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[Toujours Pret]

The Beartooth Highway (An All-American Road in Wyoming & Montana | Beartooth Highway | Montana & Wyoming Scenic Drives) is scheduled to open on the 27th, weather permitting. I presume you have that on your itinerary. Charles Kuralt once described it as the "most scenic highway in America." Personally, I would rank it second to the Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier National Park. Will you be able to make it as far north as Glacier?

By the way, be sure to pack your raingear. Afternoon thundershowers are common in the Rockies during the late spring and early summer.

Moving to Whitefish in the fall if a few career options work out, which I'm relatively confident in. I need to get back to the good altitude.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

I suppose that I have a little bit of "John Muir" in me. Time spent in the Rocky Mountains is, for me, akin to a spiritual pilgrimage. In recent years, I have become a fall foliage specialist. It may be heresy, but I have missed more than one Florida game simply because there is no better time to be in the high country than the last third of September and first week of October. The tourists are gone, the aspen are assuming their cloaks of gold, the elk are bugling in the canyons and, if one is supremely fortunate, the peaks have received a recent dusting of snow.

We once tried to launch a guided tour company that would specialize in lengthier tours throughout the Rocky Mountain West (see Rocky Mountain Excursions), but we could never secure startup capital from investors.

Welp..I guess you answered my question. That sucks brother. It was a heckuvaidea...I hope I get to spend some real time in the Rockies before I die...The mountains are calling, and I must go. I love me some John Muir. I would have loved to gave met him.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Absolutely. BearTooth is on the agenda.

Unfortunately I don't think we will be able to make it to Glacier this go round. Wish we could, it looks amazing.

The last time we went in 2011, it snowed eight inches on Beartooth pass the night before we left. They closed the Beartooth the morning we left Yellowstone and I have never been more bummed out on a trip. I have wanted to drive the Beartooth since I first heard about it in my 20s, but I had prepaid reservations in Custer SD in the Black Hills for that night, and we wanted to stop by Little Big Horn battlefield, and Devils tower that day, so we had to go on. So we took the alternate route over the Chief Joseph scenic Hwy..it was the most beautiful detour I've ever had. The Chief Joseph is one of the underrated drives IMO. Next year we are for sure doing the Beartooth...weather permitting.

 

[NEVolFan]

I see that we have very similar tastes. I would add these to your list:

Ridgway, CO
Telluride, Ouray, Silverton and Aspen, CO
St. Mary, MT (although it isn't much more than a gateway to the eastern side of Glacier National Park)
Jackson, WY
Red Lodge, MT
Polebridge, MT
Stanley, ID
Driggs, ID
Top of the World (WY), population listed as "9," the last time I was there.
Cody, WY

Hope you tried the Bear Claws at the General Store in Polebridge.

 

[volinbham]

The Beartooth Highway (An All-American Road in Wyoming & Montana | Beartooth Highway | Montana & Wyoming Scenic Drives) is scheduled to open on the 27th, weather permitting. I presume you have that on your itinerary. Charles Kuralt once described it as the "most scenic highway in America." Personally, I would rank it second to the Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier National Park. Will you be able to make it as far north as Glacier?

By the way, be sure to pack your raingear. Afternoon thundershowers are common in the Rockies during the late spring and early summer.

Found this road by accident. Magnificent. Had been in Glacier for a week and heading back we came in Yellowstone from the North and bugged out this way.

Stayed in Red Lodge in that famous hotel The Pollard.

Brief stay but very cool.

 

[VolnJC]

Found this road by accident. Magnificent. Had been in Glacier for a week and heading back we came in Yellowstone from the North and bugged out this way.

Stayed in Red Lodge in that famous hotel The Pollard.

Brief stay but very cool.

Would love to ride that pass..GoPro YouTube videos might be the closest I get though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhfCXvg-UCs
Going To The Sun Glacier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLIXExKyx_E

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Trail Ridge rd in RMNP ain't no slouch either. That one I have done.

 

[volinbham]

I let my buddy drive for the Going to the Sun drive and it was nerve racking - we were going East to West so you are on the mountain side and some parts are so narrow you thing you'll scrape the mountain. I'm sure whoever is in the passenger side feels the same way.

If I had it to do over again I'd have run that road a couple times but everything was spectacular in Glacier so doing a repeat seemed like missing something else.

The East side of the park is definitely more spectacular than the West side.

