USA by Rail – Big Sky Country

I saw six seals in the Puget Sound shortly after leaving Seattle. The Empire Builder travels along the eastern shore of sound, at times just inches from the water, before turning sharply east toward the Cascade Range.

Stevens Pass

The railway crosses Stevens Pass, the major mountain pass that crosses the Cascades, connecting western and eastern Washington. Train tracks over Stevens Pass were first laid in the 1890s, but the steep ascent combined with heavy snow, avalanches, and landslides proved to be a treacherous route for those early trains. In the 1920s a long tunnel was dug into the mountains to reduce the danger. A hundred years later, this tunnel is still in use today. Eight miles in length, it is the longest rail tunnel in North America. 

The Cascade Tunnel lies over 1000 feet below the pass summit. While the train passes under the surface, cars pass above on the Stevens Pass Highway (US-2), also constructed in the 1920s.

Trains and cars are not the only ones to cross the Cascades at this spot. Those traveling on foot also utilize Stevens Pass — specifically, those hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). At PCT mile 2467 the trail crosses US-2 by the Stevens Pass ski lodge. 

As I traveled through the dark tunnel, I thought about the PCT 1000 feet above my head. In about five months I will be up there myself.

Change of plans 

Having crossed the Cascades, I would sleep through the flat dry land of eastern Washington and arrive at Glacier National Park in the morning. My plan was to get off the train at the West Glacier station, simply walk the two miles to the park and camp in the Apgar Campground. 

Weather had different plans for me though. When I checked the forecast, I learned a cold front was coming in. The overnight temp was forecasted to hit a low of nine degrees. I was prepared for cold, but not that cold. From my research, I was expecting more like 30-40 degrees. I didn’t have the equipment (or the desire) to camp in single-digit weather, so I scrambled to make a new plan.

I changed my ticket to get off the train 25 miles earlier in the town of Whitefish, MT. From there I could rent a car and get a hotel. 

Whitefish

My trip stops up to this point had all been in major U.S. cities — Washington DC, New Orleans, LA, Seattle. When I got a personal voicemail from the Whitefish rental car agent, I knew I was in for a different experience.

“Hello, this is Betty-Lynn from Budget Rent-A-Car and I have a reservation for you for tomorrow. Now you must be coming in on the Amtrak train. Ron will meet you inside the Amtrak station. There is a big horn sheep that’s right in the middle of the station. He [the sheep] is in case and glass and he looks right at our box. Ron will be standing right there waiting for you when the train arrives. He will have your car and everything ready to go for you. Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions and we will see you on Sunday! Have a wonderful, wonderful day. Bye-bye!”

Just as Betty-Lynn promised, Ron was waiting for me by the sheep with my car keys. The car was inexpensive and because I was able to use travel reward points to book the hotel, the new plan didn’t end up being a big extra expense.

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is known for being extremely busy and crowded in the summer months. You wouldn’t know it in March though; I only saw a small handful of people there. Though much of the park stays closed until May, a portion of the main road, Going-to-the-Sun-Road remains open (and plowed) throughout the off-season. 

Going-to-the-Sun Road is considered one of the most scenic drives in the U.S., winding its way through the park offering views of glaciers, mountains, and valleys. I took the road as far as I could, until the winter road maintenance ended at the Lake McDonald Lodge. From there I could access several hiking trails. 

It was still quite snowy in the park and it made for some lovely scenery. Once a few miles from the road, other footprints disappeared and I broke ground on a trail that hadn’t been touched since the last snowfall. Trodding through the snow, I was amazed at how quiet it was. The park is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including grizzly bears, black bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, and wolves. On this cold day, however, there was no sign of activity – human or otherwise – in the silent snow. 

After a day of hiking, I returned to Whitefish. I had been looking forward to camping in the park, but somehow found a way to endure a night in a nice hotel instead. I really suffered by the huge warm lobby fireplace, and I hated that they offered me a free drink when I arrived. It was just horrible having a soft king-size bed. Even worse, I had to soak in the outdoor hot tub under the stars. Simply awful.