# Glacier National Park in early June?



## DaveNV (May 19, 2011)

So our Glacier NP trip is two weeks away.  The Park's website says the Going To The Sun Road plowing is not going well, due to late-season snows and avalanche dangers. (Although I don't know if the website is up to date.)  But I'm thinking it's not likely to be open for driving during the week we'll be there.

Does anyone who has experienced this situation have any advice to share?  How best can we see the park if we can't reach the primary feature?  Other than some easy hiking, what other options do we have?  We're staying the week at Glacier Wilderness Resort.

Dave


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## Laurie (May 20, 2011)

21 miles of it are open, that's something, and more will probably be open during your stay...

You can check status of other roads here (you probably already know this):
http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm

The Many Glacier area is beautiful, the map shows another road open there (I'm not sure what you'll see and what you'll miss.). 

The Avalanche Lake hike is a good one, trail could still be under snow but looks like you can get to the beginning of it. Bring boots and snowpants...

With any luck you'll be there right after the road opens. We got to drive Grossglocker High Alpine Pass in Austria a day or 2 after opening, when the plows were still going. It was absolutely amazing to watch them, and the miles and miles of pristine landscape was even more so. 

What's too bad is you're apt to miss some of the best walking trails, such as the one at Logan Pass, but that just means you'll have to go back!    There's a lot to see at Glacier, and 2 weeks isn't too many. In the meantime, I'm sure the park HQ will have lots of info on best trails that are accessible.


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## DaveNV (May 20, 2011)

Hi Laurie.  Thanks for the good ideas.  I've been closely watching that website, and that status hasn't changed in a couple of weeks.  I'm hoping it gets better.  I was at Glacier about 15 years ago in the height of Summer, so remember all there was to see and do.  Problem is, if the Park is still snow packed this year, we're wondering what can we still enjoy doing.  We're trying to develop a contingency plan. 

Living in the Pacific Northwest and having just gotten through a terribly wet and extra-snowy Winter, hiking a snowed-in trail isn't really an option.  LOL!  

Dave


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## Laurie (May 20, 2011)

In that case... Flathead Lake is pretty, and the Bison preserve nearby. 

Eat pie at the restaurant on the road between St Mary and Many Glacier area - I think it's Park Cafe.   

Did you do any of the boat tours at Glacier? We did one at Many Glacier, to a trail + hike tho. I looked more closely at the map, and that separate road is definitely how we accessed that park HQ and tour, so at least that boat should be running. Lake Macdonald I'm sure has a boat...

Glacier Wilderness Resort has a beautiful waterfall on site, but maybe snow on the trail.


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## DaveNV (May 20, 2011)

Laurie said:


> In that case... Flathead Lake is pretty, and the Bison preserve nearby.
> 
> Eat pie at the restaurant on the road between St Mary and Many Glacier area - I think it's Park Cafe.
> 
> ...




Great ideas.  Thanks!  It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.  

Dave


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## NWL (May 20, 2011)

Winter hung on a bit longer this year.  The plowing of the Going to the Sun Road will continue until it stops snowing up there.  They want to open the road just as much as you want to drive it.     There's always the option of driving up from the west side as far as you can go one day, then driving around the park on Hwy 2 to the east side and driving up the road as far as you can go from there on another day.  Here's a link to the road report web site:

http://www.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm

As for other possible activities, the rafting should be excellent this year.  Here's a link to a raft company in the area:

http://www.greatnorthernresort.com/

The owners are also one of our newest distillery competitors (although they are concentrating on whiskey while we concentrate on vodka), and they have a fancy new tasting room.  Perfect for a rainy afternoon.

If you head into Columbia Falls or Whitefish, make sure you take a look at our new billboard along Hwy 2 outside Columbia Falls.  I'd post a pic, but I'd probably get dinged for advertising.   

Cheers!


