After Otokomi Lake

After our Otokomi hike was over we stopped at the Park Cafe in St Mary. Bill, Joyce and Sue Ann each had a piece of pie. I had an ice cream shake so thick I ate it rather than drink it. It was good on a hot day. We arrived at a good time as the later arrivals had to wait for a table to open. The Park Cafe is not a big place and is very popular.

South of St Mary we passed the burned trees from last year's Red Eagle fire. This is on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. Therefore they already have done a lot of salvage logging. Trees burnt in the national park are left. Trees burnt in a national forest are sometimes salvaged logged, but only after an environmental review and then lawsuits against the logging.

Two Medicine Lake as seen from MT 49.

 
As we drove through East Glacier I had commented this Glacier Park Lodge was the only major old-time lodge in the Park I had never been inside of. The others decided to stop and visit the lodge so I could see it.

A store inside sold touristy stuff. A fire was burning in the fireplace on the south side. On the north side was the Great Northern restaurant whose posted menu looked inviting.

In the common area a young man played piano.Some guests were sitting about this area and I felt they were younger than I expected people staying here to be. I also thought: "What are you doing just sitting around inside on such a nice day?"



It was around 7 pm when we passed by the Walton Ranger station. It was too late to stop to talk with Ranger Rachel. Later, plenty of cars were outside the Packers Roost Bar but Sue Ann wasn't interested in stopping to look for a potential boyfriend. I told her I be more than glad to go inside and look for the man for whom Sue Ann had a phone number and recommendation to date. I told her that if I ever drive we will stop.

It was about 8 pm when I got home. 12 hours. A nice way to spend the day even if the mosquitoes drove us crazy part of the time.