Trip Journal: Return to Glacier
Thursday, August 3, through Sunday, August 13, 2017
Part II: Based at the Many Glacier Hotel; Exploring Many Glacier and Waterton
Part II: Based at the Many Glacier Hotel; Exploring Many Glacier and Waterton
Tuesday, August 8, through Sunday, August 13, 2017
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Day 6, Tuesday, August 8 - Moving to Many Glacier (continued). The road leading into Many Glacier is a mess. There are several very rough patches and two or three sections where the road is seriously subsiding. There were a few big, yellow dinosaurs parked near the worst stretches of the road so obviously there are plans for repairs in the near term.
We rolled in to Many Glacier Hotel about 12:45 so well ahead of our 4:00 check-in time. As feared, the parking lot was jammed, but after making only one lap around the lot we lucked into a parking spot. And I mean lucked into. The place is a mad house. No way was it this packed in 2009. During that trip we drove back and forth between Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent at all times of day and never had a parking issue. But just like my golf game, I'd rather be lucky than good. I'll gladly take the spot.
We rolled in to Many Glacier Hotel about 12:45 so well ahead of our 4:00 check-in time. As feared, the parking lot was jammed, but after making only one lap around the lot we lucked into a parking spot. And I mean lucked into. The place is a mad house. No way was it this packed in 2009. During that trip we drove back and forth between Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent at all times of day and never had a parking issue. But just like my golf game, I'd rather be lucky than good. I'll gladly take the spot.
The walkway down from the parking lot to the hotel provided a great first look at the view out over Swiftcurrent Lake beyond the historic old lodge. The sky was trying to lighten but was still mostly overcast and grey. Low clouds hung over the surrounding peaks. The tip of Grinnell Point was shrouded a wispy, cotton candy mist while the more distant mountains appear to be wearing the feathery plumes of a dandy’s hat
We knew that it was too early to check in but we checked at the registration desk anyway, just in case. The lady we spoke with was a little grumpy; I'll try to avoid her when we come back. But the rooms were not ready anyway. So we just meandered about the great hall of the stately old hotel for a while. The renovations look great. It still looks basically the same as our last visit, the best I can remember, which I think is the point. Keep the charm just make it sturdier and built to last another hundred years. The big difference was the additional of the spiral staircase leading down from the great hall to the lake level. I later found a sign that provided a little history of the stairs. Seems they were part of the original build of the hotel but then removed during renovations in the 1950s, I believe. The carpenters that installed the stairs are true artisans. While you can tell they are a new construction, they fit into the building quite nicely.
We knew that it was too early to check in but we checked at the registration desk anyway, just in case. The lady we spoke with was a little grumpy; I'll try to avoid her when we come back. But the rooms were not ready anyway. So we just meandered about the great hall of the stately old hotel for a while. The renovations look great. It still looks basically the same as our last visit, the best I can remember, which I think is the point. Keep the charm just make it sturdier and built to last another hundred years. The big difference was the additional of the spiral staircase leading down from the great hall to the lake level. I later found a sign that provided a little history of the stairs. Seems they were part of the original build of the hotel but then removed during renovations in the 1950s, I believe. The carpenters that installed the stairs are true artisans. While you can tell they are a new construction, they fit into the building quite nicely.
Surprisingly, as crowded as the parking lot is, there were not a lot of people in the great hall and hardly anyone out on the porch. But then the porch is a bit exposed in the heat of the day. By 1:40 we ended up at the Swiss Lounge for a drink to kill some time. We sat at the bar and chatted with the bartender. The girls had huckleberry margaritas. I added another Montana beer, the Lone Walker Ale which is brewed exclusively for Glacier by Flathead Lake Brewing. I had to try that one. Great aroma, but the flavor did not hold up its end. It was good, sort of on the light side, almost sessionable, but in the end just an average ale. After we finished our drinks we walked downstairs to see what changes had been made and to access the lakeside. OK, there's the snack bar (good to know for a quick breakfast), the gift shop and the auditorium where the evening Ranger programs are held. All good data. Once out by the lake we found where the tourists were, but still it was not packed. I remember this view, but at midday the light was harsh so the vista was a bit washed out. No worries we have several opportunities for good morning and evening light.
At 2:50 we went in to check our room status. I spoke with a happier agent this trip. Well, we're halfway there as one room was ready but the other was still an hour out. Room 158. Uh-oh, we walked by that series of room numbers as we went from the great hall to the lounge area, so we might be right along the main hallway. The good news is we are on the first floor so we won't have to lug our stuff upstairs. The downside is that the location could be noisy. Certainly less than optimal. All we can do is go find out. We walked down the hall toward the lounge area, counting as well went. Fortunately, we ran out of numbers in the main hallway before reaching our room. Turns out we were tucked into a short side hallway. Near the bar and restaurant but secluded. OK, the location looks to be a winner. And the room was awesome! Obviously newly updated, plenty of space, the fireplace, while inoperative gave a nice rustic feel. The bathroom was also updated, but awkwardly laid out. But the highlight was the amazing view from the balcony which is shared only with Lisa's room (well, we're guessing the room next door will be Lisa's). That will work.
At 2:50 we went in to check our room status. I spoke with a happier agent this trip. Well, we're halfway there as one room was ready but the other was still an hour out. Room 158. Uh-oh, we walked by that series of room numbers as we went from the great hall to the lounge area, so we might be right along the main hallway. The good news is we are on the first floor so we won't have to lug our stuff upstairs. The downside is that the location could be noisy. Certainly less than optimal. All we can do is go find out. We walked down the hall toward the lounge area, counting as well went. Fortunately, we ran out of numbers in the main hallway before reaching our room. Turns out we were tucked into a short side hallway. Near the bar and restaurant but secluded. OK, the location looks to be a winner. And the room was awesome! Obviously newly updated, plenty of space, the fireplace, while inoperative gave a nice rustic feel. The bathroom was also updated, but awkwardly laid out. But the highlight was the amazing view from the balcony which is shared only with Lisa's room (well, we're guessing the room next door will be Lisa's). That will work.
We were on the balcony with a beer at 3:15. Bent Nail IPA from Red Lodge. We discovered this one during our 2014 trip to Yellowstone while staying at Roosevelt. Best of the trip so far. We were also treated to quite the aerial display. There were scores of birds swooping about over the lakeshore, the majority were swallows of some sort, probably cliff swallows, Cedar Waxwings and Red-winged Blackbirds. The swallows and waxwings were picking off bugs flying out over the lake. The swallows must have had nests up under the eaves of the hotel as we could see them flying in and out of those areas. We also spotted several ducks swimming well out across Swiftcurrent Lake. While they were too far to get a good image, I was able to bring them closer with the zoom of the SX50, enough to identify them as Mergansers. This was also a good time to study the Hike 734 map to determine at least one more trail in Many Glacier to fill up our dance card. Glacier is advertised as a hiker's paradise and that it is. The focal point for the really high quality hikes, at least according to Jake and his map is the Many Glacier area. On the Hike 734 rankings of the trails, five of the top ten trails in the park are in Many Glacier. That's pretty strong. Again, no argument from me based on our previous trip. We already have Grinnell Glacier scheduled for Thursday and we have Iceberg Lake and/or Ptarmigan Tunnel on the short list but we still have at least one more day for hiking plus it is good to have a back-up since the trails can close at a moment's notice due to bear activity. After reading through the list, the trail from Swiftcurrent Lodge out past Fishercap Lake and on toward Bullhead Lake looked like a great choice for tomorrow. It is number 8 on the Hike 734 list (Grinnell Glacier is ranked number 2 and Iceberg Lake is fourth). This is an out-and-back trail that we can just hike as far as we like then turn around, but the elevation gain at least out to Bullhead Lake is minimal (about 400 feet over 5 miles or so), gives us access to three lakes and loads of scenery.
Just before 4:00, Lisa and I walked out to the registration desk to see if her room was ready. It was. Room 160 as expected, right next door to us. Basically the mirror image of our room except that it had a small storage nook and was but maybe a couple feet longer. Bottom line is that now we can get settled now that we have both rooms secured. But we'll wait a bit before getting the rest of our stuff from the car as the parking lot was probably still a zoo.
Back out on the deck to enjoy the beautiful afternoon. This was a wonderful location as we look straight out over Swiftcurrent Lake, so that view is right in your face all the time. We could also see the main deck off to our left as well as the mountainside to the north of the hotel, which is a prime spotting for critter sightings. We quickly learned to watch and listen to the folks on the main deck as they were all out there looking for critters as well, so they were a great indicator of what was out on the mountain. Turns out the folks walking along the shore of the lake are also a good indicator of animal activity as they were the first to tune us into the Bighorn Sheep that were coming down the driveway right at 4:30. There was a small herd that included several kids trying to figure out how to get down the driveway. Unfortunately, some of the tourists were getting a little too close (that never happens, right!?!) and the sheep were getting a little nervous. They were sort of pacing up and down the gravel drive at the north end of the hotel, which is a bit of a narrow spot between the building and the lake plus the tourists were adding to the confusion. We fortunately were well above the active with a ringside seat. Finally someone, not sure if it was a hotel employee or maybe a Ranger, came along clapping their hands which got the sheep moving south along the backside of the hotel. And they were moving rather quickly. This became the "running of the sheep" and while they weigh considerably less than the bulls in Pamplona, I reckon a collision with a sheep moving at a gallop would certainly leave a mark.
Just before 4:00, Lisa and I walked out to the registration desk to see if her room was ready. It was. Room 160 as expected, right next door to us. Basically the mirror image of our room except that it had a small storage nook and was but maybe a couple feet longer. Bottom line is that now we can get settled now that we have both rooms secured. But we'll wait a bit before getting the rest of our stuff from the car as the parking lot was probably still a zoo.
Back out on the deck to enjoy the beautiful afternoon. This was a wonderful location as we look straight out over Swiftcurrent Lake, so that view is right in your face all the time. We could also see the main deck off to our left as well as the mountainside to the north of the hotel, which is a prime spotting for critter sightings. We quickly learned to watch and listen to the folks on the main deck as they were all out there looking for critters as well, so they were a great indicator of what was out on the mountain. Turns out the folks walking along the shore of the lake are also a good indicator of animal activity as they were the first to tune us into the Bighorn Sheep that were coming down the driveway right at 4:30. There was a small herd that included several kids trying to figure out how to get down the driveway. Unfortunately, some of the tourists were getting a little too close (that never happens, right!?!) and the sheep were getting a little nervous. They were sort of pacing up and down the gravel drive at the north end of the hotel, which is a bit of a narrow spot between the building and the lake plus the tourists were adding to the confusion. We fortunately were well above the active with a ringside seat. Finally someone, not sure if it was a hotel employee or maybe a Ranger, came along clapping their hands which got the sheep moving south along the backside of the hotel. And they were moving rather quickly. This became the "running of the sheep" and while they weigh considerably less than the bulls in Pamplona, I reckon a collision with a sheep moving at a gallop would certainly leave a mark.
Our balcony really made for a grand viewing platform and not just for the vista out over Swiftcurrent Lake or wildlife. We also had a great vantage point for people watching and there were plenty of them to keep us entertained. Mostly folks were just enjoying the park and the lake. A few kids were fishing. A few photographers. Folks with binoculars looking for bears on the hillside. Actually pretty peaceful. The only minor drama was when one of the Rangers got a ride in a little motor boat and scooted out to talk with a couple boaters. Checking fishing licenses perhaps. One other sighting from the balcony was a very nice, old pick-up, I guessing from the 1930s or 40s. It was painted in the colors of the boating concessionaire, so I’m guessing one it will be around later as it is certainly a worthy subject for a photo, particularly if I can line up a nice background. We’ll see if that works out during the next few days.
Lynn and I brought another load down from the car a little before 5:00. The lot was still jammed. They have a serious issue with the increased visitation. While getting Lisa's room I heard the registration agent in the next queue explaining to an older couple checking in that they would just have to be patient and wait for a spot to open in the lot. This is no way to run a railroad. I suggested to Lynn that we should plan on walking between the hotel and Swiftcurrent Lodge whenever possible, like tomorrow if we hike to Bullhead Lake. Seems to me that Glacier might want to consider adopting an access policy like that used at Zion. The only visitors who can drive into Many Glacier are those with reservations at the hotel, Swiftcurrent or the campground. All others would have to take the shuttle in. Yes, that would take some infrastructure costs but it seemed like a good system at Zion. We went back out at 6:00 for a parking lot check. Finally the crowd is starting to thin out so we risked our parking spot and drove down to drop our big bags at the hotel entrance then scurried back to the lot. Ended up in the same parking slot. There were a few, but not many empty slots in the lot.
After we dumped our bags in the room, we went back over to the lounge for a drink. Since none of us were hungry at this point, we decided to take a lap around the lake as it was such a pleasant evening, hitting the trail at 6:35 and going clockwise around the nature trail. Nice stretch of the legs along this flat trail. Not a lot of folks out this evening. Not a lot of critters either. We did spot a flock of Mergansers on the rocks and a few Cedar Waxwings. The employees who live at the boathouse were kicking back for the evening it seemed as we could hear someone strumming on a guitar. There are nice views along and across the lake from most points on the trail, particularly from the head end looking back toward the hotel. The hotel is a big, sort of sprawling structure and five floors tall, but it is dwarfed by the mountains that surround the area.
Lynn and I brought another load down from the car a little before 5:00. The lot was still jammed. They have a serious issue with the increased visitation. While getting Lisa's room I heard the registration agent in the next queue explaining to an older couple checking in that they would just have to be patient and wait for a spot to open in the lot. This is no way to run a railroad. I suggested to Lynn that we should plan on walking between the hotel and Swiftcurrent Lodge whenever possible, like tomorrow if we hike to Bullhead Lake. Seems to me that Glacier might want to consider adopting an access policy like that used at Zion. The only visitors who can drive into Many Glacier are those with reservations at the hotel, Swiftcurrent or the campground. All others would have to take the shuttle in. Yes, that would take some infrastructure costs but it seemed like a good system at Zion. We went back out at 6:00 for a parking lot check. Finally the crowd is starting to thin out so we risked our parking spot and drove down to drop our big bags at the hotel entrance then scurried back to the lot. Ended up in the same parking slot. There were a few, but not many empty slots in the lot.
After we dumped our bags in the room, we went back over to the lounge for a drink. Since none of us were hungry at this point, we decided to take a lap around the lake as it was such a pleasant evening, hitting the trail at 6:35 and going clockwise around the nature trail. Nice stretch of the legs along this flat trail. Not a lot of folks out this evening. Not a lot of critters either. We did spot a flock of Mergansers on the rocks and a few Cedar Waxwings. The employees who live at the boathouse were kicking back for the evening it seemed as we could hear someone strumming on a guitar. There are nice views along and across the lake from most points on the trail, particularly from the head end looking back toward the hotel. The hotel is a big, sort of sprawling structure and five floors tall, but it is dwarfed by the mountains that surround the area.
While we hike we also discussed the plan for tomorrow. The girls like the idea of hiking toward Bullhead Lake and agreed that we should just start from the Hotel rather than drive over to the trailhead at Swiftcurrent Lodge. OK, that adds a mile-plus each direction but it is all flat and will just give us a nice warmup. Plus the Ranger station is on the way so we can check in there for the most up to date information. We worked out the tentative agenda for the rest of the trip:
Around to the far side of the lake, the trail exits out of a wooded stretch at the lower end of the campground at sort of a picnic area and near the public boat ramp. There was a group of folks doing yoga there on the open lawn of the picnic ground. We walked on past and found where the trail continues along the lake edge and below the road. We'll be traversing this section tomorrow morning. The trail connects up with the driveway leading to Many Glacier Hotel at the bridge over the outlet of Swiftcurrent Lake. We paused on the downstream side of the bridge to take in the view of the creek tumbling down the rocky creek bed. The Waxwings and Swallows were also here and we also saw a Belted Kingfisher sitting in a dead snag above the creek. We were back at the hotel a little before 8:00 so it took us about 1:15 to complete the 2.7 mile nature trail. Link to photo gallery.
Even though we had a huge lunch at Two Sisters, we decided that were could use a light dinner and opted to check out the options in the Swiss Lounge. There was a good crowd in the lounge but there was space at the bar so we grabbed three chairs and ordered a drink. We chatted with the young couple at the end of the bar, kids who had just moved to San Diego but were graduates of Penn State. They were young enough not to remember the rivalry between Penn State and WVU. Times change. Our food came out in short order. My salad was very good, nice and fresh. That hit the spot. After dinner we were back on the balcony for a while, where we compiled the short critter list from today, then I went out to the lobby to get on the wifi and check messages. There were plenty of other folks scattered about the couches and oversized chairs doing the same thing. The connection was poor and the speed miserable so I just did a quick check of email and sent Sue a note through Facebook messenger letting her know that Facebook messenger would be the best way to contact me if she needed to for any reason as the phone signal here was very weak (even worse than the wifi). I called it a night after that.
- Wednesday: Bullhead Lake, walking from Many Glacier.
- Thursday: Boat and hike to Grinnell Glacier.
- Friday: Waterton Lakes for high tea (off day for hiking).
- Saturday: Ptarmigan Tunnel or Iceberg Lake. Since this will be a 10 mile uphill day, we may bite the bullet and drive over to Swiftcurrent to park at the trailhead. Perhaps we just eat at Nell's this night since we are already there.
Around to the far side of the lake, the trail exits out of a wooded stretch at the lower end of the campground at sort of a picnic area and near the public boat ramp. There was a group of folks doing yoga there on the open lawn of the picnic ground. We walked on past and found where the trail continues along the lake edge and below the road. We'll be traversing this section tomorrow morning. The trail connects up with the driveway leading to Many Glacier Hotel at the bridge over the outlet of Swiftcurrent Lake. We paused on the downstream side of the bridge to take in the view of the creek tumbling down the rocky creek bed. The Waxwings and Swallows were also here and we also saw a Belted Kingfisher sitting in a dead snag above the creek. We were back at the hotel a little before 8:00 so it took us about 1:15 to complete the 2.7 mile nature trail. Link to photo gallery.
Even though we had a huge lunch at Two Sisters, we decided that were could use a light dinner and opted to check out the options in the Swiss Lounge. There was a good crowd in the lounge but there was space at the bar so we grabbed three chairs and ordered a drink. We chatted with the young couple at the end of the bar, kids who had just moved to San Diego but were graduates of Penn State. They were young enough not to remember the rivalry between Penn State and WVU. Times change. Our food came out in short order. My salad was very good, nice and fresh. That hit the spot. After dinner we were back on the balcony for a while, where we compiled the short critter list from today, then I went out to the lobby to get on the wifi and check messages. There were plenty of other folks scattered about the couches and oversized chairs doing the same thing. The connection was poor and the speed miserable so I just did a quick check of email and sent Sue a note through Facebook messenger letting her know that Facebook messenger would be the best way to contact me if she needed to for any reason as the phone signal here was very weak (even worse than the wifi). I called it a night after that.
Day 7, Wednesday, August 9 - Bullhead Lake. What a great night's sleep. We had the balcony door and the windows open to let in the cool mountain air and the fan running to really get the air moving so we were buried in the blankets. It was wonderful. I finally rolled out of bed just before 0600. At first glance, it looked like another grey day in the making, but upon further inspection there was a low fog blanketing the lake and cloaking the ridges but above was an apparently cloudless blue sky. Very brisk this morning but it does have the look of a promising day ahead. Due to the low-lying fog, the views were actually much better from our first floor balcony than down at lake level. The just-past-full moon was setting behind Mount Grinnell. It had an eerie look to due to the foggy conditions. The big orb was still very bright even through the clouds so it was tough to get a detailed photo but there were some interesting images as the moon set behind the ridgeline. The Feathered Air Force was out on morning patrol, chirping away as they chased down breakfast. The only other critters in view were three mergansers cruising by along the near shore of the lake. Even without the wakes from the ducks there were no reflection shots to be had this morning. Maybe that's why there were only a few folks out for photos so far, just not ideal conditions. OK, so not every photo is wall-worthy, but it is still a beautiful sight.
