When we woke up, Michael commented that the trees smelled kind of weird, as he exited the RV to give Sheila her breakfast. Lisette sniffed the air, and it didn't smell nice. It later dawned on us that there was a rug that had been disposed of in the trees in front of us, and it smelled like death. So, some kind of animal had died, and while there was no trace of it, it's scent lingered. Time to leave!
Shepard Memorial Fountain is a popular roadside stop, on a large turnoff across from Flathead River. There's a pipe sticking out that continually gushes out cool, crystal clear water from a natural spring, landing in a small pool of colorful stones. There were several cars that were already stopped when we arrived, with people all getting out to fill up their water bottles and big water jugs. We still had 2 water jugs that were still about half full, but we didn't want to pass up on this opportunity so we combined the water into one jug, leaving the other one to fill up as much as we could with spring water. Sheila also got out and drank some of the cool water from the stones, looking very happy and refreshed!
Glacier National Park
Not far from the Fountain is Glacier National Park, well-known for its beautiful snow-capped mountains, crystal clear lakes, and rich biodiversity. It's a huge park, spanning over a million acres with more than 1,126 kilometers (700 miles) of hiking trails, although visitors need to be aware of the grizzly bears, mountain goats and even lynxes that live within the vast wilderness! Sometimes referred to as the "Crown of the Continent," there are also some dramatically stunning scenic drives to see the glaciers and landscapes.
At the Apgar Visitor Center, we learned that one of the most iconic drives, Going-to-the-Sun Road, was still closed in the alpine section as plowing is still underway, while there are length restrictions of 21 feet (we drive a 30-foot RV) in certain areas. We drove the part of Going-to-the-Sun Road that we could do, from the Visitor Center until Avalanche Creek.
The road is very scenic, dotted with forests and with stops to check out the stunning waterfalls along Lake McDonald. It looks so picturesque, with the crystal clear water at the forefront, surrounded by tress and with snow-capped mountains in the background. It was so fantastic to look at and hear how the water traveled. The water is beautifully blue, but as the water went over the falls, it shows up as being completely clear, showing the polished rocks below. Wow. Everything looked fresh, clean and gorgeous.
The challenge for us was finding places to stop and park along the way, as some spots were too narrow for our RV to fit. It was also really busy when we were there, with tourists all jostling to park and check out the different waterfalls and scenic stops along the way. The road is also shared with cyclists, and there were a ton of folks riding their bikes, which cars and other vehicles would have to carefully bypass.
Fortunately we were able to stop at a few points to take photos, before we went towards St. Mary Visitor Center, to see the eastern side of Glacier National Park. One of the fun and popular stops is Goat Lick Overlook, which has cliffs and rock faces full of minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium that mountain goats will lick to give them their nutrients. And sure enough, across the lake we saw some goats in the distance, getting their minerals!
The drive further east towards St. Mary was gorgeous, with mountains reflecting on the water, and beautiful forests. We're not sure how, but we ended up on a road that was meant for vehicles that were 21 feet or under, so it was super windy and also extremely bumpy. It felt a bit rather cozy during some tight turns, but Michael navigated it really well.
St. Mary Visitor Center was closed when we arrived, so we decided to head back towards where we started to find a place to stop for the night. Unfortunately the bumpy, gravelly roads may have affected our kitchen pipes, because that very distinct rotten eggs smell returned, meaning we'd need to flush our sink again with baking soda and vinegar.
A Soothing Spot for the Evening
Eventually we arrived at a large pullout area where there were already 2 campers parked for the night, along the water. We could see and hear the soothing water sounds run along the stream, which would help get a good nights' sleep. While on the other side there were train tracks (and there were certainly trains that drove through that night), the tracks were much higher than the road for cars, and unlike other experiences, these trains didn't seem to blow their horn frequently.
We made dinner, but as Lisette went to wash the dishes, the kitchen faucet didn't work... Our water pump had stopped functioning, again! We thought it had been sounding a bit weird recently, but didn't expect that it would just die so abruptly--we'd have hoped for a slow, obvious death where we could have prepared! At least we had the water from Shepard Memorial Fountain to do the dishes that night.
No Water, and White Water Rafting
Since the activities we could do at Glacier National Park were limited (and we had no running water), the previous night we'd booked a white water rafting tour with Glacier Raft Company, departing at 11am.
