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Glacier National Park
David Restivo's Blog - October 2008
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The First Visit to Glacier
October 28, 2008
Do you remember the first time you came to Glacier? Do you remember the moment you became captivated with this place? I do.
I was on a spontaneous road trip with a friend. Our destination was Glacier National Park. I had never heard of Glacier, but I was curious about it. To be honest, I was just thrilled to be going to Montana, a state I had always wondered about since my first U.S. jigsaw puzzle as a kid.
When we made it to Glacier, we didn’t do the conventional things most visitors do; we didn’t drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road or take the ever-popular Avalanche Lake or Iceberg Lake hikes (gasp). Instead, we headed east along the Park’s southern boundary on Highway 2 towards Nyack where we would backpack the Nyack Coal Creek Loop. Having never backpacked before, I was thrilled about doing it in the wilds on Montana, yet a little nervous (OK, a lot) about bears.
I forded the Middle Fork of Flathead River, the first time I ever forded anything. A raft loaded with people floated by me and I could tell that they were silently giggling at the tenderfoot in front of them. Nevertheless, I felt alive.
That night laying in my sleeping bag, I could hear the humming of silence in my ears. It was so quiet, except for the noises outside that I was sure had to be bears. There weren’t any, but I couldn't be convinced otherwise.
I woke up the next morning and my friend and I hiked to the top of Loneman Mtn. and the fire lookout perched at the top. It was that moment I was hooked. My eyes were fixated on the jagged peaks of the Lewis Range. Wherever I looked, all I could see were mountains. Harrison Lake loomed below me and was absolutely gorgeous, a deep blue color that you see in calendars and postcards. Beargrass swayed in the breeze at the top of Loneman Mtn., a flower I had never seen before but was now fascinated with.
I remember being chilly because I was now wearing a sweaty cotton t-shirt, the cheap kind of shirt your company gives you at Christmas parties or at team-building seminars. I remember taking a quick 20-minute nap on the top of the mountain. I remember not wanting to leave the mountain after waking up, but knew if I didn’t, the dark clouds coming my direction would most likely drop rain on me. I remember feeling very ill prepared because I didn’t have a rain shell, fleece, or anything else except my camera and a bottle of water.
The next couple of days were pretty amazing. I saw my first Bald Eagle, which swooped down in front of me to snag a trout from Nyack Creek (no joke), and I spent hours inhaling the rich scents of pine forests surrounded by mountains I had never seen before.
I remember driving back home, really realizing that I was now hooked on Glacier National Park, that I had to go back to explore it further.
That was my first trip to Glacier. It was what captivated me about this place. Do you remember yours?
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| David Restivo | | Beargrass with Reynolds Mtn. in the background. |
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My Favorite Day Hike this Summer
October 19, 2008
I had a pretty good summer in terms of hiking in the park, but my favorite day hike this year was Piegan Pass.
The weather was stellar when I hiked with a friend up to the pass. You couldn't have asked for a better day. The scenery along the way was awesome - beautiful beargrass, 3 bighorn sheep, bright white snowfields, lush green vegetation, and craggy mountains.
What made this day hike my favorite this summer, was the conversation I had with my friend about the beauty of this place and the role we have in protecting Glacier. Insightful, challenging, and philosophical at times. It was great. What made the conversation better, was watching the reactions of awe from my friend in between dialog as we trekked up to the pass.
Additionally, I met someone who is a Glacier fanatic. It isn't hard to find them, you might be one yourself. What made this encounter pretty neat, was that I had corresponded with this person here and there on a Glacier chat page, but never actually met her until this trip (I bumped into her twice in a matter of days, this time on the trail). It was fun to see her reaction and sense of appreciation for Glacier.
Piegan Pass was a my favorite day hike this year. Whether in Glacier or somewhere else, what was your favorite hike?
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| Cliff Purcell |
| Enjoying the views at Piegan Pass. |
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The Music of Glacier
October 12, 2008
Today I had my iPod on shuffle and a few instrumental tunes came up that made me smile. They were from two movie soundtracks, A River Runs Through It and The Horse Whisperer. For those of you who may not know, both movies take place in Montana.