We went about our usual morning routine of getting ready, having a simple breakfast and loading up the day packs. At 0745 we were ready for our hike. There is a convenient exit to the lake side from the sitting area adjacent to the lounge and restaurant, so right around the corner from our rooms. We escaped to the great outdoors there and I started our ramblr track. Still chilly but the sky is getting brighter as the fog is burning off. Sure, starting the hike from the hotel adds about 3 miles to the round-trip total, but it just feels right to walk to the trailhead rather than drive plus this gets us out of the parking hassles that could materialize later in the day. The issue with parking is not about getting a spot at Swiftcurrent Lodge this early in the morning but rather finding a place back at Many Glacier Hotel in the midafternoon once we return from the hike. Walking to the trailheads around Swiftcurrent Lodge eliminated that concern completely. Besides, we came here to hike, so let's HIKE!
Not much in the way of traffic, hiking or driving, this morning. Just a few folks milling about along the lake behind the hotel and maybe one or two cars on the road once we exited the Swiftcurrent Lake nature trail. Wonderful view across Swiftcurrent Lake back toward the hotel and Mount Allen and Grinnell Point from the section of the nature trail that we traversed; the fog was still rolling across at lake level, but up high the sky had cleared and was a beautiful baby blue in the crisp morning. The banner image at the top of this page is a view from this section of the trail. We saw the Chief Two Guns coming across the lake to get ready for a day of shuttling hikers and sight-seeing. Her wake put an end to the the nice reflections of the surrounding peaks on Swiftcurrent Lake.
There was a short line of cars at the campground entrance waiting for a chance to grab a spot. But there was no one at the Ranger Station, well, except the Rangers. I spoke with Ranger Dave, an older gentlemen with a slight frame and big smile. He reported that there were currently no issues anywhere on the area trails. He did point out that the Iceberg Lake trail has bear activity but is open for now. He suggested hiking it today just to make sure that we get it in. I understand his point, but our plan is set and a trail with less elevation change is probably the better bet for today. Hey, if Iceberg closes, we will find something else as there is plenty to see and do. Ranger Dave heartily agreed.
As expected, there was plenty of room in the parking lot at Swiftcurrent Lodge this early in the morning. In fact, the lot was mostly empty. There were a few folks getting their morning cup of Joe from the diner and some others checking out the camp store, but otherwise it was pretty quiet. We continued on to the trailhead, since we had all we needed for our hike. We'll stop on the return trip if we need a treat.
We've walked the initial part of this trail, having gone out to Fishercap Lake a few times in 2009 looking for moose and other critters at the lake, but this was the first sojourn out for 2017. We knew from past experience that there would be good opportunities for critters at Fishercap and figured that the lakes and creeks beyond would hold similar chances. This trail turned out to be a true gem, not just for wildlife but also for wonderful views and for fairly low traffic particularly in the early morning. Honestly, I had not really heard of this trail, other than the references to Fishercap Lake, prior to reading through the rankings on the Hike734 map. I think it is overshadowed by its neighboring trails in Many Glacier that lead to Iceberg Lake, Ptarmigan Tunnel and Grinnell Glacier. Those are the ones that get all the press. But this trail provides a lot and is actually pretty easy as there is not a lot in terms of elevation gain at least out to Bullhead Lake (not far beyond there the trail starts to climb significantly to get over Swiftcurrent Pass, but we stopped where the major uphill exertion started).
Another nice feature of this trail is the numerous points of interest along the route with three lakes, the streams and a couple waterfalls. You could use any of these spots as the end-point for a hike, basically allowing you to customize the hike based on how far you felt like hiking and still have had a great hike. In the end, that is exactly what we did, I just expected that we might call it a day a little earlier. The girls were the Energizer Bunnies today on the trail as they just kept going and going and going! Which was fine by me. I knew that we would not continue on the trail once it started to climb the steep switchbacks leading to the pass below Swiftcurrent Mountain. I just did not know that we would go all the way to that point. Hat's off to Lynn and Lisa as they marched all the way up the canyon. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
There was a short line of cars at the campground entrance waiting for a chance to grab a spot. But there was no one at the Ranger Station, well, except the Rangers. I spoke with Ranger Dave, an older gentlemen with a slight frame and big smile. He reported that there were currently no issues anywhere on the area trails. He did point out that the Iceberg Lake trail has bear activity but is open for now. He suggested hiking it today just to make sure that we get it in. I understand his point, but our plan is set and a trail with less elevation change is probably the better bet for today. Hey, if Iceberg closes, we will find something else as there is plenty to see and do. Ranger Dave heartily agreed.
As expected, there was plenty of room in the parking lot at Swiftcurrent Lodge this early in the morning. In fact, the lot was mostly empty. There were a few folks getting their morning cup of Joe from the diner and some others checking out the camp store, but otherwise it was pretty quiet. We continued on to the trailhead, since we had all we needed for our hike. We'll stop on the return trip if we need a treat.
We've walked the initial part of this trail, having gone out to Fishercap Lake a few times in 2009 looking for moose and other critters at the lake, but this was the first sojourn out for 2017. We knew from past experience that there would be good opportunities for critters at Fishercap and figured that the lakes and creeks beyond would hold similar chances. This trail turned out to be a true gem, not just for wildlife but also for wonderful views and for fairly low traffic particularly in the early morning. Honestly, I had not really heard of this trail, other than the references to Fishercap Lake, prior to reading through the rankings on the Hike734 map. I think it is overshadowed by its neighboring trails in Many Glacier that lead to Iceberg Lake, Ptarmigan Tunnel and Grinnell Glacier. Those are the ones that get all the press. But this trail provides a lot and is actually pretty easy as there is not a lot in terms of elevation gain at least out to Bullhead Lake (not far beyond there the trail starts to climb significantly to get over Swiftcurrent Pass, but we stopped where the major uphill exertion started).
Another nice feature of this trail is the numerous points of interest along the route with three lakes, the streams and a couple waterfalls. You could use any of these spots as the end-point for a hike, basically allowing you to customize the hike based on how far you felt like hiking and still have had a great hike. In the end, that is exactly what we did, I just expected that we might call it a day a little earlier. The girls were the Energizer Bunnies today on the trail as they just kept going and going and going! Which was fine by me. I knew that we would not continue on the trail once it started to climb the steep switchbacks leading to the pass below Swiftcurrent Mountain. I just did not know that we would go all the way to that point. Hat's off to Lynn and Lisa as they marched all the way up the canyon. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
As I mentioned there are a number of highlights along this trail. Just a short distance beyond the trailhead we crossed Wilbur Creek. A nice view looking up and downstream from the sturdy footbridge, but alas no critter sightings. We're probably still too close to the start of the trail, but you never know what you are going to see or where you will see it when hiking in Glacier. The first highlight point along the trail was Fishercap Lake (0.4 miles from the trailhead). We spotted moose here a couple times in 2009, but this morning there was just a deer grazing along the far edge of the lake and a handful of tourists taking photos. There were not a lot of folks, maybe six or so standing along the shore and most of them, like us, were standing quietly just enjoying the view and watching the buck go about his business. But there was one women with a long lens who was just rattling away. She was doing so in hushed tones, but still she was breaking the peace of the morning. The odd thing was that she seemed sort of annoyed that the rest of us had shown up here at her private lake. I reckon she was just excited to be out in the park, enjoying this beautiful day. She and her husband (he was quiet) had their cameras at the ready and were clicking away at deer, well until a couple of Gray Jays flew into the pines right behind Lynn. Then the lady photographer came scurrying over to where we were standing so that she could get a shot of the birds. After being miffed that we showed up at her lake, now she was invading our space. Just seemed odd to me. Sometimes it seems that folks think that just because they are carrying expensive cameras they have the right of way. The birds weren't in the mood to pose for portraits anyway. But Lady Chatterbox was just a minor annoyance and she did eventually quiet down (I think she might have gotten "the just relax look" from hubby). The otherwise peaceful scene here along the bank of the little lake more than made up for her. The lake surface was calm and provided a wonderful mirror for the surrounding peaks. Even the long-range images of the deer across the lake ended up showing a decent reflection of the buck as we waded along the far shore. We did not stay at Fishercap long, know that there was more to see on up the trail. We walked up the short access trail from the lake back to the main trail and hung a left. We were now heading into new territory, at least for us.
Our next stop was at Redrock Lake, about 1.8 miles from the trailhead to where we accessed the lake shore. I don’t really remember seeing many if any folks along the trail since we left Fishercap, probably just a handful of faster hikers who passed us heading up the valley. While we really enjoyed the quiet along the trail, we did have to break the silence from time to time so that we would not surprise any bears that might be in nearby. That's just part of hiking in Glacier. The views along this section of the trail were very nice, looking out over the trees to the glacier carved ridgelines to our left and right that form the valley. The sky is cloudless, but there is a slight haze hanging over the mountains; a light layer of smoke most likely from the fires to the south. Noticeable, but not really a significant detractor from the views at present. We reached the lake at 9:15 and stepped off the trail to check the view from the shore. Just a beautiful vista. Here the surface of the lake was flat as a pane of glass with a nice reflection of the surrounding mountains. We nearly had the lake to ourselves, only one other group was here, a young family further up the shore. The little girls are doing what little kids do, tossing rocks into the lake, but not enough of a disturbance to mar the mirror surface. Otherwise it is quiet here at Redrock Lake. No critters about right now, just the vista to enjoy. Lovely colorful rocks lined the bed of the lake right up to the water's edge. This made for one of my favorite images from the trip as I stacked a couple of shots to create a vertical panoramic to try and capture the scene. This also looked like a likely spot for a team photo (since we do such a great job of taking team photos on our trips). The Gorillapod is great for these shots and perfect for hiking, but I never can get it quite level. No worries, that's what Photoshop is for. I'll just straighten the horizon once I get home. Again we did not linger too long as there was still more to see. Back on the trail, we walked just above the edge of the lake and spotted a lone duck out foraging for breakfast. Each time I tried to get a photo, the duck would dive. I started calling it a Sinking Duck, but eventually came away with a decent enough photo to identify it as a Barrow's Goldeneye (at least that's my best guess).
Our next stop was at Redrock Lake, about 1.8 miles from the trailhead to where we accessed the lake shore. I don’t really remember seeing many if any folks along the trail since we left Fishercap, probably just a handful of faster hikers who passed us heading up the valley. While we really enjoyed the quiet along the trail, we did have to break the silence from time to time so that we would not surprise any bears that might be in nearby. That's just part of hiking in Glacier. The views along this section of the trail were very nice, looking out over the trees to the glacier carved ridgelines to our left and right that form the valley. The sky is cloudless, but there is a slight haze hanging over the mountains; a light layer of smoke most likely from the fires to the south. Noticeable, but not really a significant detractor from the views at present. We reached the lake at 9:15 and stepped off the trail to check the view from the shore. Just a beautiful vista. Here the surface of the lake was flat as a pane of glass with a nice reflection of the surrounding mountains. We nearly had the lake to ourselves, only one other group was here, a young family further up the shore. The little girls are doing what little kids do, tossing rocks into the lake, but not enough of a disturbance to mar the mirror surface. Otherwise it is quiet here at Redrock Lake. No critters about right now, just the vista to enjoy. Lovely colorful rocks lined the bed of the lake right up to the water's edge. This made for one of my favorite images from the trip as I stacked a couple of shots to create a vertical panoramic to try and capture the scene. This also looked like a likely spot for a team photo (since we do such a great job of taking team photos on our trips). The Gorillapod is great for these shots and perfect for hiking, but I never can get it quite level. No worries, that's what Photoshop is for. I'll just straighten the horizon once I get home. Again we did not linger too long as there was still more to see. Back on the trail, we walked just above the edge of the lake and spotted a lone duck out foraging for breakfast. Each time I tried to get a photo, the duck would dive. I started calling it a Sinking Duck, but eventually came away with a decent enough photo to identify it as a Barrow's Goldeneye (at least that's my best guess).
We continued up the valley past the Redrock Lake. Just another 0.2 miles or so to the next highlight along the trail, Redrock Falls. I think this is the spot that many hikers on this trail are aiming for as there were actually several folks meandered about the area. That sort of surprised me given that we had not seen many hikers out on the trail yet today. But I reckon that this was the place that those folks we did see were coming to visit. Swiftcurrent Creek runs just below the trail at this point, so the falls are easily accessed by a short side trail that works down the slope to the creek just below the cascade. There is a second little falls just above this first one; again not a tall drop but pretty as it pours the creek into a lovely green pool. Reds and greens sort of dominate the color palate around the falls between the emerald of the pools, the pines lining the creek and the maroon of the rocks in and around the creek bed.
Continuing up the valley, the trail turned slightly away from Swiftcurrent Creek. But there were still wonderful views of the surrounding peaks as well as of the red mudstone through which the trail was carved. Along the trail there were some very interesting close-up images of the lichens on the rock. Bright orange, mossy green, grey and black against the purple-red background. Plus we continued to encounter stands of wildflowers and very full berry bushes. Just a reminder to keep an eye out for bears. No bears here, but there were a couple of deer off in the trees between the trail and the creek, a doe and a fawn. We stopped to let them figure out where they wanted to go. They ended up bounding across the trail about 15 yards ahead of us and quickly disappeared in the foliage going up the slope. Our next detour from the trail was a viewpoint along the creek bank providing a nice vista up the valley. This was about 0.7 miles beyond Redrock Falls. Basically a T-junction in the trail, right for the main trail and left for the viewpoint, which was maybe 40 yards along the back of a little rock ridge. But a worthy detour for the view from right above the creek looking up the valley. Back to the main trail to continue our trek up the valley to Bullhead Lake. The trail gradually gained some elevation to get above the creek and the valley floor. We were getting an occasional glimpse of the creek then the lower part of the lake. We crossed over a feeder creek draining down the slope from the mountains along the north side of the valley. A short, stout swinging bridge was in place to allow safe passage across the steep little creek. The load limit for the bridge was listed as "one hiker at a time." Sort of ambiguous given the vast variation in the size of hikers and their associated gear, but we followed the advice of the warning sign and crossed one at a time. So our hiking order on the trails has been pretty consistent, with Lynn leading the way, then Lisa and me bring up the rear. This works out pretty well for the most part. Here in Glacier we have to stay together, particularly on lightly traveled trails, just for safety sake. In other parks, where we are not concerned about something big and furry eating us, we will get a little distance between us, as I am usually lagging while taking more photos. Since we are clustered together here, I have to work a bit as the girls tend to get into my field of vision for shots along the trail. Lisa particularly makes a very poor window as she often blocked the view for critter shots along the trail. But that's OK, usually a minor adjustment, six inches one way or the other and I could see whatever it was of interest at that point. After three hours and 3.9 miles on the trail (wow, we are slow, but we're enjoying the views) we reached the point where we had the view of the upper part of Bullhead Lake. As I recall, there were a couple other hikers here as well, enjoying a snack and the view. A snack sounded like a winning idea, so we dropped our packs, found a convenient perch on the rocks overlooking the lake and broke out the trail mix and Luna bars. Our vantage point is well above the lake, giving us a nice view of the head end and continuing up the valley beyond. The surface of the lake is perfectly calm, except for the little wakes made by the couple of Sinking Ducks that dot the surface. Wonderful reflections of the surrounding peaks in the nearly mirror finish of the water. The sky is still clear and blue, not a cloud to be seen but that slight haze and the angle of the sunlight are having a minor impact of the views across the valley. Still this is a beautiful sight. |
While we were enjoying the views and our break, a few more folks joined us at the lake, some hikers who said 'hello' and kept on going, then a group of fly fishermen, four guys as I recall, looked like fathers and sons. One of the dads was a little confused as to their location and asked us how much further it was to Bullhead Lake. "I'm pretty sure you’re at Bullhead Lake," was our reply. But he was certain that there was more ground to cover before reaching their destination. Lynn whipped out the map and tried to convince him. His son finally came over, glanced at the map and stated that Lynn was correct, they had arrived. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him…..fish! OK, Dad is on board that this is Bullhead Lake. I asked him what they would be fishing for, assuming that there was some type of trout in these lakes and streams. Turns out there are plenty of Brook Trout in these waters. Such a pretty little fish. Dad asked me to snap a photo of him and Junior. I think they ended up with a nice memento with the lake in the background.
I sort of figured that this was our turnaround point, but the girls surprised me and after our break we continued up the valley. Well why not, we've come this far so we might as well see what the views are from the head of the valley. The trail crossed Swiftcurrent Creek as it wrapped around the upper end of Bullhead Lake, then worked up the valley and meandered across a couple more little run-off creeks. Wooden foot bridges kept our feet dry at most of the crossings but there was a place or two where the creeks were shallow and we just picked our way across. Lynn spotted a rabbit on the trail from her position at the head of our little column, but it jumped off into the brush when Lisa approached. All Lynn got was a blurry image of a rabbit butt. There were plenty of flowers and berries along this stretch of the trail, again not the big spreads of dazzling colors like we saw on the Highline Trail and at Logan Pass, but rather a nice variety of single specimens. The variety of colors of Indian Paintbrush along the trail was particularly striking. Being a Crayola Eight kind of guy when it comes to colors I have to rely on Lynn and array of cross-stitch floss hues to get past red, yellow an orange. We determined that at one point we had magenta and salmon paintbrush right next to each other. We also got better views of the waterfalls that were tumbling down the tall, steep walls of the ridges that surround the head of the valley.
We topped out at about 5,250 feet above sea level, having gained about 400 feet in elevation since we left the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake this morning. But from here the nature of the trail changes significantly as it climbs to Swiftcurrent Pass which is nearly 2,000 feet above us. This is a good place to stop, having hiked nearly six miles (4.5 miles from the trailhead) to this point and we have to cover that ground again on the way back. We were at the point where the trail crosses one last foot bridge before climbing up the mountain. The view here was amazing. The ridgeline that defined the start of the valley towered over 2,000 feet above us with some of the peaks some 3,000 feet above where we now stood, with Mount Grinnell being the one of the tallest peaks; at over 8,800 feet it dominated the southern wall of the valley (8,855 feet is the highest point of the peak). We counted more than a dozen waterfalls tumbling down the canyon wall ahead of us, each of these being hundreds of feet tall. We were too far away to hear the crash of the water. Here it was quiet with just the breeze and the shallow creek adding their hushed voices to the peace of the day. We decided that this was a good stop for a team photo, standing on the last footbridge. There was no one here to take the image for us, so I set up the Gorillapod again. Yeah, I'll need to get a ballhead for this tripod to make leveling easier as this shot will also need a little love in Photoshop Elements when I get home.
We topped out at about 5,250 feet above sea level, having gained about 400 feet in elevation since we left the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake this morning. But from here the nature of the trail changes significantly as it climbs to Swiftcurrent Pass which is nearly 2,000 feet above us. This is a good place to stop, having hiked nearly six miles (4.5 miles from the trailhead) to this point and we have to cover that ground again on the way back. We were at the point where the trail crosses one last foot bridge before climbing up the mountain. The view here was amazing. The ridgeline that defined the start of the valley towered over 2,000 feet above us with some of the peaks some 3,000 feet above where we now stood, with Mount Grinnell being the one of the tallest peaks; at over 8,800 feet it dominated the southern wall of the valley (8,855 feet is the highest point of the peak). We counted more than a dozen waterfalls tumbling down the canyon wall ahead of us, each of these being hundreds of feet tall. We were too far away to hear the crash of the water. Here it was quiet with just the breeze and the shallow creek adding their hushed voices to the peace of the day. We decided that this was a good stop for a team photo, standing on the last footbridge. There was no one here to take the image for us, so I set up the Gorillapod again. Yeah, I'll need to get a ballhead for this tripod to make leveling easier as this shot will also need a little love in Photoshop Elements when I get home.
