Montana's Big Sky was a broad, clear blue as I
said my goodbyes and boarded a small plane at the refreshingly tiny
Kalispell airport just as dawn was breaking. The majestic northern Rocky
Mountains stood tall against the mauve and pink horizon. I'd spent just
a few days here, exploring Glacier National Park via the
Going-to-the-Sun Road, and was sorry to be leaving so soon.
With 745 miles of trails across more than a million acres of national park land matched by adjacent parks and gloriously undeveloped territory, the region provides much more than a glimpse of what our earth had to offer before 20th-century progress came along. However, it is just such progress that made this area available to us. The park serves as a reminder of the stunning beauty of our natural world and a reaffirmation that our national investment in preserving these lands is an incomparable gift to future generations.
Crown of the Continent
Mt. Grinnell taken from Swiftcurrent Lake. The water's emerald color results from suspended
glacial silt.
Glacier National Park is also one of the places
where the world's diminishing glaciers still linger. I came for the
chance to see them before they're gone.
"You can argue about the big picture, but the reality is right here," said Ranger Doug Follett, an interpretive ranger who led a talk on climate change at the Logan Pass Visitor Center. As he pointed out the distant Grinnell Glacier, he added, "Those little pieces of ice left hanging there have lost a battle with the sun."
Snow persisted at the 6,646-feet-high crest, in
spite of the balmy July weather. While a small crowd gathered for
Follett's talk, a father and son trekked past us onto snow-covered
slopes carrying a cardboard box and a plastic storage tub lid.
Snowboarders and hikers crunched melting snow as they took off to
explore the mountaintops and find Hidden Lake just beyond the visitor
center.
"When I first started working here as a naturalist in 1961, there were 50 or 60 glaciers," said Follett. "Now there are only 25, and they're predicted to be gone in 10 years or so."
When Glacier National Park was founded in 1910, there were 150 glaciers still spread across its 1,583 square miles of peaks and valleys. They are dwindling more rapidly than projected, estimated to be gone by 2020. The pace of global warming has accelerated their demise, and the implications go far beyond a mass of lost ice.
Chirping squirrels scurried nearby as Follett continued: "There are many spin-off changes that go along with climate change. The Columbia ground squirrel is the base of the food chain here. They emerge from the snow for just 30 to 40 days, then live underground for nine to 10 months of the year. Wolverine pups are born below the surface in burrows of snow. When the snow goes, the wolverines will go with it. The little pika's problem is his fur coat. He's so little he can't travel far enough to get away from the increasing heat. When the habitat is gone, the critters go with it, and the habitat is disappearing. The pika and the polar bear face the same future: extinction."
Part of a 16,000-square-mile ecosystem known as the Crown of the Continent, the pristine protected area continues to provide habitat for 369 documented species of animals, birds, and fish and 1,132 plants, most of which have been here for centuries. As Follett pointed out, they rely on one another for survival, and the changing weather threatens their habitat.
The region is home to the nation's tiniest mammal, the pygmy shrew, a two-inch rodent that can't survive in weather above 77 degrees. Dead and dying trees are prominent across the landscape. Follett says they're affected by six different problems with one thing in common - climate change - which causes dehydration, making them vulnerable to fire and insect infestation, both of which have accelerated along with the temperature.
Located in proximity to the Going-to-the-Sun Road, this waterfall is
fed by the melting snow in summer.
Big Sky View
I spotted three glaciers from the Going-to-the-Sun Road. They're barely distinguishable from snowfields by streaks of gray ice. I was given a better, birds-eye view of them by Jim Kruger, owner of Kruger Helicop-Tours. Seeing the mountains from above provided an even more stunning panorama of nature's glory. Kruger pointed out landmarks I'd seen from below - and many I hadn't - as we soared over the mountaintops.
"This is the only way I'll ever see it," quipped Kruger, who has participated in numerous rescue and recovery missions, including extracting the bodies of five failed hikers in 1970, documented in the book and film White Death.
Adventurers and Nature Lovers
The park and surrounding environs are an adventurer's paradise and nature lover's haven. Hikers, bikers, skiers, and river rafters course through the park at dizzying velocities. Thrill seekers are charged by the inherent risks. But while it might seem that residents of the wilderness - including grizzly bears, wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions - pose the greatest threat, that's far from true. Although bear attacks command national headlines, they are rare.
The leading danger in Glacier National Park is water - the fast-moving, ice-cold streams and deep, clear lakes are the most treacherous terrain, with hiking injuries running second. Risk-taking activities are not for the faint of heart, and park rangers implore adventurers to avoid risks that endanger rescuers and incur great expenses.
There are many ways to enjoy relaxing in the heart of nature without these high risk levels. In addition to hiking and biking, visitors can explore the park via unique red convertible "jammers," free park shuttle vans, or via car, traversing the Going-to-the-Sun Road for about 50 miles.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Begun in 1921, the Going-to-the-Sun Road took 12 years to build during a time when equipment was much less efficient than it is today. The road is both a National Historic Site and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Slicing along mountainsides with steep drop-offs overlooking scenic vistas and tunnels blasted through stone, the road is a marvel, open only during the summer months due to massive snow cover in winter.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road takes you through the
park and its many ecosystems - from the verdant, mossy-floored forests
at the west entrance, to the mountaintops surrounding Logan Pass, to the
alpine prairies east of the ridge. The nine-mile-long Lake McDonald is
visible near the west entrance to the park, and St. Mary Lake, almost as
long, follows the road on the east side of the park.
There are many stopping points along the way with
well-marked signs leading to trails showcasing cascading waterfalls and
clear, glacial lakes that have a stunning turquoise blue from the
powdered glacial rock that lines their cool, deep bottoms. One of the
first stops from the west entrance is a trail to Avalanche Lake, and its
small parking area is often crowded. There is a one-mile
handicapped-accessible boardwalk hike or you can extend it another two
miles on a dirt trail. Although bears are not frequently seen by
visitors, trails do have a ubiquitous warning sign: "Bear Country: All
Wildlife is Dangerous." Visitors are advised to carry bear spray, a hot
pepper concoction similar to the pepper spray used against human
attackers.
Glacier National Park Background
The Great Northern Railway, completed in 1891, pushed across the top of the nation from Minnesota, forging a path through the wilderness. The railroad planted huge log chalets along the way for the society mavens of the golden age who rode the train. They would travel to the mountains, then explore on horseback and rest in the lodges. This was the glamorous life at the turn of the century.
In 1932, Glacier National Park and adjacent Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada became the world's first International Peace Park. Waterton-Glacier was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1974 and a World Heritage Site in 1995. The region provides a unique range of ecosystems and habitats serving a wealth of flora and fauna protected from exploitation such as mining and oil and gas extraction, which occur outside the preserved zone. Nonetheless, the habitat is threatened by the effects of such activities, which ultimately may cause global warming and groundwater contamination.
Touring Glacier National Park is an adventure that everyone should have the chance to enjoy, and, as Ranger Follett suggests, we should visit again in 10 years to see whether our attempts to stall global warming have saved the glaciers - and plants and animals in the region - from extinction.
Trish Riley is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Greening Your Business and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living, publisher of www.gogreennation.org, and director of Cinema Verde (www.verdefest.org), an environmental film and arts festival. Article original published in Winter 2012 issue of Drive magazine and is presented here including exclusive online content.
