Best Red Bus Tour ever! (Part 2) Without Tourist?

All Red Bus drivers dread when behind their name on the daily schedule it says “Garage Run”. Yeah, that means you are driving about 150 miles round trip to take a bus across the Sun Road just for maintenance. No tour. No tips. And at twelve bucks an hour, you could make almost twice as much as washing rental cars at the Spokane Airport for the summer (just ask my son). But let’s turn this into the best tour EVER.

To start with, I can make all the stops I want to. Why? Why not? And I can stand up in the bus as much as I want as well. Kind of nice being the driver and the only passenger at the same time. First, let’s take a look at that fresh snow from a late August storm up there on Mt Piegan just off of Siyeh Bend.

Now just to be sure I look cool, I roll back just the first three feet of the Jammer top. I get the convertible look and feel without having to tuck and fold the entire 18′ of canvas.

.Cresting over Logan Pass I get a great view of Oberlin in the clouds from yesterday’s storm.

The Livingston Range and Lake McDonald valley far far away.

Would have been a great morning to be giving an actual tour.

These views never get old. No matter how many times you drive the Sun Road.

A nice perspective shot. My Red Bus and the magic of Glacier Park.

I love the pullover at Road Camp. It’s normally full of cars and I NEVER get to stop there on tour.

But today Road Camp is all mine. Looking back up to Logan Pass.

Birdwoman Falls in the mist.

A glorious morning to be out. Bet I would have gotten some pretty solid tips.

When I get to the shop at Columbia Falls, I switch out buses. I get to immediately turn around and take #112 back to Beargrass.

Of course, I have to stop at Apgar down at the foot of Lake McDonald. A perfect blue-sky white-cloud day.

Climbing back up to Logan Pass with the early afternoon light.

Nice time to stand up in the Red Bus and scope out the Sun Road.

I finally get to see what all of the tourists on my bus see.

Going to the Sun Mtn has snow. Looks like it dropped right to the 9,000-foot level. Winter is coming (even though this was still in August).

I fondly remember my climb up Heavy Runner from last summer. It makes me smile.

Mt Reynolds looks like it would like to be left alone for a few months. This mountain is climbed way too often.

Mt Clements clearly would like the snows of winter to cover the parking lot. Although she didn’t seem to mind it when I got lost on her goat trails for a couple of hours.

Even dumpy little Mt Oberlin is feeling tired and worn out by the summer tourists. Although it is a really pleasant early morning climb if you can find a parking spot at Logan Pass.

But Mt Pollock looks, well, just boring. Pretty much the norm for that peak any time of year. It looks better with a marmot on top of it. But that would cost you a pair of binoculars.

Jammer bus stand-up shot. Nice to have the top peeled back a little.

Another Jammer bus stand-up shot. Amazing day.

Jammer bus stand-up shot. Playing the tourist.

Jammer bus stand-up shot. I almost started giving commentary to myself.

Nice to get back to the East Side, the place in the Park I truly call home. I love this chain of mountains along Lower St Mary Lake.

I really need to put Red Eagle and Mahtotopa on my list for climbing next season.

Of course, I can’t leave Little Chief off the list either. I talk about these mountains on almost every tour.

From Lower St Mary lake to the prairies and the Great Plains beyond.

Divide Mountain, and white caps on the Lake. Wonderful day.