Wow. What more can you say?

Lake McDonald is the largest lake in the park, 10 miles long and 472 feet deep. A massive glacier over a mile thick filled and carved this U-shaped valley.

Here we see Lake McDonald from Apgar Lookout. Lake McDonald sits at the west entrance to the park, and there is a nice lodge with cabins on its shore. The lodge is about a mile from the far end of the lake in this photo, on the right side. On the left you can see where the 2003 fire burned Howe Ridge. 2003 was a historic fire year for Glacier NP when 145,000 acres or 10% of the park burned.

Garden Wall

You can see the Continental Divide from the shores of Lake McDonald. Here the setting sun lights up the Garden Wall.

Morning Fog

Morning fog on Lake McDonald.

Peaceful Place

Theresa is enjoying a little nap on a tree that has fallen along the shore of Lake McDonald, with Stanton Mountain rising high above in the background.

Sunset Over Lake McDonald

Apgar Lookout (where the first photo was taken) is the bump in the center of this photo.

Fire of 2003

As you hike up to Apgar Lookout, you walk through a forest burned in the 2003 fire. Some people may look at this photo and see destruction and death, while others may see light and all the new life that has sprung up to replace the burned forest. Perhaps it would be better if these tree snags were to fall and clear the view, but we think their silver trunks look divine against the deep blue Montana sky.

Avalanche Chute

The Avalanche Chute is a rock gorge carved into unique shapes by jets of rushing water. We noticed a log caught in a whirlpool and wondered how long it would remain there? We stared as it spun round and round going nowhere fast. Have you heard about the three things at which humans tend to stare? A bubbling brook, a crackling fire, and a Zamboni circling an ice rink. Apparently we can add "whirlpool log" to the list.

Avalanche Lake

Our weather in Montana that first week of September was incredible: warm sun, cool breeze, and clean fresh air. In spite of a few wildfires south of the park, the air here was cleaner than anyplace we have visited except perhaps Denali in Alaska. The result was a blinding sun during the day and a spectacular showing of the Milky Way at night.

There was only one day of bad weather–the day we visited Avalanche Lake. The weather stayed clear enough to enjoy our lunch at the pretty glacial lake. But just as we were leaving, clouds swooped in with a chilly wind and much-needed rain. It’s amazing how the temperature in Montana can fall 30 degrees or more in a matter of minutes. Glacier actually holds the world record for the largest one-day temperature drop, losing 100 degrees from +44 to -56 degrees Farenheit over 24 hours in January 1916. In most parks you want to bring an extra layer of clothing on the hiking trail, but in Glacier NP you need at least two.

Rainbows above West Glacier

The city of West Glacier sits just outside the Lake McDonald area of the park. This is where you will find the best restaurants and souvenir shops in the area. Here we are treated to a double rainbow. So are there two pots of gold?

Next: Many Glacier >>