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I slept in at Butte and spent some time learning about crossing in to
Canada (I have a couple of rifles with me for bear defense). I then headed
up toward Canada and Glacier national park. I stopped in Helena to get a
pic of the state capitol for my
collection
(this makes 31). While parked right in front of the capitol I noticed my
truck was leaking radiator fluid, NOT GOOD. When the truck was new I had a
problem with the factory hose clamps breaking, the third time I told the
dealer to replace the last one that hadn't broken yet, They made some
noise about not being able to do it under warranty until it had broken, I
countered with the point that this was the third visit for broken clamps
and did they want to deal with taking back a truck under the lemon law
over a $.75 clamp. they said they would replace the last clamp. well you
guessed it they didn't, so I had to, right there in front of the capitol
with hot fluid spraying out all over my arms and the ground. Rest assured
the service manager and I will have words when I get home. Back to the
fun. I took the back roads up to Glacier and got there about 5:00 well
they were closing up and said buy your pass tomorrow, what's up do they
want my money or what? I realized that I still had 5 hours of good light
and the clouds were breaking up so I decided that I could make it over the
Going to the Sun Road and back before dark, so there I was bombing down
the road and all of a sudden it hits me. What the hell am I doing. I have
just rushed to Reno and then up through two national parks, and here I am
screaming through a third. This just like when I am driving for work and
that is not what this trip is about!!!. So I started to stop at every
pullout and read all the informational signs, then I hiked down to a
waterfall then I stopped and just sat by the edge of the road looking at the
most amazing valley. The closer I looked the more water falls I could see
there must have over a thousand in this one valley alone, I realized that
while Yellowstone is an amazing place Glacier is at a whole other level!
and I am only 10 mile's in to it!!
It's getting on by now well after 8pm and most people have pitched camp
so I kind of had the place to my self again. I proceeded over Logan pass
which had only been plowed and blasted open a few days before and closed
once since then by an avalanche. But it was smooth sailing tonight. I got down
the other side and what is there but another massive and most beautiful
valley with the late evening sun setting behind it. I spotted some big
horn up on the hills and they were butting heads, it was so cool, I could
hear the CRACK when they met. I found a really cool spot by the river in
the valley below that I realized was where an avalanche had come down,
crossed the valley, river and road finally stopping on the hill next to the
road.
At the other end of the road all the restaurants were closed so I had
to drive few miles to the next town and found a place that was closing
where I got a pizza for dinner and a sub for the morning, back in to the
park and found a nice camp site by the lake about 11:30 just as full dark
came on. |
