As a schoolboy studying U.S. geography, I learned there were three national parks out west whose natural beauty made them worth visiting: Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Glacier. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to the first two, but a few days ago, I was finally able to visit Glacier National Park located in the northwest corner of Montana. The wedding of a young man who is a long-time friend of my stepson Andy was the primary reason for our visit, but my wife and I did our utmost to add some adventure and exploration to the trip.

The adventure began with our arrival at Kalispell airport, nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Accompanied by our friends Ann and Joe Ottobre, Becky and I then took a rental car to our cabin at West Glacier, just a half mile or so from the park’s entrance. Even before settling in, we could see smoke from wildfires spreading throughout the park. Local authorities were doing their best to control the fires, but could not prevent the destruction of the Sperry Chalet, a favorite rest spot for hikers. It was small consolation that lightning strikes, rather than careless humans, started the fires. The danger and destruction were just the same.

A white-water rafting excursion on the Flathead River proved to be the highlight of our trip. Becky and I along with the Ottobres plopped into a yellow raft with four college-age students from San Diego. I figured my canoeing experience would serve me well and up to a point it did. However, the seating arrangement on a raft is different than a canoe, and there is the added challenge of paddling in synch with your fellow rafters. As our guide navigated the raft, we followed his commands to go all forward, back paddle, or rest. The first half of the journey took us over calm waters; the second half put us through a series of rapids with names such as “Jaws,” “Pinball,” and “Bonecrusher.” There were some bumps and splashes, and my feet got pretty wet, but at no time did I come close to “taking a swim.” I did peer over the side of the raft now and then to admire the water’s amazing clarity.

Our guide gave us a running commentary on what had happened in and around the Flathead River over the last several decades. A huge flood in 1964 and a somewhat less-damaging one in 1989 wrought major changes on both the natural and man-made environment.  Evidence of the latter came in the form of an abandoned railroad tunnel filled with dirt brought in by the flood waters. We also saw a weather-beaten stone bridge whose arches had pieces torn out of them.  At the same time, Glacier National Park, which formed the north bank of the river, showed evidence of wildfires that had struck long before the ones currently raging. Tall, skinny trees with protruding needle-like limbs were perhaps the strangest legacy of the earlier fires. According to the guide, the heat of the flames drew the sap of these trees to the outside where it hardened into a sort of glaze. Now these fire-tested trees stood like gaunt sentinels along the river bank and up hillsides, silent witnesses to the power of nature.

As I mentioned, the white water-rafting excursion was the highlight of the trip. A scheduled four-hour bus tour up the park’s famous Sun Road had to be curtailed due to the fires. Our driver took us into safer areas where we could enjoy some of the park’s beauty without endangering our lives. We did get to see a sparkling glacier in the distance and follow the flight of a bald eagle who soared above us. We also learned that despite the damage they do, wildfires are not all bad. They open land to new species of trees that would otherwise be kept out of the park; there is even one type of tree that needs the heat of a fire to release its seeds.

On our last day in the park, Becky and I bid farewell to the Ottobres and then took a short hike on a trail that connected the Apgar visitor center to the shops and restaurants near McDonald Lake. Despite signs warning of bears, we saw none. Indeed, the hike was fairly uneventful, although we did get some impression of how dense the forests are here. In certain places along the trail, the trees almost formed a canopy over our heads.

While I am a little disappointed at not seeing more of Glacier’s natural wonders, I am grateful for at least getting a glimpse of them.  I can only hope that the park will survive the wildfires and be here for future generations of Americans to enjoy.