We have visited 12 national parks to date and I have to say, so far at least, Glacier National Park is my favorite. There is such a wide variety of wildlife, hikes, and just overwhelmingly stunning beauty. We stayed for three weeks at Beargrass Lodging & RV Resort. The good thing about staying so long was that we got a few clear days. There were a number of fires in the area and about half the time the smoke was so thick, you couldn’t see much. Take this for example. These were taken only four days apart.
Being avid hikers, we did lots of hikes. Sometimes we travel with our best friends, which works out for everyone with hikes. My best friend and I love to do hikes together, while our husbands do long trail runs.
August 3
The first hike we did was to Trout Lake. We planned on a shorter hike since it had been a little while since I had hiked. It turned out to be 15.58 miles, with 3,445 feet of elevation gain. This was because we parked in the wrong lot which added 8 miles on. That’s one way to get back into hiking!
August 7
A few days later, we hiked the Johns Lake Loop, adding on the river walk. This was a really pretty little hike.
The same day, the guys did a multi trail link up. They did the Highline Trail to Swift Current Pass to Piegan Pass back to Logan Pass. It ended up being over 32 miles with 6,568 feet in elevation gain. Again, SO happy the guys have each other to run with.
August 10
Oh my goodness, then we did the Highline Trail with our friends. This was a 15+ mile trail that literally takes you on the side of mountains. For a lot of hikes, you’re in the woods and don’t see great views until the top or close to it. The Highline trail has views the whole way. We added on the Glacier Overlook trail, which was under a mile but the elevation gain was 948 feet. It was quite the struggle, BUT, the views were ABSOLUTELY worth it. While freezing and scarily windy at the top, the sight of the glacier was amazing. We even got to see a mama grizzly with two cubs from far away! This has to be the most beautiful hike I’ve ever done.
August 14
We took a few days off and then my friend and I did Avalanche Lake via the Trail of the Cedars, which was a great one. It was 5.9 miles with only 757 feet of elevation gain.
The trail itself was nice and the lake took my breath away. I came around the trees and had the view in front of me and teared up at the awesomeness of it. I have seen some amazing things while traveling, but I don’t cry or tear up as much as I thought I would.
This was such a beautiful lake. Thankfully it wasn’t too smoky. This was a great family friendly hike too.
August 15
My last, must do hike for this trip was to Cracker Lake. This was a 12 mile hike with 1,650 feet of elevation gain, and at the end is the most stunning blue lake. I did this with my friend, while the guys did another hike. This hike gave THE most wildlife sightings at the park! First, on the drive to the hike, there were a few cars pulled over in the road. We stopped and realized they were looking at something, turned out to be a bear! It was VERY close to the road, so we quickly got back in the truck and headed on. On the way up the trail we saw a male moose right off the path. We had to walk off path to give the distance.
There was a female moose on the side of the path too. On the way back down, we had a deer follow us for a good mile or so.
Ok friends, this lake, oh my goodness this lake. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen (have I mentioned Glacier is my favorite park yet??). It was so freakin’ teal! Bret and I had talked about jumping in but we hadn’t met up with the guys yet that day (they were doing another long hike). I went back and forth because it was a colder day, did I really want to deal with wet clothes?
The answer is yes, yes I did. I shared a video of the actual dip (it’s pretty funny if I do say so myself) on Instagram.
I’m so glad I did this! It was cold, very very cold, and took a little while to get back on the trail, but WHAT a rush! Have you ever jumped in a glacier fed lake? Let me know in the comments below.
That day, the guys ended up doing the Highline Trail to Swift Current Pass to Cracker Lake. We did end up running into them about an hour down the trail. Bret jumped in too. I mean, how could you not jump in this lake???
Not only are we big hikers, but we’re big foodies. We’ve been trying to eat at home more than eating out but our friends told us we HAD to try something. The place – Backslope Brewing in Columbia Falls, MT, the food – THE best chicken sandwich in the country. Now, when someone makes a claim like that, you may be a little hesitant. Really? Is it REALLY the best?
Friends, it was. Here’s the description from their website “pickle brined chicken, house slaw, *aioli, spiced tomato glaze.” We tried this amazing beauty near the beginning of our stay and then talked about going back for pretty much the rest of the time.
About a week before we left, we met some awesome new friends. They’re from Florida and drive THE same rig and layout as us!
We told our new friends about the chicken sandwich and a few days before we left, all six of us went and got dinner. Meeting new people and trying new foods is one of the huge benefits of this lifestyle. It was such a good time chatting and eating the amazingness that is this chicken sandwich.
Before we left, the wife gave my friend and I beautiful bars of soap! I almost don’t want to use it because it’s so pretty! Check out her other soaps on her page!
Have you been to Glacier? Do you agree that it’s the best? Do you have a favorite park? Let me know in the comments below!
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