Time & Place

You've likely heard the expression "there's a time and a place for everything." Probably true. But how about "there's a time for every place?" Think of the hallways in your elementary school. I'm sure that's a place you were well acquainted with...but only for a time. Think of the slopes on a ski hill. You can have a lot of fun at a place like that...but only at the right time of the year. Think of the old house or apartment you used to live in. There's no place like home but at a different time...when you don't live there any longer...it feels strange being there.

Despite all that, heading to an old place at a new time isn't a bad thing. It is, however, different. Often, it's different in some very good ways.

So it goes with Glacier National Park. For most people, the time to visit such a place is summer. I spent four summers there. But in winter...things are different. Winter has a way of saying, "back off." But if you don't back off...if you dive in head first and are prepared for anything, you just might be rewarded.

The photo at the top of this post best exemplifies what I'm trying to say. Shelly Jones is standing on the Many Glacier road on a cold, windy, late February afternoon. I promise there's a road there. Seven miles ahead is this place:

It's the Many Glacier Hotel...the old stomping grounds of everyone you'll hear about in this post. Also ahead...a tiny little chalet, warmed by a wood stove (and electrical heat), to call home for a couple days. Looks quaint, doesn't it?

We just had to get there. That was the hard part. More on that in a moment. First, some backstory.

Ron & Jessie are winter caretakers at the Many Glacier Hotel. Here's Ron:

And here's Jessie as she updates the wildly popular blog she shares with Ron.

Ron & Jessie, also known as Sipner, are old Glacier friends. So are Jason and Shelly, also known as Shelson. Here's that dynamic duo.

It was decided early on that we should all visit Ron & Jessie sometime this winter. The weather had been pretty nice and biking in on the Many Glacier road (closed for 7 miles during winter) seemed like the best option. Old Man Winter had different plans. He dumped 2.5 feet of snow on the ground right before our arrival. Snowshoeing was the only option. Here's Jason and Dave, another old Glacier friend, as we get ready to begin the journey.

We got started late...around 5:00 in the afternoon. Not only that we were dragging a sled full of beer behind us. It was hard. It was really hard. I pride myself on being a fast hiker. But it took us 6.5 hours to snowshoe seven miles. Obviously it was dark for nearly all of it. Unfortunately, Dave decided to turn around early on and head back home. We eventually made it to the chalet at 11:30 that night. Exhausted, we went to bed. But as soon as I woke up the next morning I could see it was all worth it. We were greeted with a sunny, windless day at Many Glacier...a rare treat in any season. After a breakfast of Blueberry Pancakes, we were ready for a day of exploring the mighty hotel and her grounds.

Half the fun of our trip was just hanging out in the chalet with old friends. We reminisced, we made fun of each other, we laughed, we ate, we drank, we also played the Wii and Wii Fit. Here I am doing a little ski jumping.

The next day brought more exploring. This is the Upper Dorm, my old residence. I loved my dorm room. The window on the top left was mine. Ron once referred to it as Chateau Linco.

I had so much fun. Glacier is a special place...and winter is a special time. I used to think there was only one time to visit this place. Now I know better. Access is easier in the summer. There's more to do in the summer. Frankly, the park is easier to enjoy in the summer. But winter is special too. Winter in Glacier is about stillness. It's about dormancy. It's about mystery. It's about rarely seen beauty. It's about the park's time to rest...to be free of the crowds and the hikers and the forest fires and the cars. There is a time for every place. For me, and most people, summer is the time for a place like Glacier. But for the park, and forgive me for personifying here....her time is winter. 

There's something eerie about seeing a familiar place in unfamiliar conditions. For reasons I can't explain, I keep thinking about the Many Glacier road. Seven miles of snow-covered foreignness on the way in. A 10-minute drive turned into a nearly 7 hour slog. Old Man Winter did not make it easy for us. But we made it and he gave us a break on the way out...by clearing large sections. Here's Sipner and Shelson acting like hard asses. A fitting end to a very good trip.