 

[volinbham]

This was my favorite hike in Glacier - Iceberg lake. That's the Continental Divide (the looming wall behind the lake). Spectacular hike through the valley leading to that. In the second pic you can see some people for scale

 

[joevol33]

This was my favorite hike in Glacier - Iceberg lake. That's the Continental Divide (the looming wall behind the lake). Spectacular hike through the valley leading to that. In the second pic you can see some people for scale

That's gorgeous.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Hope you tried the Bear Claws at the General Store in Polebridge.

Yes, their pastries are legendary for good reason.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

This was my favorite hike in Glacier - Iceberg lake. That's the Continental Divide (the looming wall behind the lake). Spectacular hike through the valley leading to that. In the second pic you can see some people for scale

The Iceberg Lake trail is perfect for a nice day hike without being overly taxing. And, like virtually every trail in the Many Glacier area, it traverses magnificent terrain and leads to a gorgeous destination.

In the long-ago time, when my legs were much younger, I hiked the Two Medicine Pass trail to its terminus on the Continental Divide. If you accept the challenge presented by this trail, you will burn some SERIOUS calories, for it encompasses 15.8 miles (round-trip) and 2,350 feet of vertical elevation gain (see Two Medicine Pass - Hike to Two Medicine Pass - Glacier Park MT). You will be amply rewarded, however, by the 360-degree panoramic view from Two Medicine Pass, which encompasses some of the most jawdropping, awe-inspiring terrain in the park. Looking to the northeast, you will see a series of lakes stair-stepping their way down the length of the Two Medicine valley and, beyond them, all the way to the Northern Plains. Turning to the peaks that form the Continental Divide on either side of Two Medicine Pass, it will immediately become apparent why the Blackfeet referred to this area as the “Backbone of the World.” Turning finally to the southwest, you will see the headwaters of a creek shimmering like a silver ribbon in the sunlight 3,000 feet below you. This land has been imbued by our Creator with great spiritual power.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Glacier is second on the list of trips we are taking in the future. I've go to do Yosemite and The Grand Canyon first. I'm going to try to do them both, and Death Valley NP on a loop trip starting in Phoenix. Anybody drove Tioga pass into or out of Yosemite?

 

[volinbham]

We stayed in Two Medicine campground for the first part of our trip. That alone was spectacular. The rise of the mountain is that comes right into the campground is stunning at all times as is the look down the lake.

We did the Mt Henry/Scenic Point hike from there. Insanely windy on top. I almost walked right off the edge of the mountain because I was keeping my head down and trudging forward.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

The Iceberg Lake trail is perfect for a nice day hike without being overly taxing. And, like virtually every trail in the Many Glacier area, it traverses magnificent terrain and leads to a gorgeous destination.

In the long-ago time, when my legs were much younger, I hiked the Two Medicine Pass trail to its terminus on the Continental Divide. If you accept the challenge presented by this trail, you will burn some SERIOUS calories, for it encompasses 15.8 miles (round-trip) and 2,350 feet of vertical elevation gain (see Two Medicine Pass - Hike to Two Medicine Pass - Glacier Park MT). You will be amply rewarded, however, by the 360-degree panoramic view from Two Medicine Pass, which encompasses some of the most jawdropping, awe-inspiring terrain in the park. Looking to the northeast, you will see a series of lakes stair-stepping their way down the length of the Two Medicine valley and, beyond them, all the way to the Northern Plains. Turning to the peaks that form the Continental Divide on either side of Two Medicine Pass, it will immediately become apparent why the Blackfeet referred to this area as the “Backbone of the World.” Turning finally to the southwest, you will see the headwaters of a creek shimmering like a silver ribbon in the sunlight 3,000 feet below you. This land has been imbued by our Creator with great spiritual power.

You should write a Rocky Mountain travel book. You have a gift to bring these places to life in the imagination. Too many travel books are just dusty info laden tomes, that don't really describe very well how it "feels" to visit a place.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

The last time we went in 2011, it snowed eight inches on Beartooth pass the night before we left. They closed the Beartooth the morning we left Yellowstone and I have never been more bummed out on a trip. I have wanted to drive the Beartooth since I first heard about it in my 20s, but I had prepaid reservations in Custer SD in the Black Hills for that night, and we wanted to stop by Little Big Horn battlefield, and Devils tower that day, so we had to go on. So we took the alternate route over the Chief Joseph scenic Hwy..it was the most beautiful detour I've ever had. The Chief Joseph is one of the underrated drives IMO. Next year we are for sure doing the Beartooth...weather permitting.

