Waking up in Many Glacier, I took advance of the National Park amenities by having the cheapest thing on the menu: biscuits and gravy and a coffee before heading up Piegan Pass. There seem to be two types of tourists out here. One type asks me if there are any bears ahead, walks scared and one lady even had a panic attack. The second kind really enjoys the trails and the giant peaks, glaciers and lakes surrounding them. These ones are fun to talk to and it’s usually with a smile on their face. The first type make for the good stories. I didn’t see a soul after leaving the Many Glacier area for 10 miles. My only company was a lone bull moose with a giant rack of antlers laying in the grass 20 feet from the trail. He couldn’t have been less interested in me. Then after sweating bullets on the way over Piegan Pass, hordes of people appeared ok their day hike up from Going-To-The-Sun Road near Logan Pass. I probably saw 100 people in the 4 Miles down to the toad and they all had their bear spray on their holsters on their hip. If I didn’t know better, I would say holstered bear spray is a fashion accessory.
Jingle bells (bear bells) were another common fashion statement. With all them jingling I kept looking for Santa. The people continued until I passed Virginia Falls. Then the walk around St Mary’s lake was quiet. The trail was rough and there was even deadfall. It might be the least used trail in the park. At Red Eagle campsite, my home for the night I met all sorts of good people. Two teachers on their last summer trip, a retired couple with the man having worked at a fire lookout in the park in 1959 and a couple from the Nederland’s. After getting to camp at 530 I was worried I would be bored, but my fellow campers were an interesting and entertaining bunch!
Miles 29
Total miles 3361
Red Eagle Lake on a very smoky day
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