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Your Basic National Park Trip

Started by stromboli, September 03, 2014, 09:29:42 PM

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stromboli



Your basic Subaru Outback loaded for a 12 day camping trip. We have a carrier for the wife's wheelchair, but since this was a straight driving trip and no hiking or such, we elected to leave it home. It mounts on the trailer hitch. This is Beverhead National Forest about 350 miles from home, 50 miles southwest of Butte Montana. A "primitive" campsite- meaning no water- and free.

I miss my truck.  :sad2:


stromboli



The only wildlife there. The flower is a Silky Lupine.

The camera, by the way, is a Canon SX50, which is a high end point and shoot with a 50X zoom lens and image stabilization. Too inept/too cheap to buy an SLR. I let the camera do the work.

stromboli



More wildflowers. Yellow Wild Roses and Scarlet Skyrocket, which are pretty common. Similar to Indian Paintbrush, which is also common.

stromboli



Big Sky country. This is the road South of Shelby, Montana. We left on a Friday and this is Sunday. The trick is to get into the campgrounds before 10:00 on a weekday, preferable Monday. Most National Parks don't have many reserve campsites. This is our 12th nationa park.

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This is a "wow!" shot. Monday morning West of Browning at about 8:00, 60 miles from the park. This is the high plains of Montana, nothing but grass covered rolling hills. There was nothing but blue haze ahead. Then suddenly- mountains. Really gets your attention.

stromboli

#5


Picture taken from West Glacier, which is the Southwest gate. There are actually 4, but two of them- West Glacier and St. Mary's, are at opposite ends of the Going To The Sun Road. Everything else is just trees and lakes. The Park is built around the GTTSR, which was completed in 1932. The road is as much a marvel as the scenery.

Glacier buts the Canadian border and is considered an International Peace Park because it joins with Waterton National Park in Canada, which was actually designated before Glacier. I guess the idea is so we don't have to go to war with Canada, or some such.  :think:

The reason we went there is because Apgar Campground and Visitor Center is the terminal for the park shuttles, making it easier for my wife to get around. Apgar is also the biggest campground and on the shore of Lake McDonald.

stromboli



Your basic mountains-looming-in-the-distance-late-day-shot.

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Your basic "This-is-how-(bleep)-narrow-and-steep-the-road-is-shot"

Word of advice. If you go to a national park, don't drive a car that doesn't have a top notch coooling system. Most parks are quite mountainous.

stromboli



Your basic "glaciated-peak-looming-in-the-distance" shot.

stromboli

#9


A telephoto shot. This is an unnamed falls Northeast of the GTTSR,  a good half mile from where I took the shot.

stromboli



This is from St. Mary's Lake, a way too expensive hour and a half ($50 for 2) boat trip. Nice pictures though.


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St. Mary's Falls. Actually much higher than this, but this is where it hits the lake. Half a Canadian tourist for scale.

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The next morning before sunrise. This is the West Glacier end, just past McDonald Lake.

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Another "Holy (bleep!) I'm this high up?" shot.