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The Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National
Park winds 52 miles through spectacular
mountain scenery |
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A ride in a vintage open-roof touring car
is a great way to experience the route |
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Cascade plunges hundreds of feet from a
high glacier field |
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Wildflowers near Logan Pass |
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Snowy white mountain sheep |
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St. Mary Lake on the eastern edge of Glacier |
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It was hard to imagine that
such a perfect combination of temperature and weather could
ever be matched during our recent visit to Glacier National
Park in Montana. A happy coincidence of logistics enabled
us to travel on the Going-to-the-Sun Road on our way to embark
on a Quest
RoadTrip that we had planned for Havre, Montana. My dad,
Charles Sedenquist, left his home town 61 years ago, and we
were headed to Havre to see what, if anything, remained of
the town of his memories. The result of that journey of exploration
would prove to be bittersweet since most of the places of
his youth, including the family farm, his high school, and
his favorite fishing holes have been converted into other
uses or have pretty much disappeared from view. But before
we reached his old hometown, we were awed by the drive that
bisects the park from the small town of West Glacier to St.
Mary on the western shore of St. Mary Lake.
Montana's official nickname is the "Treasure
State," and Glacier National Park is without doubt the
state's crown jewel. The Going-to-the-Sun road is only
open in the summer months and requires nearly constant maintenance
to keep it open. The route is about 50 miles long and climbs
and descends steep glacial valleys on a road that features
drop-offs of hundreds of feet and stunning views of glaciers
and roaring waterfalls. Because of the narrow and winding
sections, the maximum vehicle length is 21 feet, and the width
of any vehicle should not exceed eight feet including mirrors.
We saw at least one or two fractured vehicle mirrors lying
in the road, obviously left by people who failed to heed that
warning. The park runs shuttles (red open-roof touring cars)
complete with guides for those who are either unwilling or
unable to drive this extraordinary road. The highway has been
designated as both a National Historic Landmark and a Nation
Civil Engineering Landmark, and the stone wall workmanship
found in the steepest sections are truly beautiful.
The day we drove the road, there was virtually
no wind, the temperatures were in the low 80s, clouds danced
across the sky providing contrasts, and everywhere we looked
we could see spectacular waterfalls cascading hundreds of
feet from the glaciers still found in the hanging valleys
of the park. Massive glaciers scoured the main valleys of
the region while tributary glaciers carved the smaller side
canyons. Unable to cut as deeply as the bigger glaciers, these
smaller glaciers left behind narrow valleys high up in the
mountains when the glacial period ended.
As a result of the abundant water seeping
and pouring from fissures in the limestone canyon walls,
there are profusions of wildflowers everywhere. Bright yellow,
white, pink and red blooms stand in stark contrast to the
lush green grasses of the meadows. In addition, we saw mountain
sheep, bighorn mountain sheep, black tail deer, lots of eagles,
and some very photogenic ground squirrels. A couple we spoke
with also saw a large grizzly bear and a bull moose wandering
near the stream where we had eaten lunch.
There is a visitor center at Logan Pass
which sits atop the Continental Divide at 6,680 feet,
and the meadows to the west of the pass were full of thousands
of wildflowers all at or near their peak bloom of the season.
Leaving the park on the eastern edge we paused for some glorious
views of St. Mary Lake. Our drive that day was just about
as perfect as a road trip can get.
Mark
Sedenquist
July 24, 2005
