I could feel my blood pressure drop, and my heart rate slow, as soon as the wheels touched down in Kalispell. Granted, they both picked up just a bit at baggage claim and at the car rental, but as soon as we pulled out of the airport parking lot onto the scenic highway to Whitefish, a “calm” once again took the reins. Though cooler in Montana than the magnolia state, it was still unseasonably warm for the end of October in the North country. I did my best to enjoy the leisurely drive to our lodge, but a sense of urgency made my right foot just a little heavier than it normally is.
It had been eight years since I had visited this quaint village and I couldn’t wait to get back. Even 10 miles from where Stacey and I would be staying for the entire week, I detected the subtle aroma of warm bear claws, hot chocolate, and apple cider. Though there was a hint of work to do, I made sure we had time to do a little exploring. The next morning couldn’t come soon enough, for Polebridge and the gates to Glacier National Park were our next destinations.
Glacier National Park is an American national park located in Northwestern Montana, on the Canada-United States border. Commonly referred to as the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem,” this vast park encompasses more than one million acres. Home to 130 named lakes, more than 1000 species of plants, and hundreds of species of animals, the region that became the park was first inhabited by Native Americans more than 10,000 years ago. Of course, this was the Clovis Culture from which lineages to current tribes emerged like the Flathead, Kootenai, Shoshone, and Cheyenne. The Blackfeet lived on the eastern slopes of what later became part of the park as well. As vast as the park itself is, so is the archaeological history of the Native Americans that were the first to experience life here.
While exploring the Marias River in 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition came within 50 miles of the area that is now the park. A series of explorations after 1850 helped to shape the understanding of the area that later became the park. In 1885 George Bird Grinnell hired the noted explorer James Willard Schultz to guide him on a hunting expedition into the region. After several more trips to this pristine land, Grinnell became so inspired by the scenery that he spent the next two decades working to establish it as a national park. In 1910, Grinnell and others saw their efforts rewarded when President Taft signed the bill establishing Glacier as the country’s 10th national park.
It is difficult to describe the sheer beauty and magnitude of the mountains within the park. I am awestruck by the jaggedness of the Lewis and Livingston Mountain ranges (sub-ranges of the Rocky Mountains.) They began forming 170 million years ago when ancient rocks were forced eastward up and over much younger rock strata. The current shapes and the positioning and sizes of the lakes within the park show the telltale evidence of massive glacial action. Left behind from their undetectable movement are the U-shaped valleys and clear, deep lakes. Concerning, is of the estimated 150 glaciers over 25 acres in size, which have existed for centuries, only 25 active glaciers remained by 2010. Even more concerning is that scientists studying the glaciers in the park estimate that all the active glaciers may disappear by 2030 if current climate patterns persist.
Virtually all the plants and animals which existed at the time explorers first entered the region are still present in the park today. A total of over 1,132 plant species have been identified. The predominantly coniferous forest is home to various species of trees such as Englemann spruce, Douglas fir, subalpine fir, limber pine, and western larch. When I first saw the western larch, I thought it was aspen quaking on the slopes. As we got closer, I noticed the needles on the limbs, and they were as golden as a fiftieth anniversary. At first, I was concerned the thousands of trees were dead, for I have been brought up to believe all conifers are evergreens. When I inquired, I was informed that the larch will cast its needles each fall. This knowledge gave me a sigh of relief. I could only imagine this many trees succumbing to drought and becoming a fire hazard.
Wildflowers such as glacier lily, fireweed, monkeyflower, and Indian paintbrush are also common throughout the park. Whitebark pine communities have been heavily damaged due to the effects of blister rust, a non-native fungus. In Glacier, 30% of this species of tree have died and a high percentage of the living trees are currently infected. The pinecone seed, commonly known as a pine nut, is a favorite food for the red squirrels and Clark’s nutcracker. Both grizzlies and black bears have been known to raid squirrel caches of these nuts as they too, enjoy the delicacies from the cone.
Regarding fauna, the park is home to the grizzly, black bears, wolves, badgers, river otters, mink, marten, and fishers. It was estimated that around 300 grizzlies lived in the park in the mid 1970s. Now that number has increased to over 1000 that inhabit the park. There have been 11 bear-related deaths in the park since 1971 and 20 non-fatal injuries since 2001. Though Stacey and I didn’t carry bear spray while we explored, we probably should have. In addition, bighorn sheep, elk, woodland caribou, lynx, and mountain goat are also common. We saw many of these species during our recent visit. And to think, I didn’t even miss not having a tag in my pocket for one of those rams or big bulls.
Many of the roads through the park were closed, including the notable “Road to the Sun” due to winter snow. In fact, our warm arrival soon turned bitterly cold with several inches of snow falling just a day after we arrived. Quite fitting, as it should, for the end of October in Northern Montana.
One day we visited Polebridge, the last “town” before you entered the park. We enjoyed hot sandwiches and a couple of “otter waters.” We stopped at several scenic outcroppings overlooking the Flathead River. We scurried down the rock cliffs, if scurry is the appropriate word, to wade some of the shoals. We talked to a couple trout fishermen about how their luck was going. I kept one eye on the brush above for “Griz” and my other eye on the stream perhaps for the good fortune of finding an obsidian point from cultures before us. We stopped from time to time to take photos of the rushing stream and the mountains above.
Majestic is the only word to describe what was before us. It was at one of our stops along the river that I noticed something different than one of the millions of stones in the water. The purplish color jumped out at me. Wedged between two larger stones was an iridescent object that was apparently out of place. I pulled it from the cold waters recognizing it instantly as a fishing lure, more specifically as a type of fishing spoon. The hook was missing, though the rusted shank was still attached to the back of the bait. Colors were faded, but you could still pick them out if you positioned it just right in the sunlight. On the inner side of the spoon, etched into the metal, were the words “kamlooper junior.”
I showed it to one of the local fishermen and he was familiar with both the bait and the company that produced it. He pointed out that this lure was made by the Acme Tackle Company which started in 1922. This particular bait was a favorite for trout fishing. I made the comment that it was neat to hold in my hand a fishing bait that could have been lying in these waters for perhaps 20 years. The flyfishing gentlemen corrected me and said that this bait could have been disconnected from an angler’s rod over 50 years ago and quite possibly even longer. Wouldn’t you love to hear the story of what really happened the day the fisherman lost his lure? Did a trout break his line? Did he get hung on a rock? Is it possible a grizzly charged from the bank, and he left rod, tackle box, and lure behind? I guess we’ll never know.
We left a snow-covered Whitefish and returned home to a still, parched landscape. As Jett refers to the temperature, it was 90 “agees” when we landed in Jackson. We brought with us a ton of wonderful memories and pictures. I want to go back to that country and stay in the park for at least a week to just research and learn more about it. Summer is probably the best time to do this, but summer trips and bug checking in the delta don’t coincide very well with each other. Oh well, I’ll figure it out. If you have never been to Glacier, put it on your list of things to do. As I have mentioned, words can’t do it justice, you must experience the vastness and the beauty for yourself. And who knows, you too, may find a treasure lying amid stones in the rushing waters of the Flathead from years ago just like I did. I hope so.
Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.