We made the turn back toward the trailhead about 11:15 AM. The traffic on the trail picked up considerably since we started. There were several backpackers coming down the switchbacks from Swiftcurrent Pass and a steady stream of hikers coming up the trail (not many above the lakes, but the crowd certainly grew once we were back below Bullhead Lake. Just another example of getting out early to beat the crowds. As we passed by the upper part of Bullhead Lake we saw our fisher buddies around on the far side working along the shore in search of the elusive Brook Trout. We also saw a few other folks carrying poles and tackle heading up the trail. These anglers are getting a very late start to my way of thinking, but then fishing isn't always about catching fish. I would have to give this trail a fairly high friendliness rating as just about everyone we passed had a friendly greeting. That is always a plus. There was really just one group that did not seem to be having a great time, the stressed-out young family with one little kid "hiking" and an infant in a kid carrier. I think Mom and Dad wore out the kids by the time they reached Redrock Lake as both youngsters were grumbling, which did not help the attitude of their parents. They made a hasty retreat back toward the trailhead. I give them credit for the effort even if they did overdo it today. While it is great to see so many visitors out on the trail with the proper gear, whether carrying trekking poles, cameras or fly rods, there was one unwanted trend that I noticed, as several of the hikers now coming up the valley were wearing bear bells. The Asian hikers in particular seem enamored with these annoying and ineffective bear deterrents. But just about everyone we saw on the trail today, really each time we have been on a trail this week, seems to be taking their hikes seriously. Most are hiking in groups and have bear spray, everyone is wearing sensible shoes (no flip-flops that I have noticed) and hydration packs seem to be the norm. Well done fellow hikers, well done indeed!
In addition to the number of hikers, the temperature was also on the rise. The temperature was about 45 F when we started this morning but I reckon it was up in the mid-70s by now, and the dry conditions have made the trail rather dusty. While a downhill trek back to the trailhead, the increased heat, dusty conditions and high traffic made the return hike seem a little more like work.
Even though we were walking back along the same trail there was still plenty to see. The views had lost their luster with the harsh, midday sun and the increased hazy conditions (the haze always seemed to get worse as the day progressed), but there were a few critter sightings of note. The first and probably highlight for the day was the moose we saw in Swiftcurrent Creek between the upper and lower sections of Bullhead Lake. The big cow was just wading along about knee-deep in the water having a little lunch. A few other hikers paused to watch for a while. She was far enough away that she was paying us no attention at all, until a group came down the trail with one of their outfit singing "Roxanne." If his goal was to alert the bears, he was doing a wonderful job! The moose actually looked up from her meal and looked right at the trail where our crooner was coming, then she shook her massive noggin, causing her ears to flap against the sides of her head. It was as if she was trying to get the singing out of her head. I can't blame her for that. Her reaction caused a good chuckle from all of use watching from the trail and instigated some light-hearted ribbing of our Sting wanna-be from his companions.
We also spotted a Ptarmigan right along the trail adjacent to the head end of Redrock Lake. The poor thing seemed a little distressed, maybe due to the midday heat or the number of hikers in the area…probably a little of both. There were more Sinking Ducks on both Redrock and Fishercap Lakes as we returned. We were back at Fishercap Lake right at 1:00 and did pause here to see if there might be other critters to be seen. One buck deer on the far side of the lake, up toward the head of the lake. A bigger guy than the one we saw this morning with a more impressive rack. But he was a bit anxious, not of the tourists as we were all on the opposite side of the lake. No, he was paying a lot of attention to the woods, as if there was something in there keeping him on edge. We watched for a while but nothing came out and the deer eventually disappeared into the trees.
In addition to the number of hikers, the temperature was also on the rise. The temperature was about 45 F when we started this morning but I reckon it was up in the mid-70s by now, and the dry conditions have made the trail rather dusty. While a downhill trek back to the trailhead, the increased heat, dusty conditions and high traffic made the return hike seem a little more like work.
Even though we were walking back along the same trail there was still plenty to see. The views had lost their luster with the harsh, midday sun and the increased hazy conditions (the haze always seemed to get worse as the day progressed), but there were a few critter sightings of note. The first and probably highlight for the day was the moose we saw in Swiftcurrent Creek between the upper and lower sections of Bullhead Lake. The big cow was just wading along about knee-deep in the water having a little lunch. A few other hikers paused to watch for a while. She was far enough away that she was paying us no attention at all, until a group came down the trail with one of their outfit singing "Roxanne." If his goal was to alert the bears, he was doing a wonderful job! The moose actually looked up from her meal and looked right at the trail where our crooner was coming, then she shook her massive noggin, causing her ears to flap against the sides of her head. It was as if she was trying to get the singing out of her head. I can't blame her for that. Her reaction caused a good chuckle from all of use watching from the trail and instigated some light-hearted ribbing of our Sting wanna-be from his companions.
We also spotted a Ptarmigan right along the trail adjacent to the head end of Redrock Lake. The poor thing seemed a little distressed, maybe due to the midday heat or the number of hikers in the area…probably a little of both. There were more Sinking Ducks on both Redrock and Fishercap Lakes as we returned. We were back at Fishercap Lake right at 1:00 and did pause here to see if there might be other critters to be seen. One buck deer on the far side of the lake, up toward the head of the lake. A bigger guy than the one we saw this morning with a more impressive rack. But he was a bit anxious, not of the tourists as we were all on the opposite side of the lake. No, he was paying a lot of attention to the woods, as if there was something in there keeping him on edge. We watched for a while but nothing came out and the deer eventually disappeared into the trees.
Back at the trailhead at about 1:15 and the filled-to-capacity state of the parking lot certainly supported the increased number of hikers on the trail. Of course in all that mass of parked cars, Lynn found the one person with a dog. A young lady solo camper with a shepherd-mix looking puppy. Lynn stopped for some fur therapy and we chatted a bit. A very nice young lady, out here by herself, well, just her and her new buddy as she said she had just got the puppy, a rescued reservation dog. We wished her well before moving on to the camp store for a look around and a candy bar. I think we earned a treat. Cars were overflowing out of the parking lot and along both sides of the road leading away from Swiftcurrent Lodge, making for less than ideal walking conditions. Fortunately the shoulder is wide so most of the cars were completely off the road surface so that we could pass by. The parked cars extended almost all the way to end of the camp ground. Quite the difference from this morning. But the parking situation here made us look like geniuses for walking from Many Glacier Hotel as I bet it would be near impossible to find a parking spot there this afternoon. By the cars crammed in a long the driveway to the hotel when we returned, this was exactly the case.
I stopped our Ramblr track when we got back to the hotel. That was a great hike. No wonder Jake rated it so highly (number 8 overall on his order of hikes and number 4 in the Many Glacier area). We covered 11.7 miles round-trip from Many Glacier Hotel, so a decent distance but not an overly taxing hike. I would rate it as easy to moderate, maybe there was a little more elevation change than we were expecting but nothing steep or difficult. The trail provided great access to the three lakes and the waterfalls plus provided excellent views up the valley. And we had a decent number of critter sightings. Sure the return hike was hot and dusty, but is was on a gradual downslope. Overall a real winner. Here's the photo gallery for our hike to Bullhead Lake. The map of our hike is shown below (Ramblr track).
I stopped our Ramblr track when we got back to the hotel. That was a great hike. No wonder Jake rated it so highly (number 8 overall on his order of hikes and number 4 in the Many Glacier area). We covered 11.7 miles round-trip from Many Glacier Hotel, so a decent distance but not an overly taxing hike. I would rate it as easy to moderate, maybe there was a little more elevation change than we were expecting but nothing steep or difficult. The trail provided great access to the three lakes and the waterfalls plus provided excellent views up the valley. And we had a decent number of critter sightings. Sure the return hike was hot and dusty, but is was on a gradual downslope. Overall a real winner. Here's the photo gallery for our hike to Bullhead Lake. The map of our hike is shown below (Ramblr track).
We are now done with hiking for the day and it is time to relax. We ditched our packs and were on the balcony with a cold, refreshing beer by 2:20. Well, Lynn and I had a beer. Lisa continued to work through the wine stash. I went with a Bent Nail IPA, a Montana brewed beer from Red Lodge Ales. This is one that we picked up at the grocery store in St. Mary. I remember this one from our previous trip to Yellowstone; they were serving it at Roosevelt. I remembered it as being very good and it is. A solid IPA.
After our "easy" day with a 12-mile hike, we spent most of the rest of the afternoon on the balcony, just relaxing and watching the world go by. Clouds rolled in during the course of the afternoon which was actually nice as the sun had moved around the building and the balcony had turned from comfortably shaded to sun-drenched. It was much more pleasant with the big cumulus clouds providing much needed cooling.
Lynn and I compared notes in terms of observations between our two visits. Keep on mind that our last visit was eight years ago, but at about the same time of year, just about two weeks later in August. The most obvious difference of course is the number of visitors. The park in general seems much more crowded. The parking at Logan Pass filled back in 2009, but it was more toward midday, not first thing in the morning. Neither of us remembered any issues with parking during the day between Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge. Sure the lots filled back then but they were not bursting at the seams like they are the week.
This year it is a lot hazier due to the fires around the park. In 2009 we had crisp, clear skies and magnificent views every day. Granted there is no control on the weather, so no complaining allowed. We just had to take advantage of the better conditions when they presented themselves. And there were still plenty of grand vistas to be had. Critter sightings are also lower this year, so far, at least in terms of the magnitude of sightings. We have seen just as many types of mega fauna as last trip and probably more birds this time (in part because we are paying more attention to our feathered friends). I mean we have seen all the big, more common varmints except a Griz. But we still have more time in the park and excellent chances with the hikes we still have planned. Lynn and I compiled our list of animal sightings from thus far today. We would add a few more during the course of the afternoon and evening just observing from the balcony.
During the course of the afternoon we got cleaned up, did a little reading and had another beer…or two. Basically, we just chilled. I wandered out to the lobby to tap into the Wi-Fi to check messages; all is well at home. Lynn said that she's writing a letter to Xanterra stating that while the remodeled room was very nice they really need to provide towel bars or hooks. Her argument is that the hotels want us to "go green" by reusing towels but they don't provide us anywhere to hang said towels. I think she has a valid point.
After our "easy" day with a 12-mile hike, we spent most of the rest of the afternoon on the balcony, just relaxing and watching the world go by. Clouds rolled in during the course of the afternoon which was actually nice as the sun had moved around the building and the balcony had turned from comfortably shaded to sun-drenched. It was much more pleasant with the big cumulus clouds providing much needed cooling.
Lynn and I compared notes in terms of observations between our two visits. Keep on mind that our last visit was eight years ago, but at about the same time of year, just about two weeks later in August. The most obvious difference of course is the number of visitors. The park in general seems much more crowded. The parking at Logan Pass filled back in 2009, but it was more toward midday, not first thing in the morning. Neither of us remembered any issues with parking during the day between Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge. Sure the lots filled back then but they were not bursting at the seams like they are the week.
This year it is a lot hazier due to the fires around the park. In 2009 we had crisp, clear skies and magnificent views every day. Granted there is no control on the weather, so no complaining allowed. We just had to take advantage of the better conditions when they presented themselves. And there were still plenty of grand vistas to be had. Critter sightings are also lower this year, so far, at least in terms of the magnitude of sightings. We have seen just as many types of mega fauna as last trip and probably more birds this time (in part because we are paying more attention to our feathered friends). I mean we have seen all the big, more common varmints except a Griz. But we still have more time in the park and excellent chances with the hikes we still have planned. Lynn and I compiled our list of animal sightings from thus far today. We would add a few more during the course of the afternoon and evening just observing from the balcony.
During the course of the afternoon we got cleaned up, did a little reading and had another beer…or two. Basically, we just chilled. I wandered out to the lobby to tap into the Wi-Fi to check messages; all is well at home. Lynn said that she's writing a letter to Xanterra stating that while the remodeled room was very nice they really need to provide towel bars or hooks. Her argument is that the hotels want us to "go green" by reusing towels but they don't provide us anywhere to hang said towels. I think she has a valid point.
There were a lot of folks enjoying the Swiftcurrent Lake today. Some fishing out behind the hotel just below us, a few picnickers, and several out tooling around the lake in canoes and kayaks. We could not remember if they rented these little boats last time, but they are doing a great business this year. The old Chevy pickup was again parked down by the dock along with its younger sister dressed in the same baby blue and white outfit. I’m now thinking that the more vintage truck is from around 1950 and the newer one is 1980, give or take a little on both of those dates. But it is a cool pair of old trucks. Of course there is often a crowd of tourists on the big balcony off of the hotel great room. Those folks are a great indicator of animal sightings, particularly bears up on the hillside. All we had to do was watch the direction of the binoculars and long lenses and we could zero in on the critters.
At 6:10 we watched the Chief Two Guns ride off across the lake heading home for the night. We'll be on one of the early rides across the lake tomorrow morning. Wait, the boat is at the far dock so there must be one more load of hikers to bring back. Well that's good to know as well. The clouds and overcast are moving west over the continental divide and blue sky is taking over. The critters are starting to reemerge for the evening. Earlier we saw a repeat of the running of the sheep behind the hotel. A little prior to that we had a flyover by an Osprey. That's one big bird. There's a doe and fawn along the far side of the lake, almost directly across from our room. Chief Two Guns is making a wide swing to the lower part of the lake to check out the black bear we have been watching. Everyone is one the port side to get a look and she is noticeably listing. No worries, no maritime tragedies this evening.
By 6:40 the boat was truly done put up for the night. The kids running the boat dock did a proper job of lowering and folding Old Glory for the evening. Nicely done. A few minutes later we were on the way to the Ptarmigan Room for our dinner reservation. The food here was another point that Lynn and I had discussed about our 2009 trip, as the recollection was average at best for dining here. Tonight the food was decent and the service tolerable; not great but not bad. Certainly nowhere near the top of list of National Park dining. Dinner took just long enough that we were late for the evening Ranger program. By the time we got there the program was underway and the room was packed so we just kept on walking. We took in the views from the lake shore then went back up to our balcony for the rest of the evening searching the mountainside and lakeshore for wildlife. The family in the room above us was having a ball; sounded like they were playing football in their room. Maybe soccer. Whatever the sport, they were bouncing off the walls. The clouds that rolled in during the last light of day again thwarted us on a starry night sky, so we rolled inside to read. Another great day in Glacier has come to a close.
By 6:40 the boat was truly done put up for the night. The kids running the boat dock did a proper job of lowering and folding Old Glory for the evening. Nicely done. A few minutes later we were on the way to the Ptarmigan Room for our dinner reservation. The food here was another point that Lynn and I had discussed about our 2009 trip, as the recollection was average at best for dining here. Tonight the food was decent and the service tolerable; not great but not bad. Certainly nowhere near the top of list of National Park dining. Dinner took just long enough that we were late for the evening Ranger program. By the time we got there the program was underway and the room was packed so we just kept on walking. We took in the views from the lake shore then went back up to our balcony for the rest of the evening searching the mountainside and lakeshore for wildlife. The family in the room above us was having a ball; sounded like they were playing football in their room. Maybe soccer. Whatever the sport, they were bouncing off the walls. The clouds that rolled in during the last light of day again thwarted us on a starry night sky, so we rolled inside to read. Another great day in Glacier has come to a close.
Once it was all said and done, we had a good day of animal sightings:
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Day 8, Thursday, August 10 - Grinnell Glacier. I was awake just before 0600. Another great night of sleeping weather. The gymnastics upstairs did not last long last night and I think that Lynn is correct that having the fan going creates the white noise needed to sort of cancel out those issues. This morning all is quiet. I crept out onto the balcony to greet the day and see what might be stirring. Hold on to the screen door so that it won't slam and wake the neighbors. Interesting that the room was redone but the old timey screen door remains. While this one has the long spring to pull it shut (yes, usually with a slam), the spring does not provide that satisfying, echoing twang that I remember of the old screen doors back home. Out on the balcony, it is a peaceful morning. Not much going on at all. It was a little grey this morning, but not foggy like yesterday. Not a lot of folks out this morning. The only sound is that of a lone coyote singing in the distance. There is a deer wading along the far side of the lake, browsing for breakfast. The birds eventually came to life. The air force is out and a few crows cruised by with a raucous caw for good measure.
I finished Death in Glacier this morning. It was a quick, if somewhat macabre read (OK, quick is a relative term; I am a slow reader since I usually fall asleep after about two pages). We were actually in the park when one of the deaths documented in the book occurred. A hiker fell several hundred feet to his death in the Many Glacier area. We were at the hotel and saw a helicopter come in low and land somewhere on the far side of Swiftcurrent Lake, as I recall. I do remember that Lynn and I both said that could not be a good thing. It was not. We heard some of the details the next day. A sad occurrence. But while full of these tragic happenings the book is still quite educational and reminded me that you have to pay attention at all times when in the park. Don't take chances. Have fun, but be careful.
We had honed the plan for today over the course of yesterday afternoon and evening. Since we have a little extra time this morning we'll pick up a muffin and juice from Hiedi's for breakfast. At 8:00 we'll head to the boat dock to check-in for the hiker's shuttle across the lakes and our guided hike to Grinnell Glacier. That will be an all-day gig. I'm sure we will chill on the back deck for a while after we get back from the hike. Once the crowds subside so that parking is not an issue we will drive over to Swiftcurrent Lodge for an evening stroll to Fishercap Lake then pizza at Nell's. That should work for today. We set the plan into action and were enjoying our breakfast on our balcony at 0715.
As we were eating, we could see the line starting to form at the dock for folks wanting to get tickets. It was a long line. So glad that we had booked this cruise well in advance. At 0800 we went down to the dock to get our tickets. The sign on the ticket booth door indicated that those who have tickets need not stand in line. Bonus! Soon one of the staff came out to check off the names of the folks already ticketed for the trip. My name was called so I collected our set of tickets. We are good to go. A lot of the folks in the line ended up on the stand-by list and most of them probably were left on the shore when the boat left.
Once on the boat, the Chief Two Guns, we got the required safety briefing from the Skipper. While there has never been a need to bring out the life jackets or to deploy the life rafts, he dutifully went through the procedures, adding a little "Southwest Airlines" flair. Apparently there are two rafts available and in the extremely unlikely event that we would have to abandon ship, he and Ranger Monica would each be in charge of one of the rafts. He did point out that he would have the "floatier" of the two rafts, so that we should choose wisely. But it was an uneventful trip and we were soon debarking at the dock at the head of Swiftcurrent Lake. Next was a quick little hike over the short hill that separates Swiftcurrent from Lake Josephine to the boat that will take us across this little lake. Looks like the boat we were just on, but this one is the Morning Eagle. Again we piled aboard and again we received the safety briefing. It's like déjà vu all over again! But rules are rules. We puttered across this pretty little lake, looking for critters as we went. Nothing of note. There were a few hikers already out on the trails along the lake shore. They are probably heading to Grinnell Glacier as well.
At the upper end of Lake Josephine, we filed off the boat, meandered about the shore a bit to take in the views, and got our gear together. Seems like most of the folks from the boat are sticking with Ranger Monica this morning. Big group! She eventually herded the cats, gave us a little overview of what lies ahead and then we were off. The trail works around the western end of the lake, primarily running on a raised boardwalk as this was a bit of a marshy area. We crossed Grinnell Creek over toward the far side of the boardwalk then were back on the dirt trail not far from the hardest part of the hike. Ranger Monica stopped just were the trail took its first uphill turn, just to gather the group and give us the first of several educational talks. I don't have details on what she talked about during each specific talk, but I do recall the general gist of some of the main themes and I'll discuss those as we go. But for now, the serious hiking is underway and we soon started to get the grand views of the glacier-carved valley.
We had honed the plan for today over the course of yesterday afternoon and evening. Since we have a little extra time this morning we'll pick up a muffin and juice from Hiedi's for breakfast. At 8:00 we'll head to the boat dock to check-in for the hiker's shuttle across the lakes and our guided hike to Grinnell Glacier. That will be an all-day gig. I'm sure we will chill on the back deck for a while after we get back from the hike. Once the crowds subside so that parking is not an issue we will drive over to Swiftcurrent Lodge for an evening stroll to Fishercap Lake then pizza at Nell's. That should work for today. We set the plan into action and were enjoying our breakfast on our balcony at 0715.
As we were eating, we could see the line starting to form at the dock for folks wanting to get tickets. It was a long line. So glad that we had booked this cruise well in advance. At 0800 we went down to the dock to get our tickets. The sign on the ticket booth door indicated that those who have tickets need not stand in line. Bonus! Soon one of the staff came out to check off the names of the folks already ticketed for the trip. My name was called so I collected our set of tickets. We are good to go. A lot of the folks in the line ended up on the stand-by list and most of them probably were left on the shore when the boat left.
