Cascading into the (Melting) Ice
Here’s the Murphy’s Law of traveling Amtrak. Whenever some of the best scenery goes by, you will be in the dining car. Which, I guess isn’t really all that surprising because it seems like you’re in the dining car most of the trip. Train travel, especially with sleeper reservations (and the included meals) doesn’t mix well with the lose-weight-now diet. Lots of food, lots of sitting around.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to describe the trip up the northern Cascades out of Seattle. I still can’t. It compares with the trip into the Rockies out of Denver as the most scenic and inspiring experiences of my Amtrak travels. And I, as you can guess from the above paragraph, saw it all from the Dining Car. So, no pictures. Not that the pictures would do it any justice.
I used to say “one” in the next sentence; here’s the updated version: If you don’t do any other train travel in your lifetime, you should (must?) do at least one of these two: 1) the westbound California Zephyr out of Denver through to Sacramento (the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas); or 2) the eastbound Empire Builder from Seattle to East Glacier Park. On the Builder, be sure to be viewing the north side of the train from Whitefish to Essex, and the south side from Essex to East Glacier Park.
Did you know it was a small world? I’ve hiked and dined and talked with multiple people throughout this trip, and somewhere along the way there always seems to be an uncanny connection. On the Builder, I ate breakfast with a couple from St. Paul, Indiana. St. Paul, Indiana, is a town of less than 500 southeast of Indianapolis. It is also the home of the Flat Rock YMCA Camp, which, for a while, my friend Arthur directed, and I spent much time at when I worked for the Indy YMCA. They were absolutely flabbergasted to have met someone on the train, in the middle of Idaho, with a connection to St. Paul, Indiana. Then, while hiking trails in Glacier Park, I got advice from one group of experienced park visitors, finding out during the conversation that one grew up in Toledo, OH. She recognized my Maumee Valley t-shirt. The park offers guided group hikes. I joined in one the other day and hiked to Iceberg Lake with a fellow Ohioan and a family from Jackson, Michigan. It’s a small world, after all. It’s a small, small world (got that song stuck in your head, yet?).
As Glacier National Park is my “destination”, if I had any, on this trip, I was eager to get to the park. After all, the glaciers are melting. Many years ago, there were hundreds of glaciers in GNP. The last time a study was done with a count, there were 25. Now, they suspect that when they count this year there will be many less. Climate change. No matter what the cause, it is happening. And Glacier National Park will likely soon be a park with an inappropriate name.
Now, let’s take a moment to discuss driving in Montana. On curvy, two-lane mountain roads. Where the speed limit is 70 MPH. Oh yeah, at night it’s only 65. And don’t veer right, that’s a sheer cliff over there, buddy. It’s scary enough doing it by yourself, but then add other cars and motorcycles coming at you and from behind going multiple MPH faster that you. It’s dangerous at times-just two days ago two motorcyclists instantly killed themselves (in two different accidents, within 15 miles and 4 hours of each other) by crossing the double yellow line and ramming into a car going the other way.
Did I mention the obstacles? There are those, too. I had to use the sudden breaking maneuver to dodge a herd of cattle and, then, around the next bend, a herd of horses, who had decided to use the road for passage and grazing that morning. Yes, horses. While driving into the park the other night, the obstacle-of-the-day was big horn sheep. You see, they (apparently) don’t use fences here in Montana.
I’m trying to catch up with some writing and posting here. Next time, some tales of exploring Glacier National Park. I’m getting a few pictures posted while I am waiting on Amtrak. There will likely be more uploaded after I am home.
