I’ve contemplated for a while what to say about the past few days. But there are no words. For me to describe Glacier, or at least how I saw it, would not due. It’s a place everyone needs to see for themselves. It’s a place that doesn’t look real, it’s just a postcard, or a picture out of national geographic. Where there are mountains, there are waterfalls, especially if the mountains are covered with glaciers. Taking pictures was more frustrating than ever. I continuously took pictures trying desperately to capture a fragment of its grandness, but alas, no justice. If there was any way to describe Glacier National Park, it would start with “Wow”.
The first day was pretty laid back. Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake hikes. Those may have been my favorite hikes. Avalanche Lake was like a hidden treasure. It’s the moment that made me realize that this place is indescribable. The Trail of the Cedars I especially enjoyed although it was an incredibly easy walk. It was a half mile long, no elevation gain, on a boardwalk. It made me realize a few things, a couple of them about myself. I realized that I liked these hikes because I didn’t necessarily have to watch where I was stepping. I could merely enjoy my surroundings without having to worry about tripping or slipping. I noticed colors, shapes, growth patterns, animals, sounds, and other minor details. I was immersed in my surroundings. It was something I hadn’t enjoying so much before. My entire life I’ve had goals, and I’ve attained many of them. I got from point A to point B. But what I failed to do is enjoy everything in between. I didn’t miss everything, but I didn’t take time to live in the moment. It brought the phrase “stop and smell the roses” to a whole new meaning. Perhaps I have new eyes on the world, or at least a little better.
Next day was mostly dedicated to the west side of the park. Bowman Lake, Apgar Lake, Poleridge, and then headed to the east side on Going-to-the-Sun Road. The lakes are gorgeous. They looked like one of those challenging 1000-piece puzzles. Everything that day was surreal. I constantly had to remind myself of where I was and what I was looking, and that everything around me was, in fact, real. They say Going-to-the-Sun Road is the most beautiful road in the U.S. I don’t have a single doubt that it is. It was the one time where road construction was an advantage. It gave me more time to soak up the falls, the mountains, the lakes, the valleys and everything else it had to offer.
More hikes the next day – Hidden Lake overlook, St Mary’s and Virginia Falls, Eagle Falls, and Appistoki Falls. The Hidden Lake hike was awful. It was a short climb, but it was on snow. Yes, in the middle of summer and there’s snow everywhere. Going up the only real annoyance was snow in my shoe (hiking sandals). I got to see marmots and mountain goats. Loved the mountain goats and the hike was OK. On the way down however, it was a different story. Going down a slippery trail where you have a steep snow covered hill was something I couldn’t handle. After going over a “tough spot” I broke down and cried. It wasn’t like the Corbin Cabin hike where my body gave up. This burst of tears came from an overwhelming fear that I hadn’t felt before. I sucked it up and moved on. There was only one way off this path and it was down back to the car. Carefully continuing the hike, as people passed me with ease, I started to cry again. It didn’t bother me that I others didn’t share my concern of falling off a mountain, but it was the realization of why I had the fear to begin with, and the feeling of helplessness that I wouldn’t be able to change this about myself. I cried almost the rest of the way down, still being tactful about each and every step. Luckily I was wearing my sunglasses and it was difficult to notice my state. I wanted to be alone even though I was surrounded by many. This made the rest of the day drag, and left me emotionally and mentally exhausted. The hike to each of the falls was rejuvenating though. The hike to St. Mary’s Falls and continuing to Virginia Falls offered a surprise. A no-name falls in between, which also happens to be more beautiful than the other two.
The final day at Glacier was interesting. I went up as far as I could on the Swift Current hike. It was a good thing I didn’t go up any higher because it started raining on the way back, and I would have had another breakdown if I was on the side of a mountain while it was raining. Just saying. It was a beautiful hike, especially on the way back in the rain. The rain had washed away all the dust and shown the rock of its true nature. It was called Red Rock Lake for a reason. It was so different on the way back that it made me question if this was the trail taken on the way to the mountain. It was beautiful, and it was a great way to end the Glacier trip. I think this would be a place I would go back to. I’d like to be in better shape for the more difficult hikes, and hopefully be less fearful of heights and these monsters that people call mountains. And perhaps I will see more sights that make these past “wow’s” seem like “ehh...”
08/02/11-08/04/11
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