Tour Diary: Bozeman, MT & Glacier National Park

The first Monday night of the tour found me at a charming record store in Bozeman, MT and gave me the chance to take in some serious natural splendor.

I awoke Monday morning to find my hosts Mike and Carley already going through their weekday morning routines. Carley was getting her gear together for school and Mike was cleaning up a bit from our party the night prior. With a warm mug of coffee in hand, we chatted about our respective days and I learned more about Carley’s schedule for senior year and her upcoming college visit to South Dakota State University.

With the first bell approaching, Carley split for school while Mike and I carried the conversation onward discussing my upcoming travels, the beauty of Montana, politics, and more. It was a treat to spend some genuine one on one time with a new friend. I thanked Mike profusely for his hospitality and began to make my exit.

The morning was already warm in Miles City as I began my trip to Cactus Records in Bozeman, MT. A bright, brilliant sun shone down for the entirety of my drive lighting up Big Sky country. With very little traffic and a large swath of scenery to take in, I rolled down the windows and hummed along westward.

Cactus Records is a Bozeman staple. The store recently had to abandon its former downtown home due to ever increasing Bozeman real estate prices. Now the store finds itself closer to the edge of town in a sort of strip mall area that sits back form the road. The Cactus building is a large two story storefront with a ton of space for records, CDs, t-shirts, novelties, ephemera, and more. The owner, Mike Good has been at the helm for more than twenty years. The store itself has been in business more than four decades.

The original Cactus Records sign form the early 80s., the Starland Vocal Band LP featuring my pal, Jon Carroll, and the sign at my motel in Choteau, MT, the Big Sky.

I grabbed myself a corner and set up shop. Things were likely to be slow on a Monday early evening in Montana. After setting up, I wandered around the store to take pin the selection. I found a number of quality slabs of vinyl for reasonable rates, including a discount copy of the second Starland Vocal Band album featuring my dear friend, Jon Carroll.

With just a few souls in the store, I set about sharing my stories and songs with the patrons. As I played, a family wandered in to browse and seemed enjoy the set. A young couple nodded their heads as I played while they perused the racks of techno vinyl. A group of college friends bounced in as well and seemed pleased to see live music was happening.

Customers enjoyed the songs as part of the shopping experience, but it was not the experience of a full show. Still, it was a perfectly fine stop for a Monday night and Mike was kind enough to purchase some of my vinyl to keep in his racks at the store. I thanked Mike and his associate for allowing me the chance to hang with them and to play a few songs. Mike thanked me and wished me the best of luck.

As I pulled out of the Cactus parking lot, I checked to make sure I still had my leftover half-sandwich from lunch and a full water bottle. Tonight I would be feasting on the road to make haste for Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana.

I managed to get three and a half hours of driving under my belt after the Cactus gig as I hauled north-westward for Glacier. With dwindling options for accommodations and with a decreasing level of energy, I pulled into the Big Sky Motel in Choteau, MT just before 11:00 pm. The Big Sky is one of those old-school roadside motels that has seen better days. It sported a great fifties style neon sign that was still partially functional. The rooms were small, spartan, and totally adequate, if not luxurious. I was simply looking for a shower and a few hours of sleep. The Big Sky gave me that on the relative cheap.

As morning came, I awoke with the energy and excitement of a small child on Christmas. I cleaned up, got dressed, and made my way to the local gas station for a fill-up and a surprisingly decent cup of coffee. It was still another 100 miles to the eastern entrance of Glacier, but as soon as the sun began to poke its head from above the eastern horizon, it lit up a display of natural beauty that left me speechless.

A brief glimpse at the glory of my day in Glacier National Park.

I wound my way up to the eastern end of the famed Going To The Sun Road and entered the park. Before ever getting to the park boundary, the scenery was glorious. Birch trees were alit with amber and yellow leaves as they covered sections of mountains. The bright blue sky was pocked with a series of high, wispy clouds that occasionally blocked out the sun for stretches of time, yet as the morning progressed the sky cleared and by late morning became a crystal blue.

I’d hoped to trek through some of the park along its extensive trail system. However, I was warned by friends, rangers, and repeated signage that hiking alone in Glacier is not recommended due to the presence of grizzly bears. Without a partner, or any bear spray, I thought it best to stay to the trail heads and areas in which bears were unlikely to traipse.

As I began to get more brazen about searching further afield, I came upon a trailhead and considered walking in to explore a bit of the trail nearer the entrance. Within a matter of steps, I looked down to see a rather large pile of bear shit. It seemed close enough to fresh that I hightailed it out of there and made my way back to the trailhead and the safety of the Encore.

Words fail to conjure the majesty, beauty, scope, and size of Glacier National Park. Along the Going To The Sun Road, which stretches for more than 50 miles through a gorgeous landscape of craggy cliffs, raging rivers, and peaceful valleys, there are myriad parks, lookout areas, vista points, and spots for safe exploration. I was able to see much of the breathtaking and powerful St. Mary River, including a spot where a series of rock formations allow visitors to walk out in to the midst of the river and stand atop the boulders and formations as the water rages beside.

Throughout my driving and walking along the Going To The Sun Road area, I found myself struggling for words to describe the true glory of what I was seeing. I have been inside the Vatican, boated next to the Pictured Rocks, stood in front of Bernini sculptures and paintings by Van Gogh and Vermeer. Glacier National Park may be the most beautiful thing that my eyes have ever witnessed. If there was ever a place to believe that the Earth was created by a divine being, Glacier National Park is it.

Soaking in the beauty and bounty of what lay about me, I was reminded of how brilliant John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt were to preserve places like Glacier. Throughout this trip, I will visit a number of National Parks, all for the cost of an $80 annual pass. That price would have been worth it just for the six hours I was able to spend inside Glacier.

Standing in the sunshine on a mountainside watching melting snow rage down a river bed between rocks that were formed millions of years ago was a near religious experience. I found a new peace within myself that seemed to appear with no effort at all. Throughout the day, I could feel my blood pressure easing and my anxieties reducing. At Glacier, I felt a contentment like nowhere else. In the midst of that natural glory, I found a chunk of peace.

Eventually, I came to the end of that glorious road and found myself at the western edge of Lake Macdonald and exited the park to continue my journey towards my next show in Spokane. Despite an early start, and full day of outdoor adventuring, I was able to get another 200 miles in before stopping for the night in the tiny mining town of Wallace, ID.

Just a taste of the charming signage that Wallace, ID has to offer.

Wallace was first settled in the late 1800’s when a series of silver mines in the area began to deliver pay dirt. The town ballooned throughout the early 20th century and has been incredibly well preserved. Many of the original buildings are still in use and well maintained to this day. Oddly enough, the tiny town is also the hometown of the famous actress Lana Turner.

After a bit of hunting around for a place to stay, I found my home for the night at the Brooks Hotel right downtown and then walked around to take in the sights. I was charmed by the vintage signage and old prospecting town vibe. Things were relatively quiet for a Tuesday night in this small sleepy town, but I managed to find a nice spot for dinner and spent my time people watching as I strolled the streets.

With the clock reading just after 10:00 pm, I began to make the walk back to my home for the evening. I slid into bed having covered more than 300 hundred miles and I had witnessed some of the most glorious natural splendor anywhere on the planet. Not too shabby for one day’s work, if I do say so myself.

Cheers,
Matty C