Glacier National Park and the Red Bus Tour

Kalispell, MT USA – Glacier National Park and the Red Bus Tour

September 11, 2013

At the urgings of our friend Vicki we reserved seats on the Red Bus Crown of the Continent Tour. This was one of the best decisions we made on the entire trip. We awoke to perfectly clear blue skies and no wind. The Tours were sold out. The best part is I did not have to drive the "Going-To-The-Sun-Road" through the Park  (both ways!). That drive requires total attention to driving. The tour was exactly 9 hours as scheduled with lots of stop to take pictures, get out and walk around.

Lake McDonald Lodge

Our "Red Bus", a 1937 White Touring Bus built especially for our National Parks.

Roll Back That Toop

Twisted Rock - They are sedimentary layers twisted by up-thrust.



The passengers - I had the front seat to even things out since all others were couples...17 passenger and 1 driver/guide/bard of the west.

A stop for pictures.

 

Arches from the original road. The wooden guard rails are removed and stacked in the Fall and re-installed after the road is cleared of snow. Avalanches in winter will rip them out.

 

At Logan Pass



The "Garden Wall"  That white line is the "Going-To-The-Sun-Road"



 

How Many Big Horn Rams Do You See? Hint: Look Carefully!



Jackson Glacier

 

"Reflections on Saint Mary Lake"

 

The Parfitt Family at Saint Mary Lake

Our lunch stop was at Many Glacier Lodge, on Swiftcurrent Lake. We had a great lunch in the Lounge. Folks who ate in the fancy restaurant were not so complimentary of the food. The pictures will really tell the story better than words, so enjoy.
 

 

The Lodge Atrium/Lobby

Swiftcurrent Lake

Swiftcurrent Lake

Swiftcurrent Lake

A picturesque cascade

Mountain Goat

Another Red Bus

Some wide angle photos.

 

Of course there is one story from our driver and guide who lives a Spartan life in a cabin he built (1978 after USMC) and has no electric service or indoor plumbing (that means an outhouse). His cabin is 2 miles from a drivable road in winter and has bears around frequently, both black and grizzly. He back-tracked a grizzly that went through his yard several winters to try to find its den. He wants to see inside a grizzly den! That’s still on his “bucket list”. Anyway, on the trek he found this dark long cylindrical object which upon later examination was mostly bear hair. A bear expert told him this was a fecal plug that bears form when going into their pseudo-hibernation (bears do not slow heart and breathing rates). Now if you ever wonder why bears are grumpy in early spring think of being hungry and trying for a couple of days to pass that flaming PLUG so you can eat again!! ­;-)))