Maine to Oregon and back: Days 68 - 70 Glacier National Park (East)

Day 68 - 5 August 2015 - Go from West to East side of Glacier National Park - 99 miles

Knowing we'd be 3 days at the same campsite, we used the big tent. That's the one REI replaced after the first was destroyed in the Badlands thunderstorm on 19 June (Day 21). It's nice to have the extra room, especially the headroom.

Fish Creek campsite

Breakfast included eggs in a basket.

We broke camp and were away by 10am. Because of the fires on the east side of the park, the Going to the Sun Road was closed past Logan Pass. That meant the only way to get from the west to east side was by going around the park. From West Glacier we took Route 2 around the south side of the park. We crossed the continental divide at Marias Pass and then went on to Glacier Park Lodge to see the hotel the Great Northern Railway built to promote rail travel (ca 1913).

We went in the Two Medicine entrance of Glacier NP to have lunch by the lake. After lunch we carried on to Many Glacier to check out the campground. On the way we could see the fire still burning in the St Marys area of the park. This area is still closed to the public.

When we got to Many Glacier the campground was full, as expected. However, because they take no reservations, each day there is the possibility of getting a vacated site. A volunteer camp host explained how the system works. If we return tomorrow at between 6.30 - 7 am, we can cruise the campground looking for people preparing to leave. We will need to have a fee envelope and corresponding name sticker. When we identify a vacating party, we put our name sticker on the post next to the site. The completed fee envelope then goes into the box at the campground entrance. Sounds simple. We just need to be early ... and a bit lucky.
We'll be back again tomorrow morning, but with the lovely weather we spent an hour looking around Swiftcurrent Lake (Mt Wilbur in center of photo)

and the Many Glacier Lodge with Mt Grinnell and Swiftcurrent Lake

There are beautiful mountains here and we want to see more of them.

An interpretive sign at Many Glacier continued with the Haiku theme we saw on signs at the Avalanche Lake trail on the west side. My first thought was "schmaltz", but the park service really has worked hard to continually reinvent its role and lead from the front.

We spent the night at the St Marys KOA. As the sun set, it highlighted the smoke from the fire near St Marys Lake.

Day 69 - 6 August 2015 - To Iceberg Lake - 69 miles
We were up early to get a site at the Many Glacier Campground. The mountains were magnificent from the entrance road.

Armed with our registration envelope, we had a site by 6.45am.

By 8.30 our tent was up and we had the rest of the day for a hike. We decided on the walk to Iceberg Lake.

The track rose quickly at first, then had a very steady, very comfortable and sustained gain in elevation.

Going around the north side of Mt Wilbur

It rained on and off throughout the morning, but remained warm.

Red-tailed chipmunk (?)

Mt Wilbur and the bowl forming Iceberg Lake

Iceberg Lake

Part of the arête to the west of Iceberg Lake

Indian paintbrush and asters

http://www.wildflowersearch.com/

Smaller lake just below Iceberg Lake

Looking back to Iceberg as we walk down the track

Valley NE of Mt Wilbur

Looking SW across the eastern shoulder of Mt Wilbur toward Mt Grinnell

Sign near the beginning of the track.

Day 70 - 7 August 2015 - Grinnell Glacier - 5 miles
After the rain yesterday, it was a beautiful morning with just enough clouds to keep the skies from being a boring blue.

We chose to do the ranger-led walk to Grinnell Glacier.

Two boats make the walk a bit shorter, but don't reduce the total ascent.

The first crosses Swiftcurrent Lake

And a second crosses Lake Josephine

Walking with a large group was OK. We were happy to go at a relatively sedate pace and listen to the ranger's interpretive talks at intervals.

Lake Grinnell from the track.

Looking back down the valley to Grinnell Lake (glacial blue), Lake Josephine and Lake ???

Mountain sheep grazing above the track

Mountain sheep with Lake Grinnell

Marmot on rock near Upper Grinnell Lake with Gem Glacier behind it.

Grinnell Glacier and Upper Grinnell Lake. Gem Glacier is on the ridge line, 1/3 of the way from the left. The larger Grinnell Glacier is below it, going directly into the lake. Salamander Glacier is in the middle of the photo.