10 Things I Learned In Montana (Glacier Np)

[Wooly Bugger]

10 Things I Learned in Montana (Glacier NP) - From our recent blog

10 ) Never bank on McDonald’s being open at 6am for breakfast

24-hour McD’s are reserved for Midwestern fatties.

9 ) When visiting a National Park, be the first ones there.

Crowds pour in around 10 am. Beating them there means you get the trail to yourself for a few hours.

8 ) Former pro hockey players are really nice guys; just don’t pick a fist fight.

Sitting next to Al McInnis on the plane was a real treat.

7 ) Be careful on the Going to the Sun Road. You could end up dead…literally.

Let’s just leave it at that.

6 ) Even though we caught tons of small fish, the breathtaking surroundings more than made up for the lack of a whopper fish.

There’s a reason they call Glacier the “Crown of the Continent.”

5 ) Seeing wildlife in the wild is awesome! Moose, elk, deer, eagle, chipmunk, mountain goats, and more.

We didn’t spot any bears, but fishing at the location of “Night of the Grizzlies” was good enough for me. Also: beats seeing these same animals in a stinky, overcrowded city zoo.

4 ) Tennis shoes make terrible snow shoes.

Just don’t try it unless you like feeling like a scared girl as you tiptoe along a 100ft snow-covered drop-off.

3 ) Never assume a high elevation lake is thawed out in late July.

Ask the ranger at the bottom of the hill before packing 20lbs of gear up a 1.5mile snow-covered slope…in tennis shoes.

2 ) When the guide books say the trail is “moderately strenuous” insert ‘hardest dang thing I’ve ever tried.’

Trout Lake is 7.5 miles round trip with 3,100ft of elevation gain. As the ranger said, “Not for the faint of heart.” I thought my heart was going to faint a couple of times!

1 ) Never, EVER, forget the bug spray when going into the back country.

Unless you like being a blood donor to the death cloud of mosquitoes and flies.

P.S. #1: When standing in the presence of one of God’s beautiful creations I am reminded of how big He is and how small I am. That being said, He knows every hair on my head and cares for us so much no matter how insignificant we may feel.

[JONBOY]

Very nice. I wish I could go back to Glacier. It is so BEA-utiful there. I will second the notion on wearing tennis shoes in the snow, it sucks.

[junkman]

yes it is a beautiful place. never got in the snow so didn't have the problem, but I know the next time i go it will be with a canoe. Just fabulous clear mountain lakes that just beg to be fished.