hike | Glacier National Park- Lodge & road trip back

The last day at the park, Joe decided that he wanted to bike up To the Sun road, so we drove to get him a bike (you can only bike on the road before 11 and after 4, so he biked it after 4). I went to the lodge and looked around while he biked.

It was a really nice and relaxing day, and a perfect day to end the trip! :)

The next day, we drove back. It was such a pretty drive. We stopped at this lake which I thought was amazing.

There was a TON of construction. Which wasn't a huge deal...

 ...till I ran over a rock in a construction zone and my tire got shredded.

 The construction man that stopped to help us assured us that this happens ALL THE TIME. That did NOT make me feel better AT ALL.

Because I have all wheel drive I had to buy FOUR NEW TIRES. Can't even talk about it. I was NOT PLEASED.  Still, it's not the worst thing that I could happen....so all and all it was overall a GREAT trip!

oh & at the tire store, the guy asked "so are you the stereotypical useless girl who couldn't change a tire?" I was ashamed to admit that I was. 

hike | Glacier National Park- Shotgun Lake

I was super determined to hike to a lake, so the 3rd day we hiked to Shotgun Lake (13 miles). Just one mile in, we saw this cool waterfall-

And had these cool bridges. I love bridges like this ... I just think they're really cool. My Mom is also a really big fan of them so I think it runs in the family.

 ^ water is so clear...shoes are so dirty

A lot of the hiking was in trees, and it was much less crowded then the Highline Trail but then we would get to these beautiful clearings, which made it worth it.

 There were also a lot of streams to cross (with more cool bridges)-

And we finally got to the lake! It was beautiful! 

^ we ate lunch at the lake before heading back. There were some people that backpacked in & were staying the night, I was jealous. Next year, that will be me!

^ this was pretty typical of the hiking. This is around where I saw a bear!!! Joe was pretty far behind me, getting a drink or something, and RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME A BEAR RAN ACROSS THE TRAIL!!! I naturally did exactly what you're not supposed to do-ran back to Joe and loudly whispered "OMG THERE IS A BEAR!"  I then clapped (to make noise) the last three miles back to the trailhead. 

We got back pretty late (around 7), so that was it for the day. Such a good day hike!

hike | Glacier National Park- Highline Trail

The Highline Trail is a pretty popular trail, so we started out really early to try and beat the crowds (which I think we did). It's 13 miles, and so pretty the whole way!

 ^ danger!

 ^ a baby goat!!!

  

8 miles into the hike, you get to a chalet- which is naturally beautiful! :) We ate lunch there.

 ^ Rooms here (you backpack to them) are $150/night. :| 

The last four miles are ALL downhill. I felt bad for everyone we passed going up, because they would ask "are we almost to the top?" and we would have to say that sadly, they were not! It would have been a looonngggg four miles up- the book says the hike is "easy"...which I would say is NOT true!

After the hike, we drove to St. Mary Lake-