The cliche of like two ships passing in the night is itself easy to unjustly pass over, until you’ve been awake on a ship in the middle of a calm night, watching another well-lit island of humanity go the opposite direction.  Logan Pass is another cliche of human experience; it’s difficult to strip away the disneyland environment created by traffic jams and absurd people sliding around the snowfields in flip flops and see what an amazing piece of earth it is by absolutely any standard.  Had the park road been built up Nyack and over Red Eagle pass Logan would be a venerated backcountry destination, spoken of today in internet whispers.

It took us awhile, walking away from other people, to dispense with the mental fog of the long slow drive up with an almost overheating truck and lurking fear of no parking spaces.  A pity that it took as long as it did, because on a bright day which pushed the limits of our sunglasses the endless snow, melted into subtle swirls hundreds of meters long by windblow grit, was too much for even an ideal mind to take in.

I was tired from the previous two days so plans to climb and/or circumnavigate Reynolds were scrapped for a saunter around the extended pass over to Hidden Lake.  The ridge which runs the length provided curious two-toned marmots, loose scrambling, and head-spinning views.  Even some practice snow climbing.  In short, an awesome afternoon, highlighted by the fact that in a few short weeks the boardwalk will have melted out and the Glacier Lilies will be up in the wind and the world will, for a few months, be bare and accessible.

The hordes have the right idea: easy access to the alpine is cheating, so enjoy while it lasts.