RANGER DOUG: We arrived at Glacier National Park, MT on Wed. September24. As we arrived at the park we decided to stop in at the visitor center to become a bit more informed about the park and certain closings. So there at the Apgar Vistor Center is where we met Doug Follet, better know as our friend Ranger Doug. Ranger Doug retired after teaching history for 35 years, he is in his early eighties, has worked for Glacier National Park part time for the last fifty summers, and he is Canadian = ). He came over to us in the visitor center and asked where we were going. When he discovered that we were flexible he then spent the next three hours informing us about the park, making us laugh, story telling, and sharing with us poetry he had written that brought tears to our eyes (I will include one of his poems in a blog of its own). He told us where to hike, and told us to spend the rest of our life at Two Medicine..well he actually said it like this “You get a jug of whatever suits you, then you sit on the beach at Two Medicine and sip on it until you die”. At one point the phone rang and Ranger Doug went to answer it but not before saying, “If this is George W. again…if he can’t handle the work”, then he just smiled at us with mischief in his eyes and answered the phone. He would often say to the other visitors in the center that if they needed something they need to “yell or you will be adequately ignored” = ). He told many male visitors that if he had to choose between talking to two lovely ladies, or them…well you get the picture. He was ornery and delightful!!! He spoke of “Al Gore’s Prophecy (global warming)” and said “I walked back there every year for 25 years in denial of what was happening“… “always saying they would come back, they will come back”. He began to tear up as he spoke about how he now knows that they are not coming back.
Ranger Doug told us to “run with the sun” in Glacier. The rain and the snow often bring clouds that obstruct views. We were blessed with sunshine, so we heard that he had a program that night at eight in the McDonald Lodge. So after he recited to us four of his amazing poems, telling us the stories of their inspiration, he gave us a copy of each, and we told him we would see him at his program that evening. I must mention that the stories, with the poems, combined with the passion he had when reciting them was so moving. It brought tears to our eyes many times!!! We purchased the Glacier Magazine that featured him as a legend of the park, and he also had a plaque in a near-by store that said he saved the little store by pouring buckets and buckets of water on the building during a fire in 2003. It also motioned he had to be forcefully removed by officials = ) He would have been in his seventies = ).
Ok so we drove as far as we could on the “going to the sun road” that runs right up and over the center of Glacier National Park. We went to Logan pass and hiked to the Hidden Lake. It was three mile roundtrip. The first half was a decent incline and mostly in the snow. Yes folks we saw our first snow!!! The view of the lake and the mountains was spectacular just as Ranger Doug had told us. When we had almost made it back to the van we saw a group of people moving slowly, this was due to the dozen long horn sheep that were casually walking on, over, and around the path. We took some photos from a respectful distance and returned to the van. We stopped to photograph and experience a few other sites on our way back down the narrow, steep, winding roads of Glacier = ) We made it to McDonlad Lodge just as Ranger Doug was starting his program. As we walked in he stopped and said to the audience, “These two lovely ladies are from Ohio, they both have masters degrees, are over-educated, independently wealthy…” and on and on he went making us feel like superstars = ). His program told the history of the park, the railroads, the coal, gold, and silver mining. He told of the American Indian tribes that had inhabited the lands, and how his mother would bring him to Glacier every summer. She would take him into the fancy, expensive lodges and people would ask how long they were staying, and she would proudly say that they were staying the entire season. She would however leave out that they were not actually staying in the beautiful lodge, but with the American Indians in their teepees = ) He spoke of when the “going to the sun road” was completed. He showed a picture of thousands of people gathered on the opening day of this highway and said “this is when all the politicians came to make big speeches about great things, that other men had done. Just as they do now”. Ok, I could write a book about this man. I will just finish by saying that we went to see Ranger Doug before we headed on around to the East side of Glacier and into Canada and he spoke about how he wondered what kind of impact he has had on this earth. He said he always gave as much as he could, and just really wondered what that meant in the larger scheme of things. Ranger Doug makes everyone feel welcome and special, and just knowing him for a few hours has changed both Sandy and I. The impact we can have on other people and this universe is limitless. Ranger Doug wherever you are I hope you know that you have made a huge impact on this planet and on these two lovely ladies = ). THANK YOU!!!! P.S we both received Junior Ranger patches and badges.
JULIE AND PAUL: At Ranger Doug’s program we met two more beautiful people: Julie and Paul from Wisconsin. We told them about what we were doing, and they were so supportive and excited that we are taking the time to travel and just really experience life. We all talked for a few hours about our travels, backgrounds, future plans, and more. In honor of their son, Julie and Paul are starting a foundation for a small village in the Dominican Republic. We thank them for sharing themselves with us, and send our love to them wherever they are!!!
It was late when we left from our time with Julie and Paul, so we decided to risk trying to sleep in the parking lot of the beautiful McDonald Lodge. We were not interrupted and slept very well all night long. We joked the next morning as I took a picture of the beautiful lodge that we could show people the picture of the lodge and tell them “this is the beautiful lodge who’s parking lot we slept in” = ).
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