The water temperature was a fairly chilly 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit), so we were given a wetsuit, booties and a lifejacket to wear, with the option for a long-sleeve splashguard (we didn't opt for the latter as it was a nice sunny day). There were only 2 sizes for helmet--a general adult and kids helmet, and well, Lisette's head size meant she wore a kid's helmet, which looked like she was wearing a bright yellow kitchen bowl or colander atop her head. Yes, she felt and looked like a child wearing it, and yes, Michael laughed hysterically. You can see how awesome Lisette looks and judge for yourself!
After everyone was suited up, we were loaded into buses to get to our starting point at Flathead River. There were a total of 4 rafts that set out today, with each raft having around 10 people on them. We volunteered to sit at the front of the raft to power steer, which was also great for us to get an unobstructed view of where we were going.
And then we were off! There were several rapids along the way, nothing too intense (it's a Class I river). There was only one part that was a little deep where we plunged into the river, splashing everyone with water and even causing a few folks to shriek with surprise and excitement! There was a spot along the river where Michael spotted a snake that was clearly in a bit of distress fighting against the rapids, so the guide on our raft picked it up with his oar to take it to shore and safety. There's also a very brief part of the tour where people can jump into the water if they want for a swim (well, more of a float in their life jackets). While we didn't jump in, the water was cool and refreshing, and not icy!
White water rafting was definitely a fun way to see the area in a different way, and be on the river on a hot day! If you have the opportunity to do this, we heartily recommend it and give it a two thumbs up.
After our leisurely paddle we were almost going to try a Huckleberry Shake but decided to wait.
Eating Elk and Mushrooms
It was time for lunch after we got back to the RV. With no running water, rather than making lunch it was most convenient for us to grab lunch at the Great Bear Cafe, a highly rated restaurant outside of the national park, where we ordered elk burger (with a side of macaroni salad) and a vegetarian mushroom burger (with a side salad). Michael had tried bison burger after we'd soaked at the Lava Hot Springs in Idaho, and between the two he preferred bison burger. This meal was delicious, with friendly customer service.
We weren't far from a decent-sized city, Kalispell, which had several hardware stores for us to find a replacement water pump, which were all located around the same area. After driving to all 4 stores, however, not a single one had the pump that we needed! It seems the worst day to have an RV issue is Sunday, as most RV repair shops were closed as well.
The next major city is Missoula, over 2 hours away, so we figured we'd head there and hopefully find a water pump replacement somewhere there. While it was inconvenient to not have running water, we didn't let that dampen (no pun intended!) our spirits, as the drive along Flathead Lake south is absolutely stunning, presenting a serene setting of bright blue skies, fluffy white clouds, majestic mountains, calm waters and towering trees. We can see why Montana is called "Big Sky Country."
Garden of 1,000 Buddhas
Along the road between Kalispell and Missoula, we stopped at the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas, a public park with 1,000 hand-cast Buddha statues, 1,000 stupas, shrines, and other Buddhist monuments, all set among native trees and flowers. The park's mission is to bring about positive transformation within those who visit, in response to the negativity that abounds in the world today.
It was still very hot when we arrived and there's no shade, but we loved walking along the park, and reading the various inscriptions underneath all of the Buddha statues of who has donated them, as well as the various Buddhist quotes providing an additional sense of peace and positivity. We would never have thought that such a place exists just north of Missoula, but it is so wonderful that it does!
No Running Water Tonight
Arriving in Missoula that evening, our priority was finding that elusive water pump replacement, but yet again we had no luck. While we couldn't have a celebratory drink we went to Big Dipper Ice Cream in Missoula, to try out a huckleberry shake. Downtown Missoula is pretty and adorable, but as Michael turned the corner to arrive at the ice cream shop, we passed a big pickup truck whose rearview mirrors were a lot wider than average cars, so we swiped it with our mirror--immediately smashing the glass on our mirror loudly enough to make Lisette jump and scream!
We parked around the corner (in front of the shop where there was a long line of folks and hanging out eating ice cream), where Michael started to write a note for the owner of the other vehicle. When we walked back to their pick up truck, we noticed glass from our rearview mirror strewn across the road (with our little mirror still intact on the ground). However, the pickup had not a scratch!! In a way, we guess, we were lucky to not have to exchange details and get insurance involved. And the huckleberry milkshakes were delicious, at least!
We did find an RV store that offered a free water refill and dump (yay!), and noticed there were quite a few campers parked overnight. Hoping we'd find a water pump at the store, we parked here for the night with plans to head into the shop once it opened the next morning.