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## DaveNV (May 20, 2011)

NWL said:


> Winter hung on a bit longer this year.  The plowing of the Going to the Sun Road will continue until it stops snowing up there.  They want to open the road just as much as you want to drive it.     There's always the option of driving up from the west side as far as you can go one day, then driving around the park on Hwy 2 to the east side and driving up the road as far as you can go from there on another day.  Here's a link to the road report web site:
> 
> http://www.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm
> 
> ...




Thanks, Nancy!  If the weather gets awful, maybe we can curl up by the fire in the cabin with a glass of your favorite spirit...   

Dave


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## NWL (May 20, 2011)

BMWguynw said:


> Thanks, Nancy!  If the weather gets awful, maybe we can curl up by the fire in the cabin with a glass of your favorite spirit...
> 
> Dave



Absolutely!  Early June will definitely have some chilly nights.  We'll be featured in all of the restaurants in the park this summer, but for retail purchases, I believe the Hungry Horse Liquor Store (on Hwy 2 on the way to Columbia Falls and Whitefish) is the closest.  We have a new coffee infusion, too.  We teamed up with our local coffee roaster, Montana Coffee Traders, for that one!

Here's a link for the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce that has a monthly calendar of events for the Whitefish and Flathead areas:

http://whitefishchamber.org/whitefish_event_calendar.php

Cheers!


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## Laurie (May 20, 2011)

Oh yeah, we did a 1/2 day scenic float trip there - not sure what company we used but we enjoyed it. So you have lots of water options!


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## NWL (May 20, 2011)

Lake McDonald Lodge opens tomorrow to visitors so you know you can get that far on the Going to the Sun road.   

BTW, are you driving to Glacier or flying?

Cheers!


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## DaveNV (May 20, 2011)

NWL said:


> Lake McDonald Lodge opens tomorrow to visitors so you know you can get that far on the Going to the Sun road.
> 
> BTW, are you driving to Glacier or flying?
> 
> Cheers!





Thanks to both you and Laurie for the great tips.  We won't have a problem filling our days I'm sure.  Really looking forward to this trip - my first vacation in almost a year.  I'm so ready!

We're flying from Seattle to Missoula, getting a 4WD SUV rental car, then driving up to the park.  We'll stop in Kalispell for the basics for the week, then drive to the Park and on to Glacier Wilderness Resort.  On the way back we turn in the rental in Kalispell, and fly home from there.  

Doing the multi-city flight was actually the same price as to/from Kalispell, but the rental car was less than half price.  I've driven the route before, and wanted to see Flathead Lake, maybe even stop at the Bison Range again.  I love it up there.

Dave


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## NWL (May 21, 2011)

BMWguynw said:


> Thanks to both you and Laurie for the great tips.  We won't have a problem filling our days I'm sure.  Really looking forward to this trip - my first vacation in almost a year.  I'm so ready!
> 
> We're flying from Seattle to Missoula, getting a 4WD SUV rental car, then driving up to the park.  We'll stop in Kalispell for the basics for the week, then drive to the Park and on to Glacier Wilderness Resort.  On the way back we turn in the rental in Kalispell, and fly home from there.
> 
> ...



Here's an article from the local paper on the road clearing:

http://dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_dee5adba-833b-11e0-99b6-001cc4c03286.html

For shopping in Kalispell, Costco, Target, and Super Walmart are here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=...local_group&ct=image&resnum=4&ved=0CAQQtgMwAw

Super 1 supermarket in Columbia Falls and the O'brien's Liquor and Wine (buy a bottle of our vodka and get a free t-shirt if any are left) are located here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?jsid=2&...a=X&ei=3efXTfyaMqbZ0QHK49D7Aw&ved=0CAIQkwMwAg

If you need any other info for purchases, let me know!

Cheers!


