The official summer season is all but over for Glacier National Park and the surrounding communities, but it’s also the start of the quieter autumn “shoulder” season. We took advantage this past weekend with a quick morning trip up to Bowman Lake. Bowman Lake is about 6 miles inside the Park from the northwest entrance by Polebridge. It was an under an hour to get there from our cabin (StepsAway 254). You don’t need 4-wheel drive, but a little ground clearance is helpful.
After the beautiful drive, we were treated to a couple of hours of cloudless, high 60 degree, quiet serenity! The lake was nearly mirror-like, reflecting the mountains and making a couple of the kayakers look like they were floating above the lake’s surface in the distance. Then the quiet was broken… Turn up your volume and have a listen:
This pack of wolves was making it clear that they too were excited that the seasons are changing. There aren’t many places in the lower 48 where you can just sit peacefully and listen to the wolves howl. This is definitely a “hair standing up on the back of my neck” experience.
It was also announced today that the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road has re-opened to visitor traffic. It had been closed following the Howe Ridge Fire‘s infamous Sunday night run. Another reason to visit during the cooler, shoulder season!
We stopped into Freda’s Bar Saturday night after returning from Bowman Lake. It was the last night of the season for them, too, which was apparent from this photo. (To be fair, it was early and the crowd picked up as everyone came in to say their good-bye’s.)
But, seriously, don’t wait until next year to see Glacier National Park. It has so much to offer during every season. (Need proof? See Seasons Through a Cabin Window.) Viewing the fall colors, snow shoeing and XC-skiing are favorite activities. I also know of a group that congregates on the shore of Lake McDonald for sunset cook-out parties no matter the temperature. Come, make your off season memories!
We want to point out to those following our progress (and just in case an IRS auditor is questioning whether we really did any work on our real estate investment this weekend after reading this post), we did finalize the placement of the new sign for StepsAway 244. Harriet, the bear, is a little hard to see in the photo, but she’s as cute as a…, well, a teddy bear in person!
Thanks for the great blog post with that wonderful picture of Bowman Lake and recording of the wolf pack letting you know they own the place. What an experience!
I’ll testify to the work you and Pam have done. Excellent job.
Thanks Hutson!
We knew we wanted signs for the cabins and we spent a long time looking and thinking about them. I think it was Tom that suggested talking to “my bear guy”.
We’ve been going to Glacier for 10 years and I LOVE bears. David at The Art of David Westberg, always has a place set up in Columbia Falls and the past 2 years I’ve been lucky enough to get a large bear for our home in CDA.
Tom talked to him about the sign and I looked over all his bears to find the perfect one to hold it. Harriet cracks me up everytime i look at her. If you’re ever in the market ( and who isn’t) for a chainsaw bear, moose, llama, big horn sheep, just about anything stop and see David, all his items will put a smile on your face. I have 9 chainsaw items, 7 are from David. The other ones I got before I discovered him, there’s a difference!
Stay tuned for the StepsAway 254 sign he’s making this winter for us from his home in Washingtom State.