The Two Medicine Valley is one of four major valleys in the park that has a visitor center/ranger station. However, it's one of the least visited because most people focus on the two valleys that are connected by the Going-to-the-Sun road - McDonald Valley and St. Mary Valley - and the Many Glacier Valley which is known for all the glaciers you can see there. So Two Medicine is really a hidden gem here at the park.
Caiti and I were once again in a conundrum as to where to go for our weekend without access to a car! We'd already done Arrow Lake, and Harrison Lake is still inaccessible due to high water and dangerous stream fords.... and those are the only two backcountry sites around here that you don't need a car to get to.... So what were we to do? Well, how else do people travel when they don't have cars??? By train of course!!! Glacier is famous as a stop on the Great Northern Railroad - now part of Amtrak. So that's what we did! We hit the rail to get to the trail!
While we were waiting for our train, which stops just a 10 minute walk from our house, we saw this lovely little sparrow perched on the sign.
We got on the train at 8:15, and headed east, to the next stop, East Glacier. It's an hour and a half of awesome mountainous terrain. The train crosses over the Continental Divide at Moriah's Pass, and the entire trip affords exceptional views of the park and the Flathead River.
At East Glacier, we disembarked, and got on a shuttle taking people up to Two Medicine, which is just 20 minutes from the depot. Here's the road as we're entering Two Med~ Isn't it beautiful!?!
When we got to our campsite there, this is what we saw:
There were bighorn sheep ewes right in our campground! We just couldn't believe it! Two Med has WAY more wildlife than you'll see in the Lake McDonald valley! I mean, they're just hanging around the campground!
Then the next day we went up to Scenic Point! Boy was it scenic!!!!!!!
Gotta go! We're heading on our next adventure now!
Hi Emilie! Breathtaking scenery. Love the Bighorn sheep right at your picnic table. It seems very familiar to me - sometimes one of our sheep tries to get into our house! Seriously. I guess Bighorns shed their wool (no one around to shear them, unless that's part of your Ranger duties?) :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Emilie! Dad and I read your post together this time, and I thought I posted our comment but I can't see it today :(
ReplyDeleteI am impressed as always with your writerly style (disembarked vs got off, affords vs has for example) and of course the incredible photography!
Met Renee in Maastricht yesterday. Took the train by myself, and treated her to lunch. It's so cool to have friends in Europe to visit!
Dad and I just realized yesterday that it's BonPapa's 90th birthday on August 19^^ We have to start planning! Glad I'll be here for that.
Well, that's the news for now. Love and kisses from your two favorite followers!
DAD and MOM