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## Darlene (May 21, 2011)

Take your winter coats, hats, and gloves, and you will need water proof boots for hiking because the trails will still have snow. Think layers!
Even if you can not go over the Going to the Sun Road, you can drive around to get to the other side of the park. 
The resort is great and has an indoor pool, and hot tub on the deck of each unit. 
Even here in Utah, our mountains are still covered in snow and a lot of the campgrounds are still closed and under snow. They were warning people not to plan to go camping over Memorial Day in the north part of the state. The roads in the High Uintas here are not plowed either, and they say they will not open until late July. 
That being said, with a little preparation you can still have a great time and be able to enjoy the beauty that Glacier has to offer.


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## LMD (Jun 13, 2011)

*Glacier*

We were there last June 19-26th. The road to the sun was open half way until the Friday before we left when all the snow was finally clear and we could drive the entire road. We did quite a few hikes. We did a guided on on the East side up to 6000 feet hiking in snow the last mile. There were other trails that were closed due to snow at the higher elevations. Make sure you bring your bear spray! The week before we were there a mama grizzley charged a couple on one of the popular hikes! Luckily she did not attack but the husband pushed the wife out of the way of the bear and when she fell she fractured her arm 
We loved it there and hope to go again sometime later in the summer. Have a great trip!


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## DaveNV (Jun 14, 2011)

We returned from our trip on June 11th.  It was a great time, and we had a lot of fun.  The weather was pretty uncooperative most of the week, but we still had several nice days.

Glacier National Park is currently experiencing "lingering snow," which is their nice way of saying things are still closed in many areas due to the sheer volume of late-season snowfall.  The Going To The Sun road is open only part of the way from each end, but the middle section over Logan Pass is still under many feet of snow.  They're going to be plowing it for quite a while yet.

The Lake McDonald Lodge is open near the end of the open section of the GTTS road, as is the Trail of the Cedars hiking trail.  The road is currently closed just beyond that.

Due to the extra snow pack, the larger animals are staying at lower elevations.  During our trip we saw a black bear, a grizzly bear, a moose, three Bighorn Sheep, two Rocky Mountain Goats, two Mule Deer, and a Bald Eagle.  It was pretty impressive.

We explored as much of the park as we could, and used the rest of the time exploring the towns in the area (Corum, Hungry Horse, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, East and West Glacier, and even Kalispell.)  We enjoyed shopping for local products (LOVED the Flathead Vodka we bought - thanks Nancy!) and the visit to the Flathead Lake Winery in Columbia Falls was a treat.  Very original and innovative winery, and owner Paddy Fleming was an excellent host.

Our stay at Glacier Wilderness Resort was nice, and we'd stay there again.  I'll write a full review of the resort, and submit it for inclusion in the Reviews section of Tug.  I have a resort map (such as it is), and will include photos with my review.

The week ended before we knew it, and today was the first day back at work.  Time sure flies!  After 18 months of waiting to go to Glacier National Park, the trip sure went by in a flash!  Guess it's time to start serious plans for the next trip:  The Manhattan Club in New York City in late September.  Oh yeah!

Dave


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## shagnut (Jun 14, 2011)

I want to go there but I'd want to do the GTTS road so I'd have to do a summer month.  It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Can't wait to see the pics.  shaggy


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## DaveNV (Jun 14, 2011)

shagnut said:


> I want to go there but I'd want to do the GTTS road so I'd have to do a summer month.  It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Can't wait to see the pics.  shaggy




The GTTS road is really a high point of seeing Glacier.  July and August are obviously the best time to go, for that reason alone, as long as there aren't construction delays.  Definitely check the park's website for the latest news.  The park is beautiful at any time of year, but dealing with all that snow kind of limits the sort of thing that can be done outdoors.

I'll post some Glacier shots in this thread when I get them out of the camera, and I'll post pictures of the Glacier Wilderness Resort cabins with my review.  You'll have to use a bit of imagination - the resort map they gave me was drawn with a magic marker.  It's functional, but _very _low-tech.  

