TUESDAY - As I mentioned in the previous post, we had reached the northermost point in our 2025 travels.
Today we'll be retracing the 100+ miles we took to get to St. Mary's Campground and will be landing on the opposite shore of Lake McDonald from Apgar Campground. Fish Creek Campground is the 2nd largest campground in the park, behind Apgar Campground, but it's oh so much quieter.
Apgar is at the entrance to the Going-To-The-Sun Road, which let's face it, is the main attraction of the park. Apgar Village is also the place to go for restaurants, souvenirs, kayak rentals and overnight accommodations in the lodge for those non-camper visitors of the park. The Apgar Visitor Center is where you go to pickup the FREE Shuttle Bus and the starting point for all the Red Bus Tours on the west side of the park.
Putting it simply, the Apgar Visitor Center, Apgar Village and Apgar Campground is where all the people are. Just a few miles up the road is where the Lake McDonald Lodge and boat tours on the lake launch from.
But just 1-mile across Lake McDonald it's a whole different experience. There is virtually no reason to come to this side of the lake unless you're camping on one of the Fish Creek campsites.
We missed a couple of interesting sightseeing opportunites on the way north to St. Mary last week, so we'll make sure to stop and visit them on our way south today.
TRAVEL DAY SCENERY
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Just outside the town of St. Mary on Hwy. 89 you'll find the Blackfeet Indian Memorial.
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This art installation must be new because this location is just a blank field on Google Maps.
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Along with the roadside horse and indian statue there are two tipis down a short path.
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Looking skyward from inside the first tipi.
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The second tipi is on the ridge that looks down into the St. Mary Valley.
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That's an interesting perspective to view the mountains of Glacier National Park.
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Before getting back on the road Tricia took one more photo of St. Mary Lake.
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Somewhere between the towns of St. Mary and Browning we ran across a jail break. Two "official looking" trucks were herding the cows down the road, hopefully towards a gate somewhere and back to safety.
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The landscape heading east along Highway 89 towards Browning, MT.
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The landscape on Highway 2 heading west out of Browning, MT.
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This art installation is on Highway 2 just south of East Glacier Park, MT.
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It's identified on Google Maps as Blackfeet Nation Sculpture (Southwest).
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Eventually we arrived at our campsite in Fish Creek Campground.
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As you can see it was a pretty tight fit getting into the campsite. It's going to be even tougher to get out of here without scratching up THE POD.
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With zero cell service and too many trees for a good Starlink connection, it's going to be a challenge to get this blogpost written and posted before leaving the site.
For those of you reading this, who also rely on Starlink to keep you connected to the outside world, this will all make sense.
This is a screen shot from the Starlink app on my cell phone, it shows exactly how obstructed the view of the sky is for the satellite dish, still I'm getting a 69% success rate when uploading data.
Yes, it is a bit frustrating when the signal drops in the middle of uploading a photo, but as soon as it reconnects it starts right where it left off, so no need to start from scratch every time there's an interuption.
The other data the app tells me is that I've experienced 17 disconnects greater than 2 seconds in the last fifteen minutes. That just means I'll be able to post this blog, but it's going to take a lot longer to get it done.
WEDNESDAY - Today we got moving early and went over to Apgar Village to eat breakfast at Eddie's Cafe. We arrived at 7:00AM, only to find out that the cafe doesn't open until 7:30AM.
With a little time on our hands we walked around the village and were surprised to find the gift shop had been open since 6:00AM serving coffee. We checked out the rather large gift shop, but thankfully found nothing we couldn't live without.
We then went over to the lakeshore to take a few morning photos before being seated first at Eddie's Cafe when they opened.
After breakfast we headed next door to the Apgar Visitor Center where we will board another Red Bus at 9:00AM and experience the Western Alpine Tour this time.
THE RED BUS "WESTERN" ALPINE TOUR
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When you get up early and head down to the lake you never know what you just might see.
