Montana Trip - Day 13

[up around 0800 this morning - didn't have to do much this morning to leave - on the road by 0830 - good drive on AB-5 (nice mountain views) - entered Waterton Lakes park around 0930L - beautiful views of Prince of Wales Hotel and pretty lake - stopped at visitor center and encountered a crotchety Quebecois ranger (no help) - another visitor told me to go up to Cameron Lake - with gas tank nearly empty, still figured I could make it - drive was relaxing (far fewer visitors in the park!) - views of the Lake were tremendous - southern end was nearly a rock face that went straight up (Montana border) - decided to walk the Akamina Pass trail - it went uphill all the way to the British Columbia border - encountered a ladies hiking group and a woman who popped out of the bushes as I neared the top - very pleasant - reached border (and Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park boundary) - decided to turn around (thought I had gone 1.5 miles up but forgot they measured in kilometers... - no wonder it went so fast!) - back down the hill to the car - stopped at the site of the first oil well in western Canada - drove into the little town of Waterton (VERY pretty!) - got gas (pricy) at the only station - they recommended I eat at Trappers, across the street - I sat outside there and had to eat breakfast (they don't serve lunch until 1200L) - ate buffalo meat, eggs and spuds (skillet) with toast - afterwards, ate some Saskatoon berry pie (mmmmmm!!!) - bought some souvenirs - walked around town, along the pretty lake - great views of historic hotel - I actually did not want to leave - weather was great, town wasn't busy - still, needed to get going - drove towards exit, stopping at Prince of Wales Hotel on the way out - also drove up to Red Rock Canyon (interesting river views - small, different layers of red) - left park and got on AB-6 to the border (great view of Chief Mountain) - glad I didn't come this way last night because they close the gate at 1800! - got quizzed a lot (and searched) - drove down MT-17 and back to US-89 - mail in Babb - got on Going to the Sun Road at St. Mary (stopped at visitor center) - glassy lake surface (St. Mary) with amazing reflection - stopped several times for photos (Jackson Glacier), but wanted to make sure I got across the pass before the major road construction impacted my goal to reach Missoula - as I got to Logan Pass, had to wait about 20 minutes for road work - one of the ladies there told me that the road had only just opened in mid July - and that the road and visitor center had been damaged during the long winter - a HUGE line had formed, so after we got escorted to the Pass, I decided not to stop there - but, after getting going again, I got immediately delayed for another 20 minutes just below - saw herd of elk very close to the road - with the huge line of cars and the significant construction, the drive was severely affected (scenery and enjoyment wise) - after I made it through the Loop, let cars pass me - made just a few stops on the way down - best view was Lake McDonald (glacial lake) - break at Apgar (souvenir) - drove out of park on US-2, down to where it intercepted US-93 - first cell signal in nearly two full days - drove through [Kilispell] and on to Flathead Reservation - got dinner at Burger King (ate in car) - road meandered along beautiful Flathead Lake - mountains of the "Crown of the Continent" in background... - would have stopped if it was earlier: St. Ignatius Church (Father De Smet) and National Buffalo Herd - made it to the edge of Missoula (I-90) around 1930 - didn't get on interstate, found hotel (Redwood at truck stop) - watched TV, emails, money (etc.) - bed around midnight.]