A little bit of a backtrack for sure, but I decided to head back to Missoula late after a day in the Park for a shower and real bed before heading back on the road for a while.
My morning was as picturesque as any imaginable. The sunrise lit up the treeline with purple and pink, beckoning me awake as softly as possible. Air in the mountains is chilly and although it made me snuggle into my sleeping bag even more, it also invigorated my excitement for another hike. So after breaking down camp and a small hike around the lakes I headed back to the other side of the park again (yes, a little bit too much back and forth but completely worth it). There, I hopped the shuttle that takes you all the way across the park on the Going To The Sun road. Even though that road gets big attention - it delivers. As soon as the side drops away to valleys and the other side is a wall of rock, there is the thrill of danger, even safely tucked into a bus seat. My intention was to do a shorter day and then head back to Missoula. Hah. Intentions. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, or so they say;) And if changing your plans constantly is hell... well then, I am paving myself a solid gold road there. I got out to hike at Sun Point and my quick walk turned into a lengthier photo tour as I reached the lake, and streams, and gorge. Something about mountain streams is unreal. And I would say indescribable but I will attempt: the water doesn't just flow, it skips and teases its way along rocks whose colors defy explanation. Green rocks aren't just green, they are fresh with water and hints of blue. Red stones have the alien quality of something untouched, something unearthed from eons before humans. Mesmerizing waters.
Therefore, it was already afternoon when I reached Logan Pass. And yet again, my attempts to stop in and stop out were thwarted. Though an easy 1.5 mile walkway leads to the overlook there, the beauty of everything takes any notions of time and snatches them away. Moments turn to minutes turn to ... a missed shuttle bus... and leaving the park well into the evening. But oh so worth it - mountain goats and bighorn sheep littered the hills near the overlook. I cannot get enough of Glacier. Even the people here are exciting - all filled with the same enthusiasm for the beauty of their surroundings.
My treat for finally pulling myself from the Park was a glorious drive through Swan Lake and a moon that literally caused me to gasp out loud. Full and throwing its light over everything in that magical way that only the borrowed light cast from the moon creates. Back in Missoula, I didn't have to tug to hard to convince Jeff that we needed to go hike up the hill and lay out under the huge, white orb in the sky. Ah, Montana, you have stolen my heart...
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