At Chewing Black Bones & St. Mary Lake

by Phil Rowe
Now you gotta admit that a place with a name like Chewing Black Bones has to be something special. It is. For that is the name of a campground operated by the Blackfeet Indians in western Montana. The place is right on the shores of lower Lake St. Mary, in the shadows of Glacier National Park. And for years it's been one of our favorites.

We usually get there in September or for certain no later than the first week of October. That being after Labor Day, it tends to be quiet at that time of the year. Folks with kids have long since gone home and the place is practically ours.

Glacier National Park and environs has got to be America's best kept secret. It's one of the lesser visited national parks, but it clearly is about the prettiest. It's a toss-up whether East Glacier is better than West Glacier and we love 'em both .

The campground is quite large, accommodating both RV-ers and tenters. And since it's right on the lake, the place is ideal for paddlers, like me, or fishermen. I launch my trusty 17-foot touring sea kayak from the shore within yards of our campsite.

Upper and Lower St. Mary lakes are connected by a small swiftly flowing stream. It's not navigable, even by canoe or kayak. But the portage between the two is short. Upper St. Mary lake is prettier by far, as it wanders through the eastern part of Glacier Park. The mountains, forests and amazing high-country glaciers and permanent snow fields are magnificent.

Because it's handy to the campground ( just south of the hamlet of Babb, Montana ) most of my paddling has been on Lower St. Mary Lake. It's delightful in the fall with the colored aspen leaves and brilliant red scrub brush on the hillsides. To be out there early in the morning, watching the sun come up over the low foothills and prairie to the east, is an experience to treasure.

To the west the mountains in the park are bathed in the morning glow. The crisp clear, clean air is invigorating. It's just wonderful to be alive ... and in such a setting. It just doesn't get any better than that.

So, my fellow paddlers and campers, if you ever get the chance to visit northwestern Montana, you'll fine it well worth the effort to head for East Glacier and the campground called Chewing Black Bones. I don't know what's in a name, but I do know nature's finest when I see it.