Spent the last four days in West Glacier. July is the prime month for Glacier National Park and the crowds have definitely arrived. It is easier to get to, so I imagine it is always more crowded than the St. Mary area. The Apgar campground is in a wooded area and next to a lake. Lots of people here are into boating and rafting (on the rivers).
Ironically, the first day I was here I drove back 30 miles on I-2 to Goat Lick Overlook. Mountain goats gather here to lick the mineral rich rocks. They have made narrow trails on the hills all around the area. If you Google Goat Lick Overlook, the number one item is a pdf document that tells all about it. A special overpass was even built for the goats, so they would not have to cross the highway.
While watching some goats at the overpass, this goat ran out of the bushes past me. Later I saw it rolling in the dirt, maybe trying to get rid of it’s winter coat.
The next thing on my agenda was to drive up the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. It is one of the most scary drives I’ve taken in my truck, without my trailer. It should be a one lane road. Driving in a vehicle smaller than a full-sized pick-up truck would help as well. I just wanted to drive it once, so I could stop where I wanted. Next time I’ll take the free shuttle the park offers.
Above: the Weeping Wall.
There were both mountain goats and big horned sheep in the parking lot at Logan Pass.
In the campground at Apgar finally found out which bird it is with the distinctive song you often hear in the woods: a Swainson’s thrush. It has a “Song flute-like, spiraling upward”.
The campground has a nice paved bike/hike path that goes to West Glacier. You are not supposed to hike alone at Glacier because of bears. I road my bike on their beautiful bike path and, what do you know, I came across a bear (below). It just briefly glanced at me, being intent on looking for food. It was the color of a grizzly, but believe it was a black bear. All the bears I’ve seen at Glacier have seemed very healthy.
I had taken a point and shoot camera, so I wouldn’t have to take the larger DSLR. Have to learn how to use the darn thing.
They say that the glaciers in Glacier National Park will be gone in 10 to 20 years. The warmer weather they now have has brought more beetle damage to their trees, as evidenced by the many dead trees you see. Also, alpine areas that goats and other animals depend on, is expected to disappear.