Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published Aug. 6, 2003

Purple mountains' majesty ...

Another summer filled with stories of wildfires. Last year Colorado suffered the worst, but this year it is the Glacier National Park in the spotlight. How this fire began has not been determined but officials say the conditions for such a fire in the park are the worst in 42 years.
In 1989 I made a short visit to Montana and the Glacier Park. That year the state was celebrating its centennial, the 100th year since it had been brought in as the 41st state. Montana is the Latin word for a mountainous country and the awesome magnificence of those snow-capped structures of nature abounds. Within the park the mountains tower over 50 glaciers and more than 200 deep blue sparkling lakes.

Because my time was so limited I boarded one of the historic red buses that travel the 52-mile long Going-to-the-Sun Road. This road is the east-west route across the park. These bright 25-foot vehicles carry 17 passengers and have been nicknamed "Red Jammer Buses" because of the noise they make while shifting gears as they climb to Logan Pass, 6,646 feet above sea level. This summit was dubbed "Crown of the Continent" because from here you get a view of the Continental Divide country. "High mountains, precipitous peaks, cirques, glaciers and cascades," were the words used to describe the sight by the man who headed the surveying of the route in 1921.

It was on May 11, 1910 that Glacier National Park was granted parkhood. The first superintendent of the park, William R. Logan, felt his priority was to make this "pleasuring ground" accessible to the public and that meant road building. His goal was a road crossing the park east to west but Congress had little interest in funding such a project. That dream was put on hold but travelers came on the Great Northern Railroad and were dropped at either the east or west entrance. From that point they could hike or ride horseback over the 700 trails. Boats and ferries did a lively business moving visitors around the vast acreage. In 1914 White Motor was given the sole permit to operate the passenger and freight concession.

As car owners increased, the dream of a road across Glacier was once again a priority. Billion-year-old limestone alongside the Continental Divide was excavated, mostly by hand. That was hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of rock. Steam shovels were tried but just getting the equipment to the work area was an adventure. No hard hats were worn, only derbies and felt hats in spite of falling rock. The road was 16 feet wide with an average grade of six percent.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road of 52 miles took 20 years to build and cost $3 million. The official dedication was held July 15, 1933. A highlight was the passing of a peace pipe among the leaders of the Blackfeet, Kootenai and Flathead Indian tribes, ending years as traditional enemies. President Roosevelt was given a tour of the new road the following year.

Sitting back in the red bus I could enjoy the many breathtaking sights. These buses have served thousands of visitors since they were introduced in the 1930s. I just read the National Park Foundation has restored the buses and installed alternative fuel technology, making them more environmentally friendly. During that time they were out of service and received a warm welcome when they returned all spruced up.

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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.