Thursday, July 3, 2014

Glacier National Park, MT

Today we visited Glacier National Park.  


At the park entrance we were told that our van exceeded the vehicle length limit of 21 feet and we would not be permitted to drive south to north through the park as we had planned.  Our van is 19 feet long and the motorcycle plus the rack puts us right under 22 feet.  At the visitors center George inquired what the repercussions would be if we decided to drive our planned route.  We were told we would be fined.  When we asked how much the fine would be, no one could tell us.  We were told that there was another measuring station at Avalanche Point (the furthest point we would be permitted to drive our 22 foot van and motorcycle assembly) and to ask them there if we could pass.  We climbed back in our van and started our trek north.

When we arrived at Avalanche Point there was no measuring station.  We continued north thinking it may be just past the Point.  We never found the other measuring station.  We continued north all the way through the park.  No one stopped us, no one fined us, and no one looked at us funny.  In fact, at Logans Pass one of the park rangers assigned us a rock star parking space.  The admissions clerk must have been having a crappy day and decided to exert his authority on us for no reason other than to make himself feel better.

Here are some photos and videos we shot as we made our way through the park.




The color of the water is a tell tale sign that these lakes and rivers are fed by melting glacial waters.  The sediment dissolved in the melting waters absorb all except this beautiful turquoise blue that is reflected back. 





We drove past several waterfalls and weeping walls.



















As we climbed higher into the park the more snow there was.








Here I am standing at yet another continental divide.





Here we are driving by the Glacial lakes.










When we existed the park we followed Rt. 89 north all the way to Alberta Canada via the Chief Mountain Customs station.  We crossed into Canada and drove all the way to Calgary.

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