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With a backdrop like this it's no wonder why they wanted their wedding photos shot here.
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1:45-minutes later the scene had all changed, but still just as stunning.
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Our first stop on the Red Bus tour was the Lake McDonald Lodge. This view is of the "original front door" of the lodge facing the lake.
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In those early days everyone arrived here by boat, the road wasn't built yet.
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The lodge has a very welcoming front porch, don't ya think?
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Here's our ride for the day, Red Bus #84, today it's driven by Russ.
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Looking GOOD! Just like it did brand new back in the mid-1930s.
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I'm hoping some of these lower clouds burn off or we won't have much to see on this tour.
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It sure looks like it's trying to clear up for us.
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Even so, it still makes for some pretty interesting photos.
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That ridge up there is nicknamed The Garden Wall.
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Here we are pulled to the side of the road before entering the West Tunnel entrance. This tunnel has windows, but we are on the wrong side for photos. We'll get our chance for photos later when we return back through the tunnel.
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That's the Going-To-The-Sun Road down there along McDonald Creek.
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It's easy to see why every spring there are so many boulders on the roadway. With the deep winter freezes and the eventual thawing, the rocks loosen and fall to the road.
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Up ahead is one of the longer waterfalls in the park.
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With a video you get a much greater appreciation for how big it really is.
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The round bowl shape is evidence that a glacier was once there.
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Another look down at the McDonald Creek as it flows towards Lake McDonald.
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Looks like we still have some climbing to do before we reach Logan Pass.
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I'm going to share today's photo of the waterfall at the Big Bend location.
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Here is the same photo from a week ago. No waterfall, but plenty of snow back then.
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Logan Pass is just up ahead as we gander at Logan Creek flowing down the valley.
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This next section of the road has a clever nickname, it's called Triple Arches.
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It's hard to determine where the road construction ends and Mother Nature begins.
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For some unexplainable reason this just speaks to me.
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It's not difficult to figure out where the water rolls off that mounatin on the right.
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To the right of the mountain are three named glaciers atop the next mountain. We believe them to be Vulture, Two Ocean and Rainbow glacier on the far right.
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Those hikers are on the Highline Trail that begins at Logan Pass.
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This little Columbian Ground Squirrel was right in the middle of lunch.
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I'm glad to see this guy eating natural food because other squirrels near the Visitor Center have no problem running right up to you for food.
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If it's between 7:00AM and 7:00PM the Apgar Visitor Center parking lot will be full.
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Again, I'm glad the Red Buses have reserved parking for at least 10 at a time.
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Tricia got back on the bus early and took a photo of Rows 2 through 4.
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This is what the front of the bus interior looks like.
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Another view of Haystack Creek as we begin our descent back to the Apgar Visitor Center.
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Here's one of the tunnel windows I told you about...
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...and here's the other one.
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A tornado? No, just the sun playing tricks with the clouds.
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Rut Roh! (as Scooby would say), this can't be good.
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A one car accident, that's what happens when the driver tries to do some sightseeing too.
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The water in McDonald Creek as it makes it way to Lake McDonald.
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That's Russ, our expert driver for the day. Russ has been driving the Red Bus Tours for over 20-years and now has the responsibility to train all the new rookie drivers each season.
You may recall I mentioned in the last post that Ursula, our driver on the Eastern Alpine Red Bus Tour, and I were both born in the same town, albeit more than a decade apart.
Well now, Russ (our driver for the Western Alpine Red Bus Tour) and I lived in the same town together for more than 20-years and lived only a little over 4-miles from each other, that was until I moved in with Tricia over 15-years ago.
If that isn't enough, the lady who checked us in for our Red Bus Tour, also has the last name of Kelley, "spelled the right way", her words, not mine.
I promise, we have finally completed our visit of Glacier National Park. Tomorrow we'll be on the road heading south to a new location in a Montana National Forest. We don't want to go too far south, or too soon, and end up in all those record setting heat temperatures found all around the southern states.
