I made the mistake of telling my parents my plans, because a grizzly bear attack in Yellowstone last week was still all over the news. My folks love to worry, and they were now 100% convinced a bear would eat me if I even stepped foot into a national park.
The ride was smooth and short, only 2-3 hours. I took some time to hang out in Kalispell because there was a nifty little organic grocery there and I get sucked into them like a kid in a candy shop. I always have to see how their products and procedures compare to the co-op where I worked in Oregon. Since I was the merchandiser there, I pay a lot of attention to things like sign formats, end aisle displays, shelf arrangements, store layout, etc. (I know, I know… you can take the boy out of merchandising but you can’t take the merchandising out of the boy). Before leaving, I stocked up on oats, trail mix and veggies—my typical camping fare.
Glacier was, of course, incredible. Every turn in the road let to another amazing view of glaciers, lakes and snowy mountains as far as the eye could see. Since it was a Monday, I expected the crowds to be minimal. Not so—the place was packed! It didn’t sink-in how many tourists were there until I started looking for a campsite in the evening. That’s when I learned that every single campground in the park fills up by 2pm, even on a weekday. I ended up having to settle for a site outside the park on Duck Lake, slightly less scenic but far more private. For the rest of my time up there, finding a place to camp became my first morning priority.
On my second night, a friendly Chinese couple approached me as I ate dinner by my tent and asked if they could share my campsite. They had been driving from campground to campground all day with no luck, and now it was too late to find anything open. I could relate to their problem, so I let them pitch their tent next to mine.
The three of us stayed up late talking. The husband, Fei, was studying law in Missouri. He and his wife (whose name I never learned) were hitting almost all the National Parks in the West before school started again in late August. They were close to visiting all 50 states, and I pointed out that they’ve already seen more of America than most Americans do in their entire lives. Fei was interested in my WWOOFing life, and when I told him I’d like to do it abroad, he ran to his car to get a business card for me. Told me to send him an email if I ever ended up in China because he knew a lot of places I could stay. I can’t say China is one of my top destinations, but who knows? I like to think that things happen for a reason.
I spent a total of three days at Glacier, hiking and swimming every day at different points in the park. Saw seven bears in that time and didn’t get eaten. Not even once.
Oh my gosh! You were face to face!!
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