Once on the boat, the Chief Two Guns, we got the required safety briefing from the Skipper. While there has never been a need to bring out the life jackets or to deploy the life rafts, he dutifully went through the procedures, adding a little "Southwest Airlines" flair. Apparently there are two rafts available and in the extremely unlikely event that we would have to abandon ship, he and Ranger Monica would each be in charge of one of the rafts. He did point out that he would have the "floatier" of the two rafts, so that we should choose wisely. But it was an uneventful trip and we were soon debarking at the dock at the head of Swiftcurrent Lake. Next was a quick little hike over the short hill that separates Swiftcurrent from Lake Josephine to the boat that will take us across this little lake. Looks like the boat we were just on, but this one is the Morning Eagle. Again we piled aboard and again we received the safety briefing. It's like déjà vu all over again! But rules are rules. We puttered across this pretty little lake, looking for critters as we went. Nothing of note. There were a few hikers already out on the trails along the lake shore. They are probably heading to Grinnell Glacier as well.
At the upper end of Lake Josephine, we filed off the boat, meandered about the shore a bit to take in the views, and got our gear together. Seems like most of the folks from the boat are sticking with Ranger Monica this morning. Big group! She eventually herded the cats, gave us a little overview of what lies ahead and then we were off. The trail works around the western end of the lake, primarily running on a raised boardwalk as this was a bit of a marshy area. We crossed Grinnell Creek over toward the far side of the boardwalk then were back on the dirt trail not far from the hardest part of the hike. Ranger Monica stopped just were the trail took its first uphill turn, just to gather the group and give us the first of several educational talks. I don't have details on what she talked about during each specific talk, but I do recall the general gist of some of the main themes and I'll discuss those as we go. But for now, the serious hiking is underway and we soon started to get the grand views of the glacier-carved valley.
Since this was a big group, we sort of strung out over a long stretch of the trail. Ranger Monica was up front and set only a moderate pace as to not lose the slower hikers. Lisa, Lynn and I just fell in somewhere in the middle of the pack. Since the pace was slow, it was easy to stop and enjoy the views and take a few photos as we went. The girls ended up a little ways in front of me for a while, then we were back together, then I was at the back of the line, then near the front. It just varied all day as we hiked up the valley toward Grinnell Glacier.
We again had a lovely day for a hike. The sky was blue and cloudless this morning although there the light haze was still with us. The haze was only an issue when looking back toward the sun as it had the effect of washing out the view a little more than normal. But otherwise the conditions were grand. The temperature was pleasant. The trail was in great shape and wide enough in most locations for two-way traffic although there were not a lot of folks coming back down from the glacier yet. The other nice thing about a wider trail was that we did not have to hike on the edge looking down the steep slope of the mountain (rather steep at times, but overall not an issue; never once did the hair on the back of my neck exhibit any signs of concern, and I do not like edges with steep drops).
As we worked up the trail the views got better and better. First looking down on Lake Josephine, then Grinnell Lake and the great vistas further up the valley. We were all on the lookout for critters. But other than a few gone birds and some ground squirrels there was not much to see early in the hike. But while the animals were not out, the wildflowers were once again on display. There were not as many huge stands of flowers we saw along the Highline Trail, but as we went higher up the trail there were some impressive spreads of Beargrass as well as fields of gold and purple flowers. Higher up when we passed along the wet areas of the trail, were seeps were coming out of the rock and the snowmelt ran down the mountain, we were treated to hanging gardens containing a variety of flowers.
Ranger Monica gave us the details on the geology and formation of the valley over the course of a few stops going up the trail. The stopping places that the Park Service Rangers use were large enough to accommodate these bigger groups so that everyone could be within earshot to hear what was being said. Plus, the locations often gave us some of the best views up and down the valley. One of the first themes that Ranger Monica discussed was the formation of Glacier National Park. There were three phases for the formation of this area, and she discussed each at different stops. First was the creation of the rocks, the laying down of the strata through the deposit of sediments into an inland sea about 1.6 billion years ago. She talked about the mudstone and how the layers of purple and green were actually the same type of rock, mudstone. The difference is that the red or purple was formed during a time with more oxygen was available to oxidize the rock. The second major event in the formation was the uplifting of the layers of rock. This started 150 million years ago with the collision of tectonic plates that started the mountain building process and lasted until about 60 million years ago. Here in what is now Glacier National Park, these forces uplifted a ginormous slab of rock several miles thick which slid east about 50 miles going up and over much younger strata. Erosive forces went to work removing the upper layers of rock exposing the formations seen in the park today. Finally, glaciation was the mechanism that shaped the valleys and peaks. This began about 2 million years ago with a global cooling trend that plunged the planet in to the Ice Age and lasted until about 10,000 years ago. In the area that is now the park, ice advanced and retreated repeatedly until about 12,000 years ago when melting completely. These glaciers carved the massive U-shaped valleys, the many cirque lakes or tarns, formed the various horns and aretes, and deposited the rocky moraines at their edges. Ranger Monica pointed out examples of the creations of the glaciers, including the hanging valleys where the smaller valleys intersected the main valleys.
We again had a lovely day for a hike. The sky was blue and cloudless this morning although there the light haze was still with us. The haze was only an issue when looking back toward the sun as it had the effect of washing out the view a little more than normal. But otherwise the conditions were grand. The temperature was pleasant. The trail was in great shape and wide enough in most locations for two-way traffic although there were not a lot of folks coming back down from the glacier yet. The other nice thing about a wider trail was that we did not have to hike on the edge looking down the steep slope of the mountain (rather steep at times, but overall not an issue; never once did the hair on the back of my neck exhibit any signs of concern, and I do not like edges with steep drops).
As we worked up the trail the views got better and better. First looking down on Lake Josephine, then Grinnell Lake and the great vistas further up the valley. We were all on the lookout for critters. But other than a few gone birds and some ground squirrels there was not much to see early in the hike. But while the animals were not out, the wildflowers were once again on display. There were not as many huge stands of flowers we saw along the Highline Trail, but as we went higher up the trail there were some impressive spreads of Beargrass as well as fields of gold and purple flowers. Higher up when we passed along the wet areas of the trail, were seeps were coming out of the rock and the snowmelt ran down the mountain, we were treated to hanging gardens containing a variety of flowers.
Ranger Monica gave us the details on the geology and formation of the valley over the course of a few stops going up the trail. The stopping places that the Park Service Rangers use were large enough to accommodate these bigger groups so that everyone could be within earshot to hear what was being said. Plus, the locations often gave us some of the best views up and down the valley. One of the first themes that Ranger Monica discussed was the formation of Glacier National Park. There were three phases for the formation of this area, and she discussed each at different stops. First was the creation of the rocks, the laying down of the strata through the deposit of sediments into an inland sea about 1.6 billion years ago. She talked about the mudstone and how the layers of purple and green were actually the same type of rock, mudstone. The difference is that the red or purple was formed during a time with more oxygen was available to oxidize the rock. The second major event in the formation was the uplifting of the layers of rock. This started 150 million years ago with the collision of tectonic plates that started the mountain building process and lasted until about 60 million years ago. Here in what is now Glacier National Park, these forces uplifted a ginormous slab of rock several miles thick which slid east about 50 miles going up and over much younger strata. Erosive forces went to work removing the upper layers of rock exposing the formations seen in the park today. Finally, glaciation was the mechanism that shaped the valleys and peaks. This began about 2 million years ago with a global cooling trend that plunged the planet in to the Ice Age and lasted until about 10,000 years ago. In the area that is now the park, ice advanced and retreated repeatedly until about 12,000 years ago when melting completely. These glaciers carved the massive U-shaped valleys, the many cirque lakes or tarns, formed the various horns and aretes, and deposited the rocky moraines at their edges. Ranger Monica pointed out examples of the creations of the glaciers, including the hanging valleys where the smaller valleys intersected the main valleys.
Ranger Monica also gave us an overview of the glaciers in the park. The glaciers that carved the valleys and peaks during the Ice Age are all gone. The current glaciers formed in the last 6,000 years and grew considerably during the "little ice age" that started about 500 years ago and ended about 1850. When Glacier National Park was formed in 1910 there were more than 150 glaciers. The last survey of the park indicated that there are 25 named glaciers remaining in the park. To be considered officially a glacier, the area of the ice must cover at least 25 acres. Gem Glacier was delisted by the USGS since it had fallen below the area threshold. Ranger Monica indicated that the glaciers would eventually melt naturally but the rate is accelerating. It is expected that the glaciers will be gone by 2030.
Another theme that Ranger Monica discussed from a historical perspective was the impact that George Bird Grinnell had on the area. Grinnell starting visiting what is now Glacier National Park in 1885 and returned to the area nearly every year thereafter. He was the editor of "Forest and Stream" magazine at the time. Grinnell's articles were critical in educating the public and getting the legislative support to create Glacier National Park. Many of the features in the park are named for Grinnell. Even Fishercap Lake is named to honor Grinnell as he wore a hat made of a Fisher. This is the name the Blackfeet gave him. Before coming to exploring the area that is now Glacier, Grinnell also explored Yellowstone and was the naturalist in the 1874 Black Hills expedition under Colonel George Custer. Fortunately, he declined a similar appointment with the ill-fated 1876 Little Big Horn expedition.
During one of our breaks, Lynn asked Ranger Monica about the fire watch towers, specifically if the watch tower above Swiftcurrent Pass is active and manned. Monica said that they are staffed and in use. In fact they spotted seven fires from the storms a few days ago (probably the storm that blew through while we were at Rising Sun).
Ranger Monica also shared several facts about the natural wonders we viewed along the way, particularly as we neared Grinnell Glacier. Here's a list of some of the items that she pointed out during the hike:
The view from the end of the trail is spectacular, looking both into the cirque and down along the valley. Lisa and I walked down to the lake. For closer inspection. There are social trails running all over the area and some area of loose rock. But we found a safe path down to the edge of the water. It was noticeable cooler here with a slight breeze blowing across the natural air conditioner of the lake. We found some odd looking pink material along the edge of the lake. Not sure if it was just debris or some sort of organic material. If Ranger Monica had been nearby I would have asked her but she was still up on the rise above the lake. The wildflowers here were not as thick as some locations along the trail but there was enough to add a splash of color and to attract a few black and white butterflies. One thing for certain, the water in the lake is very cold!
Another theme that Ranger Monica discussed from a historical perspective was the impact that George Bird Grinnell had on the area. Grinnell starting visiting what is now Glacier National Park in 1885 and returned to the area nearly every year thereafter. He was the editor of "Forest and Stream" magazine at the time. Grinnell's articles were critical in educating the public and getting the legislative support to create Glacier National Park. Many of the features in the park are named for Grinnell. Even Fishercap Lake is named to honor Grinnell as he wore a hat made of a Fisher. This is the name the Blackfeet gave him. Before coming to exploring the area that is now Glacier, Grinnell also explored Yellowstone and was the naturalist in the 1874 Black Hills expedition under Colonel George Custer. Fortunately, he declined a similar appointment with the ill-fated 1876 Little Big Horn expedition.
During one of our breaks, Lynn asked Ranger Monica about the fire watch towers, specifically if the watch tower above Swiftcurrent Pass is active and manned. Monica said that they are staffed and in use. In fact they spotted seven fires from the storms a few days ago (probably the storm that blew through while we were at Rising Sun).
Ranger Monica also shared several facts about the natural wonders we viewed along the way, particularly as we neared Grinnell Glacier. Here's a list of some of the items that she pointed out during the hike:
- Elrod's Rock, a glacial erratic that was used by Morton Elrod and other scientists to mark the terminus of the glacier as they studied its retreat. At one point the glacier surrounded this large boulder. Now the edge of the glacier is several hundred yards up the valley.
- Upper Grinnell Lake is a tarn, a lake in a cirque that was dug out by a glacier.
- The lakes get shallower further down the valley. Upper Grinnell Lake is 150 feet deep while Swiftcurrent is only about 12 feet. Further away from the source of the glacier the swallower the lake since the glacier had less time to dig.
- Lake Sherburne is actually a reservoir formed by a dam and covers three or four additional natural lakes.
- The waterfall from Salamander Glacier is 450 feet tall.
- The black band of rock extending from Salamander's nose is 100 feet thick and is igneous rock were most the rock is sedimentary.
- Road into Many Glacier is built on the moraine, thus the less than stable base.
The view from the end of the trail is spectacular, looking both into the cirque and down along the valley. Lisa and I walked down to the lake. For closer inspection. There are social trails running all over the area and some area of loose rock. But we found a safe path down to the edge of the water. It was noticeable cooler here with a slight breeze blowing across the natural air conditioner of the lake. We found some odd looking pink material along the edge of the lake. Not sure if it was just debris or some sort of organic material. If Ranger Monica had been nearby I would have asked her but she was still up on the rise above the lake. The wildflowers here were not as thick as some locations along the trail but there was enough to add a splash of color and to attract a few black and white butterflies. One thing for certain, the water in the lake is very cold!
We were on our own for the hike back down (well, we could have waited for Ranger Monica, but that was not required so after exploring the area around the lake a bit we decided it was time to return). We started back ahead of most of the troop. We did make a few quick stops on the way to enjoy the amazing stands of wildflowers, mainly Beargrass and some tall, purple flowers on the slopes around the trail, particularly along the creeks. In addition to the flowers there were several birds out along the trail, but none wanted to pose for a portrait. Well except one that was perched at the top of a dead snag a little distance below the trail. I zoomed in trying to get a photo that would be at least good enough to identify this feathered, alpine resident, hoping that it might be something I had not seen before. I got a sympathetic chuckle from a passing hiker when I sarcastically declared that it was the rare and elusive American Robin. But we did see another Ptarmigan along the way. The trail was now getting crowded with a steady stream of hikers coming up the mountain. I took advantage of the narrow sections of the trail when we would stop to let the traffic pass (both that coming up the trail as well as those faster hikers passing us on their way back down) to get a few photos. Unfortunately the views looking down or across the valley were adversely impacted by the haze that was again creeping into the midday atmosphere.
We made good time getting back down to the dock even with the increased traffic on the trail. There were just a few folks waiting for the boat when we arrived but the crowd kept growing. Many of the later arrivals were moving down toward the dock in an effort to get to the head of the line. That's sort of annoying and rude. We were getting sort of worried that we might not get a seat on the next boat as our guaranteed shuttle ride was one of the later departures. But in the end we made it onto the next crossing of Lake Josephine on the Morning Eagle.
We kept a look out for critters on the ride back across the lake, but there was really just one interesting sighting, a Common Loon. The large bird was sitting on the water and the Captain pointed it out as we cruised past, but the viewing opportunity was too brief to get a photo. The Captain stated that they do not often see the Common Loon here. She paused for a moment and added that maybe "common" was not then a good name for the bird.
Only a short wait for the Chief Two Guns when we reached the dock at the head of Swiftcurrent Lake then a quick ride back to the debarking point at the Many Glacier Hotel. We were out on our balcony with a beer by 4:25. A Centennial IPA from Flathead Lake Brewing. I rated this one a 4.0, perhaps it should have been a little higher as it was a tasty beer. Of course that could have been driven in part by having spent all day hiking. We settled in started watching the activities on and around Swiftcurrent Lake. There were a few folks out on paddleboards, including one guy and his dog. The public deck behind the hotel was empty indicating no animal activity of note on the hillside.
I asked the girls what they thought of the hike. The consensus was that this was another great trail and well worth the effort. While our Ranger-led group was large it was a good group of folks and almost everyone was well prepared for the hike. But with a group that big there is bound to be at least a couple of special folks. We all noted the young couple who were having trouble keeping up with the group yet always worked their way to the front of the party each time we stopped. Maybe that was their way of ensuring that they did not get left behind. They were actually very nice kids, but just not in the best of shape so there pace was slow. But I have to give them credit as they made it to the top and back. But other than that minor annoyance, it was a wonderful day on the trail. I did comment that it would have been nice to have more bears and less people on the trail, not that I really want bears on the trail (a quarter mile or more away would be just fine). I was hoping for more animal sightings, particularly sheep since I had seen several when I made this hike in 2009 (Lynn was feeling poorly and did not go), but the scenery was outstanding and Ranger Monica proved to be a knowledgeable and engaging guide. Overall, an excellent excursion. Here are the photos from our hike to Grinnell Glacier.
We made good time getting back down to the dock even with the increased traffic on the trail. There were just a few folks waiting for the boat when we arrived but the crowd kept growing. Many of the later arrivals were moving down toward the dock in an effort to get to the head of the line. That's sort of annoying and rude. We were getting sort of worried that we might not get a seat on the next boat as our guaranteed shuttle ride was one of the later departures. But in the end we made it onto the next crossing of Lake Josephine on the Morning Eagle.
We kept a look out for critters on the ride back across the lake, but there was really just one interesting sighting, a Common Loon. The large bird was sitting on the water and the Captain pointed it out as we cruised past, but the viewing opportunity was too brief to get a photo. The Captain stated that they do not often see the Common Loon here. She paused for a moment and added that maybe "common" was not then a good name for the bird.
Only a short wait for the Chief Two Guns when we reached the dock at the head of Swiftcurrent Lake then a quick ride back to the debarking point at the Many Glacier Hotel. We were out on our balcony with a beer by 4:25. A Centennial IPA from Flathead Lake Brewing. I rated this one a 4.0, perhaps it should have been a little higher as it was a tasty beer. Of course that could have been driven in part by having spent all day hiking. We settled in started watching the activities on and around Swiftcurrent Lake. There were a few folks out on paddleboards, including one guy and his dog. The public deck behind the hotel was empty indicating no animal activity of note on the hillside.
I asked the girls what they thought of the hike. The consensus was that this was another great trail and well worth the effort. While our Ranger-led group was large it was a good group of folks and almost everyone was well prepared for the hike. But with a group that big there is bound to be at least a couple of special folks. We all noted the young couple who were having trouble keeping up with the group yet always worked their way to the front of the party each time we stopped. Maybe that was their way of ensuring that they did not get left behind. They were actually very nice kids, but just not in the best of shape so there pace was slow. But I have to give them credit as they made it to the top and back. But other than that minor annoyance, it was a wonderful day on the trail. I did comment that it would have been nice to have more bears and less people on the trail, not that I really want bears on the trail (a quarter mile or more away would be just fine). I was hoping for more animal sightings, particularly sheep since I had seen several when I made this hike in 2009 (Lynn was feeling poorly and did not go), but the scenery was outstanding and Ranger Monica proved to be a knowledgeable and engaging guide. Overall, an excellent excursion. Here are the photos from our hike to Grinnell Glacier.
Clouds started quickly rolling in about 5:30 and we heard some fairly close rumbles of thunder. A nice downpour started just a few minutes later, chasing Lynn and I inside (Lisa had already hit the showers). I decided to get cleaned up then grabbed Moose Drool from the Swiss Lounge and then went down to the lobby to hopefully access the WiFi so that I could research high tea in Waterton. I guess I actually had two Moose Drools since the tap was blowing foam so the bartender gave me two partial cups but they added up to well over a pint. Good for me. But I could not get a connection to the internet, so I will try early tomorrow to get the additional details on Waterton.
We drove over to Nell's for dinner at about 7:15. There was a bit of a crowd tonight. Maybe the rain had given some of the campers a reason to come inside for dinner. We were told there would be a 20-minute wait. No worries, we just browsed through the gift store. I found a hiking shirt with the Glacier logo and Lynn bought a coat that was almost as good a deal as we found in Redwood National Park last summer. Back out in the waiting area for the restaurant, I chatted with a couple other tourists, but we were soon called for our table. Jane was our server and did a good job. Seth was also shuttling dishes to the tables and gets an assist. I had the Teddy Roosevelt Badass wheat IPA; who could pass up a beer with a name like that. We started with tator skins which were very good then the pizza margarita. I added red pepper seeds for a little kick. The pizza was as good if not better than we remembered although the sauce was on the sweet side but the blend of four cheeses was really great. I can see us coming back here again as none of us were impressed with the Ptarmigan Room.
