After a 5-year hiatus, 30 TrailBlazers returned to Glacier with our base camp at Alpine House and Mountain Timbers Cabin in Columbia Falls. The good news was the scenic hikes, great photo ops, fun company, and pretty good weather. The bad news was that the gorgeous center of the park was still inaccessible due to snow and road damage, only allowing about 15-mile access on either side of the park, and it was a bumper crop year for mosquitoes! 

Sun. we walked the Trail of the Cedars spotting a bear, trekked up to Avalanche Lake for a soggy lunch, and explored the McDonald Lake Lodge area. Mon. at Two Medicine we hoofed to Aster Falls and on up to the Overlook in the heat, trekked up to Apostoki Falls with its ice plug, and hiked over to Running Eagle Falls. Tues. at Many Glacier we climbed up to Ptarmigan Falls through a few snow fields while spotting deer and a moose. There were also trips to the St. Mary Entrance to see the eastern part of Going to the Sun Road, and hikes on the west side on Johns Lake Trail as well as trekking on the park road, only open to hikers, beyond Avalanche Lake parking lot. 

Several people drove up to Waterton Lakes, the Canadian section of Glacier, to hike Red Rocks Canyon and Blackiston Falls trails, visit Cameron Lake, sight bears as well as dine at the historic Prince of Wales Hotel. Ask John about his high point (a low in US/Canadian relations) with Cruella DeVil, our Canadian crossing guard, who denied him his inalienable human right to defend himself from man-eating skeeters during her interrogation, probably because she thought Billigene was Ma Barker with her gang – a great story that will age like fine wine! 

Thank you to Becky for all her advance work, our regrets for her early return home, and condolences for the loss of George.