Glacier National Park-June 1, 2010 Journal Entry

Last night it rained cats and dogs. We haven’t had anything but drizzles for days. When I looked at the MDOT it showed snow at Babb. I had to laugh, it seemed I was going to the only place in America where it was snowing. Clementine was packed and I was committed. It’s a real pain to pack your RV in the rain and an even bigger pain to hitch up the tow car but we got her done and away we went.

Clementine & Shadow

It rained all the way to Kalispell but the sun was out and it was 59 degrees in Columbia Falls, where we stopped for provisions. Provisions acquired we headed east toward Browning. The Flathead River was running bank to bank and the Middle Fork of the Flathead, which you follow through the pass, was as well. We stopped and had a picnic right along the Middle Fork.  All the way along the rivers and creeks were rushing. As a lover of water it was beautiful to see. When we left to continue our journey the clouds gathered and it poured again. One thing about the Rockies you don’t have to wait long for the weather to change. Once, near Durango, Colorado I experienced a temperature drop of thirty-five degrees in three minutes. That made a believer out of me!

Middle Fork

I have never approached St. Mary from the south. Usually I do the loop, taking Going to the Sun Road from West Glacier. I looked at the map and saw that one could take 49 at East Glacier and connect with 89 to St. Mary. That way you wouldn’t have to go all the way into Browning.

When I got the junction at Two Medicine I just barely caught a sign that said maximum length 21 ft. Clementine with Shadow is about 38 feet. By the time it registered I was committed. There’s no backing up with a tow car and there was no place to turn around. I thought surely there would be a last ditch turnaround for those such as myself who, lacking a talking co-pilot, missed the message. Koty just sat there and let me do it. He was probably giggling on the inside. I thought I saw a hint of a smile.

Well, that was a harrowing 12 miles of road. I was scared spitless that I was going to encounter a hairpin turn at any moment and be wedged in the road. Well, it was a narrow winding road but there were no impassable hairpins, we arrived at the 89 Junction in one piece. As we turned on to 89, headed north, I looked back to see what the sign said on this end, 47 feet!

From the junction it’s just another 15 miles to St. Mary but the road is narrow and winding so it took another 45 minutes to get there but, no problems and the drive was gorgeous. All the spring snow on the Rockies made for a glorious backdrop.

Montana's Rockies June 2010

We are staying at Johnson’s RV Park. We sit up on a hill overlooking St. Mary Lake and Lower St. Mary Lake it is oh so very beautiful. God is in his heaven and all is well with the world.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography