Tuesday, July 15, 2008

June 19 pictures - Mountains and Waterfalls


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Time for more vacation photos. These are as you guessed, from June 19. This day we drove to Waterton Lakes National Park (spent a couple of hours) and then drove on Going to the Sun Road for as much as we could of it.

Going to the Sun Road is this awesome road that spans 40 miles from West Glacier to St. Mary, and it goes right through the heart of the park. However, because of the high elevations, and because it was cut right through the mountain, there are many parts of the year that the road is closed. Unfortunately, the road hadn't even opened for the season while we were there. So...you could go about 12 miles up on side and 13 miles up the other..but then you had to turn back around and go back down the way you came.

The parts we did get to see were breathtaking. I was very disapointed we did not get to drive the whole way. I have heard it was an experience like no other. They said on the very top of the mountain, around Logan's Pass, that the snow drifts were at least 100 feet high!! Also, they have lots of avalanches and so the road was just not passable yet. It was hard to imagine that only a few miles up, these conditions existed, because where we were was very temperate and beautiful.

These first few pics were of one of the stops on Going to the Sun Road. I can't remember which one exactly. But aren't they beautiful? The one below is of course, my dad. I thought it turned out good. Actually, I'm kind of disapointed in the quality of these pics displaying on here. The actual photo itself is much superior to the version being shown. I think this is a drop shots thing. Not sure. These photos appear sort of blurry or grainy to me and the actual photos just aren't like that. I hope it isn't too distracting.


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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books



As we drove along, I saw these pretty flowers that I had to get a shot of.


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These next two shots were of one of the most beautiful scenes I think. The below picture is of St. Mary Lake. In the second shot below, the island in the middle is called "Wild Goose Island".
This was what we saw at the BOTTOM of Going to the Sun Road. Can you imagine what scenery would have been waiting for us at the top? I can't imagine.

In fact, going back to Glacier National Park and traveling Going to the Sun Road (the whole way) is one thing that I am putting on my "Bucket List" or things I want to do before I die. It was just breathtaking.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books





Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books





Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


The last couple of pictures were of a lake that was on the Going to the Sun Road. The water was crystal clear and the way you could see the rocks through the glass-like water was just so cool.

Going to the Sun Road and the scenery we saw in the day and a half we were at Glacier National park was probably the favorite part of our entire trip. I will leave you with a narrative from the back of a book I purchased called "Going to the Sun Road by C.W. Guthrie. The following is from the back cover:

"Traveling Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road is an experience like no other.

Crafted over a steep and unforgiving route - one that some thought impossible - the Going-to-the-Sun-Road spans 50 miles from West Glacier to St. Mary, taking travelers through the heart of Glacier. This marvel of engineering offers visitors some of the most awe-inspiring views in the world as it traverses the Garden Wall, with its 1,000 foot drops, crosses the Continental Divide at 6,646-foot Logan Pass, and winds its way through the magnificent mountains and along the shore of St. Mary Lake.

Park officials, landscape architects, construction engineers, and countless laborers toiled nearly 20 years to carve a road that least damaged the magnificent country it crosses - something that had never been done before on so large a scale. It was designed to harmonize with the landscape in such a way as to be almost unseen.

One of the most scenic highways in the world, the Going-to-the-Sun-Road set the standard for all national parks. It is the best of its kind."

5 comments:

Rebekah said...

The other day I rode out to check on our tobacco field with Chuck. There along the rusty gate were some beautiful wild flowers.

I thought to myself- I could see Dana wanting to stop here to take some pictures.

LOL- I tried to remind myself to take my camera the next day but I forgot. The flowers against the fence would have made such a great picture

The Ramblin Irishman said...

Dana,
Loved the pic's. It brought back memories of when Cheryl and I went there. I am sure you can appreciate my comments on Yellowstone after being to Glacier. Gorgeous, simply gorgeous.

ALF said...

When I was there the Going to the Sun road was also closed because of all the fires. At least you got to see some of it!

Robyn said...

Just breathtaking! I love travelling vicariously with you! :)

Kelly Curtis said...

Gorgeous! I so want to go there again!