Montana

While the National Forest areas along the Idaho / Montana border are beautiful, uncrowded, and fun to explore, I suspect most people would agree that Glacier National Park is the spectacular highlight of the region. I've been there at least 4 times and done a number of day hikes and one backpacking trip. The views from the road are spectacular. The picture to the right is looking up Lake St. Mary's from a scenic pullout on the Going to the Sun highway which bisects the park.

In 1979 I did a backpacking trip with a friend in to Elizabeth Lake, shown at the left. This was a fairly easy and spectacular 3 day trip. The first night we crossed a high pass, dropped down, and camped at the far end of the lake. We followed all of the bear country rules: we cooked downwind of our tent and left our packs outside the tent. By the time we were done with diner, it was dark, so I waded off into the forest in the dark looking for a place to hang our food. Once I got back I stripped down to my underwear, left my clothes outside with the packs, and crawled into the tent. My friend thought this was silly and didn't want to leave his clothes outside. I told him he was coming in the tent wearing the clothes he had on while eating dinner. Grumble, grumble, grumble, he finally left them outside and came in and laid down. No sooner had he laid down than we heard a large animal snuffling around the tent. "My god, there must have been a bear sitting in the woods watching me!" my friend exclaimed. We had no trouble from the bear and after that I had no trouble with my friend obeying good bear country rules!