Glacier National Park – East

It was cold, wet and miserable the day we entered Glacier National Park from the east entrance. The Going-to-the-Sun Road was open for 22 miles from east to west, more than we’d seen of the park from the west side, so we set our sights on reaching Many Glacier Lodge, it’s first day of operation for the season. The road into the park was pitiful; deep winter ruts and loose gravel made for slow going (and there are more budget cuts ahead for the National Park Service?) We made it to the Lodge for lunch, huddled with others wrapped in ski jackets, stepped out to the rain and wind lashed deck for a minute, and imagined how beautiful it must be when visible. On departure, we marveled at a small group of riders heading into the mountains on horseback, ruminated on the spirit of frontiersmen, and happily rolled up our car windows and turned on the heat.