Glacier - Highline Trail

I'm not sure how long the Highline Trail is but we went out on it about one mile and then turned back. Bob kept saying it was going to be boring after that. You can judge for yourself if it would be interesting or not :-) Of course we had already done 4-5 miles across the street, and 12 the day before...

For starters you cross the street from the Visitor's Center and walk past this sign (hmm) and down the path behind Bob. It meanders through a hilly, wooded, meadowy kind of area until you reach the mountain trail in about 1/2 mile.

And here it is. When you reach the point where the meadowy trail (yes, I said it again) comes in you are clinging to bare rock face with a chain covered in places with a garden hose (isn't that thoughtful?) to keep from plummeting down the cliff side into the roadway below. The wind gusts are upwards of 30-40mph and it's just a wee bit intimidating at times!

See what I mean?

 

Okay, we're fooling around some here, but it is scary at times :-}

Bob went ahead and got me at a few of the corners. There is a point where you go around the rock face a few times and all of a sudden the wind stops. You know you are in a safer place because the hose and chain stops too.






This was our destination. I'm about at the end of the chain now and you can see how the trail keeps going against a gentler slope. The street is below for about another mile and then you get into the back country mountains more.

Here is a vista view. I'm just crossing the street to head to the Highline Trail. See the break to the left on the ridge where the green breaks and there is a line that continues on, about mid way up the slope? That's where the trail is.

Now, see the distinct line across the mountain to the right? That is the trail, way out away from the area where we got on...where we didn't go. Does this look boring to you? I'm just sayin'...

NEXT TIME we come, I want to make this a destination hike! (Are you reading this Paul?) We couldn't get into the Visitor's Center parking lot so we had to park downhill at the next lot, about another 1/2 mile. So this days hiking totaled about another 7 miles.

This is on the drive to and from Glacier when you know you are getting close. Now, note the cows. See the fence? It's not there for any purpose that we could figure out.

This land is part of Indian Reservation land and they allow the cows to roam freely. This shot was taken right before going through a small town.We had to stop to let them cross.

You just have to love Montana! Here is the most traffic we usually encountered. See the woods? They just wander in and among the trees. Can you imagine trying to round them up to protect for the winter months? Maybe they have enough sense to 'head for home' when the weather starts getting bad, but we are talking about cows here. LOL