I reckon we were back home and out on the balcony at about 8:30, give or take a little. There was a Black Bear on the hillside, rummaging about in the berry bushes, but nothing else of note this evening. Looks like the rain has passed through for the day. It is still cloudy. Sunset was a non-event, just no color to speak of this evening. But we sat out and watched anyway just to enjoy the pleasant evening. Lynn and I summarized our critter sightings from the day, both on the trail and around the hotel:
We drove over to Nell's for dinner at about 7:15. There was a bit of a crowd tonight. Maybe the rain had given some of the campers a reason to come inside for dinner. We were told there would be a 20-minute wait. No worries, we just browsed through the gift store. I found a hiking shirt with the Glacier logo and Lynn bought a coat that was almost as good a deal as we found in Redwood National Park last summer. Back out in the waiting area for the restaurant, I chatted with a couple other tourists, but we were soon called for our table. Jane was our server and did a good job. Seth was also shuttling dishes to the tables and gets an assist. I had the Teddy Roosevelt Badass wheat IPA; who could pass up a beer with a name like that. We started with tator skins which were very good then the pizza margarita. I added red pepper seeds for a little kick. The pizza was as good if not better than we remembered although the sauce was on the sweet side but the blend of four cheeses was really great. I can see us coming back here again as none of us were impressed with the Ptarmigan Room.
I reckon we were back home and out on the balcony at about 8:30, give or take a little. There was a Black Bear on the hillside, rummaging about in the berry bushes, but nothing else of note this evening. Looks like the rain has passed through for the day. It is still cloudy. Sunset was a non-event, just no color to speak of this evening. But we sat out and watched anyway just to enjoy the pleasant evening. Lynn and I summarized our critter sightings from the day, both on the trail and around the hotel:
We called it a night about 9:15.
Day 9, Friday, August 11 - Sad news from home. The plan for today was to head up to Waterton Lakes National Park just across the Canadian border. This will give us an off day from hiking, so a little rest, since the real reason for this excursion is that Lynn wants to have high tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel. However, when I went out to the lobby at 0615 to get on the limited WiFi to check about high tea up north, I received a sad report from Sue our pet caretaker. Fluffy, our one-eyed barn cat and all-around sweetheart, has passed away. Seems she just died in her sleep. Not the news I was looking for to be sure. I broke the news to Lynn. She of course was heartbroken. We will just play the rest of the day by ear.
I returned to the lobby where I was able to connect with Sue through Facebook messenger. She has the Fluffy situation covered. She had also lost a couple kittens this week, abandoned drop-offs that she took in like she always does. I continued with my research on high tea, figuring that Lynn would decide to go (she's a tough cookie after all). I also found a reference to the Red Chair program in the Canadian Parks. Basically pairs of red Adirondack chairs have been placed around the parks at some of the most scenic and iconic places to provide visitors with a great place to take in the vista and then share the moment on social media (really, that's what the literature on the red chairs stated, complete with the hashtag is #sharethechair).
Lynn came out to the lobby in search of more coffee. She's doing alright after the bad news. We walked downstairs and out the back of the hotel to enjoy the view. The morning fog has burnt off but the chill is still there. But it is still a beautiful morning in the making. We were treated to a Great Blue Heron fly over. Always good to see one of our favorite birds.
We talked about options for the day. I left the choice up to Lynn. She decided that we should stick to the plan and make the drive to Waterton. OK, high tea it is. We strolled about the lake shore a while longer then returned to the room to get ready for the day ahead.
I returned to the lobby where I was able to connect with Sue through Facebook messenger. She has the Fluffy situation covered. She had also lost a couple kittens this week, abandoned drop-offs that she took in like she always does. I continued with my research on high tea, figuring that Lynn would decide to go (she's a tough cookie after all). I also found a reference to the Red Chair program in the Canadian Parks. Basically pairs of red Adirondack chairs have been placed around the parks at some of the most scenic and iconic places to provide visitors with a great place to take in the vista and then share the moment on social media (really, that's what the literature on the red chairs stated, complete with the hashtag is #sharethechair).
Lynn came out to the lobby in search of more coffee. She's doing alright after the bad news. We walked downstairs and out the back of the hotel to enjoy the view. The morning fog has burnt off but the chill is still there. But it is still a beautiful morning in the making. We were treated to a Great Blue Heron fly over. Always good to see one of our favorite birds.
We talked about options for the day. I left the choice up to Lynn. She decided that we should stick to the plan and make the drive to Waterton. OK, high tea it is. We strolled about the lake shore a while longer then returned to the room to get ready for the day ahead.
Just like while staying at Rising Sun, one of my daily tasks here at Many Glacier was to keep the cooler topped off with ice. Hey, we have to take care of the beer and wine. The closest ice machine is up one set of stairs on the second floor and located down at the end of the hall near the common area balcony that overlooks the great hall. I generally made at least a brief stop here to check out the view from the balcony as it provided a very nice perspective on this section of a very amazing old building. The great hall is four floors tall, I think (I believe that the hotel is five levels, the lower or lake level, lobby level then three levels of rooms). At this time of the morning there was not a lot of action in the great room (even though it is almost 8:00 AM). The lanterns that provide the lighting for the hall was particularly interesting. They come in a variety of shapes and the coloring of their opaque shades vary slighting to break up the consistency of the scene. They also hang and all different heights. It is just sort of an assortment of angles, tones and light that makes for fun scene. I seemed to be snapping photos whenever I pass through the area, whether walking through the hall or on the balcony for an ice run. I don't think I ever really captured what I was really seeing, but still it made for a fun photo experiment.
Once the cooler was refilled, I just hung out on out balcony while the girls got their gear in order. Yep, looks like another great day under construction. The fog is gone and the sky is blue with a nice smattering of fluffy, white clouds. Overall it made a nice scene from the balcony. But it appears that Lynn and Lisa are ready to roll. We were walking out to the parking lot to pile into the Santa Fe just a little after 0830. The gage on the dashboard read 55 F as we were driving away from the hotel.
Once the cooler was refilled, I just hung out on out balcony while the girls got their gear in order. Yep, looks like another great day under construction. The fog is gone and the sky is blue with a nice smattering of fluffy, white clouds. Overall it made a nice scene from the balcony. But it appears that Lynn and Lisa are ready to roll. We were walking out to the parking lot to pile into the Santa Fe just a little after 0830. The gage on the dashboard read 55 F as we were driving away from the hotel.
Our drive to Waterton Lakes National Park was easy and scenic and the bonus was that the roads we took were empty of traffic, well, at least empty of wheeled vehicles. There was a fair amount of cattle out roaming about, so we had to be on alert for the wandering steaks. Other than the park access road from Many Glacier out to Babb, the roads were in good shape. The park road? Like driving on the moon with all the craters and subsidence. But at least now we have a better idea of why the road is in part in such bad shape based on Ranger Monica's explanation that the road is built on the glacial moraine. Yep, foundation is important. We had baby provide the route but Lynn was also navigating with an old school map as a backup. But we had no issues with directions this trip. Just out through Babb then north on route 17 into Canada. This was a very pretty drive along the eastern edge of Glacier then into Waterton Lakes once we crossed the border. As we were driving north we had the mountains of the park off to the left while to our right it was more rolling and not nearly as rugged. Chief Mountain was the main landmark listed on Lynn's map.
We only made two stops along the drive. The first was mandatory at the border crossing. I reckon it took us right about an hour, probably just under, to drive from Many Glacier to the crossing checkpoint on route 17. The guards (agents?) here where sort of grumpy, both the Canadian guy on the way in and the two American folks on the return trip. Maybe this is not a prime assignment? We just handled them our passports, answered their questions and moved along. We did pause at the border crossing to get a photo of the Waterton-Glacier Peace Park entrance sign. Hey, a real passport stamp and a park passport photo at nearly the same time!
Our only other stop was at a viewpoint a short distance past the border. Just a place to stop and stretch and take in the views. And it was quite a nice view, albeit a bit washed out due to the lighting conditions and a bit of haze. An interpretive signage at the viewpoint provided a welcome to the park, little perspective on the park's purpose plus some national park history:
Welcome to Waterton Lakes National Park, one of five Canadian and several United States national park in the Rocky Mountains. Each id dedicated to protecting the natural and human heritage of the mountain landscape of western North America. In this southwestern corner of Alberta are found the Border Ranges, smaller than the awe-inspiring peaks of Jasper and Banff to the north, but more colorful. Foothills are few here…where "the mountains meet the prairies" with dramatic effect.
From an elevation of 5250 feet you are overlooking about a quarter of the park - a spectacular glaciated landscape of lakes, mountains, forest and prairie. Waterton contains the second highest density of prehistoric archaeological sites in Alberta and is the site of western Canada's first producing oil well. The Chinook winds are famous too, as they whip down Upper Waterton Lake - deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies! Wildlife is abundant and over 600 species of wildflowers bloom in profusion.
National Parks - an on-going tradition!
1872 - World's first national park (Yellowstone, USA)
1879 - First Australian national park (Royal)
1885 - First Canadian national park (Banff)
1895 - Waterton Lakes Nation Park (Canada's fourth national park)
1932 - Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park created.
1979 - Waterton Lakes National Park designated a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO Man & Biosphere program.
1985 - Centennial! Parks Canada administers 31 national parks and over 70 national historic sites. The system continues to grow. The goal - at least one park in each of the country's 48 natural regions.
Our only other stop was at a viewpoint a short distance past the border. Just a place to stop and stretch and take in the views. And it was quite a nice view, albeit a bit washed out due to the lighting conditions and a bit of haze. An interpretive signage at the viewpoint provided a welcome to the park, little perspective on the park's purpose plus some national park history:
Welcome to Waterton Lakes National Park, one of five Canadian and several United States national park in the Rocky Mountains. Each id dedicated to protecting the natural and human heritage of the mountain landscape of western North America. In this southwestern corner of Alberta are found the Border Ranges, smaller than the awe-inspiring peaks of Jasper and Banff to the north, but more colorful. Foothills are few here…where "the mountains meet the prairies" with dramatic effect.
From an elevation of 5250 feet you are overlooking about a quarter of the park - a spectacular glaciated landscape of lakes, mountains, forest and prairie. Waterton contains the second highest density of prehistoric archaeological sites in Alberta and is the site of western Canada's first producing oil well. The Chinook winds are famous too, as they whip down Upper Waterton Lake - deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies! Wildlife is abundant and over 600 species of wildflowers bloom in profusion.
National Parks - an on-going tradition!
1872 - World's first national park (Yellowstone, USA)
1879 - First Australian national park (Royal)
1885 - First Canadian national park (Banff)
1895 - Waterton Lakes Nation Park (Canada's fourth national park)
1932 - Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park created.
1979 - Waterton Lakes National Park designated a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO Man & Biosphere program.
1985 - Centennial! Parks Canada administers 31 national parks and over 70 national historic sites. The system continues to grow. The goal - at least one park in each of the country's 48 natural regions.
After the short stop at the viewpoint, we continued on through the park. We did see a red fox sitting on the side of the road. I slowed down to see if we could get close enough for a photo but the sly little doggy retreated back under the guardrail and out of sight before we got close enough for a portrait.
Once we crossed the border, route 17 became Alberta Highway 6, which we followed north to Highway 5, where we turned west to access the park. No line at the park entrance station. And even better, no fee for admission to the National Parks as this year marks Canada's 150th anniversary. Bonus! Happy Birthday, Canada!
Once we crossed the border, route 17 became Alberta Highway 6, which we followed north to Highway 5, where we turned west to access the park. No line at the park entrance station. And even better, no fee for admission to the National Parks as this year marks Canada's 150th anniversary. Bonus! Happy Birthday, Canada!
We rolled on into the park. Just like the sign we read at the viewpoint indicated, we drove through sort of a rolling prairie then BOOM, the mountains take over and dominate the landscape. We followed the signage to the hotel, noting other points of interest along the way: stables, campgrounds, trailheads. Everything you would expect to find in a national park. We drove by the visitor center but the lot was jammed so we did not stop. Maybe it will be less crowded when we leave.
We found the turn onto the long driveway that leads to the Prince of Wales Hotel, which sits on top of hill that overlooks the Middle and Upper Waterton Lakes. Parking around the hotel a bit of a confused mess (at least I was confused); the signs were not clear as to what parking slots were restricted to hotel guests and which were open to visiting tourists like us. I sent Lisa in to ask someone who might have a clue. Last thing I wanted was to get a ticket or worse yet, towed over a parking violation. The intelligence that she gathered indicated that we could basically park anywhere. That seems too easy. I squeezed the Santa Fe into an opening between an RV and a pick-up and there she would sit until we were done. OK, it is just after 10:00 AM. Let's go exploring!
OK, where to start? Obviously the hotel is a wonderful structure, just grand. The details and color scheme are amazing. The hill upon which the hotel is perched provides a great vantage point and is a beautiful setting for the hotel. One of the peaks on the other side of the little town had an interesting pattern on its side. I think this was Bertha Peak. Anyway, the way that the exposed rock, clear areas and drainage paths on the mountainside were arranged looked like a massive Tesla logo. Hmmm, I wonder what Elon Musk paid for that advertising? We walked around the side of the hotel to get the views from the other side out over the lakes. Truly a grand vista, but again a bit muted due to hazy conditions. Even still, it was a great view looking over the little town and right up the lake. We spotted a trail leading down from the hotel to a park at the water's edge. That was a good find as there was no sidewalk along the driveway leading up to the hotel.
We found the turn onto the long driveway that leads to the Prince of Wales Hotel, which sits on top of hill that overlooks the Middle and Upper Waterton Lakes. Parking around the hotel a bit of a confused mess (at least I was confused); the signs were not clear as to what parking slots were restricted to hotel guests and which were open to visiting tourists like us. I sent Lisa in to ask someone who might have a clue. Last thing I wanted was to get a ticket or worse yet, towed over a parking violation. The intelligence that she gathered indicated that we could basically park anywhere. That seems too easy. I squeezed the Santa Fe into an opening between an RV and a pick-up and there she would sit until we were done. OK, it is just after 10:00 AM. Let's go exploring!
OK, where to start? Obviously the hotel is a wonderful structure, just grand. The details and color scheme are amazing. The hill upon which the hotel is perched provides a great vantage point and is a beautiful setting for the hotel. One of the peaks on the other side of the little town had an interesting pattern on its side. I think this was Bertha Peak. Anyway, the way that the exposed rock, clear areas and drainage paths on the mountainside were arranged looked like a massive Tesla logo. Hmmm, I wonder what Elon Musk paid for that advertising? We walked around the side of the hotel to get the views from the other side out over the lakes. Truly a grand vista, but again a bit muted due to hazy conditions. Even still, it was a great view looking over the little town and right up the lake. We spotted a trail leading down from the hotel to a park at the water's edge. That was a good find as there was no sidewalk along the driveway leading up to the hotel.
Time to check out the inside of the hotel. We spotted a group of three deer just a bit over the hill; the tourists were getting too close. We entered the hotel through the side door that went into the gift shop. We looked at the shirts and trinkets a bit but only bought a park pin for our collection. It was only a buck but I should have charged it as now I have a pocket of Canadian coins. Well, that can be part of the tip in the bar when I get a beer later. The loonie might be a good souvenir. I did like the "Bear+Deer=Beer" shirt but opted to leave is on the rack. Another deer had bedded down on the lawn next to some bushes right outside the gift shop windows. One of the young ladies working in the shop said that this doe comes here almost every day. She had twins but lost one to a cougar earlier in the season. She was just sitting peacefully, enjoying the shade. Unfortunately we did witness a few tourists performing "stupid people tricks" and getting way too close to the doe in order to get a photo. I mean within 5 feet. Granted she's not going to eat anyone, but if she got spooked she could run right over someone and do some damage. Hey, folks, your cameras, even those on your phones, have zoom capability so you don't need to get right on top of her to get a nice photo.
From the gift shop we made our way into the main hall of the hotel. Huge area that was open up through each floor of the hotel. The back of the main hall was pretty much a huge window providing the grand view out over the lakes and up the glacier-carved valley. That was worth the drive. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy the ambiance of the old hotel as well as the vista. The staff in the hotel were smartly attired in kilts, well, at least the younger staff members were. That detail just added to the charm of the place.
Lynn and Lisa talked to someone about the when's and where's of high tea. I checked out the menus at the restaurant and the pub. I'm thinking I'll hang in the pub while they have tea. OK, we reconvened. Tea starts at 1:00 and runs for a couple hours, but it was suggested to be there early in order to be assured of a table. That seems like reasonable advice. But we still have a couple of hours open until tee time, so we headed to the foot path leading down to town.
The path from the hotel down the hillside to the lake shore seems to be more of a social trail as it is narrow and a little overgrown. But it was in good shape, not steep and easy to follow. We just worked our way down the slope, coming out in a group of cabins in a little park at the lake level. Once at the lake, there were maintained trails and sidewalks to get us around the area. We had a very pleasant day for our little semi-urban hike, particularly those stretches that were shaded. We west through the park then along the marina and out to the point that looked back up at the Prince of Wales Hotel. On our way through the marina we came upon a wedding party making preparations for a cruise on the lake. The bride and her party were finalizing hair and make-up. Looks like the vows will be made on the boat, as the bridal party was shielding the bride from the guests when they went on board. Well, they have a wonderful day to get married.
As we walked around the marina we got some nice views of the hotel and surrounding mountains reflected in the calm water. We also get a couple critter sightings. Trout in the marina and a Magpie hopping about in the little park looking for scraps. Later there were butterflies flitting about on the flowering shrubs as we were walking back to the hotel. Here in the marina, white with red trim seems to be the popular color scheme for the boats here in this little marina; I reckon that this little flotilla are all part of the same navy.
Hey, there's those red chairs I was reading about this morning and they are positioned to provide a lovely view looking back across the lake at the hotel. There was no one using in them at the moment, so Lynn and I sat down to take in the view. We watched the wedding party cruise past…hey, is that now the Love Boat? I got a couple photos of the chairs then we continued down the paver path along the shore. And no, I did not #sharethechair, other than in my journal. As we walked along the shore, we watched the Love Boat continue up the lake and get lost in the deep valley.
Lynn and Lisa talked to someone about the when's and where's of high tea. I checked out the menus at the restaurant and the pub. I'm thinking I'll hang in the pub while they have tea. OK, we reconvened. Tea starts at 1:00 and runs for a couple hours, but it was suggested to be there early in order to be assured of a table. That seems like reasonable advice. But we still have a couple of hours open until tee time, so we headed to the foot path leading down to town.
The path from the hotel down the hillside to the lake shore seems to be more of a social trail as it is narrow and a little overgrown. But it was in good shape, not steep and easy to follow. We just worked our way down the slope, coming out in a group of cabins in a little park at the lake level. Once at the lake, there were maintained trails and sidewalks to get us around the area. We had a very pleasant day for our little semi-urban hike, particularly those stretches that were shaded. We west through the park then along the marina and out to the point that looked back up at the Prince of Wales Hotel. On our way through the marina we came upon a wedding party making preparations for a cruise on the lake. The bride and her party were finalizing hair and make-up. Looks like the vows will be made on the boat, as the bridal party was shielding the bride from the guests when they went on board. Well, they have a wonderful day to get married.
As we walked around the marina we got some nice views of the hotel and surrounding mountains reflected in the calm water. We also get a couple critter sightings. Trout in the marina and a Magpie hopping about in the little park looking for scraps. Later there were butterflies flitting about on the flowering shrubs as we were walking back to the hotel. Here in the marina, white with red trim seems to be the popular color scheme for the boats here in this little marina; I reckon that this little flotilla are all part of the same navy.
Hey, there's those red chairs I was reading about this morning and they are positioned to provide a lovely view looking back across the lake at the hotel. There was no one using in them at the moment, so Lynn and I sat down to take in the view. We watched the wedding party cruise past…hey, is that now the Love Boat? I got a couple photos of the chairs then we continued down the paver path along the shore. And no, I did not #sharethechair, other than in my journal. As we walked along the shore, we watched the Love Boat continue up the lake and get lost in the deep valley.
