On to the east side of the Glacier National Park

• Early morning hike to Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park
• Pancake breakfast in West Glacier
• Drive around the park south to get to the east side (as Going-to-the-Sun-Road is unfortunately not yet open)
• Hike to the impressive St. Mary and Virginia Falls

The alarm goes off at 6:30. We build the tents back and start driving straight to Avalanche Creek. There aren't too many people out here early in the morning. The path leads along the wonderfully wild Avalanche Creek. The milky water rushes through the short gorge surrounded by ferns, firs and mosses. The path then leads up to the quiet Avalanche Lake, which is embedded in the mountains. Here we enjoy the grandiose backdrop in the morning light. On the way back I take some long-term photos of the rapids and waterfalls. More and more visitors are already streaming up the trail, even though it's not even 10 a.m.

Since the Logan Pass is unfortunately still closed, we drive back to West Glacier. The morning hike made us really hungry, so we eat a delicious pancake. On the US-2 we bypass Glacier National Park south to get to the east side of the park. Several times we get an impressive glimpse into the interior of the park with its lakes and surrounding mountains. Not far from the road, two adolescent moose hang around. The targeted campsite at Many Glaciers is already full a little after 1 a.m. As a consolation, we immediately see a family of black bears again. That's why we're going back and find what we're looking for at the Rising Sun Campground. We drive deeper into the park. The end of the line is the Jackson Glacier Viewpoint. Nearby we start again for a short hike to the two wild and impressive waterfalls St. Mary and Virginia Falls.