0553 Polson to Glacier National Park

1^st July 2016

It all starts to get a bit busy !

I made the most of my expensive (but very nice) campsite at Polson – used their bbq, enjoyed their showers, did my laundry, and topped off my water tank in the car. By the time I left I could stay “off the beaten path” for 3 or 4 days, if I had to.  I knew it was going to be busy over the next few days, so I made sure I was in the best position to survive it !  Leaving Polson, I also topped off with fuel, and then headed north up the east side of Flathead Lake.

It was beautiful driving up beside the blue water of Flathead Lake, and an hour later I came to Big Fork.  What a great little town, with a whole area of narrow streets and touristy shops and a narrow little bridge over the river where it says “No motorhomes” !  Kids were jumping off the bridge into the river, and boats were out on the lake – A busy little place.  I needed a few groceries but there was no where down in the smaller part of town, and then on the way out there was a big area with shops all round and a supermarket.  So I pulled in, and there right in front of me was Denny’s Barber Shop, so, needing a bit of a trim, I went in.

They said they could give me a cut if I waited awhile, and while I was waiting the phone must have rung 20 times for people making appointments and they were turning away other people who walked in.  Anyway, had a very nice haricut with the lady (whose name I didn’t get) and was chatting away when I noticed her scissors – the section where the thumb fits was on a sliding swivel. I asked about them and she says it makes cutting SO much easier – and Bernie, who owns the shop and was cutting in the next chair, was the inventor – He designed and makes them !  I thought they were so cool that I have asked him if I can be his agent in Australia !!  They are brilliant. 

Haircut done and scissors inspected and photographed, I headed over to the supermarket, got a few minor bits and pieces, and headed out onto the road north again.  The road was across open country which wasn’t particularly exciting until I got to Columbia Falls, which sounded like a good waterfall to see – So I spent the next 10 minutes looking for them.  Turns out there are no falls – it is just the name of the town !  So I went on and into Glacier National Park.

At the visitor centre at Apgar at about 1.30 pm, I realized that all the camp sites were unsurprisingly full, but the rangers told me that if I went north up the west side of the Park to a place called Polebridge, there were some first come first served campsites up there which, at this time of day, should have some spaces.  Perfect, I thought, and headed up to them along a good road, and then when I got to Polebridge there was about a 6 mile dirt road to Bowman’s Lake camp site.  The ranger at the start of the dirt road said there were places because the camp ranger would call the gate when there

were only 5 or so left, and they hadn’t called yet.  So off I went up this single lane dirt road, meeting people coming the other way so quite slow, rough in places, and pretty dusty – But if there was a camp site on the lake, it was worth it.  When I eventually arrived, them camp site wasn’t just full, there were cars everywhere, some looking for camp sites which were non existent, and others were day visitors just looking for a place to park, but there were so many cars there you couldn’t even turn around.  And the camp ranger was off somewhere else.  I was not impressed – What made it more frustrating was that there was actually lots of space in the campsite, but the sites are really big and most people just had a small tent on the site that could easily have taken 2 or 3 more. 

So all the way back to the Ranger station on the rough dusty dirt road,  and when I found the ranger, she said “Oh, they called me to say they were full just after you left”.   Hmmmmm. Anyway, there was another campsite on a different dirt road, but she told me that might be full too, but continue on to the last campsite which is officially closed, and a ranger is going there now to open it, and you will be the first there.

So it was another dusty 30 minute drive

following the ranger’s car, and eventually we arrived at  Logging Creek campsite, and it really was closed !  The ranger had to take the chain off the entrance and also move horse trailers out of the few (8) parking bays before we could get in !  And when we did, the grass was high, and it hadn’t been worked on since the winter !  Anyway, it was a place to (legally) camp, although the ranger said there are a few bears in the area, so be safe !!  By this time I was tired and dusty, so I just had some noodles and went to bed !   My plan is to get up early and get all the way back to the other end of the park early so I can get on the scenic Going-to-the-sun road that crosses Glacier National Park before too many crowds get there.

 Pics are here :-  https://picasaweb.google.com/110185357936043625130/6303175735309922321?authkey=Gv1sRgCJavsoug9q6VWg