop.  This bridge is the longest and highest bridge in Montana and provides the only crossing of the lake in the Montana.  The lake Koocanusa was named for the treaty formed by the Kootenai Indians and the Canadian and USA governments.

We drove the 67 mile route that connects Libby and Eureka  known as Lake Koocanusa  Scenic Byway via Hwy 37.  It was about time for a break to get out of the vehicle and stretch before making the return trip back to Rollins when we found a small ice cream stand selling homemade ice cream in Eureka.  A scoop of ice cream for each of us and we were ready to navigate back the campground.

A view of Flathead Lake from Blacktail Mountain.  The sky was beautiful that day.

That is one large golf ball.  The cell phone service was great at the top of the mountain.



View from the top of Blacktail Mountain.

Sure to find a Corvette at any of the Classic Car Shows.  Great looking car.



Another one of our favorite cars to see at the shows.

Nice car

This was a really cool car.



This is The Heroes Truck and the paint job on it is remarkable.

It took over 2000 hours to paint this truck.

Look closely at all the details in the paint job.

I read the owner has over $650,000 in the truck.

There was always someone getting a close look at the truck.

Check out the detail on the mirror.

This little fellow was determined to ring the bell at the top of the wall.

It did not take Mom long to climb the wall when she thought he was in trouble.
He finally rang the bell.

The cars and the hanging baskets of flowers looked good
 they could be seen all over Polson.

We made it to Libby, MT. the City of Eagles.  Read about the artist that builds
these type of eagles here.  He has built one that was shipped to New Orleans.

Plaque read " Dedicated to all the children"

Kootenai Falls- it is a short hike from the highway to get to the falls.  The trail is rocky so good shoes are a necessity.

Hearing the power of nature from the Kootenai River as it flows over the falls.

The river drops over 90 feet in less than a mile.

The falls are scared to the Kootenai Indians who once lived in the area.

Seeing the power of nature.

Taking it all in.

The view from the Swinging Bridge.

We had to hold on to the sides when crossing the bridge because of it swaying. 

Look at all the different colors in the water.  The water is so clear you can easily see the rocks under water.

The bridge sits 100 feet above the river and is 210 feet long.  It was built by the Forest Service
 to allow them better access to forest fires across the river.  Would you cross it?

Terry always waiting for me while I stop to take pictures.
This picture shows the rocky dirt trail that goes through the forest.

A glimpse of the river from the trail.

It's time to climb back up to the top.

The first and the last step.  # 1 and #64.

We stopped for lunch at the Cabinet Mountain Brewery in Libby.

Inside the brewery

Can't say that we enjoyed the local brew.  First time I have had a slice of orange served in a beer.

The Libby Dam - 422 feet tall, 3055 feet long and holds back 90 miles of water in Lake Koocanusa.  It is one of the most strongest and massive types of dam built today.  It was built to withstand an earthquake of 6.5 on the Richter scale without any structural damage. 

48 miles of the reservoir are in the US borders and 42 miles are in Canada.

The lake offers many types of recreation from boating to fishing, hiking and camping or just come enjoy the day looking to spot a bald eagle like we did.

Montana's Big Sky

Best ice cream in Eureka

This flag along with many others were seen on the streets of Eureka.