1. Patrick, Meagan, and I started our day touring in and around Glacier National Park with bagels, other snacks, and coffee at Flitter Bee Buzz Thru, a coffee stand near the town of West Glacier.
We soon reached the West Glacier entrance of the park, thinking we were set. Two months ago, Patrick had bought a Park Pass, but because of the park's growing popularity, in order to enter at West Glacier, St. Mary, or via Camas Pass between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., an Entry Reservation Ticket is also required. This requirement was not in place when Patrick purchased the Park Pass. We didn't have an Entry Reservation Ticket.
We couldn't enter the park.
We were directed to an area where park rangers were advising confused visitors like ourselves.
A patient, encouraging ranger went over a map with Patrick. Generally speaking, she recommended that we go back out to Highway 2 and drive to East Glacier Village. She promised that we'd see some gorgeous scenery and said some other things that I'm not sure about. She urged us to return to the West Glacier entrance some time after 5 p.m. when we'd be able to enter the park with just our Park Pass -- no need for the Entry Reservation Ticket.
By the way, she also informed us that only a section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road was open -- we could get as far as the Avalanche Creek Campground. Beyond that, the park service was plowing snow, clearing away rock, putting up guard rails, and repairing roads.
So, having talked with the ranger, we began our recovery from the shocking news that we'd have to change our day's plan.
Our recovery from this shock and disappointment got underway -- and EVERYTHING was great from this point forward.
2. We entered the park on the east side and, at the Two Medicine entry point, the ranger at the booth saw our Park Pass (no Entry Reservation Ticket needed here). We drove to the Running Eagle Falls trailhead and took a short hike to the waterfall, a powerful cascade. We then drove to Two Medicine Lake and took a short walk to a spot on the beach and marveled at the beauty of the lake and the grandeur of the mountain faces that seemed to grow out of the water.
We were stirred and had now reached a point of happiness and awe in our day we had thought, just hours earlier, might never come.
But, we persisted. We rolled with our situation. We were patient. We were rewarded. Our visit to the east side of the park was unplanned and magnificent.
We might have even been a little bit grateful that the Entry Reservation Ticket situation forced us to do some things we wouldn't have done otherwise.
3. And, lo and behold, we made a triumphant return to the West Glacier entry. It was past 5 p.m. and we zipped right in, along with a fairly line long of other cars.
There were lots of people, lots of cars. So what? Yeah, there were a lot of people, but we weren't exactly looking to zip down the road fast and furiously.
We made our way to the end of the road, the barrier at Avalanche Creek Campground and, to our delight, this was also where the easy hike on the Trail of the Cedars commenced. Meagan used her wizardry to find a precious parking spot and we walked the boardwalk constructed to guide us through this stand of ancient cedar trees and to thrill at the rushing waters of Avalanche Creek.
We reversed field, headed back toward the park's exit, stopping from time to time to admire scenic views and we made one last stop at the Lake McDonald Lodge. We found a take out cafe on the bottom level of the lodge and ordered sandwiches and drinks and enjoyed our food on a bench while surveying the splendor of Lake McDonald and watching children and adults play on the beach not far below us. After eating, we took a casual stroll down to the lake's edge, marveled at the sun setting, the light becoming softer and softer, and thought how fortunate we were that a day that seemed to start with heartbreaking disappointment was heartbreaking or disappointing at all.
It was a day of awe.
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