Many Glacier

6/22/2019

Many Glacier is the Northeast section of Glacier National Park. The only road in or out follows this shoreline of Lake Sherburne.

A ranger at the St Mary Visitor Center recommended visiting here because it is the least crowded section of the park.

Part of the reason for fewer crowds is the road condition.  The ranger advised us to go 20 mph under the speed limit.

His advice was spot on. Although we needed to dodge cows and potholes, some almost large enough to hold a calf, it was totally worth the journey.

"Free Range" signs mean watch for cows on the road. They are worth heeding as cattle can appear quickly around a curve and they didn't yield to traffic.

The road ends at Swift Current with a campground, trail head, and the Swift Current Motor Inn. Hungry after an hour of obstacle avoidance, we decided to try their restaurant. Felt an unusual vibe as employees totally ignored us, so reconsidered lunch and returned to the van.

Having passed the turn-off for Many Glacier Hotel only a few minutes back, we decided to try going over there. It turned out to be a wholly different experience.

Built in 1914, Many Glacier Hotel boasts an impressive open log built lobby.  It reminded us of being in Switzerland.

Flowing curved stairways were impressive.

A history gallery showed some early railway photos, like this one of a trestle  built in 1891 that swayed with the winds.

Plans for trestle bents were posted in case anyone wants to build a model.

Back in the main lobby, this fireplace had counterweights shaped like giant acorns.

Entering the dining room here was a very different experience. We were greeted immediately and offered a choice of tables.

A quiet corner of the room with a view of the lake and mountains was the perfect spot to warm up and enjoy lunch.

Simple food like this burger and fruit was presented with style and tasted delicious.

Full and warm, we headed outside and met a small herd of mountain goats shedding their winter coats.

Trails around the hotel lead to beautiful waterfalls.

Gusty winds moved low clouds out and occasionally revealed views of the higher peaks.

Hiking around we found a geodetic survey marker. These are placed, usually in rocks, as fixed points for surveying and map making.

Another metal artifact we ran across was this old brass padlock embossed with the National Park Service initials. With rain headed back in, we elected to leave the Many Glacier region and bump back out along Route 3.

Beth had read about the Blackfeet Indian Memorial, so we elected to find that before returning to our campsite.

Located just south of St Mary on Highway 89, the sculptures depict tepees and Blackfeet Nation history amidst beautiful mountain views. It is well worth a stop.

From there we returned to our campground where we walked the trail towards the visitor center.

On the walk back, we explored some of the other campground loops and ran into two Pleasure-Way vans. Joel Albert was just pulling out in their Plateau, but we would meet up with him again later down the road.

We exchanged camping ideas with Mimi and John McCarthy Hatch using traditional paper maps.

It was a fun day and we'll always have fond memories of Many Glacier. It you are planning a visit in 2020 or 2021, check the park web site for information on road closures. The park service is investing in some sorely needed "large-scale road construction projects."