Glacier National Park..

If you've ever wanted to hike over challenging terrain amid absolutely breathtaking scenery , this is the place for you. Hiking trails are long, steep, remote and abundant. There are camping sites that one can get to only by foot. Most campgrounds even have sites reserved especially for backpackers. There are plenty of other outdoor activities to partake of besides hiking, but the park is a walker's paradise. You may also get to see wildlife, flowers, and plants that are unique to this area.

My wife Kris and I arrived at Glacier the day after Labor Day, 1995, expecting the park to be nearly empty and campsites readily available. Instead, there were only a few left at the campground we selected - Many Glaciers in the Northeast quadrant of the park . Most facilities, including lodges, campgrounds, and concessions were still open, but we found out that this park pretty much closes up in mid-September.

We were prepared for changeable weather, and we were not disappointed. Our first night in the park was cool and rainy. Even though the next day dawned overcast and misty, we were able to spot mountain goats high above us on Grinnell Mountain . After carbo-loading at the campground restaurant, we set off on the Iceberg Lake trail. We hadn't gone far before some fellow hikers pointed out a black bear feeding on berries a few hundred feet above the trail.

There are both grizzly and black bears in the park, and backpackers occasionally encounter these behemoths, with negative results for both. Some hikers purchase walking sticks with bells attached, while others keep up a running conversation. I tromp along like an elephant anyway, so I wasn't too worried, but in areas where short sight distances increased the possibility of startling a bruin, I resorted to singing Frank Zappa (he sings in my key, h flat) to make sure the bears knew I was there. We were lucky enough to spot a family of grizzlies high on Altyn Peak during our stay at Many Glaciers.

After a brief respite at Ptarmigan Falls, about halfway up the trail, we hiked along the side of a cirque to the approaches of Iceberg Lake. This lake is aptly named, as even in high summer, there are blocks of ice floating in the icy blue waters. This hike is only about four miles, but the lake is over a thousand feet higher than the trailhead. Besides the spectacular lake, you will find colorful wildflowers and friendly Colombian ground squirrels along the way.

There are plenty of things to do in this park besides hiking. If you're footsore, try a horseback ride. Or, you can take a boat ride on St. Mary Lake. Allow a full day for a round-trip drive over the Continental Divide on Going to the Sun Drive. The tape we bought at St. Mary Lake turned out to be a good way to learn about the history of the park and the construction of the road as we drove. You'll want to pull over at the many scenic overlooks and perhaps snap a picture or two, and there should be plenty of time for a "side" hike or two.

Sunny weather on the morning we drove west over the devide provided plenty of opportunities for scenic photography. After a quick lunch and huckleberry pie at West Glacier, we headed back accross the Divide. On our way down the East side of the Front Range, we encountered a thunderstorm moving along the foothills of the Rockies. A spectacular rainbow extended completely from St. Mary Lake to the distant foothills. Following a dinner of fresh whitefish from the lake and buffalo steak at St. Mary's we headed back to our campground through a torrential downpour, complete with lightning. After a harrowing drive along the Front Range we headed back into the mountains. We expected our campsite to be drenched. Fortunately, though, the mountains make their own weather. The rain slacked off as we entered the mountains, and when we reached our campsite, we found it dry.

As spectacular as Iceberg Lake in its own way is Avalanche Lake, although the hike to it is only three miles long and climbs just 500 feet or so. This clear, cool lake has three or more tall waterfalls cascading into it from the high cliffs that rise above its far shores.

Our last day in the park, we took a short hike - only a mile, but most of it was nearly straight up (700 feet). We hoped for a close-up view of Appekunny argilite, a rock common in the Many Glacier area. Appekunny Falls are worth the climb, and we were lucky to spot a water ouzel dipping for insects in the clear waters below the falls. This small, grey bird has a comical habit of bobbing up and down as it hops from rock to rock.

There are plenty of other trails to hike in the park, and many of them interconnect, so it is possible to walk hundreds of miles without encountering a road or a human habitation. The Trail Guide to Glacier & Waterton Lakes National Parks by Erik Molvar, published by Falcon Press Publishing Co,Inc., Helena Montana, is an excellent resource. We picked up a copy at the campground store.

If you go to Glacier, be prepared for changeable weather, bring plenty of warm clothes, rain gear, and lots of film for your camera. You might also want to get one of those recyclable panoramic cameras if your camera doesn't have a panoramic setting. A pair of flat-soled boots or shoes are nice to have if you want to ride horseback. Tennis shoes or hiking boots tend to stick in the stirrups.

Despite its remoteness, Glacier is one of the most visited of our National Parks, and for good reason. The spectacular scenery is unmatched anywhere else, and it is the only place in the continental US where you can walk out on a true glacier. Mountain goats, bighorn sheep, grizzly and black bears, and many other animals all make their homes in the park. There are cool lakes and streams to paddle or fish, horseback rides for a change of pace, and campfire programs to attend. If you don't wish to camp there are lodges and motels in and near the park. All in all, a visit to Glacier will be an experience you won't soon forget.