St Mary Lake is the east side of the story. Where the west is damp and thick with cedar, the east is drier, more open and far windier, because the mountains of Glacier fall away abruptly onto the plains of Blackfeet country. The lake lies in a long glacial trough about nine miles long, a deep blue, with a tiny island, Wild Goose Island, sitting like a ship in the middle. It is one of the most photographed spots in the park, and with good reason: the island, the peaks behind and the sky above make an almost absurdly tidy composition.
The road runs along the north shore in a long, quiet descent, past turnouts and trailheads, and the character is different from the west. The curves are gentler, the walls less vertical, and the views open and sweeping, but the wind is a serious matter. Gusts funnel down the valley and can hit a motorcycle sideways, particularly at the east end. It is not unusual for the lake to be a mess of whitecaps while the sky is blue. In shoulder season the temperature drops, and an afternoon thunderstorm can drift over in minutes. Riding it at evening, with the light low and soft, can be lovely.
The land to the east of the park is the Blackfeet Reservation, and the mountains here have long been sacred to the Blackfeet, who call the range the Backbone of the World. The Great Northern Railway, which opened the park to tourism, ran trains to nearby stations, and the old Sun Point chalets were part of that story. The village of St Mary at the east entrance has a small collection of shops, restaurants and motels, and is a convenient base.
Fuel is available at St Mary, which is the dependable source on this side of the park, with a small supermarket and several places to eat. Out on the road the only facilities are seasonal, mostly toilets and a few shops. If you are crossing west, remember to fill up before you start, because the next fuel is on the far side of the pass. The road over Logan Pass is closed to larger vehicles and often to everyone in winter, so check conditions. Bear spray is wise, and so is a windproof layer.