Glacier National Park, Banff Canada Failure and Yellowstone

[ttora4runner]

Every year I take a week off from work and travel around a bit to get away from everything and relax. Since I'm in northern Wyoming this year working I decided to take the change and head up to Glacier National Park for a few days. My older brother flew up from Yuma, Az to escape the heat and to visit since I only get to see my family a few times a year.
We stayed at St. Mary KOA and use that as a base camp for a few days while we were in the park for the next 3 days hiking. Most of the trails in Glacier are on the east side of the park so it only made since.

Day 1 – Iceberg Lake and Ptarmigan Trail and a failed attempt at reaching Ptarmigan Trail

Lake Sherborne (Many Glacier Area)


Hiking back to Iceberg Lake






They warn you about bear's in the park but they never warn you about the deer. This little bugger came up from out of the brush and scared the crap out of us.


Iceberg Lake area in the background




Iceberg Lake and Glacier



A couple of French Canadian who made the hike decided that they go for a little swim in the freezing water much to the amusement of everyone watching. At one time one of the guys yells ‘It's Shrinking!' which caused quite a laugh amongst the crowd.

The second half of Iceberg Lake


When we reached the intersection with Ptarmigan Trial we had the choice of heading on back to the car or head up to Ptarmigan trail and try to reach the tunnel. Needless, to say we chose the latter which would cause some amusement latter on back at camp.

Heading up the trail




Ptarmigan Lake and trail to the tunnel




Once we reached the lake we had another choice do we continue on for the final mile up the trail or go on an head back down and to camp. Well, it was an easy decision since at this point my brother was struggling with the altitude and the hike and wouldn't have made it up the trail without some struggle. So back down we went (I had warned him a couple of months before the trip to get out and start walking but needless to say that didn't happen).
On the way back down we spot a moose in one of clearings up above and a group of us decided to grab a few photo's. The French Canadians from earlier proved once again who smart they were at started taunting the moose who was slowly working his way down the hill. My brother and I decided to get out of there before it charged it taunters.



One final photo on the way down


The way back the trail seemed to go over forever since we were both tried from the hike and the heat of the day, my brother more so. Once we finally made it back to car it was A/C on full force and a couple bottles of water down. Upon returning to camp my brother found that after hiking 14 miles the muscles in his legs were very, very sore making it hard to move and get around.
Needless, to say we both had a good laugh at the ordeal and with that being the case my brother found his way over to the hot tub and stay there for almost two hours relaxing while I stayed at camp. That night we continued to laugh at his inability to move.

 

[ttora4runner]

Day 2

Since my brother was still feeling the pain of the previous day hike we decided to take the ‘Going to the Sun’ road up to Logan Pass then over to the west side of the park to check it out.

St. Mary Lake


Random creek along the way.


View of Jackson Glacier


The view from the road just below the Logan Pass area


In the park brochure they recommend that you get to the pass before 10 or noon I don’t quite remember as the parking lot fills up quickly. We got their around 900 and the lot was half full.
At Logan Pass Visitor Center we were greeted to a small group of Bighorn Sheep. A couple of amusing comments were made by some of the visitors when one of sheep decided to relive itself.


After a quick stop by the visitor center (which is pretty sad unless you want to buy something). I managed to talk my brother into making the short hike back to ‘Hidden Lake’ he reluctantly agreed.
The view up the trail from the visitor center.



Looking back towards the visitor center






‘Hidden Lake’ overlook. The way down to the lake was closed due to bear activity.




Mountain Goat on the overlook deck.


After taking in the views we headed on back down the trail and at a good time as a couple of tour buses had come and dropped off a number of guests. I was surprised that people had their very expensive camera hanging around their neck as they traversed the ice field. One false move and there goes your camera.

Once back at the car we made our way to the West entrance of the park and to Lake McDonald. We had hoped that the visitor center on that side of the park would have some other information/exhibits on the park but unfortunately not, again it was more a place to by crap and talk to a ranger. So after walking around the area and grabbing lunch we made our way back to camp to relax.

 

[ttora4runner]

Day 3

Still feeling the effects of the 1st days hike we decided to hit up St Mary and Virginia Falls as they were both short hikes and then head on down to the southern part of the park.

Hiking back towards the falls




St. Mary Falls






Virginia Falls




Lower Two Medicine Lake


Upper Two Medicine Lake and boat area


Running Eagle Falls on the way to Upper Two Medicine Lake


The southern portion of the trip was mostly uneventful just sight-seeing and taking in all in.

 

[ttora4runner]

Day 4 – Banff National Park, Alberta Fail and Yellowstone National Park

On the 4th day of the trip we had planned on heading on up to Banff National Park in Alberta Canada on the recommendation from one of the guys I work with to check out the area. Upon arriving at the check station the attendant at the booth tells us to pull over and go inside so they can check the car and our passports. After getting asked a number of questions and waiting 30 minutes we were denied passage into Canada. The border officer gave me crap because I had a temp Wyoming driver's license and couldn't find me in the system (my actual license was in the mail when I got back home) and even threatened to tow my car back. Needless, to say he was still going to let me pass.

