In the US of A - Glacier National Park

With a slight trepidation we turn up at the US border. Got eSTA he asks? Yes we say! Pull over and go to the office he says.

Everything is normal - Emma and I get our fingerprints taken, the machine says yes and we are officially admitted to the USA. No stamps in the passport, no paperwork for Wendy just a computer record. 3 months stay in the USA begins now.

Through the border the first difference we notice is that the speed signs are all now in mph instead of kmph, so we quickly adjust Wendy’s speedo. It does take me a little while to adapt as 50kph is a bit slower than 50mph but Emma eggs me on!

We are in Montana and tracking down the side of Glacier National Park heading for the east ‘Many Glaciers’ entrance where we have a timed entry ticket just to drive into the park! Our friend Rae suggested the Iceberg trail, which we start walking on but then miss a turning and carry on on another trail. But what good fortune! We come across a huge bull moose having a dip in a lake. We, and others, just watch him from a safe distance for 20 mins or so.

Whilst watching we talk to a lovely family group from Texas(the the Kingman family), who the moose disturbed as he got into the lake, and they have abandoned a rucksack whilst getting away from him. Moose don’t see too well, much better sense of smell, and he appeared 10m from them so they had legged it very quickly! Eventually the moose meanders off and the rucksack is retrieved.

As Alex has struck up a friendship with the other family’s children we all head back to the trailhead together really enjoying each others company, picking huckleberries and thimbleberries together on the way. Wildlife is spotted mainly policeman moths and orange and black crickets. We exchange contact details and head our separate ways. Or so we thought.

We needed a beer after the 9 mile round trip so head to the Many Glaciers Lodge - and meet up again with them whilst queuing at the bar. We join them for dinner (which they incredibly generously treat us to) and Huckleberry lager and time flies with great company.

But we have to go as our campsite is on the other side of the park, about 3.5 hours drive away. So… we decide to drive the ‘Going to the Sun’ road through the park as it is shorter and quicker. And we don’t need a ticket as it’s after 6pm, and it's also one of the great scenic drives of the world!

Wendy is right on the size limit for driving the road, which is carved into the stunning mountainside and has limited clearance and some nasty rock overhangs. And of course the light is starting to fade. We set off with a quick glimpse of a Mama bear and three cubs crossing the road in front of us. The road climbs quite high then from the summit descends over 5000 feet with shear drops on one side and hacked into the mountain on the other. It’s quite a drive, with some white knuckles and the occasional glance down into the valley bottom far below and avoiding action for other vehicles on the narrow parts. But what a drive from East to West!!

At the bottom we discover that the flat part of the road, all 9 miles, is a temporary, bone shaking and Wendy rattling gravel road as it is being re-surfaced, and has been like that for 18 months! We finally arrive at our campsite very late indeed.

After the exciting drive yesterday it’s a relaxed start to the day and into the campsite swimming pool. Alex is in his element with water pistols and that manic grin he gets when in the water.

There is a little haze hanging around from a forest fire some way away but nothing to concern ourselves. After brunch we head to the Apgar visitor centre and get an annual Parks America visitor pass for $80, which will save us money later on.

Because of the bumpy road we decide to use the free shuttle bus to go up to Logan’s Pass. The shuttle goes up the ‘Going to the Sun’ road and it’s nice to be driven and to enjoy the view without concentrating on driving. Once there we take the trail to the Hidden Lake which is relatively short but uphill. Lovely views but we are also fascinated by the huge ‘Hummingbird Moths’ that are all over the alpine flowers. There are other butterflies and crickets galore enjoying the wildflowers and… a lot of people pointing into the distance! What are they looking at - a grizzly who has just gone into the trees, but we don’t see him. But a Korean woman shows us her video from earlier where the bear walked across the trail path in front of her!

Back at Logan’s Pass we wait for over an hour for a shuttle back, loads of shuttles heading East but everybody wants to go West! Emma prompts the staff to resolve it but it just shows the ‘not my responsibility’ attitude that some service industries have! We eventually get back on the last last shuttle!

Dinner - well has to be bbq steak and corn with our new found favourite huckleberry but wine spritz this time - yummy!!

After two walks in two days we need a bit of a break and it’s very hot here. So the more sensible option is taken of pool, laundry and a walk into the local town. The ‘attraction’ hereabouts is “Huckleberries”. There is jam, ice cream, sweets, towels, etc all about the berries. Ice cream is duly had and is delicious.

There is a great store with the most eclectic stuff covering Wild West, cowboys and Indians, railroads, theatre and movies, furs and fur trading, skulls and animal heads, second hand stuff, memorabilia and lots of other ‘stuff’. Brilliant place, just eccentric!

Alex and Guy try some fishing in the big river but no success as you probably need a boat like the locals. Then it’s back to the pool again and a chat with another traveller ‘Scottie’ with tales of his life.

We wake up to a really bad fire haze. The fire had crept over the nearby hill, about 2 miles away and is heading slowly towards us. The fire brigade call-out siren has gone off at least twice summoning the local volunteer fire brigade and there are a couple of helicopters with buckets flying around as well.

So it’s time to move on towards Yellowstone via Phillipsburg.

Guy