L'escargot's Second Big Trip

scoen · Sep 18, 2018

For three weeks this August and September we headed to the northern Rockies. L'escargo, our 2015 Camp Inn #784 took us to two Canadian and three US National Parks.
First park was North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt NP, a beautiful hidden gem.

Cottonwood Campground

Lots of critters, big and small

Everywhere in the Rockies, in both Canada and the US, there was smoke from wildfires.

At Lake Louise, we were in a campground surrounded by an electric fence. We saw several Grizzly and Black Bears, but at a distance.

Nearby is Moraine Lake. Glacial flour (ground up rock) makes the water blue.

Waterton Lake NP is Alberta's part of Glacier Waterton International Peace Park. The Prince of Wales Hotel was built in the 1920's by the Canadian National Railroad.

The campground was on the lake shore, but the view was smoky. Most all of the park was closed to hiking because of active fires. We met a couple with seven year old CI 550. They still love it!

Glacier! St. Mary Campground. We had several nights here, lost three nights at Fish Creek CG on the west side because of the fires.

Sun Point. Some rain (and snow up top) cleared a bit of the smoke, for a while, anyway.

Everywhere, evidence of previous fires

An hour or so out and then back on the Highline Trail from Logan Pass. The west side of the Going to the Sun highway was closed.

On to Rocky Mountain NP. 7:45 am and waiting for the shuttle up the Bear Lake road. OK, it was Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, but that's when we could be there.

Jewel Lake. About three miles and a 775 ' climb from the Glacier Gorge trailhead, but very few people!

Peace at 10'000 feet

We meet this couple at a rest area in Indiana on the way home. Teardrop earring karma!

Our last night out. Ohio to Big Sky Country and back again. Twenty days, we drove 5,370 miles and averaged 19.5 mpg.