Llama packing may have ended but our adventure isn’t stopping there!
After an early night and a breakfast of pancakes (in the front country!!) we embarked on the next phase of our journey: Glacier National Park! After dropping our trailer, we reloaded up in Dolly (our beloved van), ready to conquer going to the Going to the Sun Road. The road starts unassuming, winding through forests but before we knew it we were ascending the garden wall, met with incredible views of waterfalls, towering sheets of rock beautiful green alpine country and even the occasional glacier in the distance! Once we reached the top of Logan pass, we could all officially say we’d made it to the peak of the Going to the Sun Road! Descending just 100 feet on the other side, we stopped for lunch and were met with some unexpected visitors… Emerging from the forest, three bighorn sheep made an appearance as we all enjoyed fancy bagel sandwiches! They crossed the road and headed into the forrest just below us. Up close, these animals are so powerful, yet also so gentle. Their massive horns curling inwards.
We kept moving along after this exciting encounter, getting loaded back in Dolly to finish out the drive. Before we knew it, the switchbacks had ended, and we found ourselves driving along the edge of St Mary’s lake. This spot proved to be perfect for photos, so we made a point to unload the van and take in the view. We captured both group and individual shots, of course!
Soon after, cars slowed ahead of us once again, and we all eagerly looked out the windows, scouting for the wildlife that must be nearby. Before long we spotted it! A mamma grizzly and her young cub! Two bears and mountain goats on the same day, we are so incredibly lucky! Mamma bear and her cub retreated into the woods, and we kept on driving, but the experience was not lost on us.
Before we knew it, we had reached the end of the journey and began to make our way back towards our campsite. Tired out from the day but so grateful for all the views.
After dinner at camp, we headed to the campsites ranger led evening programming to learn all about the construction on the Going to the Sun Road. After driving on the road, it was even more special to learn about how it was made. And wow, it sure was quite the undertaking!
Our girls got to decide what jobs they would’ve had if they were to build the road: Maddie, Lauryn and Alexa chose to be cooks while Holly and Valerie (along with the guides) went for packers. Brains full of new knowledge, we headed back to camp and bed, excited to go rafting in the morning.
7:00 A.M came too early but that had nothing on us, and our crew rallied around yoghurt parfaits to fuel up before rafting. Suiting up, we all looked so cool in our wetsuits, helmets and splash guards, ready to take on the river!
Our girls learned more interesting facts about the national park along the way thanks to our incredible guide, and they even had the chance to swim in the river! After rafting, we headed back to camp for quesadillas! A warm meal after a cold river day was exactly what we needed.
Still eager to adventure, we headed to Apgar village to enjoy an ice cream treat and some souvenir shopping. There were sooo many cool stickers to choose from! Upon returning to camp, we rounded out our afternoon with a walk down to Lake McDonald. Maddie found a beautiful log to sit on and soak her feet in the water, Lauryn became a seal hanging out in the shallows, and Holly, Alexa, and Valerie headed for the deeper waters. It felt so good to swim, relax in the sun, and look for cool rocks (Alexa started an impressive collection) against the backdrop of towering peaks and glacial blue water. We lingered for a while before heading back to camp for a dinner of curry with rice.
Even though it was only just past 9:00 P.M, our crew opted for some tent time before another early wake up for horseback riding!
Just like the day before, guides overly-excited wake-up calls were met with muffled groans from inside the tent… While we might not have a crew of early risers, we do have a crew excited about horses! And that was enough to get them moving 🙂
We fueled up with breakfast sandwiches and packed up so fast that we were early to arrive at the meeting spot! The guides were very impressed by this. Exited about horses, we listened to the safety speeches, dawned our helmets and were off! As with llamas, each girl was paired with a specific horse. Holly and Rodger, Alexa and Mugshot, Lauryn and Herman, Valerie and Astro and Maddie and Scoop. It was so fun to reunite with some furry friends, even if it was for such a short period of time. Our trail wound along the Flathead River, through open meadows, huckleberry patches, lodgepole forests, and aspen groves.
Holly was a natural from the start with her previous horse experience, and Valerie absolutely crushed it being her first time on horseback! Our wranglers kept us entertained the entire time, sharing stories about the park, and getting to know each of our girls through favorite movies and books. Before we knew it, our wranglers were pointing out the barn, marking the end of our ride. After a group photo, we unsaddled and bid goodbye to our horses.
We enjoyed a lunch of sushi bowls, loaded back up in Dolly and began making our way to our next camping location. With just a few days left of camp, we’re so excited to explore the Flathead cherry farm and Bozeman, but it is truly crazy how much time flies out here in the Montana backcountry! We are excited to keep the good vibes going all the way through the end.