Having been to Montana and Glacier National Park, I listened to these CDs when I lived on the east coast and yearned to live in Montana. Call it strange, but aside from photographs, it was my connection to a place I loved thousands of miles away.
The first summer I worked here, this music played in my truck as me and my family drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road in the evenings after work. I remember being in awe every time we drove. Coming around a bend in the road and seeing the crystal clear waters of McDonald Creek seemed even more amazing set against the music of A River Runs Through It, or seeing the peaks at Logan Pass with the music of The Horse Whisperer playing in the background reinforced the majesty of Glacier.
I can’t tell you how many times we listened to those two CDs, but I can tell you that my kids, who were 2 months and 2 years at the time, know every one of those songs to this day. And my wife, bless her, graciously put up with the loop feature on the stereo (and still does).
So today, when I heard just a few of those tunes, I smiled. I smiled because it brought back memories of living on the east coast, and the yearning I had for the west. I smiled because I remembered that first summer in the park with my wife and children. I remembered the drives through the park and the majestic scenery.
Just like a college or wedding song, music can conjure up memories. What is it for you and Glacier? Perhaps it is instrumental music, or music with lyrics? Maybe it is just the sounds of running water, or the wind though the trees or mountain passes? Maybe it is the Western Meadowlark singing in the prairie, or the lone howl of a wolf in the North Fork?
Whatever it is, I bet it makes you smile and remember Glacier.
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| David Restivo | | Avalanche Lake reflections. |
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Avalanche Lake Evening Hike
October 6, 2008
Today was an absolutely gorgeous fall day. It was so gorgeous that right after work, I loaded my daypack with water, gloves, a hat, and a couple of fleece jackets and made haste for Avalanche Lake before the sun set.
Two friends from Acadia National Park joined me for a trek through the cedar and hemlock forest. The canopy of these trees made the trail quite dark and we wondered if we would make it to the lake in time. The air was crisp, yet our hurried state of hiking helped warm us up.
We made it to Avalanche Lake before the sun set and enjoyed the lake by ourselves, a sharp contrast compared to the summer season.
Splashes of yellow and orange surrounded the glass-like lake, fresh snow dusted high peaks, and the alpenglow was stunning. The basin was silent, except for the thundering waterfalls cascading down the headwall of the lake.
We took some photos and hiked back in a much darker forest. We walked the Trail of the Cedars inhaling the sweet smells of cedar and cottonwood. We reached our car in the empty parking lot feeling completely satisfied.
Fall in Glacier is amazing.
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| David Restivo |
| Avalanche Lake surrounded by fall colors. |
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| David Restivo |
| Fresh snow and alpenglow. |
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A Hike up Apgar Mountain
October 5, 2008
The rain finally stopped and stayed away just long enough to hike up Apgar Mountain to the fire lookout. It was cold today (low 40s) with a lot of wind, but bitterly cold at the top of the mountain, which is 5,236 feet. Clouds obstructed the tops of the peaks in the distance, dusting them with fresh snow.
Apgar Mountain is hiked quite often, but it seems more and more people are hiking up there these days now that there is a Web cam located near the lookout. I took a few photos from the top.
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| David Restivo, NPS |
| Lake McDonald Valley seen from the top of Apgar Mountain. |
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| David Restivo, NPS |
| Looking southeast. |
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| David Restivo, NPS |
| The Apgar Mountain Web cam. |
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The Many Faces of Fall
October 4, 2008
Fall is in full swing, so I thought I'd visit the east side of the park and capture some fall images. The weather changed throughout the day from clouds and rain to clouds and sun, creating different moods at each location. The temperature ranged from low 40s to low 50s. It was a great day to be out.
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| David Restivo, NPS |
| Two Medicine Creek near Running Eagle Falls. |
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| David Restivo, NPS |
| Cut Bank Valley seen from Highway 49. |
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| David Restivo, NPS |
| Wild Goose Island and St. Mary Lake. |
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| David Restivo, NPS |
| Lake Sherburne and the Many Glacier Valley. |
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| David Restivo, NPS |
| Reynolds Mtn seen from the Visitor Center at Logan Pass. |
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