After meeting Daniel and Jonathan my first night in Glacier, it inspired me to stop paying for sleeping. I have the advantage of a bed in my Subaru, why don’t I take advantage of it. While it may be easy to tell that someone is sleeping in my car due to the shades not providing 100% coverage and every time I roll over my car moves, it is not overtly obvious either (like an RV or tent) so I could probably get away with it. Also, I felt the downside would be a demand to leave so that wasn’t a big deal.
The night of the 28th I decided to sleep in the parking lot of the St. Mary Inn. It was the night before I had to pick up Frank and the following morning I had to be up at the crack of dawn to get our hiking permit to ensure we got what we wanted.
I’m sure anyone who knows me would say I have a real aversion to breaking the rules. I don’t like confrontation or arguments and most of the time I would much rather follow the rules than go through the hassle of getting caught regardless of the consequences.
The parking lot was bordered by a gift shop and Inn rooms on one side and the Inn office and restaurant on the other. I pulled into to the parking lot and I felt like there was no real risk even though I knew this was not allowed. I started setting up my bed and I see a woman casing the parking lot with the appearance of a security guard. Why would this place need security? We are in the middle of nowhere. What is she securing? Is she on the lookout for people sleeping in their cars? Of course this is my first thought. I quickly finish with my car and walk to the gift shop where I saw her go in last. As I walk in, she is walking out and I can see on her black brimmed hat “SECURITY”. I continue into the gift shop and while I fake-looking at the sweatshirts and magnets I keep an eye on her as she crosses the lot into the Inn Office. I’m super paranoid now. I mosey across the parking lot (real cool like, trust me, I wasn’t suspicious at all) and into the Inn Office/ Restaurant where she is behind the counter. The Office lobby is filled with people on their computers and phones trying to get the last bits of social media and web browsing before the office closes and they will be without service or WiFi for the next 10 hours. I feel like I can’t just turn around and walk back out so I continue into the restaurant and sit down to grab a beer with, again, my eye on the security guard. Imagine a James Bond type tailing a person of interest, super cool, super suave, not weird at all.
The security guard heads back out into the lot, I finish my beer and I then head back out into the parking lot too. I’ve lost her. Damn. Damn, Damn.
You have to understand that while this is all happening I realize how ridiculous I’m being but I can’t help my paranoia. When you are by yourself for hours on end you find stuff to do.
I can’t find her anywhere in the parking lot so I very casually walk back to my car, very quickly jump in and stay very still. I kept imagining her jumping out of bush to knock on my window. I probably laid there motionless for like 15 minutes. My mind was racing now, I really needed to sleep tonight because I knew tomorrow was going to be a long day of driving, picking Frank up and driving back across the park. Where will I sleep if they kick me out of here? I had to sleep close to here because I had to be first in line to get permits the next morning. What if I didn’t get the permits because I wanted to sleep for free? What if they barred me from the park? I kept thinking how I was going to screw things up for Frank and my trip. Can you tell how high strung I am?
Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well that night with my racing thoughts. But nothing ever happened and I was first in line to get permits the next day. I was there 55 minutes before they opened and 45 minutes before the second person in line. But when you can’t sleep it is easy to get up I guess.
The day Frank and I got back from our hike we stayed in the hostel. That was July 2nd. I haven’t paid to sleep since.
Matthew
Oh you bad. Honestly surprised you had paid anywhere else lol. Keep up the stories I’m definitely living vicariously now!
I was staying at park campgrounds and i stayed at a hostel in Utah so I was paying. I’m a little slow.