Glacier National Park, Many Glacier

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Many Glacier Inn, Glacier National Park
Thursday September 3, 2009

Thursday Karen and I pack up and again head over the “Road to The Sun” to the town of St. Mary on eastern entrance of the park. This side of the park is the Blackfoot Native American Reservation. After a great bowl of beef chili and a slice of pie at the Park Café we head north through to the town of Babb and the eastern and only entrance to the Many Glaciers area of the park. Many Glacier Hotel is another hundred-year old inn that was built for tourist by the Great Northern Railroad when the park first opened. The hotel is now owned by the Park Service and operated by the same private vender as the McDonald Lodge. This large two hundred twenty-room hotel sits at the end of a gorgeous mountain valley on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. There’s only one way in and out of the valley. We have a lake front room with a porch that provides an outstanding view of the lake and mountains. That evening we have an enjoyable dinner in the main dining room and watch the sun set through the large glass windows that covers the room’s west wall. After dark a storm passes through and we experience 50 mile per hour winds through most of the night. This one hundred year old summer hotel has very loose fitting old doors and windows. There’s no weather stripping to be found so the wind blows through our room all night long and it sounds like a train is coming in. Needless to say we both get very little sleep and I froze all night long. The next morning it’s cool but the wind has stopped so we take another all day “Jammer” tour to the Canadian side of the park in Alberta. This park is named the Peace Park located in the town Waterton. The Canadian National Park and Glacier National Park cooperatively manage the two parks. We had lunch at the very lovely Prince of Wales Hotel located high on a bluff overlooking the lake and Waterton. They also serve high tea. It is also the windiest spot in all of Canada as we found out when taking pictures.
The east side of the park is very picturesque with incredibly steep stone mountains that look like the European Alps. There’s also a lot more wild life on this side of the park and we see deer, bears, dhal sheep, and mountain goats.
The Many Glacier Hotel was scheduled for a total restoration but it was postponed until after next years’ centennial celebration. This beautiful old log constructed inn can certainly use a good sprucing up.
We really enjoyed our stay on this side of the park and the old inn was interesting but the McDonald Lodge is a much nicer place to stay.

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