These trees show the effects of snow and wind in the park. They are down towards the bottom of the mountains, and the wind blows hard and often, so many of the trees lean one way, and have very limited growth on the up hill side.
The dark stripe you can see towards the top of this mountain is about 90 feet wide. The distance makes it very deceiving. That means the spires on the top are around 200 feet tall.
Could really see the switchback on the Garmin today. It's one of only two on the going to the sun road. Also, we were above a mile high!
We made it to Logan Pass, the highest point in the park. The continental divide, where the water runs in the other direction. Our Garmin said 6649...
The sign says 6646. I think the difference is that the Garmin was on the windshield, 3 feet off the ground?
This is the weeping wall. It "weeps" most of the summer, as the ground is saturated with water from the winter snow. Yesterday, when we cam through, it was barely wet. This morning, with the warmer weather, and bright sun melting more of the snow, it was much wetter. (This was taken as we drove by at 25 MPH. I have a great little camera!)
It looks like quite a drop off on the side of the road. It is. The road winds around, in and out, with sheer cliffs on both sides of the road, one straight up, and one straight down.
The upper end of Lake McDonald, just breathtaking. It's a lake formed by a glacier, so it's narrow, deep, and long. Clear, cold water, too!
We arrived in Whitefish, visited the visitors center, and found a place to park, right near this colorful tree that reminded me of Maine. It was a maple, starting to turn colorful.
We grabbed lunch and tried some local brews. I had the Whitefish IPA (when in Rome....), and Ken had the same. Again, good beer.
We did some walking up and down the streets. Lots of shops. many artisans, restaurants, and businesses. This was a sign outside of the one craft brewery in town. Trade your hops for beer. Resourceful, in a few ways.
I had the Good Medicine Red Ale. It was awesome. Very hoppy, high IBU, and a beautiful color. The signs said it wouldn't be available until October 1, so I felt privileged to have been able to try it.
Ken had the Octoberfest- another great choice. Nice tasting room, with a view of Big Mountain ski area.
They also have a beautiful public beach in Whitefish, on the edge of Whitefish lake. Today it was 75 here, and we strolled on the beach for a bit, watching some paddle boarders, and a swimmer. I wish I had brought my suit, I would have gone in, just to say I did.
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