I drove through a virtual whiteout in August 1978, when I first traversed the Beartooth Highway. I noticed that they had winter storm warnings already posted in Yellowstone campgrounds, with predictions of 9-12 inches of snow and lows in the teens, so I briefly pondered whether to wait it out there or push over the top and try to get to Red Lodge before the high country became impassable. Given the fact that it was my introduction to winter weather in the Northern Rockies, I was fortunate that it had not begun to stick on the road. I do not remember seeing another car on the road for the majority of that white-knuckle drive. Visibility was so poor that I knew only that if I did lose control of my vehicle, it would be a very long way down to my final resting place. I drove out of the snow as I lost altitude, but it was a most memorable introduction to the Beartooth Mountains.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

I drove through a virtual whiteout in August 1978, when I first traversed the Beartooth Highway. I noticed that they had winter storm warnings already posted in Yellowstone campgrounds, with predictions of 9-12 inches of snow and lows in the teens, so I briefly pondered whether to wait it out there or push over the top and try to get to Red Lodge before the high country became impassable. Given the fact that it was my introduction to winter weather in the Northern Rockies, I was fortunate that it had not begun to stick on the road. I do not remember seeing another car on the road for the majority of that white-knuckle drive. Visibility was so poor that I knew only that if I did lose control of my vehicle, it would be a very long way down to my final resting place. I drove out of the snow as I lost altitude, but it was a most memorable introduction to the Beartooth Mountains.

I can not imagine how scary those switchbacks down from the plateau were. That is nuts.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

I got a question for you Volosaurus..Of the lodges in Glacier, which one would you stay at, if you could only stay in one?

 

[wildnkrazykat]

I apologize, but I'm not going to do that. I don't mean that in any mean spirited way at all, but like I've said in other posts, Volnation is a place where I can be just a regular Joe. I have to live my life like I'm walking on eggshells, because it is so easy to offend people, especially the many that are looking for a reason to be offended. It is not an easy way to live. That us why I like VN so much. It is where I can just be one of the guys.

As a pastors daughter I get this completely. there are people who I'd like to rip apart but you are supposed to be completely void of any negative emotion.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Glacier is second on the list of trips we are taking in the future. I've go to do Yosemite and The Grand Canyon first. I'm going to try to do them both, and Death Valley NP on a loop trip starting in Phoenix. Anybody drove Tioga pass into or out of Yosemite?

Yes, I did the Tioga Pass Road back in 1978 as well. On that trip, I left Nashville shortly after July 4th and did not return home until early November. If you are going to visit Yosemite, Glacier Point (https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/glacierpoint.htm) is the signature view of the entire valley. You also should see the giant sequoias in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Furthermore, take US Hwy. 395 on the east side of those parks to the Whitney Portal Road (Whitney Portal Road), which "twists and turns through an otherworldly landscape known as the Alabama Hills, a set of bizarrely constructed rock piles, before setting on a fairly straight shot for the foothills of Mount Whitney." Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 at an elevation of 14,505 feet. On the eastern side of the Sierras, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Bristlecone_Pine_Forest), a protected area high in the White Mountains in Inyo County, is also a must see.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

As a pastors daughter I get this completely. there are people who I'd like to rip apart but you are supposed to be completely void of any negative emotion.

You know what it's really like. Pastors families have it rough. I'm blessed in that our kids made it through relatively unscathed. There is a very good reason that a lot of PKs get into so much trouble. The pressure to be perfect is unbearable. It almost destroyed me. I tried to be very cognitive of this problem with my children. I didn't want them to resent the sacrifices and tribulations that are a integral part of the calling. I hope you are doing ok with it as well. Satan tries to stop faithful men by any means necessary. The worst attacks are the ones on your family. It is my softest spot.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Yes, I did the Tioga Pass Road back in 1978 as well. On that trip, I left Nashville shortly after July 4th and did not return home until early November. If you are going to visit Yosemite, Glacier Point (https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/glacierpoint.htm) is the signature view of the entire valley. You also should see the giant sequoias in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Furthermore, take US Hwy. 395 on the east side of those parks to the Whitney Portal Road (Whitney Portal Road), which "twists and turns through an otherworldly landscape known as the Alabama Hills, a set of bizarrely constructed rock piles, before setting on a fairly straight shot for the foothills of Mount Whitney. Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 at an elevation of 14,505 feet. On the eastern side of the Sierras, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Bristlecone_Pine_Forest), a protected area high in the White Mountains in Inyo County, is also a must see.

