Many Glacier

Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier Park The Many Glacier area is nestled deep within the park just east of the Continental Divide. Take US 89 nine mi north of St Mary, MT, to Babb, MT. Many Glacier is at the end of a 12 mi access road from there. The Salamander is the ice shelf left of center. It used to be part of Grinnell Glacier (not visible) below it.

	Geological Overthrust, Glacier Park About 75 million years ago a vast expanse of rock some 60 miles (100 km) west of here cracked, lifted, and began to slide east. By the time this thrust block stopped traveling it had become the mountains of today's [Waterton-Glacier] International Peace Park. The red and green argilites and pale limestones of the Lewis Overthrust are ancient rock. They began as mud and sediments 1.5 billion years ago in Precambrian oceans. Normally, older rock will lie beneath younger rock. However, here, the Lewis Overthrust forced ancient Precambrian rock over the top of Cretaceous rocks that are just 75 million years old. [United States. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park World Heritage Site. N.p.: GPO, 2001.]
	Mount Wilbur, Many Glacier, Glacier Park For an up to the minute look at Mount Wilbur from this point of view, see the seasonal Web cam at http://www.nps.gov/archive/glac/webcams/mgcam.htm.
	Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier Park The main wing of the Many Glacier Hotel opened to the public on July 4, 1915. It was one of the Great Northern Railway's developments which include [backcountry] Sperry and Granite Park Chalets and the Two Medicine Chalet (now the Two Medicine Store). Outside the park boundaries are the Belton Chalets and railroad station at West Glacier and the Glacier Park Hotel complex and railroad station at East Glacier. The Cut Bank, Goathaunt, Sunpoint, St Mary, Gunsight, Many Glacier Chalets and one of the Two Medicine Chalets no longer exist.
	New Balconies, Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier Park Maintaining these grand old buildings requires ongoing effort, but the Many Glacier Hotel is receiving an extra dose. Major structural work is required to straighten the frame and brace it in some places. Once this is done, plywood sheeting is applied (mostly outside but some inside) to strengthen it. Then the walls are insulated, and the original siding put back up. The old wood balconies were unsafe and were being supported by unsightly bracing. Some were blocked off, and many had been removed altogether. They are being replaced with tubular steel. Code variances have been obtained with respect to height that permit restoration of the old look and feel.
	Atrium, Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier Park
	Swiftcurrent Creek at Grinnell Point, Glacier Park