Heading West to East Glacier!

Part 1:  June 20 – June 25, 2025

A rolling stone gathers no moss – right?  After seeing all of the moss growing on the stones of Iceland, we thought it best if we just kept on the move following our visit to the land of Fire and Ice!  We gave ourselves one full day to recover from Iceland and prepare for our trip west, which with some planning and organizing ahead of time, turned out to be just right.  The morning of June 20th, we pulled away from Waukee and began our trip to Glacier National Park.  We had made these reservations a year ago with great anticipation for our 3rd trip to this Crown of the Continent!  

Along the way to Glacier NP, we made a couple of overnight stops in South Dakota, not even bothering to unhitch the camper.  It was fun to stop at Wall Drug to stretch our legs and grab one of their well-advertised 5¢ cup of coffee.  My niece, Amanda, had told me Wall Drug also has some pretty delicious donuts.  After hearing this, there wasn’t much discussion in making the decision to add a donut to that cup of coffee!  Turns out we even sat in the very same booth that Amanda and Dustin sat in when they were there!  What are the odds of that?

Our next overnight was at a KOA that sits right at the base of Devils Tower.  As many times as we have been west, it had never worked out to stop there, so I was thrilled when Dick was able to make this happen!

Taking in the scenery on Joyner Ridge Trail

View of Devils Tower from Joyner Ridge Trail

Devils Tower has a couple of Indian legends that explain its creation.  My favorite tells the story of several sisters being chased by their brother.  The brother turned into a bear and the land rescued the girls by lifting the girls high into the sky.  In the bear’s attempt to reach the girls, its claws scratched at the walls of the tower, leaving the deep ridges on the tower.  

Art in the visitor center, explaining the legend

These ridges make this tower a favorite for rock climbers.  In fact, an average of 5,000 registered climbers scale this tower annually.  While we were there, it was “June Voluntary Closure”, so we didn’t see any climbers.  This closure reflects the reverence Native Americans have for their sacred tower.  

What we did see was the many prayer clothes attached to trees surrounding the base of the tower.  These colorful cloths are prayer requests made by the owner of the cloth.  Only the owner knows what the prayer was.  I found it a very visible sign of just how sacred this land continues to be to the Native American tribes.

Prayer clothes along Devils Tower Trail

We also saw evidence of how long people have been climbing this tower.  It took binoculars for us to see but, along the back side of the tower, a portion of a ladder used in 1893 to climb this tower still remains.  This first recorded ascent of the tower used a ladder made of wooden pegs and spikes.

You may recall the 1977 movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.  What I hadn’t remembered was that Devils Tower was a pretty significant part of the film, but then, it really wasn’t that much of a memorable movie (in my humble opinion).  What will be memorable for me was how the KOA shows the movie each evening in the campground.  It was almost too chilly to be sitting outdoors watching a movie, but it was “cool” to be watching a movie about Devils Tower while sitting at the base of Devils Tower!

Billings was our next overnight, where we stocked up on some groceries and bear spray for our upcoming stay at Glacier.  Our final stop was at Great Falls, where we were treated to live music, hot tub soaking, and a free pancake breakfast!

We divided our stay at Glacier into two stops.  Our first stop was at Saint Mary, MT, where we stayed at the KOA just two miles from the park entrance.  As we approached Saint Mary, I found myself reflecting on my Pop’s bicycle ride from Washington State to Iowa in 1990.  I began wondering what route he took and if we happened to be on the same road he rode on.  I have a digital version of his photo album on my phone, so I pulled it out.  I couldn’t believe it when I started looking at his pictures.  Straight ahead of me was the very same scene as where Pops had a flat tire following his assent up Logan Pass and Saint Mary Ridge! Looking closer at the photo, I noticed it had a date stamp on it.  Pops had his flat tire at that spot 35 years ago to the day!

Dad was always such an optimist!

When I was telling this story to Brandon, I told him it was almost like Pops was talking to me.  Brandon told me the Irish call these experiences “thin places”.  It turns out, it’s not only an Irish concept, but also one well-known by Native Americans.  I think I found a thin place – a spot where heaven and earth almost touch!  

Top photo taken June 25, 1990 - Bottom photo take 35 years to the day later!

When we arrived at Saint Mary / East Glacier KOA, it was blustery and a bit chilly!  When we looked at the weather forecast, it appeared we were in for a few cold windy days – almost like being back in Iceland!

Next up:  East Glacier!