January thaw prompts Glacier visit

Snowshoers prepare to walk the Lake Mcdonald shoreline Monday in Glacier

Temperatures have been in the 60s and snowmelt running in the streets of Great Falls.
Monday was an unbelievably warm and sunny day and I was prompted to head out the door with skis and snowshoes, looking for snow in the high country.
What I found was an icy, corn snow.
But, no matter.
I used the snowshoes to climb half-way up Scalplock Mountain in Glacier National Park. Skis were useless, and a little dangerous on the ice.
McDonald Lake was as pretty as I've ever seen it.  There was beautiful snow in the mountains in all directions, blue skies and radiant sun, with an unfrozen lake.
It was such a great day to be out.
I tried to reach Two Medicine Lake, but found the road unplowed and too slushy to chance.
The Rocky Mountain Front was simply spectacular.
I drove up by way of U.S. 89 and used the new scenic pullouts between Pendroy and Dupuyer. I laud the state Dept. of Transportation for the wonderful job it did in engineering a straighter and safer highway with its reconstruction of that stretch.

Rocky Mountain Front from new U.S. 89 scenic overlook.  Old oil well in foreground