It’s our last day in Montana, and for our final hike we decided to revisit Logan’s Pass and see if we could go all the way down to the lake. Turns out, the trail down to the lake has been closed since we visited last week. Apparently, the mama grizzly and her cubs are still hanging out there. We were disappointed by this but very grateful that we already had a chance to hike that trail. We were treated to some spectacular wildflowers though:
Since last week, most of the snow has melted and instead there’s just a stunning profusion of flowers. So all was not lost. We went as far as we could at Logan’s (about 3 miles round trip) but we were up for something more. So, we decided to hit the Highline Trail, a ridge trail that actually runs over 11 miles through Glacier. We read that this trail had the most spectacular views so we decided to hike it until we ran out of gas (11 plus miles is not an option for me!).
My favorite types of trails to hike are ridge trails. This is true anywhere I hike. Canyon trails and forest trails can make me feel claustrophobic at times; on ridge trails I can see not only where the trail is going but expansive vistas all around. I love that feeling of being on top of the world with lots of big sky all around. And I can say that the Highline Trail is a ridge trail on steroids. So grand, so expansive, so stunning. The photo up top gives you a little idea of what it was like to be up there. This trail is also known for a short stretch of narrowish trails with a precipitous drop to one side. Here’s a photo of David on that stretch of the trail. That’s the Going To The Sun Road down below:
There’s a cable that hugs the mountain if you want to hang on, but it really wasn’t a big deal. I’m so glad we didn’t skip out on this hike. Check out these views:
On a funny note, as we were hiking back toward the trailhead we met up with four very spunky goats:
Even though the trail is pretty narrow, at this point there was room for us to step aside and let them trot on by. As we continued on our way we quickly came across a long line of at least 50 hikers; apparently the goats had caused quite a traffic jam and the hikers couldn’t get by until they decided to move on down the trail. It was pretty funny.
All in all, this beautiful hike was a fitting end to our two weeks in Montana. We certainly got our fill of all that Glacier and the surrounding area had to offer. Finally, on our way back to our condo we stopped for lunch at the Montana Coffee Traders where I had a delicious Tempeh Reuben. You just never know where you will stumble on a great vegan meal!
I’m looking forward to our next two days on the road. Great company, great scenery and a great audiobook…