My brother on the other hand had something on his records from 7 or 8 years ago in Idaho that got dismissed/taken off of his record but because he was truthful to one of the questions we were asked the border officer wanted proof that it was dismissed and because he didn't have proof he wasn't allowed to cross unless he could provide documentation. Where in the bloody heck are we going to get that in the middle of nowhere on the US/Canada border?
So we got back in the car and turned around. We had mentioned to the US official on the other-side what we went through and he said that depending on the day and who we get they can be really ********. So the question became ‘now what do we do'. I was a little frustrated at the whole ordeal more than my brother since I lost my reservation at the campground in Banff and the ******** border officers after searching my vehicle and pulling everything out just threw it all back in with a second thought. Thanks!

My brother mentioned why not hit up Yellowstone National Park since neither one of us had been there in years. I wasn't too happy about going but it was somewhere to go and visit. Upon reaching Yellowstone we learned that every campground or cabin in the park was full (this was a Thursday night) and we were again faced with another question as to what to do. We decided to make a phone call to our mother about the situation who then got on the phone herself and found us the last cabin and campground in the park that wasn't reserved for Thursday or Friday night. By this time I was just happy to have anything and just get out of the car and relax.

 

[roverrocks]

I sure HATE threads with ugly pictures from ugly places..............................................................My jealousy is rampant of your fine trip and great pictures. Very nice.

 

[ttora4runner]

Day 5 – Around Yellowstone

On the final day of the trip we just made a big loop though the park visiting a number of the sites along the way while making are away towards our campground at Fishing Bridge.















Despite the hiccup at the border crossing and wearing my brother out on the first day in Glacier the trip was great. I’m looking forwarded to making it back to Glacier to continue to explore the park.

 

[Expedition_Bound]

Let me guess, you tried going through the Sweet Grass Port? My brother and I had the unfortunate displeasure of being detained by those a$$holes while vacationing in Banff in 2008. For no reason they made us pull over and spend 3 hours in immigration answering ridiculous questions. They then forced me to drive my truck into a garage bay and have me watch while they practically stripped my truck apart. That was after they frisked the both of us of course. We were there just over 6 hours.

 

[humz]

Great pictures! Many Eastern Canadians and asian tourists have absolutely zero common sense when it comes to wildlife, they'll stop and try and hand feed bears or try and pet a cub. And unfortunately since 9/11 crossing the border is nothing like it used to be. You have to have all your ducks in a row and proper documentation. I have a friends who have been turned away crossing into the US for similar situations.

 

[RockyMtnFamily]

Stunning pictures! Does a person need any special documentation to get into Canada? I hope to take my kids up there someday and did not want to have to get passports for all of them.

 

[WagoneerSX4]

Beautiful photos! I apologize on behalf of the french-canadians, don't let them define what a true canadian is

Also apologize for our border officers. They love to completely unpack loaded vehicles.

 

[Jim K in PA]

Stunning pictures! Does a person need any special documentation to get into Canada? I hope to take my kids up there someday and did not want to have to get passports for all of them.

Yes, you need a passport or at least the passport card to cross borders in North America now. I renewed mine after it had been expired for 10 years and got it in less than a month. Not really a hard process.

Do your homework before heading north or south of the border.

 

[Wilbah]

Great pictures thanks for posting them all! Our next planned roadtrip is a "northern" route with Glacier & Yellowstone on the agenda thanks for more inspiration! (as if I needed more already! ha!).

A little thread drift I apologize but the border stuff you mentioned really irks me.....they can be a PITA....a buddy of mine with his two brothers were going to Alaska....kept about 5 hours....one had to pay a special fine because he had a DUI from 10 years before on his record and they emptied his truck searching it....threw food all over the parking lot (just dumped out the pasta rice etc. on the ground). No reason for that nonsense as far as I am concerned. Presumably Canada wants the tourist dollars. I liked the old days when it was a wave and a smile. Or even less....back in the early 80's I was out with a cousin cruising field roads in northern ME having a couple of beverages and we came to a sign...."Welcome to the United States. Stop for US Border Control" this was on a dirt field road with no one around. We looked at each other and just kept driving. Some how we had ended up in Canada and didn't even know! :Wow1: Nowadays that whole border has cameras up and down the roads that parallel the border. My aunt (who lived on the border in a small farming town) had been out for a sightseeing trip in CN with a friend and tried to come back into the US across another road that is not as formal a border crossing. She was met by the local PD who when they called the border crossing area they said they had been watching her on the cameras all the way up the road and wondered what she was doing. In the end they moved a couple of rocks for her and let her come back into the US but she got away with more being and 80 yo woman than a younger guy would I suspect. Sorry for the drift! Great pics!

 

[jackkent]

Such a great photos. With all the lakes and falls this trip is so amazing. Iceberg Lake and Glacier are breathtaking as well as Ptarmigan Lake. St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls are wonderful. 3 days hiking is worth all the pain with all the beautiful scene along the way. Thanks for sharing us these pics.