Dave


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## DianneL (Jun 14, 2011)

*Going 2012*

I traded in for an August, 2012 week at Crestwood Resort in Whitefish, MT.   We are looking forward to the trip as we have not been to Glacier.  Also looking forward to seeing photos posted.


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## DaveNV (Jun 15, 2011)

*Snow Pack on June 4, 2011*

This image was in the local newspaper at Glacier last week.  They did a fly-over of Logan Pass at the top of the Going To The Sun road.  That snowbound building is the Logan Pass Visitor Center.  There is a LOT of snow left to move before the road will be open.   

Dave


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## jlwquilter (Jun 15, 2011)

We go in two weeks. I sure hope the snow has been dealt with by then. Although DD is so excited to see snow - for the first time she'll be able to remember.

We are also at Crestwood in Whitefish.

We are very excited about the trip and today I am booking our activities... horseback riding and calm water rafting. The rest of the time will be driving and hiking.

Oh! Should I book a boat tour? I forgot about that until now. There's a boat that cuts out some of the hiking around...? Many Glaciers? Drat, I can't remember. Help?


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## DaveNV (Jun 15, 2011)

jlwquilter said:


> We go in two weeks. I sure hope the snow has been dealt with by then. Although DD is so excited to see snow - for the first time she'll be able to remember.
> 
> We are also at Crestwood in Whitefish.
> 
> ...



Whitefish is snow-free in the lower elevations.  There is just mountain snow in many areas, so you shouldn't have any problem in that regard.  You may want to touch base with the tour operators you're using and ask them the current status.

We weren't able to get into the Many Glacier area - the road was still closed.  Again, check with your tour operator.  They were launching the tour boats at St. Mary lake when we were in that area, and the Lake McDonald boat cruise that leaves from the lodge was operating.  We took that boat - it was a nice view of things from the lake, and pretty informative.

It's such a beautiful area, you'll be sure to have a great time.  The only place snow was a factor was on the roads that go pretty high up.  Have a great time!

Dave


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## jlwquilter (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks Dave. That's a great idea - I will contact the providers to see what they are predicting/seeing for the activities. Both are out of Whitefish so are probably fine but better to be sure.

Yes, I think it is St. Mary's boat trip I was thinking of now that you mention it. I research and bookmark a ton of stuff during the planning stages but somehow that one fell thru the cracks. I will go find it next -thanks!


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## Cheryl17 (Jun 16, 2011)

BMWguynw said:


> This image was in the local newspaper at Glacier last week.  They did a fly-over of Logan Pass at the top of the Going To The Sun road.  That snowbound building is the Logan Pass Visitor Center.  There is a LOT of snow left to move before the road will be open.
> 
> Dave



Great photo.  Thanks for posting it.


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## NWL (Jun 19, 2011)

Glad you had a good time despite the weather.  June is always hit or miss.  The GTTSR is still not open all the way.  It keeps snowing up there and raining down here.  The good news is with all the moisture, we won't have to worry about fires around here this year.

Thanks again for your patronage!   

Cheers!


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## DaveNV (Jun 19, 2011)

For those who were curious:  I've just completed and uploaded my review of our stay at Glacier Wilderness Resort.  I was as fair and impartial as I could be.  It's a nice place, not great, but clean and comfortable, with a few drawbacks.  I'd stay there again.  [Moderators:  The TUG resort page says my review is eligible for a review award.  Please consider it in that light.]

I also uploaded a number of images of our cabin and the waterfall on the property, as well as the low-tech resort map they gave me.  These should give more to see than the two very small images already on the resort page.

I'll post images we took of Glacier National Park in this thread.  Still working on editing them down to fit TUG requirements.

