Tracks Around Glacier

6/23/2019

The overnight low outside was 44 so the heat didn’t kick on (we set it at 55). That coupled with sound of rain on the roof and a good hike made for a great night of sleep.

Today we have to brace for pastry withdrawal. We ate the last of the day old goodies from Wheat Montana yesterday!

Drove around the outside of GNP stopping at RR overlooks along the way. Went through the very small and sad looking town of Starr School to reach the bigger, but still sad looking town of Browning. Browning had an IGA that stocked more food and veggies than anyplace in St Mary or Baab. Both of these towns were in the Blackfeet Nation and reflected the poverty there. Houses had tar paper roofs or multiple shades of shingles. It seemed that every car ever owned by a household stayed in a yard whether it ran or not.

There were scenic treats, like this waterfall, along the way.

Just off the road crews were launching boats to raft down the Mild River.

Beth caught me taking one, of too many, photos of our Lexor.

The Great Northern Railway (now BNSF) and the road follow the same route around the outskirts of Glacier National Park. The East Glacier station had parking right up front.

Huge logs were used to construct the station in 1912.

Travelers waited for the incoming train.

You can purchase tickets here and head east to Chicago or west to Seattle or Portland on Amtrak's Empire Builder.

Some train monitoring equipment still exists nestled in the bay window area on the track side of the station.

Glacier Park Lodge opened in 1913 adjacent to the station. Baggage still gets delivered using old wagons.

Not as scenic, but unique, this maintenance train even had an outhouse car.

Moving west, we crossed the continental divide, just before a west bound freight train. This statue and an obelisk (today's first photo) mark the summit at Marias Pass. John Frank Stevens is depicted by the life sized statue. Stevens was the principal civil engineer for the Great Northern Railway, charting this pass in 1891. Possibly tiring of the cold, he went on to become the chief engineer for the Panama Canal fifteen years later.

Amtrak's Empire Builder slid by above us without enough warning for me to get out of the van. Maybe a scanner with railroad frequencies should be in our future.

Still in search of a live bighorn sheep, our next stop was at Goat Lick Overlook. Scanning the cliffs and mountains with binoculars, we didn't find any goats or sheep.

We did get a good look at trains passing each other on a big steel trestle on the opposite side of the flathead river.

Just down the road, Essex had the Izaak Walton Inn, a perfect lodging for railroad viewing.  This is a main line for the BNSF, formerly Great Northern Railway and we saw multiple trains in both directions.

Wildflowers were blooming as we looked down on the van from the front porch at the Inn. If you look at the hillside across the way, you may be able to pick out several cabooses available for rent.

The lobby had a cozy feeling with warm pine and a big fireplace.

The front desk was all about the railroad. A friendly clerk gave us a local map with good train viewing spots marked. Beth bought a GNR long sleeve shirt with the Mountain Goat Logo. Essex is a "whistle stop," meaning trains only stop if there is a passenger scheduled to board or detrain.

Even the tile floor had a Great Northern logo.

A steel pedestrian bridge crosses the main line where I stood over a container train headed east. You can see a video clip on You Tube.

The bridge is how you reach the hillside where you can rent your own caboose for an overnight stay.

If you would rather stay at the front of a train, this engine had been converted to a very unique cabin!

Essex was a fun surprise. If we ever do a cross-country train trip, we will definitely plan a stopover here.

Resuming our drive, we went past West Glacier to the town of Hungry Horse where we bought a few more groceries and, more importantly, refilled our propane. Cool nights had it down to only 12% remaining.

After fueling, we returned to the West Glacier Entrance and proceeded through a crowded shopping area to Fish Creek campground. It rained off and on throughout the day, turning to a steady rain once we reached Fish Creek. The campsite is heavily wooded with glimpses of Lake McDonald through the trees. We’re in a no generator loop, so it should be quiet. There isn’t cell service and we don’t have the spectacular views of the sky and mountains that spoiled us in the last two campgrounds. In the heat of summer, these woods would be great, but tonight they seem claustrophobic and damp.

Ate the remainder of the BBQ soy curls for dinner with chips and cole slaw. The rain slowed so we headed to the Apgar Visitors Center at 6:29. It is open from 8-6. They do leave the wi-fi on and there was a Verizon cell signal. That plus heated bathrooms that were open attracted more than a few campers.

After catching up on email, we drove to Glacier Village where there was plenty of room to park at the Alberta Welcome Center after hours. We walked under the tracks and around the corner to the West Glacier train station.

A container train rolled through while we explored the outside of the building.

The Belton Depot has been repurposed as a visitor’s center and Nature Conservancy gift shop. Unfortunately it closed at 4 PM so we didn't get to see the inside of the structure built in 1910.

Beth saw an “Apgar Loop” on the map so we drove there and stopped at a boat launch in Lake McDonald.

Walking along the shoreline, we met a couple with ice cream cones and asked where they found them. They recommended Eddie’s for Huckleberry Ice Cream. Said they have been coming here for twenty-six years and the “good scoopers” were on tonight. Beth ordered two scoops of espresso almond fudge and it was at least a pint. I ordered a single scoop cone of Huckleberry Heaven and we both had enough left over to put containers in the freezer for another day!