Epic Road Trip 2017: Day 10 - Helena - GLACIER PARK - And Saving My Keister Twice In One Day

You can't beat a day full of jaw-dropping vistas, hiking, buffalo burgers, and Manuka honey band-aids.  

Day 10 - August 10, 2017

From: Helena, Montana to Glacier National Park (Montana) to Rural Northern Idaho

Total Driving Miles - About 575

Total Driving Time - About 12 hours

Total Hiking Miles - 5

Total Hiking Time - About 1 hour 15 min.

Mood - Refreshed and boisterous with a side of relish

Music - LTJ Bukem

I woke up at my airbnb in Helena feeling refreshed, unlike the previous 2 nights of sleeping in the car.  Before I made my way to Glacier Park, though, I had to tend to my sore rear end.  

The first thing I did to alleviate my "pressure sore" (from sitting too much) was to sit on my blanket and sometimes also on my trusty pizza pillow.

The next thing I did was go to a pharmacy and see if they had any special types of bandages for just such an ailment.  The super friendly staff (one thing I love about small towns and cities) gave me various recommendations (with a straight face).  

I went with the Manuka honey bandages, and I'm happy to report, that within a few days, I was pain free and back to normal.

On the way to Glacier Park, I found a funny little restaurant/bar called Buffalo Joe's in tiny Dupuyer, MT.  I had a buffalo burger and couldn't resist snapping a photo of some of their comical decor.

I got to the Glacier Park entrance around 5pm, was extorted for 30 dollars by a guy in a costume who is funded by theft (taxation).  Driving from east to west on Going-To-The-Sun Road, it was baffling to see so many breathtaking scenes in such a short frame of time.

I stopped around 6:15 at a trailhead just off the road and decided to do a little hiking.  I didn't bring my camera because it looked like it might rain.  I don't remember the name of the trail, but I know the distance was about 5 miles (the first half of which was uphill) and the elevation was over 6,000 ft.  I knew that the sun would be setting around 8:30, so I thought I had plenty of time.

However.....

What I didn't take into account was the dark clouds making it dark sooner.  I also didn't think "gee, this isn't a lit trail.  If it gets dark out there, I'll be stuck in the woods in the dark (and chilly, with no jacket)."

I also didn't bring any water with me.

Have you figured out that I'm not a typical outdoorsy type person?

It started thundering about 20 minutes into the hike.

I gulped. 

The uphill battle seemed to take forever but I finally reached the destination (a lake) after about 50 minutes, gulped down some air for a minute, then turned around and headed back.  

And that's when it started raining.  Nothing heavy, but a steady shower.  Luckily, there are thick and quite immense Cedar trees all along the trail, so I was shielded for the most part.  The thunder and showers along with the increasing darkness provided a plethora of motivation and I started running, jumping, and flinging myself downhill in order to save my keister once again.

I triumphantly (and with mad heaving breaths) made it back to my car around 7:30 (the downhill hiking went much faster).  Endorphins shot joyously and rampantly through my brain and I was relieved to be safe.  Just moments later, a real DOWNPOUR started.  

Whew!

After leaving the park shortly thereafter, I found a coffee shop and made my next airbnb reservation for the following night.

Juiced up on coffee and adrenaline from the hike, I drove well into the night, and slept in the car at a rest area off I-90 in Northern Idaho.

Stay tuned! Next stop.....Seattle!

Thanks for your time and attention!

Thanks to @papa-pepper for the logo

Thanks to @hilarski for the steeming cats