I signed up to go on an historic red bus tour today -- and of course woke up to heavy rain, low clouds and occasional bursts of snow!  We went anyway, crossing the Continental Divide twice in a little red bus that's been around since the beginnings of Glacier National Park (literally), jammed in four to a seat with the other tourists.  It was so cold at first that we all huddled together under a blanket --total strangers!  We jumped out to see the Continental Divide at Marias Pass -- a haunted place itself that was long avoided by both the Blackfeet and the tribes to the west because a huge, deadly battle in this location had created terrible ghosts and bad medicine.  All I felt at the time, as huge snowflakes whirled across my face, was cold!  I had the seat by the door and got every draft!! 

Next we stopped at a mountain goat lick, but the mountain goats were smarter than we were and had stayed under cover.  Then we were in the park itself and stopping at Lake MacDonald Lodge for lunch.  Basic lunch fare, but you can't beat the atmosphere.  The rain/snow had let up so we could go outside and get photos of the lake.  Inside was a huge log fire.  Each log on the fire was a good five feet in length!!  The fireplace was painted and carved all over with replicas of Native American Petroglyph's.  Very cool. 

After lunch, we took a short hike among the Cedars, stopped at  sacred waterfall where Native Americans came for their visions quests, and then started the long, steep, narrow climb I took yesterday -- up and over Logan Pass and our second crossing of the Continental Divide.  The view was still breathtaking, and much easier to take pictures of when you aren't driving!!  Our driver took the canvass top off the bus so we could see the mountains right over our heads!  Very cool.

Of course -- of course! -- the clouds descended suddenly upon us right at Logan's Pass, so once again my trip down the eastern side of the mountains was foggy.  Not as bad as yesterday, but the mountains on that particular stretch of road are still a mystery to me!  We stopped to take a hike to a point overlooking St. Agnes Lake, and the bus driver told us the story of the little island in the center -- Goose Island.  It seems there were two tribes, living on either shore, who didn't have much to do with one another.  One day, a handsome warrior on one shore saw a lovely maiden swimming toward the island from the other shore and he swam out to meet her.  They fell in love, and spent the whole day talking.  When they got home to their respective tribes that evening, there was great displeasure in the match.  So the two snuck away the next day and met at the island again, hoping to run away together.  But the leaders of both tribes sent out parties to retrieve the miscreants.  When they arrived at the little island, the only thing they could find was a pair of geese walking on the shore.  The Great Spirit had changed the young couple into a pair of geese -- who mate for life - so they could live undisturbed by their peoples. 

At our last rest stop, the bookstore had copies of Spooky Campfire Tales, which I signed for them.  Pretty cool.  Then we were back at the lodge.  I had a lovely Beef Stroganoff for dinner and then spent an hour and a half interviewing members of the staff about the spooky stories surrounding the historic building.  The security guard showed me the place where the ghost of a suicidal housemaid had been seen, and a few other spooky spots.  I even collected a few ghostly tales from other places the staff had been.  It was a nice -- if spooky -- end to the day, and I will admit I didn't sleep too well in that building after hearing all the tales!