Kalispell is 45 minutes from the West Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park. I had to make a reservation ahead of time to be able to drive any of the main road through the Park, the infamous "Going to the Sun Road" (a road going West/East that takes about an hour and a half to complete). Knowing there could be lines, and how the afternoon summer sun could make hiking miserable, I decided to try to get to the park early. I arrived at my first trailhead (only 30 minutes into the park) at 7:45am which is when I normally set my alarm. The hike to the alpine lake was lovely in the morning coolness. The hike down a few hours later was more populated than my hike up. It started me thinking more and more about the unknown parking situation in the rest of the Park. When I arrived, I had no problem finding parking (and in the shade) right by my trailhead, but I knew the further into the Park I went, the more populated it would get, especially as more and more people arrived. I decided to leave my car and rely on the free shuttle service to get me to my other destinations in the Park.
This ended up being the best idea I had probably on this whole trip so far. Not only did we pass parking lots that looked like nightmares, but one of my trailheads didn't even have a parking area. Also, due to the fact that I was a single rider - I was able to skip lines and squeeze on board when there was only minimal spots left. The best part about it (besides the saving of gas and time!) was the A/C on the bus, a welcome respite from the 90* temps outside.
The Park's major pinnacle is at Logan's Pass, the highest point one can get to in the Park by car and therefore the busiest area in the Park. In addition to having a visitor's center, it also has a breathtaking view surrounded by massive mountains all around. I found out on one of my bus rides that Logan's Pass parking lot has been known to fill up at 6:00am. People can be seen on both sides of the summit trying to find anything remotely close (maybe even a mile away) and hiking up the rest of the way on foot. Because I chose the shuttle, I was able to hop on and hop off (though there was some waiting involved) whenever I wanted. After my 12 miles of hiking, I hopped back on an A/C shuttle and rode it to the car that was still sitting in the shade closer to the West entrance. What a win!
Comentários