We do have a can't miss date in New Mexico for the first week in October, so we can't dilly dally too much.
Before the year is complete, we should have three more new National Parks under our belts and two others that deserve to be revisited.
Looking for our Visited States Map and Data? How about our State by State Bucket Lists or Visited Campgrounds List? If so, click on the sign below to be taken to our other website.
Just outside the town of St. Mary on Hwy. 89 you'll find the Blackfeet Indian Memorial.
This art installation must be new because this location is just a blank field on Google Maps.
Along with the roadside horse and indian statue there are two tipis down a short path.
Looking skyward from inside the first tipi.
The second tipi is on the ridge that looks down into the St. Mary Valley.
That's an interesting perspective to view the mountains of Glacier National Park.
Before getting back on the road Tricia took one more photo of St. Mary Lake.
Somewhere between the towns of St. Mary and Browning we ran across a jail break.
The landscape heading east along Highway 89 towards Browning, MT.
The landscape on Highway 2 heading west out of Browning, MT.
This art installation is on Highway 2 just south of East Glacier Park, MT.
It's identified on Google Maps as Blackfeet Nation Sculpture (Southwest).
Eventually we arrived at our campsite in Fish Creek Campground.
As you can see it was a pretty tight fit getting into the campsite.
With zero cell service and too many trees for a good Starlink connection,
When you get up early and head down to the lake you never know what you just might see.
With a backdrop like this it's no wonder why they wanted their wedding photos shot here.
1:45-minutes later the scene had all changed, but still just as stunning.
Our first stop on the Red Bus tour was the Lake McDonald Lodge.
In those early days everyone arrived here by boat, the road wasn't built yet.
The lodge has a very welcoming front porch, don't ya think?
Here's our ride for the day, Red Bus #84, today it's driven by Russ.
Looking GOOD! Just like it did brand new back in the mid-1930s.
I'm hoping some of these lower clouds burn off or we won't have much to see on this tour.
It sure looks like it's trying to clear up for us.
Even so, it still makes for some pretty interesting photos.
That ridge up there is nicknamed The Garden Wall.
Here we are pulled to the side of the road before entering the West Tunnel entrance.
That's the Going-To-The-Sun Road down there along McDonald Creek.
It's easy to see why every spring there are so many boulders on the roadway.
Up ahead is one of the longer waterfalls in the park.
The round bowl shape is evidence that a glacier was once there.
Another look down at the McDonald Creek as it flows towards Lake McDonald.
Looks like we still have some climbing to do before we reach Logan Pass.
I'm going to share today's photo of the waterfall at the Big Bend location.
Here is the same photo from a week ago. No waterfall, but plenty of snow back then.
Logan Pass is just up ahead as we gander at Logan Creek flowing down the valley.
This next section of the road has a clever nickname, it's called Triple Arches.
It's hard to determine where the road construction ends and Mother Nature begins.
For some unexplainable reason this just speaks to me.
It's not difficult to figure out where the water rolls off that mounatin on the right.
To the right of the mountain are three named glaciers atop the next mountain.
Those hikers are on the Highline Trail that begins at Logan Pass.
This little Columbian Ground Squirrel was right in the middle of lunch.
If it's between 7:00AM and 7:00PM the Apgar Visitor Center parking lot will be full.
Again, I'm glad the Red Buses have reserved parking for at least 10 at a time.
Tricia got back on the bus early and took a photo of Rows 2 through 4.
This is what the front of the bus interior looks like.
Another view of Haystack Creek as we begin our descent back to the Apgar Visitor Center.
Here's one of the tunnel windows I told you about...
...and here's the other one.
A tornado? No, just the sun playing tricks with the clouds.
Rut Roh! (as Scooby would say), this can't be good.
A one car accident, that's what happens when the driver tries to do some sightseeing too.
That's Russ, our expert driver for the day. Russ has been driving the Red Bus Tours for
