August 3, 2020 – WANDERLUST FAMILY ADVENTURE

Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site (Deer Lodge, Montana)

August 3, 2020 Joseph Candora Architecture, Farms/Zoos/Aquariums, Historic Sites, Montana, National Parks Service, North America, Rivers, United States

My mother’s favorite national park unit was the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Montana. The site was created in 1972 and commemorates the Western cattle industry from its 1850s inception through recent times. The original ranch was established in 1862 by a Canadian fur trader, Johnny Grant, in what is now Deer Lodge, Montana. The ranch was later expanded by a cattle baron, Conrad Kohrs (1866–1920). The 1,618 acres historic site is maintained today as a working ranch by the National Park Service.

New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos

Going-to-the-Sun Road (Glacier National Park, Montana)

August 3, 2020 Joseph Candora Hiking, Lake/Pond, Montana, Mountain, National Parks Service, North America, Rivers, Scenic Drives, United States, Waterfalls

Going-to-the-Sun Road is a scenic mountain road in Glacier National Park in Montana. The Sun Road is the only road that traverses the park, crossing the Continental Divide through Logan Pass at an elevation of 6,646 feet which is the highest point on the road. Construction began in 1921 and was completed in 1932. The road is one of the most difficult roads in North America to snowplow in the spring. Up to 80 feet of snow can lie on top of Logan Pass, and more just east of the pass where the deepest snowfield has long been referred to as the Big Drift. On the east side of the Continental Divide, there are few guardrails due to heavy snows and the resultant late-winter avalanches that have destroyed protective barriers. The road is generally open from early June to mid October, but beware I was at the park on July 3 one year and the road was still closed. If this is the case you will have to take a very long drive around the perimeter of the park to the south to access the western portion of the park.
There are two large lakes on either side of the road Lake McDonald to the west and St. Mary Lake on the eastern side.

From the lake you wind your way up the mountains,

keep your eye open for waterfalls along the way,

the snow drifts can be enormous even in summer,

and of course the mountain scenery is spectacular.

You will eventually make your way up to Logan Pass the highest point on the road.

Many Glacier Region – Glacier National Park, Montana

August 3, 2020 Joseph Candora Architecture, Attractions, Camping, Canoeing, Hiking, Historic Sites, Lake/Pond, Montana, Mountain, National Parks Service, North America, United States

Many Glacier is an area within Glacier National Park which is located in the U.S. state of Montana. The Many Glacier region is located north of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, on the east side of the park. Lake Sherburne is the large lake in the area and the Many Glacier Hotel, the largest hotel within the park, is along the shore of the adjacent Swiftcurrent Lake. The Many Glacier Hotel and surrounding buildings are a National Historic Landmark, with original construction dating back to 1915. Many Glacier is surrounded by the high peaks of the Lewis Range, and numerous hiking trails can be accessed from the area. The region is noted for numerous lakes, waterfalls and dense coniferous forests interspersed with alpine meadows.

Banff National Park – Alberta, Canada

August 3, 2020 Joseph Candora Alberta, Beaches, Camping, Canada, Canoeing, Hiking, Lake/Pond, Mountain, National Parks Service, North America, Rivers, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Waterfalls

Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest national park, established in 1885. Located in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains Banff encompasses 2,564 sq miles of mountainous terrain, with many glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, Alberta to Jasper National Park in the north. The parks together along with the surrounding area form the Canadian Rocky Mountain UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Over the past few million years, glaciers have at times covered most of the park, but today are found only on the mountain slopes. The Columbia Icefield is the largest uninterrupted glacial mass in the Rockies. You can walk out onto the glacier but be sure to bring sunglasses. I neglected to bring a pair and the resulting snow blindness gave me the worst headache I ever had in my life.

The walk up to what is now the foot of the glacier gives you a real sense of the effects of Global Warming as the markers indicate how far the glacier has receded in the last few decades.

The power of the glaciers can be seen in the grooves carved into the granite rocks.

Jasper National Park – Alberta, Canada

August 3, 2020 Joseph Candora Alberta, Camping, Canada, Canoeing, Hiking, Lake/Pond, Mountain, National Parks Service, North America, Rivers, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Waterfalls, Wildlife

Jasper National Park is a national park in Alberta, Canada. It is the largest national park within Alberta’s Rocky Mountains spanning 11,000 4,200 sq mi. Its location is north of Banff National Park and west of Edmonton. The park contains the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains and is a part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Icefields Parkway is a highway 140 mi in length from Lake Louise, Alberta in Banff National Park, to Jasper, Alberta. The highway parallels the continental divide, providing motor access to the mountains.

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