Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Highline Trail Which Is Very High, Glacier National Park

The Spouse was bound and determined we would hike the Highline Trail as a family this time around at Glacier.  Hiking the Highline to Granite Park Chalet was something he'd been dreaming of for years, and there was no stopping him.  BOUND!  DETERMINED! 


See him already edging down the trail a bit?  He was pumped. 

You know, I'm all for living your life's dream, but the Highline Trail has a couple of tricky parts. And when I say tricky, I mean perilous and terrifying. Crossing 900 feet of cliff precipice while clinging to a guide wire to counterbalance an unwieldy backpack likely to drag you to your death while watching your children navigate the same is, for me, the stuff of nightmares. Just thinking about it makes my hands sweat.  

Nevertheless, away we went:  The Spouse, my fears, and a whole slew of relatives.


After we made it past the narrow, terrifying part way above the Going-to-the-Sun Road (see above), I guess I turned around to snap a picture.  I don't remember taking the picture because of THE AMNESIA-INDUCING TERROR AND ALL, but apparently that's what I did.


The girls were unfazed. 



Nevertheless, this is not a good place to trip.


Unless, of course, you're a mountain goat.  Then you're clearly in your element. 




Yes, yes, lots of beautiful views and waterfalls.  I KNOW.   


And there, after hiking the Highline all day, was Granite Park Chalet, like a mirage in the distance.  It only took about seven hours to get there.   After which, we collapsed in total exhaustion.  No--wait, we had to walk a mile on a grizzly bear trail to get our own drinking and cooking water, make dinner, bargain for bed linens, make the beds, and THEN we collapsed in total exhaustion.


The next day we hiked eight miles back a different trail to our lodge.  And after that, my friends, I was done with hiking for the week. 

OK, OK, I guess hiking the Highline was a little bit awesome.  And we totally did not get eaten by grizzly bears, you guys!

I vote we live out my dream next, though.

1 comment:

big genie said...

Biggenie likes the pics!