The Places Where Time Stopped

by Julie Ubben, Assistant Marketing Manager

Waa-ay back when, in the early days of discovery, the railroaders were among the few who knew there was some serious scenery packed into the northern Rocky Mountains. The Canadian Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railroad saw in those extravagant peaks and chasms visions of the Swiss Alps: a natural treasure to be shared! Money to be made! And so the 1920’s-style North American destination resort was born — the brainchild of railroad giants seeking to lure travelers away from Europe. Back then, visitors could take a train to one of these luxurious railroad-owned properties, stay awhile and catch a train to another — or do a multi-day horseback inn-to-inn tour through the mountains, rejoining the trains when it was time to head for home.

Back then, visitors could take a train to one of these luxurious railroad-owned properties, stay awhile and catch a train to another — or do a multi-day horseback inn-to-inn tour through the mountains, rejoining the trains when it was time to head for home.

Many of these places still remain, a cherished part of a chain of National Park Lodges beginning in Montana’s Glacier National Park and stretching north into Alberta. On Bicycle Adventures’ tour of Glacier, Banff, and Jasper, we stay at three of these history-rich lodges: Lake McDonald Lodge and Many Glacier Hotel, both in Glacier National Park; and the Prince of Wales Hotel, in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. Our shiny steeds are cleaner than horses, require far less feed and grooming — and they also can be ridden entirely from one lodge to the next.

Our first stopover, Lake McDonald Lodge, was built in 1913 to keep up with stiff competition from the Joneses farther north. Its builder commissioned his architects to craft ‘something worthy’ of the newly created Glacier National Park, so they copied the classic Swiss Chalet style, then in vogue with well-traveled guests. A multistoried hunting lodge/chalet with clipped gable roofs, Lake McDonald Lodge features lobby floors that reflect the area’s heritage: incised messages in Blackfoot, Chippewa, and Cree translate into phrases such as “new life to those who drink here,” “looking toward the mountain,” and “big feast.” The rooms probably haven’t changed much since 1914, but the location is ideal: we’re less than two miles from one of the most memorable rides you’ll ever do — the extraordinary Going-to-the-Sun Road (see “Going to the ‘Fun’”).

Many Glacier Hotel, our second lodge, stands on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake in the heart of the ‘Switzerland of North America,’ as Glacier National Park was then billed. Louis Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway, was not to be outdone in his quest to create his very own Swiss Chalet in this idyllic spot — hiring and firing a series of architects in the process. It’s the biggest hotel in the park, boasting 208 rooms, many with balconies overlooking the lake, and is an architectural extravaganza of Swiss lace woodwork. When it was completed in 1915, Mr. Hill even brought in renowned Swiss climbers to scale the chalet’s huge stone chimney as a publicity stunt! Winters in this area are brutal: temperatures plummet to minus 53, winds rage up to 100 miles per hour, and until fairly recently the springtime staff routinely shoveled gigantic drifts of snow from the rooms and hallways in April and May! Visiting season here is a scant four months, but the serenity of the summertime — the glassy lake like molten silver at the feet of ice-sculpted hills and alpine forest — is well worth the wait.

Our third National Park Lodge, the Prince of Wales Hotel, is one of the most photographed hotels in the world. It stands on a high bluff, a majestic lodge with commanding views of Waterton Lake. Upon entering, guests find themselves in a dazzling four-story lobby with immense picture windows, and are greeted by gentlemen in Stewart kilts ready to assist with luggage or escort them to a traditional afternoon tea. Rooms are likely to have an old-fashioned radiator, antique paned windows and an original (wonderfully deep!) claw-foot tub. Rumor has it there are at least two ghosts — both former staffers — who frequent the northwest corner of the building, where we don’t stay.

Somewhat apropos to all three vintage lodges, the following notice is posted in rooms at the Prince of Wales:

“Staying at this historic hotel offers you some unique opportunities:

• Scenery that is beyond belief

• Walls without insulation

• Black bear, grizzly bear, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, elk, moose, deer

• Every outdoor activity that you might want

• Faucets that might drip in the middle of the night

• Afternoon tea with an amazing view

...But most especially, the friendly faces of our staff and their willingness to serve you...It’s your vacation — we just want it to be memorable.”

In short, you probably won’t have a television; you may not have a telephone in your room, and cell phone and Internet access is unlikely. But you’ll have the grand and unusual opportunity of staying in venerable lodges where history was made, where the scenery is pristine and the wildlife wild, and where time remains at a reverent standstill.

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