Dawn was a welcome sight after a night of being very cold. Thankfully the kids slept like rocks. They enjoyed their breakfast of miniature sugar-coated cold cereal immensely. Gena and I were grateful for large cups of tea and showers. We then headed out to explore a bit more.
The eastern side of Glacier has two different entrances. We went to both, and discovered that the park isn't really open in earnest yet. There's one main drive from the east to the west side of the park called the Going-to-the-Sun Road - and we learned that it's not open yet. Not until next Friday, specifically.
Not only that, all of the park amenities were pretty much not operating yet. It rained all morning, and the mountain peaks were shrouded in mist and clouds during our drive. It was ghostly and silent and beautiful. It was also really hard to actually see any of the scenery, which was a bit frustrating.
It was still raining after lunch when Gena and I made the executive decision to cut short our stay on the east side of Glacier and drive around to the more populous west side. While the kids played in the van we broke down camp in about 30 minutes. Not being able to cook anything besides hot dogs, the cold weather, and the rain were enough to convince us to move along our trip a little. We were blessed - and surprised - that the KOA refunded our nightly fee. So, packed up somewhat haphazzardly, we set out.
Highway 2 circles around the southern side of the park. We stopped at a less well-traveled entrance called Two Medicine. There was a very short hike that we took the kids on to a waterfall. Once again, the kids were ecstatic to be able to throw rocks into water. The sun appeared long enough to take some pictures, and then we were on our way again.
The drive around to the west side of Glacier was impressive. While the eastern side is more rugged - bare rock faces painted with snow driving emphatically into the sky - the west side is more wooded and lush, full of waterfalls, the winding South Fork River swelling and shrinking beside the highway. We probably wouldn't have made that drive if the pass through the park had been open, so I'm grateful for the chain of events that allowed us to experience that beautiful drive along highway 2.
We arrived in Columbia Falls, MT in the evening, found a place to stay, had a delightful dinner in a small cafe, and were glad for our decision. It's funny how even in the midst of great uncertainty and un-structuredness, we are so tightly bound to expectations. With the entire country in our rear-view mirror and uncertain days stretched out before us, we struggled with the idea of throwing in the towel from what we had arbitrarily decided we would do (spend two nights camping on the east side of Glacier). No wonder we cling so tightly to our routines and ways of doing things when the uncertainty of life is far more disguised. What a wonderful (and silly!) reminder of the freedom we have in letting go of what we think ought to be, and allowing ourselves to experience more actually the grace of a God that has opened our lives up to all sorts of possibilities, if we would only accept not just His grace, but His peace as well.
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized in Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
St. Paul - Galatians 3:23-29
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