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jun 20, 2011)

*Glacier Images, June 2011*

The link below leads to a quickie webpage I just set up, with a few of the images we took at Glacier two weeks ago.  These aren't high quality images, but they'll give you some idea of what incredible beauty Glacier has to offer.  Enjoy!

http://www.skagitvalleylife.net/glacier/images.html

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jun 26, 2011)

*My Review is Posted*

My review of Glacier Wilderness Resort is now posted in the Resort Database section of Tug.  In addition to a full review of the property, there are also a number of inside and outside images of our cabin, and a resort map.  It should give a good idea of what to expect for anyone who will be staying there.

Dave


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## NWL (Jul 13, 2011)

Hey Dave,

I thought you'd like to know the Going to the Sun Road just opened up today.  Better late than never!

Cheers!


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## DaveNV (Jul 13, 2011)

NWL said:


> Hey Dave,
> 
> I thought you'd like to know the Going to the Sun Road just opened up today.  Better late than never!
> 
> Cheers!





Oh sure.  Rub it in!     Over a month after we were there...

Dave


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## NWL (Jul 13, 2011)

BMWguynw said:


> Oh sure.  Rub it in!     Over a month after we were there...
> 
> Dave



I really wasn't trying to rub it in!  I thought you'd feel better knowing you didn't miss by a day or 2.  That would have made me mad!

Cheers!


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## DaveNV (Jul 13, 2011)

NWL said:


> I really wasn't trying to rub it in!  I thought you'd feel better knowing you didn't miss by a day or 2.  That would have made me mad!
> 
> Cheers!





Well, that's true.  Either way, it was an awesome trip.  And I have this amazing bottle of Flathead Coffee Vodka to prove it...  

Dave


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## jlwquilter (Jul 13, 2011)

BMWguynw said:


> Oh sure.  Rub it in!     Over a month after we were there...
> 
> Dave



And just 5 days after we left


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## janej (Jul 13, 2011)

It was over 10 days since we left.  Just wish we stayed in one of the timeshares knowing the road was closed any way.  We had to drive out of the park to get to the other side.

The room in the Motor Inn we stayed near Lake McDonald was filled with at least two dozens of mosquitoes.   My son thought snapping mosquitoes was a family activity.  We drove by Whitefish later.  The town looks very nice.


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## NWL (Jul 13, 2011)

BMWguynw said:


> Either way, it was an awesome trip.  And I have this amazing bottle of Flathead Coffee Vodka to prove it...
> 
> Dave



Thanks Dave!

Cheers!


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## Steve (Jul 14, 2011)

Nancy,

It was fun to read about you and your husband and your business in a recent issue of _*Montana*_ magazine.  I was just reading through the issue and realized that they were talking about...and interviewing...you.

Congrats on your business!

Steve


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## DaveNV (Jul 14, 2011)

Steve said:


> Nancy,
> 
> It was fun to read about you and your husband and your business in a recent issue of _*Montana*_ magazine.  I was just reading through the issue and realized that they were talking about...and interviewing...you.
> 
> ...




And can I add my +1 for their products?  Their coffee-infused vodka is amazing!   

Dave


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## NWL (Jul 14, 2011)

Steve said:


> Nancy,
> 
> It was fun to read about you and your husband and your business in a recent issue of _*Montana*_ magazine.  I was just reading through the issue and realized that they were talking about...and interviewing...you.
> 
> ...





BMWguynw said:


> And can I add my +1 for their products?  Their coffee-infused vodka is amazing!
> 
> Dave



Thanks Steve & Dave!!!  We've been waiting for the article to show up in the magazine.  I guess I better go out and get a copy!  

Cheers!


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## jlwquilter (Jul 20, 2011)

janej said:


> It was over 10 days since we left.  Just wish we stayed in one of the timeshares knowing the road was closed any way.  We had to drive out of the park to get to the other side.
> 
> The room in the Motor Inn we stayed near Lake McDonald was filled with at least two dozens of mosquitoes.   My son thought snapping mosquitoes was a family activity.  We drove by Whitefish later.  The town looks very nice.



The GTTS road being closed hampered us as well and we did stay at Glacier Wilderness Resort.

