My first time to Montana! Glacier National Park, Whitefish and Missoula
Hannah Fleming
Following Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene, we spent a few days in Montana. We anticipated sore legs, so planned on this being a “get familiar” with Glacier National Park trip, with the expectation of making it back to do some of the bigger hikes. Mother Nature was looking out for our well-being, and even gave us a few “forced rest days” in the form of non-stop rain. Despite the gloomy weather, we made the best of our time in Montana!
Glacier National Park
Camping: We reserved a spot at the KOA in Whitefish just outside of the park, with the intention of getting up early the next morning to get a first-come first-serve spot inside. We had a feeling with the rainy weather, we might get lucky and be able to snag one the first day we arrived, and we did! We stayed at Apgar Campground. It had showers, restrooms, a gift shop, and a few restaurants. For us, it was convenient how close we were to the visitor center and the park entrance, as we knew we would need some rainy day suggestions! (Pro tip: some National Parks have a campground status website now - here is Yellowstone's)
What to do (when it’s raining almost the entire time)
Going to the Sun Road - With rainy skies and fog hanging low in the valley, there was really only one thing we could do - drive Going to the Sun Road and hope the clouds clear. After stopping at a few overlooks and meandering down a few trails, the clouds begin to clear and we saw the sun for the first time!
Logan Pass - At the top of Logan Pass we luckily found a parking spot, after circling for 15-20 minutes. Keep in mind this is a destination in the park, so get there early if you can. We hiked along the Hidden Lake trail, which was still covered with quite a bit of snow. Make sure to always carry sunglasses, even on overcast days. The reflection off the snow was harsh on my unprotected eyes!
Lake McDonald – Great sunset spot!
Get Ice Cream!
Board Games - luckily my Mom taught me to always bring something to do when it rains. Come prepared with a deck of cards, Yahtzee, chess, ConnectFour, whatever your game is, bring it!
@benjamintfleming
Hidden Lake @benjamintfleming
Lake McDonald
@benjamintfleming
Whitefish Mountain Resort (just outside of Glacier)
A few hour break in the rain led us to Whitefish Mountain Resort to get in as many downhill laps as we could. $50 for an all-day pass, with access to 25 miles of trails!
Rattlesnake National Forest - Missoula, MT
With clearer weather south of Glacier, we cut the trip short and headed back to Missoula for some awesome single track in Rattlesnake National Forest! The trails were steep, flowy, and dry!
Overall, This trip wasn’t what we had planned, but it was exactly what we needed! Some much needed time outside, relaxing and recovering!
@ Whitefish Mountain Resort
@ Whitefish Moutain Resort