An escape to Glacier National Park

I am sitting by a fire on September 10, 2021 on Kitnla Lake in Glacier National Park Montana.  It is a beautiful lake.  The smoke from wildfires put a haze over the surrounding mountains.  It is supposed to rain tonight.  I am hoping for a heavy rain to clear the air.  My original plan was to head to Canada.  But as usual I only read the first part of what I wanted to see.  Vaccinated no Covid test.  What it said was if you are vaccinated you don’t have to take a Covid test at the border.  You still need to have a negative test within 72 hours.  Needless to say the border guard forgave my stupidity and just had me turn around.  So I set off in the morning with a new plan: Drive into the wilderness towards Glacier National Park and see where I ended up.  I had been here with my buddies who visited from Michigan in June.  I had said I would return and camp.  So that’s what I did today.  Tomorrow I will make my way to West Glacier for cell service to wish my daughter a happy birthday. 

I woke to the sound of rain dancing on the top of my rooftop tent. I climbed down my ladder and pulled on my rain jacket. Even though the rain was steady, the temperature was mild. I was glad to see the smoke was gone. Instead it was replaced by low hanging clouds. Not threatening ones. Ones that gave a sense that Autumn was here. I spent the morning hiking the edge of the lake. Kitnla Lake is a clear beautiful body of water in the Northwest corner of the park. I pulled down and latched my tent and headed toward Bowman Lake 20 miles over a pretty rough dirt road. Not treacherous, but enough to keep the tourists away this time of year. Bowman is just as wonderful as it’s smaller sister Kitnla. 

Although small motors are allowed on Bowman no motors are allowed on Kitnla. After exploring Bowman I drove an hour to West Glacier and the shores of Lake McDonald.

 I wish to explore and maybe drive the going to the sun road.  I have to get a ticket to do so.  I think now that many of the tourists are gone I should be able to get one.  Within the next month the road will close because of snow.  I also would like to drop down the east side of the park towards St. Maries and Many Glaciers.  I have not been there in a few years.  Now that the weather has started to cool I know it won’t be long before the snow flies.  

Trips like these remind me what an amazing life I am allowed to live.  To be able to jump in my 4 runner and head off to find whatever adventure awaits me gives me a feeling of freedom.  I will push into the wilds of Idaho and Montana throughout the Fall and Winter.  I will grab every feeling, every emotion, every stimuli that this land has to offer.