After a while we turned away from the lake and meandered through the little town, checking out the shops and eateries. There were several nice art galleries and those were where we spent our time. I especially liked "Stealing Time," a sculpture of a raven with a pocket watch it had just pilfered. We completed our tour through the shops then returned to Prince of Wales. We walked back via the main road, figuring that there must be a walkway to the hotel, but the only access we could find was along the narrow driveway, so that's the route we took. Fortunately there were no traffic while we walked in. We were back by 12:15 so in plenty of time for Lynn to make high tea. We just hung out in the lobby until tea time. I planned to hit the bar while the girls had tea. It seems that the girls thought I was going with them. The line started to form at 12:35, so Lynn and Lisa got up to join the queue. Lisa asked why I was not moving so I explained my position. Their reaction was less than positive. I guess I will be having tea after all. But there will be beer after that.
There were just a couple of folks in line in front of us for tea, so we ended up with a prime table right next to the big windows with the grand view. Emily was our tea server but she was more than happy to bring in orders from the bar. Tea time is looking up! The girls got their tea and I got a Canadian craft beer, the Hop Head double IPA from Tree Brewing Company out of Kelowna, British Columbia. It is a heavy beer and a bit too malty for my taste. Good for what it is but not something I would return to. But this is all about the experience, right? So a fun time relaxing here in the great hall of the Prince of Wales Hotel, enjoying the amazing view and just relaxing. The finger food that was part of the whole high tea gig was quite good and made for a good snack (but I guarantee that we will all be hungry for dinner!). The little sandwiches and assorted snack came out on a 3-level, tower of trays (Lisa appointed herself as the "couthness coach" and was pacing our demolition of the hors'duevers. OK, a little culture won't kill me, I reckon.
We were done at around 2:00 and on the road shortly thereafter. There was still a crowd at the visitor center so we did not stop. We just retraced our route back to Glacier with the only stop at the border crossing. That was sort of comical. I was sitting in the driver’s seat, as I had done all week, the agent was me questions but Lynn and Lisa were answering each one. Funny and irritating all at the same time. Whatever, I'm used to that. Otherwise and uneventful drive back to Many Glacier. We were back about 3:45. While the sign on the way into Many Glacier indicated that the parking lots were all full, we had passed a steady stream of cars departing the park so there were several spaces open at the hotel when we arrived.
Here's the link to the photo gallery from our time in Waterton Lakes National Park.
Time to hit the balcony. I walked over to the Swiss Lounge to get the ladies a couple huckleberry margaritas, then kicked back with a beer of my own (just finishing the leftovers from our cooler). We had a toast for Fluffi. Then we just settled in for an afternoon of watching the happenings around Swiftcurrent Lake. OK, might as well have a second round. Not much happening out here today. The Chief Two Guns is making her shuttle runs and there are a few folks out in canoes. A few miscellaneous birds swooping about. Probably the most interesting sighting was the big four-engine transport that cruised over at high altitude. The contrails were very evident in the otherwise clear sky. But even with the zoom of the SX50 I could not pull it close enough for a positive identification. A380 maybe? We discussed our options for dinner. Sounds like Nell's is the preferred option over Two Sisters due to proximity. The less we have to drive the park entrance road the better. The Ptarmigan Room was not even in the running.
We finally started moving toward Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge a little before 6:00. We opted to drive as it has not been that crowded there in the evening. Once parked, we took the trail out to Fishercap Lake but had no joy in terms of moose. I think I saw a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper out on a little rocky stretch in the lake, but it was hard to tell from a distance. Back at the motor lodge, we had no wait for a table at Nell's. I was ready for pizza again, but Lisa was pining for a burger. That works as well. Too well, in fact, as I ate way too much. We started with tator skins. We all ordered burgers but I opted out of the fries and went for the equally healthy mac-and-cheese. Problem was they brought the fries and mac-and-cheese. Then I ate both. Whatever, I'm on vacation. Not very crowded here tonight but more folks started coming in as we were getting toward the end of our meal. A young family, Mom, Dad and Baby, were seated in a both near us. The prototypical, 20-something, camping kids from their hiking sandals to the bandanas wrapped around their noggins. Looks like they are ready for a 20-mile hike and that would just be a warm-up. So here's something you don't see every day in a National Park restaurant. Dad was holding Baby, who was getting fussy, so the bouncing bundle of joy is passed over to Mom, who nonchalantly pulls up her tank top and starts nursing Junior. Well, that's maybe kind of awkward, but she seems fine with the situation. And Junior has stopped crying, so that's a good thing. I'll just study the artwork on this other wall.
Since the crowd was small, we chatted some with our server and she mentioned that there were three fires started over in the Lake McDonald area by the storms that rolled through yesterday and overnight. We'll have to keep an eye on this for the trip back through the park on our way home. I did see a headline on this once we were back at the hotel but there was not enough bandwidth in the lobby WiFi to get to the article. We'll check at the ranger station in the morning.
After dinner we strolled back out to Fishercap Lake for one more critter check. It was 7:30 by now. No moose, but there was a deer on the far side of the lake, then a little later another doe walked through the brush right behind us. OK, the rule is to stay 25 yards away from the big herbivores, but sometimes the animals just won't follow the rules!
We were done at around 2:00 and on the road shortly thereafter. There was still a crowd at the visitor center so we did not stop. We just retraced our route back to Glacier with the only stop at the border crossing. That was sort of comical. I was sitting in the driver’s seat, as I had done all week, the agent was me questions but Lynn and Lisa were answering each one. Funny and irritating all at the same time. Whatever, I'm used to that. Otherwise and uneventful drive back to Many Glacier. We were back about 3:45. While the sign on the way into Many Glacier indicated that the parking lots were all full, we had passed a steady stream of cars departing the park so there were several spaces open at the hotel when we arrived.
Here's the link to the photo gallery from our time in Waterton Lakes National Park.
Time to hit the balcony. I walked over to the Swiss Lounge to get the ladies a couple huckleberry margaritas, then kicked back with a beer of my own (just finishing the leftovers from our cooler). We had a toast for Fluffi. Then we just settled in for an afternoon of watching the happenings around Swiftcurrent Lake. OK, might as well have a second round. Not much happening out here today. The Chief Two Guns is making her shuttle runs and there are a few folks out in canoes. A few miscellaneous birds swooping about. Probably the most interesting sighting was the big four-engine transport that cruised over at high altitude. The contrails were very evident in the otherwise clear sky. But even with the zoom of the SX50 I could not pull it close enough for a positive identification. A380 maybe? We discussed our options for dinner. Sounds like Nell's is the preferred option over Two Sisters due to proximity. The less we have to drive the park entrance road the better. The Ptarmigan Room was not even in the running.
We finally started moving toward Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge a little before 6:00. We opted to drive as it has not been that crowded there in the evening. Once parked, we took the trail out to Fishercap Lake but had no joy in terms of moose. I think I saw a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper out on a little rocky stretch in the lake, but it was hard to tell from a distance. Back at the motor lodge, we had no wait for a table at Nell's. I was ready for pizza again, but Lisa was pining for a burger. That works as well. Too well, in fact, as I ate way too much. We started with tator skins. We all ordered burgers but I opted out of the fries and went for the equally healthy mac-and-cheese. Problem was they brought the fries and mac-and-cheese. Then I ate both. Whatever, I'm on vacation. Not very crowded here tonight but more folks started coming in as we were getting toward the end of our meal. A young family, Mom, Dad and Baby, were seated in a both near us. The prototypical, 20-something, camping kids from their hiking sandals to the bandanas wrapped around their noggins. Looks like they are ready for a 20-mile hike and that would just be a warm-up. So here's something you don't see every day in a National Park restaurant. Dad was holding Baby, who was getting fussy, so the bouncing bundle of joy is passed over to Mom, who nonchalantly pulls up her tank top and starts nursing Junior. Well, that's maybe kind of awkward, but she seems fine with the situation. And Junior has stopped crying, so that's a good thing. I'll just study the artwork on this other wall.
Since the crowd was small, we chatted some with our server and she mentioned that there were three fires started over in the Lake McDonald area by the storms that rolled through yesterday and overnight. We'll have to keep an eye on this for the trip back through the park on our way home. I did see a headline on this once we were back at the hotel but there was not enough bandwidth in the lobby WiFi to get to the article. We'll check at the ranger station in the morning.
After dinner we strolled back out to Fishercap Lake for one more critter check. It was 7:30 by now. No moose, but there was a deer on the far side of the lake, then a little later another doe walked through the brush right behind us. OK, the rule is to stay 25 yards away from the big herbivores, but sometimes the animals just won't follow the rules!
Day 10, Saturday, August 12 - Iceberg Lake. I rolled out of bed at 0615. I have been awake for a while pondering whatever and waiting for Lynn to stir. I remember having a dream about helping a family that we randomly met in the park plan their stay. Trip Advisor seems to be invading my unconscious state. I did make a star check at around 0400 but the smoke and haze won out again.
Out on the balcony with my blueberry Pop-tarts to greet the morning. You would think that there would be huckleberry Pop-tarts here in Glacier. A little warmer today but still brisk, probably low 50s F. Not a lot of activity outside, just a couple folks with their morning coffee and a wandering photographer or two. The folks upstairs are stomping about, we think packing to leave today. Our preparations for our final hike are also under way, but at a much lower volume.
The crows were talking this morning, breaking the peace with their raucous chatter. I also heard the familiar trill of a Red-winged Blackbird. For whatever reason the Feathered Air Force is slow to sortie today. The lake calmed for a moment providing a lovely reflection of the peaks across the way but it only lasted a moment. Still just enough time for a photo or two.
Out on the balcony with my blueberry Pop-tarts to greet the morning. You would think that there would be huckleberry Pop-tarts here in Glacier. A little warmer today but still brisk, probably low 50s F. Not a lot of activity outside, just a couple folks with their morning coffee and a wandering photographer or two. The folks upstairs are stomping about, we think packing to leave today. Our preparations for our final hike are also under way, but at a much lower volume.
The crows were talking this morning, breaking the peace with their raucous chatter. I also heard the familiar trill of a Red-winged Blackbird. For whatever reason the Feathered Air Force is slow to sortie today. The lake calmed for a moment providing a lovely reflection of the peaks across the way but it only lasted a moment. Still just enough time for a photo or two.
Lubed up, packed up and headed out just at 0750, so pretty much per plan today, just a little past our 0730 scheduled departure. We will again just walk from the hotel to the trailhead by the motor lodge to avoid any midafternoon parking hassles. Besides the route takes us right by the Ranger Station where we want to stop anyway plus provides us with a bit of a warm up before we hit the serious hiking trail.
There was a little more activity at the Ranger Station this morning. There were two group of hikers there getting tips from the Rangers, so I had to wait a bit to get the updates on the Iceberg Lake trail and the fires around the park. Even though I had a short wait, there was plenty to learn just my listening to the questions asked by the other visitors and the answers provided by the Rangers. Shoot, I got the Iceberg Lake trail status as the group of guys ahead of me were interested in that hike. The trail is open and in good shape. There are bears in the area but no reports of any issues. We should be good to go. The fires on the west side of the park have not closed anything, but are not yet under control. The advice of the Rangers is to check conditions in the morning before making the drive across the Going to the Sun Road as there is always a chance that it could be closed. Good advice for sure. OK, that's what I needed to know. Time to hit the trail.
A few cars in the lot at the motor lodge as we passed through and folks from the cabins and campground milling about with their morning coffee, but otherwise pretty quiet. Certainly not crowded yet. Instead of our usual route out along the trail heading to Fishercap Lake, we turned up the hill and into the area with the cabins behind the main lodge building and followed the road around to the left to the trailhead for Iceberg Lake and Ptarmigan Tunnel. During my study for this trip I read a few accounts of hiking to both of these popular destinations in a single day, but that idea was nixed by the girls. One is enough for today, so we opted for Iceberg Lake.
The short story is that this was another homerun for a hiking trail. It was actually easier than I expected, but it is still no pushover. There is a short steep section at the start of the trail, but after that it is more of a steady but gradual rise. The character in terms of views alternates between expansive, grand vistas out over the valley, to walking through rather dense forested areas. On the open sections of the trail it was bright and sunny under the clear blue sky, but when in the trees it was dark and cool, even sort of damp, which was actually rather pleasant on the return trip. The trail climbs about 1,100 feet over about 5 miles from the trailhead to the point where the trail levels out before reaching Iceberg Lake. At this point the destination is in view as we were looking into the cirque that holds the lake. The final mile or so leading to the lake is sort of rolling, with a few short, steep ups-and-downs in the trail, then a final downhill section leading to the edge of the water. I was surprised at the lack of traffic this morning as we had the trail almost to ourselves for most of the hike to the lake. There were only a couple of faster hikers who passed us on the way up and a handful of backpackers we met who were coming down the trail.
Along the open stretches of the trail, Mount Wilbur dominated the view. The valley is fairly wide here and looking up and down its length provides some perspective of the digging power of the glaciers with the U-shaped valley and the sharp edges of the ridge lines. Very similar to the structures that we saw as we hiked to Grinnell Glacier. The sky was a pale blue and devoid of clouds. The temperature was just starting to rise and it was quite comfortable out on the exposed sections of the trail. The downside was that the haze was again a factor and slightly muted the views across the valley.
There was a little more activity at the Ranger Station this morning. There were two group of hikers there getting tips from the Rangers, so I had to wait a bit to get the updates on the Iceberg Lake trail and the fires around the park. Even though I had a short wait, there was plenty to learn just my listening to the questions asked by the other visitors and the answers provided by the Rangers. Shoot, I got the Iceberg Lake trail status as the group of guys ahead of me were interested in that hike. The trail is open and in good shape. There are bears in the area but no reports of any issues. We should be good to go. The fires on the west side of the park have not closed anything, but are not yet under control. The advice of the Rangers is to check conditions in the morning before making the drive across the Going to the Sun Road as there is always a chance that it could be closed. Good advice for sure. OK, that's what I needed to know. Time to hit the trail.
A few cars in the lot at the motor lodge as we passed through and folks from the cabins and campground milling about with their morning coffee, but otherwise pretty quiet. Certainly not crowded yet. Instead of our usual route out along the trail heading to Fishercap Lake, we turned up the hill and into the area with the cabins behind the main lodge building and followed the road around to the left to the trailhead for Iceberg Lake and Ptarmigan Tunnel. During my study for this trip I read a few accounts of hiking to both of these popular destinations in a single day, but that idea was nixed by the girls. One is enough for today, so we opted for Iceberg Lake.
The short story is that this was another homerun for a hiking trail. It was actually easier than I expected, but it is still no pushover. There is a short steep section at the start of the trail, but after that it is more of a steady but gradual rise. The character in terms of views alternates between expansive, grand vistas out over the valley, to walking through rather dense forested areas. On the open sections of the trail it was bright and sunny under the clear blue sky, but when in the trees it was dark and cool, even sort of damp, which was actually rather pleasant on the return trip. The trail climbs about 1,100 feet over about 5 miles from the trailhead to the point where the trail levels out before reaching Iceberg Lake. At this point the destination is in view as we were looking into the cirque that holds the lake. The final mile or so leading to the lake is sort of rolling, with a few short, steep ups-and-downs in the trail, then a final downhill section leading to the edge of the water. I was surprised at the lack of traffic this morning as we had the trail almost to ourselves for most of the hike to the lake. There were only a couple of faster hikers who passed us on the way up and a handful of backpackers we met who were coming down the trail.
Along the open stretches of the trail, Mount Wilbur dominated the view. The valley is fairly wide here and looking up and down its length provides some perspective of the digging power of the glaciers with the U-shaped valley and the sharp edges of the ridge lines. Very similar to the structures that we saw as we hiked to Grinnell Glacier. The sky was a pale blue and devoid of clouds. The temperature was just starting to rise and it was quite comfortable out on the exposed sections of the trail. The downside was that the haze was again a factor and slightly muted the views across the valley.
Even as quiet as the trail was this morning there was not much in terms of critters on the way up the to Iceberg Lake. Just a few gone birds, squirrels and chipmunks in the forest, and some butterflies on the wildflowers. Seems that we just missed seeing a Grizzly sow and her two cubs at one of the transitions from an open area to forested. A young couple caught us going up the trail and excitedly asked if we saw the mama bear about a hundred yards back. She was in the bushes not far below the trail. Again, we had missed the sighting and we were certainly on the look-out but we were also keeping up a decent conversation to ensure that we did not have any surprise encounters on the trail. Nice kids though, and power hikers as after a quick chat they quickly left us in the dust. I had to chuckle though. While the young lady was properly attired for hiking including sturdy boots and hydration pack, she was also completely adorned with her war paint; ruby red lip polish and rather intricate eye make-up. Maybe a little much for a day on the trail. Shoot, I thought she was a very pretty girl without all the extras. But they were obviously having a good time out enjoying the wonders of nature. I'm thinking that they must have split off on the Ptarmigan Tunnel trial as we did not see them at Iceberg Lake or during the return hike.
We made a short stop where the trail crossed Ptarmigan Creek. This was really the first spot where we saw any sizable group of other hikers, as there were a half-dozen or so folks also enjoying the cascade of water tumbling down the mountainside. As is the case with many of the creeks, the bed was lined with colorful rocks brought down from higher up the slope. This must be a popular stop for folks to have a snack as there were several Columbia Ground Squirrels scurrying about from hiker to hiker looking for a handout and scavenging for any crumbs that might drop to the ground. The advice here is to not leave a backpack unattended as it will undoubtedly have a little furry thief climbing inside in short order. We did not pause too long here before getting back on the trail. Over the bridge that crosses Ptarmigan Creek and on up toward the lake.
Shortly after the crossing the creek, we came to the junction with the Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail. The right fork went steeply up the mountain. We stayed to the left and trundled onward for Iceberg Lake. The trail marker at the junction indicated that we had come 4.1 miles since leaving the Many Glacier Hotel and still had 2.1 miles to go to reach the lake. We had a little over a mile left of steady climbing, mostly through the forest, before breaking out into the open at the top of the trail. At this point we were looking into the cirque containing Iceberg Lake. This final stretch to the lake was generally level, a relative term, as there were some short, rolling sections of terrain to address. We were back out in the open as well. The wildflowers were out in force here. Maybe a little past their prime, but still spectacular. The character of the flower arrangements was different than what we saw along the Highline Trail or Grinnell Glacier; less of the large blankets of a single type of flower and more of a patchwork quilt with a variety of colors. Still very pretty and just added to the diversity of beautiful sights we have witnessed during this trip.
Shortly after the crossing the creek, we came to the junction with the Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail. The right fork went steeply up the mountain. We stayed to the left and trundled onward for Iceberg Lake. The trail marker at the junction indicated that we had come 4.1 miles since leaving the Many Glacier Hotel and still had 2.1 miles to go to reach the lake. We had a little over a mile left of steady climbing, mostly through the forest, before breaking out into the open at the top of the trail. At this point we were looking into the cirque containing Iceberg Lake. This final stretch to the lake was generally level, a relative term, as there were some short, rolling sections of terrain to address. We were back out in the open as well. The wildflowers were out in force here. Maybe a little past their prime, but still spectacular. The character of the flower arrangements was different than what we saw along the Highline Trail or Grinnell Glacier; less of the large blankets of a single type of flower and more of a patchwork quilt with a variety of colors. Still very pretty and just added to the diversity of beautiful sights we have witnessed during this trip.
We've been hiking for a little over three hours to cover the 6.2-ish miles from Many Glacier Hotel to Iceberg Lake, but it was time and energy well spent as the pay off at the end of the trail was so worth it. The last section of the trail crosses a little creek, climbs steeply to the top of a little knoll then makes a long, gradual descent to the lake shore. As we went down from the top of the little knoll, the cirque spread out in front of us and the lake came more and more into view. This was pretty cool. No really, downright chilly in fact as there was a steady breeze blowing across the icy lake, making a natural air conditioner. Actually this was quite pleasant as the temperature was rising as the morning progressed and we were in an exposed area so right out in the sun.
