We had an incredible time staying at the Izaak Walton Inn just outside of Glacier National Park in Montana. Essex MT is a flag stop along Amtrak's Empire Builder line. We spent a fantastic New Years trying both snowshoeing and cross country skiing for the first time. The latter we found much more difficult because gravity and a lack of friction make staying upright a difficult thing. We made good use of our Think Tank Shapeshifter backpack to keep all of our gear safe from the snow and weather (and falling in the snow) while we were out and about.