Practically everything you mentioned is written down in my plan for that trip. I will probably not be able to do Yosemite and Kings Canyon/Sequoia NPs in the same trip. After entering Yosemite from the east side, I was going to go across to San Francisco and then down the PCH to Monterey then on to LA and back to Phoenix from there.

 

[wildnkrazykat]

You know what it's really like. Pastors families have it rough. I'm blessed in that our kids made it through relatively unscathed. There is a very good reason that a lot of PKs get into so much trouble. The pressure to be perfect is unbearable. It almost destroyed me. I tried to be very cognitive of this problem with my children. I didn't want them to resent the sacrifices and tribulations that are a integral part of the calling. I hope you are doing ok with it as well. Satan tries to stop faithful men by any means necessary. The worst attacks are the ones on your family. It is my softest spot.

I'm grown, but still attend, and voluntarily lead parts of the Childrens ministry at my dads church. My circle of friends include 4 people. Two who love me for me and who I can blow of steam with but whom I only see once a year and two from church but they are both married with kids and I'm not so there's that. The fishbowl is small.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

I got a question for you Volosaurus..Of the lodges in Glacier, which one would you stay at, if you could only stay in one?

It depends on what you are looking for. If you want history and location, then, by all means, the Many Glacier Hotel (Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, MT | Glacier National Park Lodges). If you want something less rustic, then the St. Mary Lodge & Resort (St Mary Lodge & Resort Montana | Glacier Park Inc.) would be my recommendation; their Snowgoose Grille (Shopping, Dining in St Mary Lodge | Glacier Park Inc.) will make your stomach very happy. However, if you would like to almost be guaranteed of being serenaded by bull elk bugling during the rutting season, go in late September and stay at a camper cabin in the St. Mary KOA (St Mary, Montana Campground | St. Mary / East Glacier KOA).

Whatever your personal preference, I would emphasize the east side of the park, particularly the Many Glacier, Chief Mountain, St. Mary and Two Medicine areas; the terrain on the east side is more open and more rugged. Similarly, the northern half of the park is more spectacular than the southern half. However, do not neglect the remote North Fork of the Flathead area up around Polebridge and Kintla Lake. Experienced backpackers in Glacier tend to regard the Boulder Pass Trail (Boulder Pass Trail - Best Glacier National Park Hikes- Glacier MT) as traversing the most spectacular country in the entire park (see also https://www.facebook.com/EnjoyYourP...4408999947478/680736465314727/?type=3&theater).

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

It depends on what you are looking for. If you want history and location, then, by all means, the Many Glacier Hotel (Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, MT | Glacier National Park Lodges). If you want something less rustic, then the St. Mary Lodge & Resort (St Mary Lodge & Resort Montana | Glacier Park Inc.) would be my recommendation; their Snowgoose Grille (Shopping, Dining in St Mary Lodge | Glacier Park Inc.) will make your stomach very happy. However, if you would like to almost be guaranteed of being serenaded by bull elk bugling during the rutting season, go in late September and stay at a camper cabin in the St. Mary KOA (St Mary, Montana Campground | St. Mary / East Glacier KOA).

Whatever your personal preference, I would emphasize the east side of the park, particularly the Many Glacier, Chief Mountain, St. Mary and Two Medicine areas; the terrain on the east side is more open and more rugged. Similarly, the northern half of the park is more spectacular than the southern half. However, do not neglect the remote North Fork of the Flathead area up around Polebridge and Kintla Lake. Experienced backpackers in Glacier tend to regard the Boulder Pass Trail (Boulder Pass Trail - Best Glacier National Park Hikes- Glacier MT) as traversing the most spectacular country in the entire park.

Thanks..that's good stuff. It reinforces what I was already leaning towards. I think the Many Glacier is my spot. I wish I could have gone there when I was young. There are not a lot of the best hikes in GNP that I can physically do now. I would have loved to do the Two Medicine to the Divide, but I just dont think I could handle it now. I think I could do Iceberg lake, Hidden lake and a few of the other shorter hikes.