Montana: Glacier Explorations
Recently I had the opportunity to visit Essex, Montana, located just outside of Glacier National Park to celebrate a best friends wedding, so naturally I had to get out for a couple days of relaxation and exploration. The day following the wedding celebrations, the sun was beaming, and some newfound friends and I decided to head out to Lake McDonald to enjoy the gorgeous weather and some scenic views. While I had visited Lake McDonald once before, I only made it just inside the park where I shot wedding photos, so the chance to get back to this stunning spot once again was an absolute treat.
The entrance fee to the park itself has a few different options (7 day permit by car: $35, Single entry: $20, Motorcycle: 30$, and Annual Pass: $70), but we were lucky enough to snag a park pass from a friend! After entering, we jumped on the Going-to-the-Sun Road and meandered our way along the south edge of Lake McDonald until we found a suitable spot to pull over. All along the lake are little pull offs and mini beaches, and it didn't take long before we found a slice all to ourselves. Some good tunes, a quick dip in the icy waters, and some relaxation were the perfect recipe for a quick day trip.
After our couple hour hangout on Lake McDonald, our crew decided to call it a day. The itch to explore more of Glacier had not been scratched though, and I knew that a more thorough journey inside the park was necessary before I could leave this area of Montana!
The next day I was lucky enough to tag along with two adventurous spirits on a little adventure up the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and this was easily one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever witnessed. After passing the end of Lake McDonald, we were treated to gorgeous views as the road meandered along a creek, with mountainous terrain enclosing us on all sides. Eventually we began to climb upwards, and the views only got more stunning as we progressed.
For the sake of time efficiency, and because I recognize people would generally rather skim through pictures than read, I'm going to let the photos tell the story of the rest of the adventure. In short though, we drove, we stopped when a beautiful view presented itself (this was the entire time, so stops were frequent!), a big horn sheep was spotted, delicious homemade cookies were consumed, and we took a glacial shower under the weeping wall! All in all, I highly recommend a visit to Glacier National Park, and I cannot wait to get back here to do some actual backpacking and camping!
