Running Eagle Falls-Glacier National Park

On the way to Two Medicine, in Glacier National Park, visitors have the opportunity to stop and visit Running Eagle Falls on Two Medicine River. It is a very beautiful waterfall.

The waterfall was named for a great Blackfoot warrior woman and her name was Running Eagle. She was born in the early 1700's in the heartland of the Amskapi-Pikuni. Running Eagle was a real person not a legend or a myth.

Running Eagle's life is an illustrious saga of leadership and daring deeds. She is the only young woman of the Pikuni people to have gone on a vision quest. It was to these falls that she came on her quest and it was at this most sacred place that she had her vision to become the leader and warrior she became.

Running Eagle Falls

Running Eagle became a true woman warrior. She was a great horsewoman, fast runner and an excellent hunter. She was also kind, thoughtful and generous, traits much admired by her people. Her exploits as a warrior, leading war parties and counting coups were recounted in lodges throughout the land.

Running Eagle Falls

Near her thirtieth year Running Eagle was struck down and killed by the Flathead whilst on a raid across the Continental Divide. In a most fitting honor her warriors brought her home and laid her to rest in a tree overlooking these falls.

All I can say is awesome falls, gorgeous spot and beautiful story. I was fortunate to be there when I had the place all to myself, a real gift. I believed I could feel Running Eagle's spirit in the powerful falls and the clear gentle waters that flowed below.

Millions of photographs have been taken of these falls but my most favorite was not of the falls but of Two Medicine River where the falls are located. If you would care to see it go to RUNNING EAGLE MEDICINE

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

Many Glacier Will Have to Wait

Well, howdy. Did I get a big disappointment this week. Mom packed up Clementine, hooked up Shadow and I thought we were headed for Many Glacier. The plan was to go to Kalispell, get Clementine some routine maintenance and then head on over to St. Mary's.

The work on Clem was scheduled to take about four hours so we took off for the Great Northern Historical Trail.


The "trail" is a tarmac walkway but very nice and lots of things to see. It heads west from Kalispell and takes you into a very pretty rural area.


There is an amazing array of birds to be found on this walk. We saw beautiful meadow larks, blue birds and mountain swallows. Pictured above a mountain swallow sitting on a post. View full version.



We also spied this little robin who had built her nest on an old trestle beam. View full version.



Then there were these painted turtles doing, well, what ever they were doing. There really were a lot of critters to see on this, really, not very primitive trail. View full version.


Before log we started to see nasty looking clouds forming and a few people we met started talking about winter weather over on the east side. Mom called the park and sure enough they were expecting snow. Well, that was the end of our trip. Mom wasn't about to drive all that way to sit in Clem for a week. We high-tailed it home in the rain. Mom could be heard grumbling for two days as she hauled everything back out of Clem. Full version.


So, we've been amusing ourselves around here and took another walk along the Tobacco River where we came across this old car which looks like it has seen better days but mom thought it was kind of photogenic. Okay, so mom's a little daffy. :) Full version.


Mom was very delighted when we came across this blue-winged teal pair. Full version.

Anyway, I guess it's never a good idea to get too married to plans cuz they sure have a way of changing. Darn! But, mom says we will give it a go again when the weather improves. So, I wait impatiently.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography