Thursday September 8: Glacier Lodge to Radium Hot Springs

 Another day for which there are not enough superlative adjectives! Before leaving Glacier Park Lodge, we took a short walk to a nearby stream, enjoying the cool shade of the forest. We then continued on, admiring the variety of mountains unfolding around every bend of the road. At Golden, we took a break to get gas and wander about. We had stopped earlier and hiked a distance along a fairly steep path to look down on a tumbling stream. Then at Field we took a break and picked up some information. Stopped at the Spiral Tunnel site; what a feat of engineering!

By the time we got to Lake Louise, we were more than ready for lunch, but had a bit of trouble finding an eating place at the Chateau that was not full. Eventually we discovered the Poppy Brasserie where we enjoyed a wonderful meal and watched snow start to fall outside. Since Larry was wearing shorts, our walk around the Lake was cut somewhat “shorter” than planned. On to Moraine Lake where the snow had turned to rain. We climbed to the top of the Rock Pile for a great view. Leaving there, we were surprised by electronic signs warning us of heavy traffic --but it was true -- we joined a long slow line until we peeled off toward Radium Hot Springs. Highway 93 is lined with forests recovering from the 2003 fires. Certainly, signs of recovery but a long way to go! Entering Radium Hot Springs is like coming through a rock funnel. The town is awash in beautiful flowers, so we chose a motel with lots of them. It was clean and comfortable and near a great-looking German restaurant where we headed shortly.