The Forest Primeval

Monday September 5, 2011
Glacier Campground
West Glacier, National Park

 

Since we couldn’t get a parking spot yesterday
to do the Trail of the Cedars,
we set out a tad earlier today to try again.
And this time success.

 

Not sure why we have no pictures
of me and my borrowed wheels,
but we do have some of this simply
gorgeous place.

 

The trail loop is a boardwalk about half
way  around and then turns to asphalt.

 

These pictures are so unfair.
The Western Red Cedars are HUGE and you just
can’t get that feeling from a photograph

 

 

There were also Western Hemlocks,
Douglas Firs, and Black Cottonwood trees.

The bark of the Black Cottonwood was
very heavily furrowed on these large trees.

 

It is dark and quiet,
unless the hikers are “chatting”.
And when they aren’t, it seems like
the forest primeval.

 

 

 

 

The trail is made up mostly of Western Red Cedar
which has very shallow roots and due to the
dampness, sometimes can’t hold on.
But also due to the dampness, this forest
has not seen a fire since the early 1500’s.
Isn’t that amazing!!

 

 

 

The trail passed by large weeping rocks
with beautiful rich green mosses.

 

 

 

The boardwalk ends at a bridge over
Avalanche creek and the trail
continues in blacktop for the rest of the loop.
At the bridge the water tumbles through this
narrow rock passage.

 

 

Again the water is Glacier blue when it settles
down.

 

 

Just simply beautiful.

 

I would love have just sat
and absorbed the energy
of this very powerful place
with its giant trees and lovely water.
Assuming of course that the number of
other hikers would have thinned out
so that it would be quiet and meditative.
But I had to return my wheels before 4:00. 

 

For those of you coming in the future to
Glacier National Park,
do consider coming out here in the dark
of a full moon and just absorbing the
atmosphere.   That is definitely on
my list for “next time”.

 

And I’m going to sit right here.