Montana Trip - Day 12

[slept straight through to 0815 (feeling more rested) - photos, journal, emails - didn't leave hotel until almost 0945... - used I-90 west until just past Three Forks - headwaters of Missouri River - construction (with signs that show where the money comes from!) - lots of wheat fields - back roads (US-287!) to East Helena - gas fillup and sack lunch (1230L) - got on I-15 and continued north - saw Montana State House as I drove through Helena - pretty scenery (canyon/gorge) for Missouri all the way to Great Falls - radio talking all day about how they have caught three bears in Yellowstone, tagged and released them pending DNA tests - got off in Ulm and visited the "First People's Bison Jump" park (interesting) - gravel roads and back roads back to I-15 - stopped at rest area for water (hmmm) - got off on MT-44 (Valier Highway) and drove near Lake Frances - mountain scenery (including small glaciers) - getting better and better! - intercepted US-89 - stopped to see a few Lewis & Clark monuments - entered Blackfoot Reservation - passing through Browning, used US-2 (west) to get to East Glacier - took MT-49 to entrance of Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park (1530L) - ranger lady at gate told me where I could find bears - saw one (small black bear) in the group campground area (eating berries on a hill - just a stones throw from my car and across a little creek) - chatted with another traveller - drove back to MT-49 and then got on US-89 - unfortunately, construction delays - cows in road - made it to St. Mary after a harrowing drive on really bad roads... - lots of traffic (mmmm...) - continued north until I reached Babb - took park road (12 miles) up to Many Glacier - had hoped to get a room there in order to get an early start on a hike to see glaciers in the morning, but they were full - restaurant was very busy, too (decided not to wait) - sensing urgency to find a room (they said all the park hotels were full), headed back down the mountain - no rooms in Babb - no rooms in any of the places north of town - came to fork in road (MT-17) and decided to take my chances in Canada - arrived at border around 1900L (they actually close the border at 2300L - and lock the gate!) - got "searched" (virtually ?) - watched other folks come to the border and ask about hotels - got released around 1930L and drove on to Cardston, Alberta - looked around town a little before getting a room at South Country Inn (2000L) - lady at desk recommended I get dinner at the nearby Cobblestone Manor - dinner OK (chicken with syrup flavor) - service a little overwhelmed with US visitors in town, I guess - manager gave me tips about visiting Waterton Lakes park - pointed out the Mormon temple nearby, all lit up (learned LDS founded Cardston in late 1800s) - found out it snowed here in September last year (better hurry, I guess!) - back to my room - found they only have 10 channels (but, luckily, wi-fi)... - TV and emails - then bed.]