Glacier National Park (May 21-25, 2026)

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DAY 1

The beautiful views started even before we landed. The lakes and mountains on the approach were so pretty. Even mundane tasks such as picking up the rental car or going grocery shopping were elevated by the mountain views. 


The airport was quite nice too - complete with a tuned grand piano.

Reuniting with everyone was lovely as well.



Night doesn't fall until 9:30pm, so I pushed through the travel fatigue for campfire and stargazing!

Playing in the yard!



DAY 2 - Avalanche Lake, Lake McDonald Lodge

First day in the park today! Mountains are breathtaking, especially when they were reflected by the glacial lakes. The glacial water was so blue even when it was cloudy.


Lake McDonald

Avalanche Lake



We hiked, admired fauna and wildlife, frolicked, hugged trees, skipped rocks, dipped into the water...







There was lots of wildlife - including a bird that sounded like a siren (varied thrush), deer that led us down the trail, stellar's jays that begged for food, and hoary marmots.

Lots of deer

Starling's Jay

Purple rocks!

DAY 3 - Going to the Sun Road



We biked up the Going to the Sun Road, which is closed off to the cars and open to bikes for a short period in May / June. Stunning views throughout! 



There were a number of times when I biked until I couldn't. With some rest time and energy gels, nonetheless, I made it to the end! Logan Pass was blocked off still, but so glad to have made it up!

As far as we could go...

At the top!


Amazingly, there were also toddlers and infants on this ride, with parents towing their kids bikes with bungee chords. 

On the way back down, we stopped at Red Rocks and Apgar Village. 


  Reuniting at red rocks!

I was convinced to go on a run post-bike for some triathlon training too...

Afterwards, I refueled with a nice big salad and huckleberry pie (tastes like blueberry but a bit more sour)


DAY 4 - East Glacier (Three Falls & Two Medicine)

We woke up early to drive around the mountains to the other side. On the western side where we were staying, everything has a tint of blue as Ivy pointed out. Whereas the east side has more of a yellow tint in the fauna. Overall, the air was even fresher, the landscape was more rugged, and the trails were quieter. I appreciated that we had breathtaking views even from the parking lot before the start of the hike, and the sights kept on coming - the pristine lake, a variety of mountains and waterfalls, and a mix of trees (dead and alive) and wildflowers.






Waterfall #1 for climbing




Waterfall #2 for chilling & lunch (on the way back)




Waterfall #3 for epic-ness, rainbows, and getting soaked


All around - St. Mary's Lake for lots of scenic views and selfies!

We missed our lake dip yesterday, so we made sure to bring our swimsuits today. We went on another short hike in Two Medicine since we drove all the way (less elevation, more woodsy, another waterfall, and moose sighting!) before jumping in.



Ending the day with a refreshing lake dip!!



GPS glitched for a while - it thought we were driving off road ðŸ¤ 

DAY 5 - Apgar Lookout & Village

Crossing a two-way but one-car bridge!

We were pretty lucky with the weather - May typically has lots of rain with unpredictable storms but we've had clear skies throughout. This was the hottest day, so I wouldn't have minded some rain or some clouds... 

View on the way up



The hike was almost entirely exposed and straight uphill after the first mile or so. At the top though, we had a unique view of the Lake McDonald which was almost completely still. 


And a cool fire lookout tower where we enjoyed lunch + a cool breeze

Today was the best day for a lake dip - the ice-cold glacial waters were very refreshing. I can see why Billie says that it wakes up the senses :)


   

Tried Dairy Queen for the first time - not sure it's very different from other fast food ice cream except it's frequent commercials. Fries are very sturdy for dipping though.

DAY 6

Last day but squeezed in one last activity - ran along Flathead River to the Hungry Horse Dam with Melissa!


Went as far as we could go, once again...

Such a lovely trip to catch up and hang out with friends! The unhinged energy, family style dinners, and supportive chats took me back to the good ol' days. Plus, Glacier NP was able to accommodate the range of fitness / abilities in our group. So we could all enjoy the picturesque landscape; now I know where they get the alpine screen savers and running water soundtracks for guided meditation videos. Can't wait for more national parks!






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