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Published: June 16th 2009
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Each trip has ups and downs. Leaving Yellowstone, we were on quite a high (pun intended, our elevation at camp was 7700ft) heading towards Glacier National. We had seen much wildlife, and had a great hike. Both of us were excited about Glacier thinking it would be even more impressive, less populated, and more dramatic in the scenery. We were a little unsure of the weather however, as it was already cold at Yellowstone and not sure how much colder Glacier would be. The drive was fairly unremarkable (8hours of sameness) until you reach Browning, MT.
Now Browning, MT is either in the outside and very close to the Blackfeet reservation or in the reservation (signs were unclear). Most tourists will miss this town on the approach because the bigger highway skips it. We, trying to be good Scouts, decided to fill the tank in case like in Yellowstone, there was much driving to do. Entering into a 7-11 equivalent at the gas station, you are hit by a sense of sadness as you see what has become of the 'once proud nation of the Blackfeet'. All of the stereotypes of a run-down community, stricken by alcoholism, lack of physical
activity/obesity and its associated medical conditions, and apathy were present. The faces of the people in the store seemed empty and defeated while they stood in line with 60oz mountain dews, processed snacks, and malt liquor. The line was literally about 20 people deep with about 75% of them buying 40s of alcohol. As you drive past the old and current schools, it is hard to distinguish which is which. Trash is everywhere and not one yard is spared. It was shocking to say the least. I have a hard time realizing that many may drive through a town similar to this and not feel responsible if not for the cause but for an action to remedy it. We approached the park in silence, thinking about what we had just seen. I was totally unprepared for it.
To further our day, we approached Glacier to be told by a very nice ranger the Road to the Sun was still not completely plowed. Now, they begin plowing April 1st with a projected open date of mid-June. But this year, we were not in luck (last year was July 1). We drove the part of the road we could and saw
what there was to see. The Glacier simply looked sad. They predict that the Glaciers will have disappeared by the year 2030. The pictures from 1850 and even 1950 were incredible. We spotted no wildlife (other than one chipmunk who had been fed before and came up to me expecting the same only to find an empty hand) and a half melted ice cube of a glacier. Perhaps the park is far more impressive with the full road open, and don't get me wrong it is pretty, but you are left longing and a little sad knowing it will be gone in the very near future. We decided not to stay in Glacier as we had seen what we could see, and wanted a night of good sleep. We drove onto Spokane, WA (to total 16 hours in the car that day).
We spent two nights in Spokane in order to do our chores and errands (laundry, return tent, walmart, etc). We had a great day ride in Spokane. They have a trail that literally was out the back door of our hotel room that is 37miles of paved trail from the Idaho border to a scenic waterfall. I
was educated during lunch at a local bar that it is "Spo-Can" not "Spo-Cane" and that it is the conservative city of Washington state with Gonzaga University within its limits. Overall a very pretty, clean city with nice people. It is an active city with many people playing different sports outdoors, cycling, running, and such. And as a side note, I am naming it the shirtless boy city as apparently they enjoy their summers (it was very warm...low 70s during our ride) and few guys were found fully clothed. Next stop: Seattle.
Author's note: The title of this blog was very nearly 'yesterday's bagels' in order to express satisfaction but remaining longing, but was convinced I was stretching the comparison. I mean, yesterday's bagels at the shop are usually tasty and worth the time, but you do always wonder how they tasted on the day they were baked. My Glacier experience felt similar. It was pretty but I wonder how I would have felt not having seen Yellowstone first, Browning, MT, and when it was in its true glory before the melt.
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Pam
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Sigh...
Sad blog, sad chipmunk.