There were a fair number of folks arrayed around the lake, a couple dozen, I reckon. Most were kicked back on the rocky shore, just taking in the lovely setting but there were a couple brave souls wading along the edge of the lake. Crazy is more like it. That water is cold. It is called Iceberg Lake after all! We stopped when as got down to the lake and enjoyed the view for a moment, then sort of meandered about enjoying the scenery. Truly a beautiful setting. The ridgeline that defines the cirque towers more than 3,000 feet above the lake, with Iceberg Peak providing the cap. The little lake fills the cirque. The lake looked shallow near to the shore and was crystal clear with the rocky bottom clearly visible. But the water quickly turned to a darkish blue, I'm guessing that this is where the shallow shelf dropped off into deeper water. As there was no Ranger here to ask, I had to do a little research on statistics for the lake after we got home. I never could find a number for the deepest part of the lake but did come across this blurb with many other pertinent dimensions:
Iceberg Lake is a natural lake that covers a surface area of 0.22 square miles and has an average depth of 54 feet. Iceberg Lake boasts a total water volume of 7,297 acre-feet, and has a total shore line of 2 miles. The lake, which sits at an elevation of 6,080 feet, drains a watershed that covers 0.89 square miles and has a residence time of 3,827 days (11 years).
There was still plenty of ice out on the lake, with larger sheets still covering about half of the lake surface, but most of the sheets and large chunks were on the far side of the lake where it is more shaded. There were a few smaller icebergs floating near our side of the lake. There were some interesting shapes and contours and they all had a bit of a blueish tint to them. Overall there was a slightly surreal feel to the setting.
There were a fair number of folks arrayed around the lake, a couple dozen, I reckon. Most were kicked back on the rocky shore, just taking in the lovely setting but there were a couple brave souls wading along the edge of the lake. Crazy is more like it. That water is cold. It is called Iceberg Lake after all! We stopped when as got down to the lake and enjoyed the view for a moment, then sort of meandered about enjoying the scenery. Truly a beautiful setting. The ridgeline that defines the cirque towers more than 3,000 feet above the lake, with Iceberg Peak providing the cap. The little lake fills the cirque. The lake looked shallow near to the shore and was crystal clear with the rocky bottom clearly visible. But the water quickly turned to a darkish blue, I'm guessing that this is where the shallow shelf dropped off into deeper water. As there was no Ranger here to ask, I had to do a little research on statistics for the lake after we got home. I never could find a number for the deepest part of the lake but did come across this blurb with many other pertinent dimensions:
Iceberg Lake is a natural lake that covers a surface area of 0.22 square miles and has an average depth of 54 feet. Iceberg Lake boasts a total water volume of 7,297 acre-feet, and has a total shore line of 2 miles. The lake, which sits at an elevation of 6,080 feet, drains a watershed that covers 0.89 square miles and has a residence time of 3,827 days (11 years).
There was still plenty of ice out on the lake, with larger sheets still covering about half of the lake surface, but most of the sheets and large chunks were on the far side of the lake where it is more shaded. There were a few smaller icebergs floating near our side of the lake. There were some interesting shapes and contours and they all had a bit of a blueish tint to them. Overall there was a slightly surreal feel to the setting.
After Lynn and Lisa wandered off, I had a few minutes of standing alone, enjoying the lake and the day. I think most of the other hikers here were also enjoying the serenity of the setting as everyone was being pretty quiet, no hootin' and hollerin', just casual conversational tones. As I was standing there sort of lost in my thoughts when an older gentleman walked up and commented on the beauty of the scene. Can't argue with that point. We had a nice chat, talking about the hike up to Iceberg Lake and a little bit about other areas of the park. We had a pleasant, sort of stream of consciousness conversation, although it ended sorted of oddly. The meandering discussion started with the wonders of nature, then a comment on the kids wading along the edge of the lake, which lead to him comment on polar bear plunge at Coney Island and ended with him going on about the excellent hot dogs sold along the boardwalk. Wait. What? Yeah, I thought it was weird as well. Iceberg Lake to hot dogs. If he would have moved on to a new topic we might have talked ab bit more, but he seemed fascinated with hot dogs and just kept on talking about them. Beside the fact that this was just a strange turn of topics when standing here in the midst of Nature's wonders, I don't really care for hot dogs. But he seemed entrenched on the subject. That's when I decided that I should catch up with Lynn so I wished Hot-dog Guy a good day and a pleasant visit in the park and walked on down to the water's edge.
Lynn and I found a quiet spot to take in the view across the lake then had a little snack. Lisa wandered over a little later. We studied the icebergs a while, looking at the details in their structure and subtleties of the colors in the ice. We also marveled at the steep walls of the cirque towering well above us. Simply impressive. It is east to lose perspective on the scale of the mountains and valleys in the park. As I found out, the tallest peak in the wall of the cirque, Iceberg Peak, is 9,145 feet tall and we were at about 6,100 feet at the lake shore, so, yeah, that wall is 3,000 feet tall. That's just crazy.
We stayed at the lake for about 15 minutes or so. I would have stayed longer and just found a place to sit and enjoy the view, but the girls were ready to go. I guess they have point since we have a ways to go to get back to the hotel where the beer is waiting. OK, let's go.
We were walking back up the slope from the lake a little after 11:00 AM. The trail was much more crowded that when we arrived just a short while ago. In fact, there was a steady stream of hikers approaching Iceberg Lake now. See, it does pay to get even just a little earlier start. But while there were a lot of folks on the trail, the vast majority were all polite and happy with many a "hello," "good morning," and other greetings passed back and forth. A very high friendliness rating for the trail to Iceberg Lake. The funny encounter was we came upon a group of twenty-somethings hiking up the trail. One of the young guys stopped and declared that I was his hero based as I looked so prepared for hiking. I think it's the hat. At least I had him buffaloed.
Lynn and I found a quiet spot to take in the view across the lake then had a little snack. Lisa wandered over a little later. We studied the icebergs a while, looking at the details in their structure and subtleties of the colors in the ice. We also marveled at the steep walls of the cirque towering well above us. Simply impressive. It is east to lose perspective on the scale of the mountains and valleys in the park. As I found out, the tallest peak in the wall of the cirque, Iceberg Peak, is 9,145 feet tall and we were at about 6,100 feet at the lake shore, so, yeah, that wall is 3,000 feet tall. That's just crazy.
We stayed at the lake for about 15 minutes or so. I would have stayed longer and just found a place to sit and enjoy the view, but the girls were ready to go. I guess they have point since we have a ways to go to get back to the hotel where the beer is waiting. OK, let's go.
We were walking back up the slope from the lake a little after 11:00 AM. The trail was much more crowded that when we arrived just a short while ago. In fact, there was a steady stream of hikers approaching Iceberg Lake now. See, it does pay to get even just a little earlier start. But while there were a lot of folks on the trail, the vast majority were all polite and happy with many a "hello," "good morning," and other greetings passed back and forth. A very high friendliness rating for the trail to Iceberg Lake. The funny encounter was we came upon a group of twenty-somethings hiking up the trail. One of the young guys stopped and declared that I was his hero based as I looked so prepared for hiking. I think it's the hat. At least I had him buffaloed.
As we neared one of the high points along the arcing section of the trail leading from the cirque we came upon a cluster of folks standing along the edge of the trail and peering down in the valley. OK, what have they spotted? Once we got to their level we could see what was causing the traffic jam, a bull moose down in the marshy bottom land browsing for lunch. He was out in the open, so we got a very good look, but too far away for a really good photo (I got a decent shot with the SX50, but this is one of those occasions when a longer lens would have been helpful; still not reason enough for me to switch from my trusty superzoom camera). The very high friendliness rating for this trail was again shown as a couple folks stepped back from the edge of the trail to allow us to get a look at the big guy grazing down below. We watched for a few minutes, took our photos then did likewise for the next set of hikers who came along. It is always a special moment when we get to see one of the big critters out on the trail and this was the only mega fauna that we had spotted today…so far.
The high volume of traffic continued as we traversed the trail down the mountain, particularly from the lake down past the Ptarmigan Creek crossing and through the long forested stretch. Once back down along the lower half of the trail the number of hikers sort of petered-out a bit. Sort of odd, but pleasant as we again had the trial mostly to ourselves for the last couple of miles. We did note a few family groups coming up the trail that were sort of scattered with the younger kids running ahead of the adults. Not the best plan in bear country, but with the number of hikers on the trail at present there were no bear sightings along the upper part during our return hike.
Once back down along the exposed section of the trail, the views again spread out before us. We are now looking down the valley but the haze and smoke are taking over for the afternoon and really muted the vistas. Still quite striking but washed out so we gave the cameras a break and just recorded the scenes with our eyes instead. The temperature was rising and the trail was getting very dusty as the afternoon progressed. Yes, the cold beer is sounding very good right about now! But we're making good time as we rolled down the trail.
When we were nearly back at the end of the trail, on the section up behind Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge, hit a decision point. We could retrace our steps back down to the trailhead at the cabins or take the trail that cuts through the woods more directly toward Many Glacier Hotel. Easy choice; we took the trail less traveled so that we could cover some new ground. This section of the trail worked back through a forested section, so a break from the sun. This section is obviously not as highly used as it was narrow and the bushes and weeds were encroaching just a bit. But we had this section all to ourselves and saw a few critters as well, another Gray Jay that would not sit for a portrait and several squirrels foraging about on the ground.
So we're starting to see a few more critters here along the last section of the trail, but still just the little guys. Well, at least until we reached the section of the trail that was directly below the open hillside that we've been watching from our balcony. Yes, that hillside where we've been seeing black bears. Sure enough, there's a bear! About 70 yards up the slope above the trail was black bear having a mid-afternoon snack. I think it spooked Lisa a bit as she was ready to hightail it out of the area, but Lynn got her corralled. But since the bear was relatively close and pointed downhill in our direction, we figured that we should just keep moving rather than try and get any photos. The bear was not interested in us, but why push it. We continued along the trail and our fuzzy friend went back to eating berries.
The high volume of traffic continued as we traversed the trail down the mountain, particularly from the lake down past the Ptarmigan Creek crossing and through the long forested stretch. Once back down along the lower half of the trail the number of hikers sort of petered-out a bit. Sort of odd, but pleasant as we again had the trial mostly to ourselves for the last couple of miles. We did note a few family groups coming up the trail that were sort of scattered with the younger kids running ahead of the adults. Not the best plan in bear country, but with the number of hikers on the trail at present there were no bear sightings along the upper part during our return hike.
Once back down along the exposed section of the trail, the views again spread out before us. We are now looking down the valley but the haze and smoke are taking over for the afternoon and really muted the vistas. Still quite striking but washed out so we gave the cameras a break and just recorded the scenes with our eyes instead. The temperature was rising and the trail was getting very dusty as the afternoon progressed. Yes, the cold beer is sounding very good right about now! But we're making good time as we rolled down the trail.
When we were nearly back at the end of the trail, on the section up behind Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge, hit a decision point. We could retrace our steps back down to the trailhead at the cabins or take the trail that cuts through the woods more directly toward Many Glacier Hotel. Easy choice; we took the trail less traveled so that we could cover some new ground. This section of the trail worked back through a forested section, so a break from the sun. This section is obviously not as highly used as it was narrow and the bushes and weeds were encroaching just a bit. But we had this section all to ourselves and saw a few critters as well, another Gray Jay that would not sit for a portrait and several squirrels foraging about on the ground.
So we're starting to see a few more critters here along the last section of the trail, but still just the little guys. Well, at least until we reached the section of the trail that was directly below the open hillside that we've been watching from our balcony. Yes, that hillside where we've been seeing black bears. Sure enough, there's a bear! About 70 yards up the slope above the trail was black bear having a mid-afternoon snack. I think it spooked Lisa a bit as she was ready to hightail it out of the area, but Lynn got her corralled. But since the bear was relatively close and pointed downhill in our direction, we figured that we should just keep moving rather than try and get any photos. The bear was not interested in us, but why push it. We continued along the trail and our fuzzy friend went back to eating berries.
Here's the photo gallery for our hike to Iceberg Lake.
We were back at Many Glacier Hotel just before 2:00. I made a quick detour down to the boat dock to get a couple photos of the old Chevy pick-up since it was parked there. Sort of a target of opportunity and there was no telling if it would be there later. Once I had my shot, I headed back to the room, immediately dropped my pack then settled in on the balcony with the final beer from our stash. The last beer in the cooler was a Hat Trick IPA.
That was a great hike, one of several for the trip. The Ramblr track had us at 12.4 miles and just a little over six hours up to Iceberg Lake and back. I did a quick tally on our total hiking mileage then asked the girls how far they thought we had gone. Lisa guessed 64.5 and Lynn figured 62.0. The actual total was 67.2, including our "urban" hike in Waterton, so they were both pretty close but Lisa won the kewpie doll. We also talked about our favorite trails for the trip. Lynn and Lisa both liked the Highline Trail out to Granite Park. I concur that this was an excellent hike for views and flowers but the section from the chalet down to the Loop was a bummer. It was hard for me to pick a favorite as they were all different. The hike in Two Medicine was the least favorite but still a very good trail and hike. I rated Bullhead Lake very high, along with Iceberg, Grinnell and Highline. Basically, I liked all the hikes!
We were back at Many Glacier Hotel just before 2:00. I made a quick detour down to the boat dock to get a couple photos of the old Chevy pick-up since it was parked there. Sort of a target of opportunity and there was no telling if it would be there later. Once I had my shot, I headed back to the room, immediately dropped my pack then settled in on the balcony with the final beer from our stash. The last beer in the cooler was a Hat Trick IPA.
That was a great hike, one of several for the trip. The Ramblr track had us at 12.4 miles and just a little over six hours up to Iceberg Lake and back. I did a quick tally on our total hiking mileage then asked the girls how far they thought we had gone. Lisa guessed 64.5 and Lynn figured 62.0. The actual total was 67.2, including our "urban" hike in Waterton, so they were both pretty close but Lisa won the kewpie doll. We also talked about our favorite trails for the trip. Lynn and Lisa both liked the Highline Trail out to Granite Park. I concur that this was an excellent hike for views and flowers but the section from the chalet down to the Loop was a bummer. It was hard for me to pick a favorite as they were all different. The hike in Two Medicine was the least favorite but still a very good trail and hike. I rated Bullhead Lake very high, along with Iceberg, Grinnell and Highline. Basically, I liked all the hikes!
Since we finished the last drinks from our stash I bought a round from the lounge, and we hung-out on the balcony for most of the afternoon. It was pretty quiet around the lake this afternoon. A few folks out on the lake, and the Chief Two Guns making its rounds, but otherwise pretty peaceful.
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At 4:00, I walked to the front desk to see why our rooms had not been cleaned. Not that we needed anything nor were the rooms in serious disarray, but we all wanted showers and did not want the cleaning crew to show up mid-bath. The answer I got was the turnover rooms are done first then the rooms that have continuing guests. Plus the season was winding down so they are cutting back on staff. Seriously? The season is winding down? Lynn and Lisa have not been happy with room upkeep. Used glasses and coffee mugs not restocked, coffee not restocked, no new shampoo. Nothing major, but for the price we are paying for the rooms we expected a little more in terms of service. Once I inquired, we got immediate action. Still not great results but at least we can move on with the evening plans.
We got cleaned up and started our packing then headed over to Nell's for dinner a little before 6:00. There were a couple antique cars parked out in front of the hotel. There were another dozen or so of the old Fords out in the parking lot. Turns out this was a Model A club from Dallas. These old cars were real gems. There were all models and colors; coupes, sedans, vans in blue, black, green and burgundy. Very cool old rides.
Once over at Nell's we settled in for a relaxed dinner as it was our last night of the trip. We were ahead of the dinner rush, so we could have a leisurely meal without feeling like we were hogging a table. We started with the mozzarella fritto as an appetizer followed by our favorite, the pizza margherita. I added a Bent Nail for the final beer in Glacier. What a great way to end to end our stay in Glacier. We had a nice, relaxed meal, continued our discussions on the high points from the trip, of which there were many and talked about our next excursion (Lisa will be joining us as we return to Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the summer of 2019). Not sure how I missed this previously but I found the history blurb about George Bird Grinnell on the menu which complemented the facts that Ranger Monica shared with us during the hike to Grinnell Glacier; here's the link to that section of the menu. The sisters ended up dressed as twins this evening as they both wore their identical "Moab, Utah" tee-shirts. None of noticed that fashion faux pas until we were well into dinner. Under the heading of "it's a small world," we also saw the young couple from the Two Medicine hike, the pair we passed on the trail who did not see the bear; they were sitting at an adjacent table). As we were finishing dinner, I asked if anyone was interested in a final walk out to Fishercap Lake for one last look for wildlife. Lynn said she was willing to skip it since we saw a moose on the way back from Iceberg Lake. Truth is that she is just worn out. Hey, we tend to work hard on vacation so I understand her being tired and a bit beat up. So we just finished dinner and went back to the hotel. As we were walking out of Nell's we witnessed one of the very few stupid people tricks for the trip. Riding up to the motor lodge on bicycles were Breast-feeding Mom and her old man. The just dumb part of this scene was that Dad was riding his bike holding the handlebar with one hand and had the baby in the other hand. But to make matters worse, he was riding along with the baby held up in the air like a waiter carrying a tray of dishes. Holy crap, that was a disaster just waiting to happen. Maybe I'm just getting old and risk adverse, but c'mon, that's just, well, stupid. Fortunately they all survived their ride to dinner. What happened after dinner is anybody's guess.
We made the short drive back to the Many Glacier Hotel and I dropped the girls at the front door. Lynn needs to get off her feet. But that gave me some time for photos around the lodge particularly of the old cars. I meandered through the parking lot, through the hotel great room and finally out to the lakeside. One of the antique vehicles was parked back here along the lake, so an interesting subject with a nice backdrop. I spotted Lynn and Lisa and got a picture of the "twins" on the balcony. Once again we were shutout on sunset; it was pretty but certainly not a dazzling end of day image that I had been hoping for. We went in to pack and ended up just being done at 8:30. We are such old people....
Once over at Nell's we settled in for a relaxed dinner as it was our last night of the trip. We were ahead of the dinner rush, so we could have a leisurely meal without feeling like we were hogging a table. We started with the mozzarella fritto as an appetizer followed by our favorite, the pizza margherita. I added a Bent Nail for the final beer in Glacier. What a great way to end to end our stay in Glacier. We had a nice, relaxed meal, continued our discussions on the high points from the trip, of which there were many and talked about our next excursion (Lisa will be joining us as we return to Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the summer of 2019). Not sure how I missed this previously but I found the history blurb about George Bird Grinnell on the menu which complemented the facts that Ranger Monica shared with us during the hike to Grinnell Glacier; here's the link to that section of the menu. The sisters ended up dressed as twins this evening as they both wore their identical "Moab, Utah" tee-shirts. None of noticed that fashion faux pas until we were well into dinner. Under the heading of "it's a small world," we also saw the young couple from the Two Medicine hike, the pair we passed on the trail who did not see the bear; they were sitting at an adjacent table). As we were finishing dinner, I asked if anyone was interested in a final walk out to Fishercap Lake for one last look for wildlife. Lynn said she was willing to skip it since we saw a moose on the way back from Iceberg Lake. Truth is that she is just worn out. Hey, we tend to work hard on vacation so I understand her being tired and a bit beat up. So we just finished dinner and went back to the hotel. As we were walking out of Nell's we witnessed one of the very few stupid people tricks for the trip. Riding up to the motor lodge on bicycles were Breast-feeding Mom and her old man. The just dumb part of this scene was that Dad was riding his bike holding the handlebar with one hand and had the baby in the other hand. But to make matters worse, he was riding along with the baby held up in the air like a waiter carrying a tray of dishes. Holy crap, that was a disaster just waiting to happen. Maybe I'm just getting old and risk adverse, but c'mon, that's just, well, stupid. Fortunately they all survived their ride to dinner. What happened after dinner is anybody's guess.
We made the short drive back to the Many Glacier Hotel and I dropped the girls at the front door. Lynn needs to get off her feet. But that gave me some time for photos around the lodge particularly of the old cars. I meandered through the parking lot, through the hotel great room and finally out to the lakeside. One of the antique vehicles was parked back here along the lake, so an interesting subject with a nice backdrop. I spotted Lynn and Lisa and got a picture of the "twins" on the balcony. Once again we were shutout on sunset; it was pretty but certainly not a dazzling end of day image that I had been hoping for. We went in to pack and ended up just being done at 8:30. We are such old people....
