Glacier National Park, Going to the Sun Road

Copyright 2017, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

On July 25    

2013

We finally got to the Going to the Sun Road.

My emotions were high, my expectations even higher.  We decided to take the trolley/buses to Logan's Pass.  This is a great service for those that are a bit leery of driving mountain roads themselves.   I am so very glad we did the bus thing for Man.  He got to gaze and look and never have to take his eyes OFF the landscape.  That is a rare treat for my driver supreme.  For me.  Well, not so much.  I found the crowds to be upsetting, noisy, some of the little ones very wild and the parents of same little ones did not seem to care that their little ones were playing in the middle of the bus driving/parking area.  Waiting for the buses on an extremely busy  HOT summer day, well, ok, I'm spoiled and I was tired and well, my patience was thin, to non-existent.  My bad.  The photographer in me was very disappointed.  I have yet to figure out how to take acceptable (to me) photo out of a bus window.

For example, here is a photo.  Probably a fat finger photo, but, still it shows the issues, frame and reflections/glare.

I included this one to show some more glare.  If you look closely in the blue sky you will see the word "Logan's Pass" in the sky. The reflection is from the digital screen over the driver.  It's backwards, but, it's there. LOL

Same photo, seriously cropped.  There are other methods to digitally enhance/edit, cropping on this one is not the best approach.  Still, it's a pretty shot, what with the river in the foreground.  Yes, the foreground, is a bit out of focus, we were rolling, shows movement??  LOL

Working our way up the mountain.

As you will see, I took several shots of this mountain.

Shot through the front windshield, a bit of zoom and a lot of luck.

Still rolling, here's that mountain and the snow/glaciers.  Interesting note, from what we learned during our visit at Glacier, the number of glaciers is down from 150 in 1850. Now, a glacier is not snow pack.  A glacier is snow packed over time that actually MOVES, from the weight of the snow. Depending on the source you use, they say that all glaciers in Glacier National Park will be gone by 2020 or 2030.  There are currently about 25 active glaciers in the park.

Now, I believe this is Bridal Veil Falls.  I will stand corrected if someone knows otherwise. Please let me know.

We may have stopped for this photo op, I am not sure 4 years later.  I can tell you that Sony and I used a lot of zoom to capture this.

In attempts to get photos, I even shot out the long thin windows of the van/bus.  I know, right??  LOL  Laughter aside, it is an interesting shot, even showing a bit of depth (almost 3 dimensional).

Another pretty water fall.  I love water falls.  By looking at the tree in the foreground, I can tell you this one was taken while rolling.

Logan's Pass.   6,647 feet.  Very little snow, and it is hard to believe that some springs they find 90 FEET of snow drifted over the Going to the Sun Road when they begin plowing.

I'll show you more photos from our stop at Logan's Pass next time.  Flowers, hiking, creatures.

Information about the shuttle bus services can be found here.

See ya soon at Logan's Pass (well, the 2013 version of our visit there).




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Hungry Horse Dam, West Shore State Park at Flathead Lake

Copyright 2017, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

In July     2013   We are visiting the area surrounding Glacier National Park.  Even tho we had recently visited Libby Dam, we decided to run up to Hungry Horse Dam.  And, in the same day, we drove down to West Shore State Park at Flathead Lake.   

The dam building began in July of 1948, and the power plant started up in 1952, the dam itself was completed in 1953. Here we are looking down.  It was BIG!  One of the brochures claims it is 564 feet high and the crest is 2115 feet long.

Yes, you can drive it, or walk it, we chose to walk at least part of it.

In the 1990's, the generators produced up to 428,000 kilowats of electricity, they say, that is enough to power about 270,000 homes.  The power is sold and the funds are used to pay for the construction costs and the maintenance of the entire "Hungry Horse Project".

Resting Sony on the walls, looking down to Hungry Horse Reservoir.

I cannot remember exactly where this was, and the GPS on Sony and Google Photos did not tell me.  No matter, so pretty, who really cares??

On our way from Hungry Horse to Flathead Lake.  Picturesque, yes, indeed.

This is the West Shore State Park at Flathead Lake. The clear water was gorgeous.

A little ride on a personal watercraft to wile the afternoon away.

And, what have we here?  This is north of the state park, in a geographic area Google maps called Somers.  I saw this nest on our way to the park and we managed to find a place to pull off on the way back to Tana.  Thanks to Sony zoom.  Osprey.

I never saw any chicks.

I do note that this was near the Flathead Salmon Hatchery - - dinner is served.

I had fun getting these captures.  As far as I know, these still may be the best Osprey photos I have snapped.

And, I cannot tell you exactly where this is, so, if you know where this "horse and buggy" are, please let me know.

The next day, July 25th, we would spend many hours in Glacier National Park, destination, Going to the Sun Road and Logan's Pass.

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