Going North: Glacier National Park

Valley containing US Highway 2, near Marias Pass, view toward the east

It is late in the day. Headwinds have been stronger than forecast. Surprisingly we cannot get fuel in Havre City, MT. The fuel trucks of the airport are all lined up, but there is nobody to pump.

So we fly back east to the small airport of Chinook, MT, that we passed 20 min ago. We have been told that the airport installed self-service two weeks ago. We fill the tanks assisted by the friendly FBO, fly west again into the strong headwind, and now approach the mountains hiding our destination, Kalispell, MT.

Thunderstorms rage southwest over the mountains, but the intended route, which via US Hwy 2 is to lead us from East Glacier Park to Kalispell, has only light rain. We intend to hug the road and fly low due to clouds 3,000 ft AGL. For guidance, we have added the route to the Garmin Pilot map on our iPad and have turned on the Terrain Warning feature.

Route from East Glacier Park to Kalispell, using US Hwy 2

Light rain hits the canopy, and visibility drops to 4 miles. We focus on tracking the route with utter care. It is a tense flight, with copilot Manfried, who is visiting from Epernay, France, looking out for the mountains to the right, and me focusing on the terrain to the left and on the road ahead. The route on the iPad helps anticipate upcoming sharp turns and prevents blundering into a side valley.

It would have been more fun to fly this route during kinder weather. The above photo of the valley, taken later that week in sunny weather, shows the beauty of the route. 

We land in Kalispell and begin a six-day camping adventure in Glacier National Park. It is one of the jewels of the National Park System. But the name of the park is misleading. The glaciers have almost disappeared and will be completely gone within the next twenty years.

Iceberg Lake

Our first hike starts at the Many Glaciers Campground, where we are staying, and takes us to Iceberg Lake.

Early portion of Iceberg Lake Trail

The meadows are in bloom.

Indian Paintbrush

Fireweed

Asters

Half-way to the lake, clouds move in.

View from half-way point toward Iceberg Lake

We cannot resist taking lots of photos of the beautiful Beargrass, on this hike and in the days to come.

Beargrass ...

  

 

A waterfall greets us as we climb toward the lake.

Near Iceberg Lake

Finally, we reach the lake, covered with floes, ahem, icebergs.

Iceberg Lake

On the return trip, the western sun illuminates the adjacent valley with Lake Josephine.

Return from Iceberg Lake - view of Lake Josephine in the distance

Highline Trail

The second hike starts at Logan Pass. We depart very early since the parking lot at the pass fills up by 9 am. Once we are safely parked at the pass, we have a make-shift breakfast at the edge of the parking lot.

Three bighorn sheep roam the parking lot and behave like movie stars as they are being photographed. Later, a lady asks me at the campground, "Where can I photograph the wildlife?" The response is, "Drive to the Logan Pass parking lot early in the morning."

We hike the Highline Trail, which is an appropriate name since the trail stays roughly at the altitude of Logan Pass. It provides unsurpassed views into various valleys of the park.

Start of Highline Trail

A curious mountain goat blocks the trail. This guy could bump us badly, so we wait until he decides to step aside.

Mountain goat on Highline Trail

We pass a large field of Beargrass.

Beargrass ...

  

Erosion has exposed softer layers below the granite top layer. The cracks in the layer remind of ancient tablet writing.

Mud layer

There are beautiful examples of the Blanket Flower.

Blanket Flower

In the evening, we walk along Swiftcurrent Lake and relax at the creek with same name as it gushes from the lake.

Swiftcurrent Creek

Near St. Mary Lake

The next day, rain is pouring in the mountains, and we decide for a hike on the dry, south side of St. Mary Lake. We step into a wonder world of flowers. What was intended to be a hike becomes stop-and-go photography.

Meadow near St. Mary Lake

Giant Hogweek abounds ...

  

  

Next a meadow with mostly red and purple flowers, among them Indian Paintbrush in abundance.

Meadow with every flower red or purple

Indian Paintbrush  

Cranesbill

And then a meadow dedicated to Asters.

Asters

Otokomi Lake Trail

We climb steeply, tracking Otokomi Creek. This is bear country. Few hikers choose this trail, so caution is appropriate. Some hikers still have bear bells, now known to be quite useless. Others have bear spray, which has a proven track record. We forego that purchase, but pay attention to the surroundings when alone on the trail.

Delicate flowers dot the floor of the forest, among them gracious daisies.

Daisies

A scenic waterfall invites us to stop for a while.

Waterfall of Otokomi Creek

As we come around a turn of the trail, a bear is on the path 200 ft ahead.

Bear in the distance ...

We pause and then realize that the bear is just a bent tree trunk that was cut.

... is just a bent and cut tree

We don't make it quite to Otokomi Lake, missing the last mile. The final stop is at an overlook of the cirque containing the lake

Not quite at Otokomi Lake, but close enough for us

On the return trip, the sinking sun bathes another waterfall of Otokomi Creek in soft light.

Another waterfall of Otokomi Creek

 Around Swiftcurrent Lake

Mornings are magical. 

We get up at 6 am and explore the neighborhood of the Many Glaciers Campground.

Morning at Many Glaciers Campground

Shortly Swiftcurrent Lake comes into view. Part of the shore is claimed by the luxurious Many Glaciers Hotel, built in 1915 by the Great Northern Railway to lure travelers to the Rocky Mountains.