One the day we went to Many Glaciers the road construction was in full swing. It took us over 2 hours to go 40 miles. It took us almost 4 hours total to get to Many Glaciers. We hiked to the top of the lake and were just in time to catch the last boat back to the hotel. No time to continue on to the lake for me and DD (who had had enough)  as we took the boat back.

DH did hike to the lake by himself and met two very frazzled hikers coming back from the lake that said they had just seen a bear and cub. DH went on to the lake and caught up with them on his way back to the hotel - where they had just run into the bear and cub again. Yep - out popped momma and cub right on the trail ahead of them. DH already had his bear spray ready and just followed all the 'rules' - stayed quiet, lowered his bulk down to seem smaller, inched away very very very slowly. He said the momma definitely knew he was there but didn't seem interested/threatened. After about 20 minutes or so, the bears moved on and DH and the other 2 hikers took the opportunity to pass that section of trail. This all was about 1 1/2 miles from the hotel.

DH said it was very cool, kinda scary and he was totally focused on that bear during the time, trying to be ready for anything. In the stupid way humans are I was disappointed I hadn't been there too but very glad DD wasn't - I am afraid she would have freaked.

FYI - about 2 weeks ago a 57 year old man was killed by a momma bear in GNP. His wife escaped with minor wounds. There may be a great deal more to the story than what was first reported, but that's the bare facts as I read them in the paper.


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## bbodb1 (Oct 31, 2018)

And this thread too - I am hoping some of the previous contributors in this thread night drop back by and tell if Glacier National was still _that _good.


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## DaveNV (Oct 31, 2018)

bbodb1 said:


> And this thread too - I am hoping some of the previous contributors in this thread night drop back by and tell if Glacier National was still _that _good.



Not sure what you’re asking. “That good,” as compared to what? It’s been seven years since I started this thread. What information do you want to know?

Dave


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## Passepartout (Oct 31, 2018)

It's still 'That Good".


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## WinniWoman (Oct 31, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> *Glacier Images, June 2011*
> 
> The link below leads to a quickie webpage I just set up, with a few of the images we took at Glacier two weeks ago.  These aren't high quality images, but they'll give you some idea of what incredible beauty Glacier has to offer.  Enjoy!
> 
> ...



Deleted


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## WinniWoman (Oct 31, 2018)

Deleted


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## LisaH (Oct 31, 2018)

It’s good, but after seeing Banff and Jasper, we think the Canadian Rockies are prettier. Also more glaciers are visible or easily accessible than that in GNP.


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## DaveNV (Oct 31, 2018)

mpumilia said:


> Deleted



Sorry, that domain is long gone. This thread is seven years old. 

Dave


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## bbodb1 (Oct 31, 2018)

LisaH said:


> It’s good, but after seeing Banff and Jasper, we think the Canadian Rockies are prettier. Also more glaciers are visible or easily accessible than that in GNP.


The 2nd part of this vacation will be at Horsethief so I'm hoping we get a good look at the Canadian Rockies from there as well.


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## WinniWoman (Nov 1, 2018)

I have a friend who has been both the the US and Canadian Rockies and she said the US Rockies though beautiful, are no match for the Canadian ones.


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## sue1947 (Nov 1, 2018)

The Rockies encompass a lot of area with a lot of variety.  Trying to compare one to the other is pointless.  Go to as many as possible.  
The Canadian Rockies are spectacular and have more roads into the interior so if you don't want to get out of your car, you can see more.  But you will also see more people.  With Glacier, there is just the one road through the interior and the rest around the outside so you need to get out on the trails to really see the good stuff.  Rocky Mountain National Park is also great but the mountains are different than those to the north.  Not worse but just different.  Yellowstone is somewhat in between but completely different than the other 2.   The further south you go, the less glaciers you will see.   Then there are all those places less hyped because they are outside a National Park and are just as spectacular.  
So many places, so little time.
Sue

PS:  please pick one thread and put all new posts there.


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