When they heard about our trip to Missoula, our friends Adele and Dennis invited us to stay a few nights with them in their beautiful home in Columbia Falls near Glacier National Park. While we were looking forward to spending more time with Ari and Eric, we also wanted to give them a little down time following the wedding. So it worked out wonderfully for us to have a mini vacation in the midst of our road trip.

We left Missoula late Sunday afternoon and stopped half way in our drive to stay with new friends we met at the wedding. Sunni and Merrill graciously welcomed us to their farm in Arlee where we camped in their huge back yard serenaded by the sound of a small waterfall nearby. We shared breakfast and a good visit the next morning. Plus we got a tour of Merrill’s custom woodwork and furniture workshop. He specializes in using old barn wood that has been aged with the influences of farm animals. Sunni took us by the beautiful and peaceful Garden of One Thousand Buddhas on our way back to the highway.

We drove up the west side of Flathead Lake and arrived in Kalispell Monday afternoon. Adele and Dennis met us and lead us to their forested property which backs up to Flathead National Forest. All kinds of wildlife wander near their house including bears. Neil set up his bedroom on the huge outside deck, where bears and skunks have been known to roam, and Adele was so nervous about him being attacked by a bear that she could hardly sleep all night. Neil did see a skunk one night but if a bear came by he didn’t see it.

The next day we set off to hike in Glacier National Park. Adele was expertly prepared including hiking poles and bear spray. We drove into the park through the west entrance and followed the southeastern shore of Lake McDonald for several miles. Here’s a live webcam view of current conditions. The lake was beautifully calm and mirror-like. Eventually, we drove up and over Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road which had only opened for the season five days earlier. We hiked up Sun Rift Gorge near the Baring Creek flowing high from snow melt. As we hiked the gorge, there were incredible views in all directions including back down over Saint Mary Lake. The towering peaks of the Rockies surrounding us were all snowcapped and we even hiked over a small patch of snow on the trail! On the return drive, we stopped at Logan’s Pass parking area to view a herd of Big Horn Sheep grazing on new grass being revealed by the melting snow. It was a full long day, too late to go out to dinner, so excellent chef Dennis had another wonderful meal prepared for us just as the previous night.

We were able to all go out for breakfast the Wednesday morning in Kalispell as a goodbye to Adele and Dennis. As we started our drive south to Missoula, we drove on the east side of Flathead Lake for a different view. The road is closer to the lake and we had some great vistas. What a great time visiting with old and new friends and enjoying the beauty of Montana.

Photo Credit: Neil Rhoads
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