Apgar Lookout

On our second day at Glacier we decided to hike to the Apgar lookout at the west end of the park.The eastern edge of Glacier is closed to the public. This decision was made by the tribe who live in East Glacier. Although it is not possible to take the complete "Road To The Sun" trip, you can go as far as the last ten miles or so. The Apgar lookout trailhead is in West Glacier. I read the description of the hike in a book but promptly forgot the details. I knew the hike was 3.8 miles in and 3.8 miles out. What I did not know was the first 3.8 miles is entirely uphill. The weather was cold and cloudy when we started out. The clouds hid the steep elevation ahead of us which was probably a good thing. The road doesn't seem so steep when you can't see ahead. Eventually we walked up high enough to be above the clouds. As we zig zagged up the hairpin turns to the lookout the clouds began to clear. My heart was pounding hard as we climbed.

At the top we climbed up a fire tower to eat our lunch and rest. Two mule deer frolicked about. Then we started hiking down. Hiking down is easier on the heart and lungs but not so easy on the knees.

Some very tall trees were burned years ago and the forest just grows up around them. By the time we get back to the trailhead the temperature is 30 degrees warmer than when we started. We took another drive up the "Going To The Sun" road just to enjoy the views and catch another glimpse of any wildlife. As we exited West Glacier I noticed the sign on the train station said Belden. Many years ago I took my Grandmother on an Amtrak trip to Belden, Montana. We rented a room in a hotel.  I rented a car so she could see the mountains. I looked for Belden, Montana on maps but could not find it. I was happy to see the railroad sign marking the stop as Belden which is now known as West Glacier. On that trip my Grandmother and I rode on the "Going To The Sun" road as far as we could go. A ten foot thick pile of snow stopped us from going further. We went in the early spring before the road could be plowed open. I took Offspring #2 to Glacier National Park when she was a teenager. We parked at Logan Pass and hiked up to the glacier. We hiked on the glacier for a while before a dark cloud came over the mountain and rain threatened. I remember being very frustrated by the hike down because Offspring #2 was running while slipping and sliding and having a great old time. I, on the other hand, carefully walked down the glacier like a penguin while young kids and teenagers whizzed by me. This makes my third trip to Glacier National Park. I definitely would enjoy another visit.