Glacier is stuck in time in the most beautiful of ways. Established as a park in 1910 Glacier has quite the impressive stats. Here are a few facts about Glacier NP courtesy of the NPS website.
History
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Established as a park on May 11, 1910
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Established as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in 1932
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Established as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1974
Water
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Number of named lakes: 131
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Total number of lakes: 762
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Largest lake: Lake McDonald at 9.4 miles long; 1.5 miles wide; 464 feet deep; 6,823 acres
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Number of streams: 563
Land
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Elevation at Logan Pass: 6,646 feet / 2,025 m)
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Number of mountains: 175
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Highest mountain: Mt. Cleveland at 10,448 ft / 3,190 m)
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Number of glaciers: 25 named; all shrinking in size
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Largest glacier: Blackfoot Glacier 0.7 sq. miles
Plants and Animals
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Number of fish species : 24
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Number of species of mammals: 71
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Number of species of birds: 276 documented
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Number of species of plants: 1,132 vascular and 858 non-vascular
Most impressive my friends…Most impressive! Lake McDonald is TWICE as deep as the great Lake Erie! Crazy when you think about that, eh?! I cannot say enough great things about all the friendly, patient and knowledgeable people who work in this amazing national park!
I drove around for a little bit and after about an hour was I dying to brush my teeth, shower and rest in a comfy bed. Sometimes when traveling I just need to lay my head in a bed. I would never give up camping, hammock or tent, but sometimes you should find respite in a space bigger than a little tent! I stumbled upon Lake McDonald Lodge. It is this giant beautiful inn that takes you back in time with all the carved wood work, nooks and crannies that give this place a sense of mystery. I inquired about vacancy but the cheapest room on short notice was $250. I was so tired and in of a deep cleaning that I almost said, “Heck why not?” However, my practical side took over and convinced me to find some place cheaper. The lady at the desk gave me a list of all the inns in the park and I called every single one of them. I finally found a spot at the Village Inn at Apgar. Now keep in mind I was super tired, in need of a shower and a solid nights sleep and therefore was a bit cranky when I found out a few things the lady didn’t mention on the phone about the hotel. I checked in and they gave me my card to a first floor room. It was cute and quaint but it didn’t have a/c (there was a box fan in the closet) nor a telephone in case of an emergency. The manager actually told me that if I needed help immediately then I should bang on my wall to alert my neighbors. I was like, really dude?! You only get cell service if you have Verizon. I did complain a little because none of this was mentioned when I booked the room via telephone. (When traveling alone it is always safety first.) So after a bit of battle they gave me a room on the second floor that was less noisy and a bit more secure. I didn’t want anyone crawling through my first floor window. (The windows have flimsy locks.)
After I showered and scrubbed my teeth I was ready for an ice-cold beer and snacks. I was way too tired to put any effort into eating a proper dinner so I moseyed on down to the little market and picked up a six-pack of local IPA brew, some sugar snap peas and cheese. (I fell of the vegan wagon after an amazing french dessert in Oregon…but I am back on it and my body is happy again!)
(side note: this guy running the coffee shop this morning as the best playlists. I don’t even need ear plugs!)
After vlogging (is that even a word for video blogging?..lol), I crawled into a nice big comfy bed with comfy pillows and totally drifted into a deep deep slumber. HEAVEN dudes, heaven! I woke up so wide-eyed and refreshed that I did not want to leave my hotel room for the next several days but at $180 a night , I did just that but not before brewing TWO cups of coffee simultaneously!!! For an obsessed coffee lover like me I was so stoked that I had a cup of coffee in each hand. I drank those two and then brewed two more! BLISS! While drinking my coffees…hahaha, I took a time lapse video.
The clouds were sparse but still it was fun to tinker around with time lapse. I really could have stayed there for days on end. Oh, to have unlimited funds and live the life of luxury but I don’t want nice hotels and comfy beds all the time. I want to feel the elements and sleep under the stars, I much prefer that. After that I packed up my room and crossed the parking lot to a giant wooded area designated for camping. To pop my tent was only $20 a night. There weren’t any showers but there were nice bathrooms and potable water. Hahaha! I spent that night testing out bear spray. Note to anyone who has never sprayed bear spray before. DO NOT spray it toward a tree! Even if you are good ten feet away because that stuff comes out like a canon, bounces off the tree and right into your eyes and throat! My eyes burned a little for the next half hour and I swear my throat was going to peel off in layers. The lessons we learn while out on adventure! 😀
Up next, the alluring beautiful spot I found along the McDonald River.
~Lori
“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow