Glacier Park
Slick and Slack at Fish Creek

Our old friends, Slick and Slack, had enjoyed their trip to Glacier National Park, so much that they were going to make the trip again. This time they decided that they would try their luck at fishing.
Now, neither one of them had ever been on a camping trip, or had any experience catching fish, but like Slick said -- we can't learn any younger.
They started making plans for the trip.
Slick felt that he had read enough books about what they needed to take, and he divided up the responsibility between them. Slick would take care of seeing to it that they had fishing equipment and camping gear. Slick would let Slack tend to the groceries and pack everything in the rented car. They would have backpacks to carry it from the parking area. After reading about different trails, they decided that Fish Lake sounded just right.
After much planning and packing, they left the city and drove to Montana. To Glacier National Park and to the Sperry Trailhead along the "Going To The Sun Road ". They knew they could find this because they well, remembered the wonderful Lake Mc Donald Lodge. Their trail started just across from the parking area.
It was no small task to pack up the backpacks for the 3 mile trip. Neither Slick nor Slack had any experience with trudging three miles with heavy packs on their back.  And as heavy as they were, Slick worried that they would not have all the supplies that they needed,
Just past the Sperry Trailhead, they found a sign that told them to take the Gunsight Pass Trail.  They would follow this for two miles.
It would be an easy walk while listening to the singing waters of Snyder Creek. The trail went up and through a forest of red cedar, hemlock, and mountain maples. Slick and Slack would rest often but the trail is not difficult to hike. They would soon come to an overlook,  where they can stop and enjoy the view of Snyder Creek, and the head of Lake Mc Donald.

After resting and rearranging their backpacks, the trail leads them back into the forest again. There are several splits in the trail, but Slick and Slack had been told to stick to the Gunsight Pass Trail. They soon came to the Snyder Ridge Fire Trail. Now they were to take this trail to Fish Lake.
This part of the trail is very beautiful. Here they find many ferns and lots of wild flowers. They will go over two drainage ditches before reaching Fish Lake. The first drainage is called Jackson Creek and will be crossed by a foot bridge, the second is called Sprague Creek. Our friends are now very close to Fish Lake.
Slick and Slack are very happy to find this lovely lake with it's water lilies. They listen to the sound of loons calling,  while the frogs try to keep up the chorus. Fish Lake actually sits surrounded by the forest.
Slick looks for a smooth place for his campsite,  while Slack stands in awe of this wonderful place. It's like being in a different world. His friends back in the city don't know what they are missing. Outside of the loons and the frogs, there seems to be no other life close by except that killer mosquito that just bite him. Slack swatted him and had hopes that as night drew near the mosquitoes would go away.
Our friends are ready to unpack and have something to eat. That is, if Slack thought to bring a can opener. Which he didn't !! It was a lucky thing that Slick had tucked in some snacks. And now he would make some coffee to wash it down. However, the coffee that Slick made certainly didn't resemble anything from Starbucks. Slack called it a real eye opener. They decided that there was no need to say ---"Beam me up Scotty ". This black concoction would do the trick.
As for sleep that night,  there was very little,  with the frog music and maybe those noisy frogs were calling for rain because rain it did !!
Slick had chosen a dip for their campsite, and it wasn't long before the plastic air mattresses actually seemed to be floating in a pool of water. Slack told Slick that he felt this was cruel and unusual punishment.
But morning brought out the bright sun and they hung their bedding to dry on a tree limb. It was a beautiful day after all.
All went well until Slick brought out the shredded wheat for breakfast.  Now he found that Slack had forgotten to bring any kind of milk, dry or otherwise. Slacks only reply was,  Well !, I brought salt and pepper. !!!
So Slack try some of that on your Shredded Wheat. Slick decided that some fresh caught fish would taste good with his powerful coffee. Now, this was the time they would find out that the lovely lake was not named for the fish in it.  It certainly wasn't the best place to catch any. The only thing that Slick pulled out of the water was Slack. He had lost his balance and fallen in.  After trying to catch something other than the limbs over their heads,  they decided to give up and drink the thick black coffee, eat some dry shredded wheat and finish the remaining snacks from last night.
Slick and Slack had a great day just wandering around and enjoying the peace and quiet. This truly is a place to behold some of Mother Natures miracles. There is just no place like Glacier National Park to feel at peace with all creation.
As they went back the way they had come, they looked forward to finding a Mc Donald's and reflecting on this great day.
These fictitious friends called Slick and Slack may not be real but the facts about this beautiful trail and destination are real. So come and visit Glacier Park and enjoy the many unforgettable sights.