My feet ache, and that's not all. My legs are under attack. As the orange sun slips behind distant misty peaks, bloodthirsty bugs come out to dine on tourists like me who've made the trek to Sperry Chalet, perched on a mountain ledge in Montana's Glacier National Park. I wanted to know if my family could overcome obstacles, just like on Survivor and 1900 House, the PBS show that put modern folks in Victorian digs and watched them suffer. Above all, I wanted to leave my drab daily life far behind and find adventure.
Glacier is the perfect park for challenges and thrills.
The climbs can be steep, the drop-offs precipitous. Grizzlies lurk in the woods. Although visitors won't get cash prizes as Survivor contestants do, they are rewarded for their efforts. Best of all, we could spend the night at Sperry Chalet. Built in 1913 and back in business after a hiatus in the '90s, Sperry has never bothered with such guest amenities as electricity and hot water.