Many Glaciers Hotel at Swiftcurrent Lake

As we walk along the lake shore, flowers greet the new day.

Bell flowers

 

Cranesbill

 A stand of aspens seems to wait for marching orders.

Aspens

Short hikes starting from Going-To-The-Sun Road


The main road through the park is called the Going-To-The-Sun Road. It is being repaired and repaved, a three-year project. Caterpillar bulldozers and graders have turned the road into a mess. 

We take the shuttle bus at the east park entrance to get easy access to several attractions, in particular popular Sunrift Gorge and St. Mary Falls.

Sunrift Gorge

St. Mary Falls

Trail to Hidden Lake Viewpoint

The most popular trail of the park starts at Logan Pass. With a gentle upward slope, the path leads to a view of Hidden Lake.

Hike to viewpoint of Hidden Lake, starting at Logan Pass

Unexpected snow turns the hike into a slippery adventure. We slide and manage not to fall. This is important for Manfried, since he arrived in Dallas with a broken wrist that still needs to mend.

A large portion of the trail still has snow

The reward is a terrific view of Hidden Lake. The trail down to the lake is closed since bears have been seen in the area.

Hidden Lake

Kalispell, MT, to Missoula, MT, Grangeville, ID, and Boise, ID

Sadly we say good-bye to the wonders of Glacier National Park. But there is a consolation prize: low-level flight from Kalispell to Boise, ID, via Missoula, ID, the Lolo Pass, and Grangeville, ID.

Kalispell, MT, to Boise, ID

  When we reach Missoula, MT, south of Kalispell, we veer west toward the Lolo Pass and enter mountainous terrain.

Near Lolo Pass

We stay overnight in Grangeville, ID. A local pilot, Robin, graciously makes one of her hangars available for storage of our plane.

The next morning we leave the forested mountains and follow the Salmon river embedded in rugged terrain. In the distance, we glimpse the valley containing the Snake River.

Rugged country containing Salmon and Snake River

 Salmon River

Halfway to Boise, rain pours from dark clouds to the east. We are far enough away to stay dry.

Rain to the east

The Arrowrock Reservoir north of Boise is embedded in hostile terrain. An emergency landing here would be a challenge.

Arrowrock Reservoir north of Boise, ID

It is time to return home to Dallas, via Salt Lake City, UT, and Cheyenne, WY. Thunderstorms east of Salt Lake City force us to stop for the day in Brigham City, UT, at the edge of the mountains. Next day's weather is not much better, so we stay and tour the city. The preflight the following morning reveals a nasty problem.

Exhaust System Cracks

During preflight, I always try to shake the exhaust pipes coming out of the cowl. Lo and behold, the left pipe is loose! Looking closer, the weld holding the pipe to the muffler is cracked. Removing the exhaust system would be a time-consuming task requiring special tools. So we aim for welding the crack with the exhaust system in place. 

The FBO, Bennie, readily helps. He is a most kind person. When we arrived two days ago and realized that we would have to stay at least a day, he loaned us his car, put the plane into the hangar for minimal charge, and pointed us to a good, inexpensive motel in town.

Now he makes several phone calls, trying to find a company that would come with portable welding equipment. In the end, help is as close as one mile away, by the Brigham Implement Company. After some discussion, the manager of the repair shop of the company, just known as J.D., sends an expert welder, Jake, who in minutes reattaches the pipe, laying a beautiful welding bead. 

We load the plane and take off for Rawlins, WY, the farthest airport we can still reach today. Rawlins has become an "oil and gas" town, terminology we hear repeatedly in Montana and Wyoming. It summarizes the frantic developments based on the new fracking process. It also goes with significant increases of motel rates.

The north-south 7,000 ft long runway of the Rawlins airport, elevation 6,817 ft, has a nasty feature. Going north, it rises with modest slope for the first half, then climbs with a much steeper slope for the remainder.

If the wind blows from the north, as it does at 17 kts gusting to 25 kts during our arrival in late afternoon, landing is a cinch, but takeoff at 9,000 ft density altitude would be perilous. We see an RV7 manage that takeoff with 180 hp engine and adjustable propeller. For us, with 80 hp engine, any attempt would be fatal.

The FBO assures us that winds are calm in the morning. Indeed they are, and the next day, at 7 am,  we take off toward the south with ease.

You would think that the exhaust system problem would be enough trouble for the trip. But more is to come.

Leaking Mechanical Fuel Pump

The next stop in Akron, CO, reveals that the mechanical fuel pump has started to leak a bit of oil. We have had this before, and from prior experience know that the small leak does not affect the airworthiness of the plane. So we go on and make it to Dallas without difficulty as expected.

But this is the fifth pump failing in the plane, and we decide to modify the fuel delivery system by eliminating the mechanical pump entirely and going to an all-electric fuel pump system.

Travel Statistics

Total flight time for the two-week trip is 35 hrs. Maximum time in the air for one day is 8.3 hr, going 840 statute miles from Rawlins, WY, to Dallas. If traveled by road, it would have been a bit more than 1,000 miles. The time and distance are a one-day record for us and only made possible by use of the autopilot.

Total distance traveled during the entire trip is roughly 3,000 statute miles. And all that with the tiny 1.2 liter Rotax engine producing 80 hp. An amazing feat of engineering that makes it all possible. Well, amazing except for the cracked exhaust system, which was not designed by Rotax, and for the leaking fuel pump, for which Rotax is indeed responsible.

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