Day 11, Sunday, August 13 - Going Home. We were up at 0500 with the plan of being on the road by 0730. Lynn was already out of bed, the first time she was ahead of me all trip. Coffee was the high priority on her list this morning. We spotted our roommate, a good sized mouse, scampering about by the fireplace where we have our luggage. We will have to be sure that he does not travel back to Ohio with us. We dubbed him Godzilla Junior, after the lizard we shared a cabana with in Belize.
We finished up the Pop-tarts and trail snacks for breakfast the got ready for the trip. By 0640, we were cleaned, pressed and packed. Out on the balcony for the last morning this trip. Very hazy and smoky today. I can smell the smoke. Straight up is blue sky and light clouds but lower and all around is a hanging, grey haze. This is the most overcast morning we have had in Many Glacier. The morning is also very quiet so far. Only one photog set up at the lake shore and a handful of other tourists enjoying the start of the day. Maybe the rather gloomy start to the morning is keeping folks inside. I heard a crow cawing in the distance and another answers but no other critters seem to be stirring.
We finished up the Pop-tarts and trail snacks for breakfast the got ready for the trip. By 0640, we were cleaned, pressed and packed. Out on the balcony for the last morning this trip. Very hazy and smoky today. I can smell the smoke. Straight up is blue sky and light clouds but lower and all around is a hanging, grey haze. This is the most overcast morning we have had in Many Glacier. The morning is also very quiet so far. Only one photog set up at the lake shore and a handful of other tourists enjoying the start of the day. Maybe the rather gloomy start to the morning is keeping folks inside. I heard a crow cawing in the distance and another answers but no other critters seem to be stirring.
At 0645 everyone is ready, so we might as well hit the road. To give us a little buffer. We were driving away from the Many Glacier Hotel at 0710. There was a short pause at the bridge at the outlet of Swiftcurrent Lake to wait for the horses coming from the barn. Looks like the wranglers are all women. Girls and horses; I guess they never really outgrow their love for ponies. As we drove out across the lunar surface road, we saw the big, red eye reflecting in Lake Sherburne. An interesting final view as we left this area of the park.
Many Glacier Hotel photo gallery.
We had no issues on the drive back, just a grey day all the way across the park. When we went through the park entrance at the east end of the GTTSR, I asked the Ranger about the fires on the west side of the park and if there were any concerns about road closures this morning. Should be clear sailing today. The temperature is a bit warmer this morning, around 60 degrees F at Many Glacier but varied from 50 to 65 as we drove to the airport. We only made three stops before reaching the airport, all once we crossed to the west side of the park. There was the obligatory pit stop for Lynn, then we dropped bear spray at Apgar at 0905 and did not stop again until we fueled up the Santa Fe in Kalispell just north of the airport. We when made our first pit stop, I had enough cell service to get a flight delay notification from United. Our hop from ORD to CLE was running late by about an hour so not a big deal. In fact this should give us time to grab dinner. I had Lynn call Enterprise to confirm drop off; ok to drop the chariot at airport. I told the agent about the tire pressure reading. He said that happens a lot. I will have to remember Santa Fe for future trips with Lisa as it gave us plenty of room for the three of us and all our stuff.
Check-in at United was painless but security took forever as they had to completely unpack my backpack. No idea why. I don't think they knew either. They are just doing their job but they seemed a little confused. Whatever. We were so early that it did not matter. Not much in terms of food past security, just a small snack bar (not that there was much before security, just a larger snack bar). Lynn and I split a ham sandwich. Lisa and I cleared email queues while Lynn read. Mostly junk mail.
Many Glacier Hotel photo gallery.
We had no issues on the drive back, just a grey day all the way across the park. When we went through the park entrance at the east end of the GTTSR, I asked the Ranger about the fires on the west side of the park and if there were any concerns about road closures this morning. Should be clear sailing today. The temperature is a bit warmer this morning, around 60 degrees F at Many Glacier but varied from 50 to 65 as we drove to the airport. We only made three stops before reaching the airport, all once we crossed to the west side of the park. There was the obligatory pit stop for Lynn, then we dropped bear spray at Apgar at 0905 and did not stop again until we fueled up the Santa Fe in Kalispell just north of the airport. We when made our first pit stop, I had enough cell service to get a flight delay notification from United. Our hop from ORD to CLE was running late by about an hour so not a big deal. In fact this should give us time to grab dinner. I had Lynn call Enterprise to confirm drop off; ok to drop the chariot at airport. I told the agent about the tire pressure reading. He said that happens a lot. I will have to remember Santa Fe for future trips with Lisa as it gave us plenty of room for the three of us and all our stuff.
Check-in at United was painless but security took forever as they had to completely unpack my backpack. No idea why. I don't think they knew either. They are just doing their job but they seemed a little confused. Whatever. We were so early that it did not matter. Not much in terms of food past security, just a small snack bar (not that there was much before security, just a larger snack bar). Lynn and I split a ham sandwich. Lisa and I cleared email queues while Lynn read. Mostly junk mail.
The flights back home were almost routine. We had an on time departure for ORD with a slightly early arrival but a short wait for our gate to clear. With the delay of our flight to CLE, we had time to grab a bite. We arrived in the B concourse so scooted over to our departure area to look for food. Mostly fast food in the C concourse but after making a lap and a half to check out all options we went with chicken fajita wraps from Berghoff's. The place was packed since it is the only place resembling a sit down eatery, although ordering is still at the counter. Lynn grabbed a table while I ordered. I included their IPA since the brew their own beer. A dark copper beer, sort of a middle of the road IPA overall. After lunch we found a Nuts on Clark stand and bought dark chocolate covered pretzels and almonds. We tried the nuts first. Good but those we buy at Buehler's are better. The chocolate was on the sweet side for dark. Still a nice treat as our vacation is winding down.
Back at the gate, we were just waiting for our ride home. I was keeping tabs on the flight which had been delayed a couple more times. The place was on its way, but my concern now was that the crew might time-out due to the delays. Fortunately, when the place landed there was a crew waiting at the gate to take over (not sure if that was always the plan or if we did get a back-up crew; matters not since we'll get home tonight). The plane arrived about 6:30, we were loaded in short order and taxiing out from the gate a little after 7:00...and taxiing, and taxiing, and taxiing. I thought the pilot was actually a bus driver and was looking for in onramp to the Interstate so that he could drive us to Cleveland. But he finally pushed the throttles over at 7:13 and we were on our way. We just settled in for the short hop and were soon descending into Hopkins International. How appropriate that "Rhapsody in Blue" is playing from my favorites list as our United flight touches down at CLE, albeit a bit of a staccato landing but in time with the tune.
Now after 9:00 PM as we are walking through Concourse C. Hopkins is quiet at this time of evening. All the shops and eateries are closed and most of the gates are empty. Only five departing flights remaining on the board, one of which was delayed from 5:00 PM. This used to be a hopping place even this late back when this was a United, that is, Continental hub. Short wait for luggage, then for the Park Place shuttle. Full bus that unfortunately started dropping passengers at the other side of the huge parking lot, so we were a few minutes getting to the Edge. But we were on the road home in short order so the offsite parking only took a few minutes longer and was a little cheaper.
We were home about 10:20, so a couple hours later than originally planned. First stop was the barn for a check on the kids. Then we unloaded the gear and went in the house where we were ignored by the rest of the pride. Not surprising. Still, it is nice to be home.
And in conclusion…. Our return to Glacier was everything we hoped it would be. We got in a lot of hiking, saw many amazing places, tallied up a long list of critters as well as a long list of beers, plus made an excursion north of the border to Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. Certainly a bonus were the amazing displays of wildflowers. While the hazy and overcast conditions did impact some of our views and nixed opportunities for star gazing, we were never really impacted by the weather. In fact, for hiking the conditions were generally ideal.
We were able to fairly easily work through the minor SNAFUs that we had, primarily the rerouting of our flights to get to Montana, but in the end that was a not a big deal and we got to see a bit more of the state with our drive up from Helena. Besides, United ended up ponying up was compensation for the delay which I applied to our airfare to an upcoming trip. While the park was bursting at the seams with visitors, we never let that bother us. By getting on the road or trail early, we beat the crowds each day. Our selection of Rising Sun and Many Glacier as our two bases for the trip were perfect for the places that we wanted to explore. Plus these lodging options gave us nice places to chill in the afternoon, particularly our shared balcony at the Many Glacier Hotel.
The critter count was pretty good although the number of mega fauna sightings was lower than hoped. I think we saw most of the "common" big animals at least once, except for a grizzly, but there just were not number of sightings that we were hoping for. But that's just the way it goes with critters, they don’t keep a schedule and they don't read their email (I guess they probably have the same internet access issues that us humans have).
Turns out that social media sites actually have a use. I followed the Glacier National Park official Twitter feed to help keep up with the parking situation at Logan Pass, Many Glacier and the other locations we were visiting each day. Their Facebook feed was also useful. I also used Facebook Messenger to communicate with Sue, our critter sitter, while we were at Many Glacier. There was no phone signal, but with the limited internet, Messenger became the best means to communicate with Sue.
One other points to consider is that I might want to update my first kit for hiking. I usually carry a general "skin knee" kit, but something a little more serious would be better. What got me thinking about this was that we saw a young lady at Iceberg Lake who had twisted her ankle and was looking for some help (an Ace bandage or other wrap). Granted there is no way to be prepared for every possibility, but I think that a little better kit is in order.
By the numbers. I just can't help myself, I like to look at the numbers after the trip (well, as long as the numbers don't have a dollar sign associated with them):
Back at the gate, we were just waiting for our ride home. I was keeping tabs on the flight which had been delayed a couple more times. The place was on its way, but my concern now was that the crew might time-out due to the delays. Fortunately, when the place landed there was a crew waiting at the gate to take over (not sure if that was always the plan or if we did get a back-up crew; matters not since we'll get home tonight). The plane arrived about 6:30, we were loaded in short order and taxiing out from the gate a little after 7:00...and taxiing, and taxiing, and taxiing. I thought the pilot was actually a bus driver and was looking for in onramp to the Interstate so that he could drive us to Cleveland. But he finally pushed the throttles over at 7:13 and we were on our way. We just settled in for the short hop and were soon descending into Hopkins International. How appropriate that "Rhapsody in Blue" is playing from my favorites list as our United flight touches down at CLE, albeit a bit of a staccato landing but in time with the tune.
Now after 9:00 PM as we are walking through Concourse C. Hopkins is quiet at this time of evening. All the shops and eateries are closed and most of the gates are empty. Only five departing flights remaining on the board, one of which was delayed from 5:00 PM. This used to be a hopping place even this late back when this was a United, that is, Continental hub. Short wait for luggage, then for the Park Place shuttle. Full bus that unfortunately started dropping passengers at the other side of the huge parking lot, so we were a few minutes getting to the Edge. But we were on the road home in short order so the offsite parking only took a few minutes longer and was a little cheaper.
We were home about 10:20, so a couple hours later than originally planned. First stop was the barn for a check on the kids. Then we unloaded the gear and went in the house where we were ignored by the rest of the pride. Not surprising. Still, it is nice to be home.
And in conclusion…. Our return to Glacier was everything we hoped it would be. We got in a lot of hiking, saw many amazing places, tallied up a long list of critters as well as a long list of beers, plus made an excursion north of the border to Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. Certainly a bonus were the amazing displays of wildflowers. While the hazy and overcast conditions did impact some of our views and nixed opportunities for star gazing, we were never really impacted by the weather. In fact, for hiking the conditions were generally ideal.
We were able to fairly easily work through the minor SNAFUs that we had, primarily the rerouting of our flights to get to Montana, but in the end that was a not a big deal and we got to see a bit more of the state with our drive up from Helena. Besides, United ended up ponying up was compensation for the delay which I applied to our airfare to an upcoming trip. While the park was bursting at the seams with visitors, we never let that bother us. By getting on the road or trail early, we beat the crowds each day. Our selection of Rising Sun and Many Glacier as our two bases for the trip were perfect for the places that we wanted to explore. Plus these lodging options gave us nice places to chill in the afternoon, particularly our shared balcony at the Many Glacier Hotel.
The critter count was pretty good although the number of mega fauna sightings was lower than hoped. I think we saw most of the "common" big animals at least once, except for a grizzly, but there just were not number of sightings that we were hoping for. But that's just the way it goes with critters, they don’t keep a schedule and they don't read their email (I guess they probably have the same internet access issues that us humans have).
Turns out that social media sites actually have a use. I followed the Glacier National Park official Twitter feed to help keep up with the parking situation at Logan Pass, Many Glacier and the other locations we were visiting each day. Their Facebook feed was also useful. I also used Facebook Messenger to communicate with Sue, our critter sitter, while we were at Many Glacier. There was no phone signal, but with the limited internet, Messenger became the best means to communicate with Sue.
One other points to consider is that I might want to update my first kit for hiking. I usually carry a general "skin knee" kit, but something a little more serious would be better. What got me thinking about this was that we saw a young lady at Iceberg Lake who had twisted her ankle and was looking for some help (an Ace bandage or other wrap). Granted there is no way to be prepared for every possibility, but I think that a little better kit is in order.
By the numbers. I just can't help myself, I like to look at the numbers after the trip (well, as long as the numbers don't have a dollar sign associated with them):
- We racked up a pretty good mileage total on trails, with 67.2 including our little loop while exploring around Waterton Lakes. Here's the list of trails:
- Highline Trail from Logan Pass to The Loop (12 miles).
- Hidden Lake and a repeat of the first section of the Highline Trail (3.6 miles).
- Along St. Mary Lake from Sun Point past Barring Falls (3.7 miles)
- Old man Lake Trail in Two Medicine (9.1 miles)
- Swiftcurrent Nature Trail (2.7 miles)
- Bullhead Lake starting at Many Glacier Hotel (11.7 miles)
- Grinnell Glacier (7.8 miles)
- Waterton Lakes, loop from the Prince of Wales Hotel (2.6 miles)
- Iceberg Lake starting at Many Glacier Hotel (12.4 miles)
- Plus a couple extra jaunts from Nell’s out to Fishercap Lake (0.8 miles each)
- Driving mileage was higher than planned since we had to reroute through Helena. We ended up at 725 miles (205 on the Dreadnought and 515 on the Santa Fe).
- Our list of critters that we could reasonably identify was pretty long. I think we saw just about all of the big critters that are somewhat commonly spotted, except for a Grizzly Bear. There were many other varmints running or flying about that we could not make an exact identification (chipmunks, squirrels and the ever present gone birds).
Mammals
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Birds
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Birds (continued):
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- We added four new birds to our overall life list: American Pipit, Gray Jay, Pine Siskin and White-tailed Ptarmigan.
- After the culling, editing and creation of panoramic images, we had 2,870 photos from the trip (give or take).
- Over the course of the trip we sampled 19 local beers covering a fairly wide range of brews. There were several good IPAs in the group but the top rated we felt were the Centennial IP from Flathead Lake Brewing Company and the Teddy Roosevelt American Badass Imperial IPA from Meadowlark Brewing. I rated both at 4.25 on Untappd.com.
- The text for the journal was 72 typed pages in Word.
- The best $11.95 spent was for the Jake's Day Hikes map of Glacier (www.hike734.com). The trail information and ratings were very useful as we tweaked our plans each day.
A point I found interesting was that many of the hikes that we made were actually very close to each other, just in adjacent valleys. When looking at a map, the overall network does connect some of trails that we hiked, for example the Highline Trail connects with the Bullhead Lake trail via Swiftcurrent Pass. The map below shows the collection of trails we hiked in Many Glacier and along the Going to the Sun Road and illustrates how close these trails are even though they seem much more spread out.
So another chapter in our travels is closed. The research and planning paid off nicely but we still kept to our standard modus operandi of playing hard in the morning and taking it easy in the afternoon. That made for a great mix of adventures and relaxation so that we did not feel completely worn out by the time we got home. And it is good to come back with at least a little rest as there are more trips on the agenda, the next one being our UTAH meet-up in Page, Arizona.
Epilog. Usually when the trip is over I'll end my journal with some summary notes and maybe a miscellaneous comment about a beer once we get home. But following the Glacier trip I continued to monitor Twitter and Facebook regarding the fires that started while we were in the park, the Sprague Fire being the primary cause for concern (fires were started by lightning strikes on August 10). On August 31, I saw the FB post on the Glacier National Park page about the efforts being made to save Sperry Chalet. The Park Service and the firefighters on the scene were doing all they could to save the historic and popular old chalet. I was greatly saddened to see the report on September 1 that the fight had been lost, as the main building at Sperry was destroyed by the fire. Thankfully the brave firefighters were all safe. Lynn and I were fortunate to have stayed at Sperry during our 2009 visit to the park. Sperry was probably the reason that we started looking at Glacier as a place to visit. As I recall, Glacier and Sperry specifically were highlighted on a TV travel show about places to visit by train with the horseback ride up to Sperry being one of the possible excursions. This really intrigued Lynn, so I started to investigate and we ultimately set up the trip to Glacier with a two-night stay at Sperry Chalet. We hiked in via Gunsight Pass, which was really our first "big" hike into a National Park. My statement at the time was something along the lines that "the hike was 14 miles, took us ten hours and nearly killed us. It was GREAT!" (according the Sperry Chalet website, the hike in via Gunsight Pass in 13.5 miles and it actually took us a little over nine hours). Sperry was certainly one of the many highlights of that trip. We've talked about a return to Sperry, in fact that was part of the original thinking for the 2017 trip, but we opted to focus on the east side this time and save Sperry for another visit. Maybe the Park Service will rebuild. Perhaps they can try the tent-cabin approach like at Bearpaw High Sierra Camp in Sequoia National Park. I guess time will tell. So of nine chalets that were built by the Great Northern Railway back in the 1910s, only three remain, Granite Park, Belton (outside the park) and Two Medicine (the current camp store is in the dining hall of the original chalet complex). But for now, all that remains of Sperry Chalet are the memories of the great times that so many visitors have had over the decades.
Epilog. Usually when the trip is over I'll end my journal with some summary notes and maybe a miscellaneous comment about a beer once we get home. But following the Glacier trip I continued to monitor Twitter and Facebook regarding the fires that started while we were in the park, the Sprague Fire being the primary cause for concern (fires were started by lightning strikes on August 10). On August 31, I saw the FB post on the Glacier National Park page about the efforts being made to save Sperry Chalet. The Park Service and the firefighters on the scene were doing all they could to save the historic and popular old chalet. I was greatly saddened to see the report on September 1 that the fight had been lost, as the main building at Sperry was destroyed by the fire. Thankfully the brave firefighters were all safe. Lynn and I were fortunate to have stayed at Sperry during our 2009 visit to the park. Sperry was probably the reason that we started looking at Glacier as a place to visit. As I recall, Glacier and Sperry specifically were highlighted on a TV travel show about places to visit by train with the horseback ride up to Sperry being one of the possible excursions. This really intrigued Lynn, so I started to investigate and we ultimately set up the trip to Glacier with a two-night stay at Sperry Chalet. We hiked in via Gunsight Pass, which was really our first "big" hike into a National Park. My statement at the time was something along the lines that "the hike was 14 miles, took us ten hours and nearly killed us. It was GREAT!" (according the Sperry Chalet website, the hike in via Gunsight Pass in 13.5 miles and it actually took us a little over nine hours). Sperry was certainly one of the many highlights of that trip. We've talked about a return to Sperry, in fact that was part of the original thinking for the 2017 trip, but we opted to focus on the east side this time and save Sperry for another visit. Maybe the Park Service will rebuild. Perhaps they can try the tent-cabin approach like at Bearpaw High Sierra Camp in Sequoia National Park. I guess time will tell. So of nine chalets that were built by the Great Northern Railway back in the 1910s, only three remain, Granite Park, Belton (outside the park) and Two Medicine (the current camp store is in the dining hall of the original chalet complex). But for now, all that remains of Sperry Chalet are the memories of the great times that so many visitors have had over the decades.