I went to a travel website today while planning my summer vacation to Glacier Natinal Park. To my surprise, at the Great Falls airport rental companies, convertibles were the cheapest car being offered by several hundred dollars. I quickly snatched one up but then I wondered - is there some reason these would be undesirable at Glacier? Is this an automotive bear incident waiting to happen? Or is there something else I am missing?

You might ask saintgrizzly about the rock fall that almost took him out on Going to the Sun Highway.

What month are you planning to come? I am lucky enough to live about 30 minutes from Glacier and have been climbing in the park for two years....you are more likely to hit another car, or bicyclist, or motorcyclist, than even see a bear from the road. A convertible would be a great way to see the park from the road. Hopefully, you plan on doing some hiking and climbing? Enjoy your trip....Glacier has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world! Having said all that....rockfall can be a concern in places on GTTS road....my Hyundai Sonata got plinked by a small rock the size of my fist last year...just stay alert....hard to do when dazzled by the scenery!!!

I was thinking that maybe a convertible would be bad if there was food or the odor of food in the car. We did not want to have easy open packaging for a bear. We are staying in East Glacier (July) but plan to be parked all day at various trailheads.

Thanks for the word about rockfall...

When parking at trailheads we leave our food in a large cooler locked up in the trunk...haven't had a problem so far, but we try to keep any potential odor problems down by primarily feasting on PB & J's during and after our hikes/climbs. I've never seen a bear at a trailhead....not to say that that can't happen, but I think the GNP rangers do a good job of identifying "problem" bears and dealing with them. I know they had to kill an old female grizzly last year that was brazenly walking into campsites....I believe in the Two Med area. I saw on your profile that you've climbed Henkel...that one is on my list this year.

To my surprise, at the Great Falls airport rental companies, convertibles were the cheapest car being offered by several hundred dollars. I quickly snatched one up but then I wondered - is there some reason these would be undesirable at Glacier? Is this an automotive bear incident waiting to happen? Or is there something else I am missing?

I don't follow cars very much, but I am surprised that they have convertibles anymore. I thought they were an old or discontinued car!

People ride along in Jeeps, I still see, so aside from the said bear problems, and weather, it sounds cool to have an open top to see all the peaks and mountain features. I've only been to Glacier once in my life, it was sure worthwhile! Some parks have open air buses, and they did have some sort of mass transit red tram cars at Glacier, I forget if they were open air. Lots of road next to cliffs, though. I saw one driver swerve his car under a waterfall to get a quick free car wash of sorts.

Rockfall scares aside, you will love having a convertible in Glacier. Without one, you may drive over a cliff as you crane your neck out the window to see the amazing scenery! I'm not kidding-- GTTS Road is very narrow in places with huge drops, and you all the time see drivers' heads out the windows and looking up.

So to steer off the topic a bit-- drive GTTS Road only early in the morning if possible. The heavy traffic and bad drivers make it slow, frustrating, and dangerous most of the rest of the day. And bring a book to read; you'll be stopping a lot so assholes can stop in the middle of the road and get out of their cars to photograph mountain goats and waterfalls.

My tone aside, I think Glacier is the most magnificent place on earth I have seen, so enjoy!

Edit: Don't worry about the food issue as long as the car has a trunk. I'd worry more about bears being able to see the food, which is why I almost always put food and coolers in the trunk, anyway.

Be careful of what insurance you get.... I minor nick in the roof fabric and you could be out $1,000. This could be a ploy to shaft you. Don't forget that even if your normal personal car insurance covers for damages, they won't cover for the time period that the car is getting repaired. You could be socked the going rate for every day the car is in the shop, even if you're covered out the wazoo. And if you get the total insurance package, you'll see that the "deal" is no longer a deal. DO NOT TRUST WHAT THESE COMPANIES ARE TRYING TO SELL YOU!!!

Referencing Bob Sihler's comment about when to drive on GTTS road....driving early is definitely better, but GTTS road has been undergoing extensive road and retaining wall repairs/construction for several years and will continue to do so for the next several years...so expect construction delays anytime....particularly on the west side