Day 65 - 2 August 2015 - Columbia Falls to Fishcreek Campground, Glacier NP - 64 miles
We bought supplies in Columbia Falls and then headed for the Apgar Visitor Center in Glacier NP. We were at the visitor center in time for the 10am bear talk. This was an introduction to black bears, grizzly bears and avoiding bear attacks. The best idea is to avoid getting close to bears in the first place. Make lots of noise. Bears will generally avoid people. But 'encounters' do happen, in which case it's good to know if it's a black or grizzly bear. For example, with vegetarian grizzly bears playing dead may work. Not so with omnivorous black bears. In any case, bear spray may be an effective line of defense. A canister will send out a 10-meter stream of pepper spray lasting from 7 to 12 seconds. A wall of this irritant between a hiker and a bear ought to be enough to dampen a bear's enthusiasm for an attack.
Armed with this information, and knowing we wanted to go hiking in the park, we shelled out $45 to buy our own spray.
At our very first trailhead, the wisdom of our purchase was reinforced with warning signs. Either the 500 bears in the park are a real threat or we were dupes of a sustained marketing ploy.
We took the Rocky Point Nature Trail from near Fish Creek Campground to Lake McDonald.
The area had clearly burned over recently, although it was regenerating nicely.
Shortly before leaving Corvallis OR, we tried to book a campsite in the eastern part of Glacier NP through the National Park website. Nothing was available. Then Midge called and miraculously a site was available for three nights. We were not sure if we should believe our good luck, but when we checked in at 1pm, it was there under out name. Three nights for $34.50. We set up our tent and then headed out on the road toward Logan Pass.
We drove to Avalanche Creek and from 3.30-6.30pm walked to Avalanche Lake and back.
The water in the lake looks milky because of the suspended glacial flour--finely ground rock released by the melting glacier.
The last part of the track back to the trail head had nice falls,
up-rooted trees,
and even signs with haiku.
Day 66 - 3 August - Highline Trail, Glacier NP 65 miles
Up at 6.30 and off in the car by 7.30am. We'd read a lot about the Highline Trail and were prepared for amazing views of the park and mountains. Thus we were concerned to see the valley filled with smoke as we drove up Going to the Sun Road toward Logan Pass. We already knew that a fire on the eastern side of the park had closed the road beyond Logan Pass. Up until today, however, the skies had been clear. We thought that the wind direction might have changed, but later learned the smoke was from huge fires in Oregon and Washington.
The road was narrow and literally carved in to the sides of the mountains.
We were part of a steady stream of cars going to the pass.
We started out more on a highway than a trail.
One of the first wild flowers we saw was western pasqueflower Anemone occedentalis. It looked as much designed by Dr Seuss as the large dracophyllums in New Zealand.
Mt. Clements, Midge and start of Highline Trail
Fireweed and yellow asters
bluebell-of-Scotland Campanula rotundifolia??
The Highline Trail goes above Going to the Sun Road.
Mount Gould (center) and Bishop's Cap (right)
Mt. Clements
fringed grass of Parnassus Parnassia fimbriata
Indian paintbrush
Black twin-berried honeysuckle
Yellow monkey flowers (?)
Smoke in the valley south of the trail
Garden Wall Trail on left ascends 900 feet to overview of Grinnell Glacier. Ed thought a 900-foot elevation gain would be simple so he charged off while Midge made the sensible decision to carry on slowly to Granite Park Lodge.
Broader view of Garden Wall Trail and Grinnell Glacier overview (center of photo)
Grinnell Glacier overview from Garden Wall Trail. Overview of Gem Glacier (top), Grinnell Glacier (middle) and Salamander Glacier (bottom)
Grinnell Glacier Lake from top of Garden Wall Trail. On Day 70 (7 August) we were on the shore of the lake, having walked up from the east side of the park.
Granite Park Chalet is at the beginning of the descent to The Loop, the last 4 miles of the walk. They were selling bottles of water for $3. We thought we had enough, but didn't realise how hot it would be on the trail through the burnt forest. By the time we got to The Loop, Ed's legs were like rubber.
The Loop is a hairpin bend in the Going to the Sun Road. From there we got on one of the free shuttle buses to go back the 12 miles to our car at Logan Pass
Store at Lake McDonald
Tour bus at Lake McDonald
Back in camp we celebrated a great day with a great local brew [Look carefully at the label and spot Sasquatch ... Hint: It doesn't look like Wally.]
Day 67 - 4 August - Fish Creek Campground - 99.3 miles
Midge still has a 5 x 7 cm red bull's eye and swelling from a wasp sting at the Columbia Falls campground. Last night Alida, one of the volunteer camp hosts, gave her some ice to put on it. That helped with itching and swelling but we decided to have a doctor check it. The West Glacier Clinic saw us immediately. The doctor prescribed pepcid and methylprednisolone. The prognosis is for a gradual return over the next 48 hours.
We returned to the park and went straight to Lake McDonald Lodge, built in 1914. We'd hoped to get wifi here, but it was only available for guests.
Even without wifi, the concessionaire-run park lodges provide a pleasant space to hangout.
At 10.40 we took the boat DeSmet for a one-hour tour. The commentary was interesting even if the air was still smokey and the scenery less than breath taking.
After lunch we walked the John's Lake Loop, the best part of which was the McDonald River.
With the weather improving and smoke clearing, we drove Logan Pass again at 5pm.
From the Logan Pass parking lot we walked to Hidden Lake Overlook. That was 3 miles round trip.
Heavy Runner Mountain (center) Reynolds Mountain (right)
Pink monkey flowers
Reynolds Mountain
Heavy Runner Mountain
Hidden Lake from the overview. Bearhat Mountain at center of photo. From our walk to Avalanche Lake (2 August - Day 65) we could look up the steep gully leading to the right hand side of Hidden Lake.
Columbia ground squirrel
Marmot
Mountain goats from track to Hidden Lake Overlook.
The goats all but ignore the hundreds of visitors that pass them. Many of the adults have radio collars.
Penstemon
Rocks in a snow-melt stream
Beginning of the Highline Trail from Going to the Sun Road heading West from Logan Pass.
Going to the Sun Road near The Loop
Got back to Lake McDonald Lodge in time for one of the ranger talks Glaciers 101, an introduction to the glaciers of Glacier NP and to glaciers in general. If nothing else, we learned the terms arête, cirque and horn.
.oOo.
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