Jewels of Glacier Alphabet

Here is the cover of a Glacier Alphabet booklet I put together from the drawings for the park's online version. Inside are larger reproductions of the line drawings for you to color.... fun, don't you think?

Two Medicine Lake from Scenic Point trail

Now that I'm home, I'm revisiting some of the wonderful Glacier scenery in paint.... as well as working on the alphabet.

Happy Hiker

What a way to go out though, almost 300 miles of Glacier trails in two wonder-full summers as AIR. I'm a happy hiker and instead of saying good-bye to Glacier it's just gonna be "see you later".

Talk about burned out!

I've been holding my good old hiking boots together with shoe-goo and duct tape, this may be their last hike. :(

Wild Hollyhock in the Burn

As you drop down from Granite Park you enter the burned area from a few years back. The fireweed and hollyhock have certainly taken advantage of the sunlight through the skeleton trees.

View from Granite Park

After descending from the ridge I checked out the Granite Park Chalet.....a view with a room is right! Here is the expansive view south towards the Garden Wall and Logan Pass from Granite Park.

Bad Marmot!

Just a little reminder that you really shouldn't leave your pack unattended. (no, this was not my pack and yes, I did save it from destruction, much to the chagrin of this fellow and his three companions)

Dangling on the Divide

See what I mean? Just look at these boots!!!

Work, work, work. Seems that's all I do!!!!!

My "studio" for the day, looking west towards the Livingston Range and Heaven's Peak. Life is tough as an AIR!

Grinnell Overlook, Continental Divide

This is a view east from the top of the ridge or arete that they call the Garden Wall. The first photo shows Grinnell glacier and Gem glacier below me. The next shot shows off the developing lake below the glaciers and the valley and chain of lakes, all fed by the water from way up here. This is the same area that I hiked up to a couple of days ago from the east side. I don't think I'd like to be here in a stormy day and I'll watch for thunderheads building up, but today is a very fine day for this hike.

Walking on the Backbone of the World

Now you didn't think that I was going to make the very last hike in Glacier just a simple walk along the Garden Wall did you? I just had to add that little spur trail that climbs 1000ft in less than a mile to get me up to the continental divide and the Grinnell Glacier overlook. Then a little scramble on a goat trail to check out the Gem glacier.

Mountain Goats on the Highline Trail

This is it, the last day for a long hike. I can't believe it's been a month already.... time sure does fly when you're having fun. The Highline trail is my destination today. It's one of the easier hikes, relatively flat for the 7 or so miles from Logan Pass to the Granite Park Chalet, then downhill the remaining 4 miles to the Loop. If you make it a point to point by leaving the car at the Loop and hitchhiking or snagging the shuttle up to the pass it really works great. The goats (mom, this years kid and last years kid) are heading to Logan Pass this morning, we crossed paths in a relatively easy passing zone this time.

snowshoe-ing out of here

Now it's time to skedaddle on outta here and go home to the cabin at Lake Mcdonald. A milkshake from the Park Cafe in St. Mary makes the drive cooler.

Checkerspot on Blanketflower & WhiteCrowned Sparrow

Distractions as you toil up the trail include the flying flowers as well as the rooted ones. White crowned sparrows cheer you on when you reach the sub alpine and higher alpine zones.

Bullhead Lake from trail to Swiftcurrent Pass

Where I was headed today was up the Swiftcurrent Valley. It was going to be hot so I planned to just turn around after a bit but ended up going all the way up to the pass 6.6 miles and 2300feet away. This view shows Bullhead lake and the valley spread below about half way up the pass. The moose love this area as much as the bears it is famous for.

Snowshoe hare portrait

This was my next cooperative subject of the day. Snowshoe rabbits are everywhere in the park this year and there have been numerous reports of lynx and cougar cruising around. (I certainly have seen their calling cards myself at Two Medicine and up in Goat Haunt) This bunny was a mom who was particularly content to capture my attention away from the little munchkins hopping around in the bushes.

Snorkeling moose

Just a quarter mile away from camp is FisherCap Lake where the deer, moose and other animals visit frequently. It's kind of like wildlife theater for tourists in lieu of TV, and so much more interesting! I did have to battle through the wall of photographers to get any photos myself (some fellow was giving a workshop). I just slid in below their tripods and giant lenses...."don't mind me, just a snapshooter here". The moose just looked down his nose at us all.

Aspen grove

Coming back down into the shade of the aspen groves is nice and there are always deer in here. Now it's time to pitch the tent and then go watch bears (with binoculars and spotting scopes) from the Swiftcurrent motel porch and compare wildlife sightings with your fellow hikers.

Grinnell Glacier from Lake Josephine

This is from the south side of Lake Josephine looking up to the Grinnell glacier complex. Unfortunately my biggest disappointment occurred when all the photos from the middle of the day were lost.... i'm not sure how but I have them only in memory now. So look up into these mountains and imagine this; the trail winds through the trees to the end of the lake, crosses a bridge over the inlet stream and then starts climbing up the valley. You see incredibly colorful rocks of red Grinnell argillite and green Appikuny argillite, laced with creamy quartsite and grey to black bands of something else (need I say rock freak's delight?) ....this is not to mention all the wildflowers decorating the slopes. Soon you pass under a chilly wall of water that's tumbling over the trail (very welcome later in the day when it's hot) Now you see the trail crew up ahead carving a path through the remnant snow patches and you thank them as you pass. There's one pretty good scramble through a washout that hasn't yet been repaired and then a little huffing and puffing and soon you're at the terminal moraine of the Grinnell Glacier. I explored around here and got some really neat shots of the outflow waterfall..... you'll just have to take my word for it!

Many Glacier Lodge

For those not into the tenting thing, this is the Many Glacier Lodge across Lake Josephine. The view up into the mountains from the lodge is quite spectacular. You can see the current weather conditions here if you access the Glacier Nat. Park webcams, try copying and pasting this link http://www.nps.gov/glac/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

Many Glacier campground

This is the "front country" campground entrance at Many Glacier. If you get there in the morning, say 8 o'clock-ish you can almost always find a camping spot. It works great to do the longer day hikes and then spend the night. The hillside just behind is where we watch grizzly bears do their bear thing in the evenings after it cools down.

Flower meadow in lower Swiftcurrent Valley

After the girls left I headed east to explore the Many Glacier area. The flower show in the flats as you drive into the valley is really spectacular. Great way to start the day!

Coincidentally, I found that the Burke Museum here in Seattle is hosting a photography exhibit about the Rocky Mountain wildlife corridor that features a professional photo by Florian Shultz of this same view...... worth checking out online and maybe visiting the museum too. http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/y2y/

The Girls and Wild Goose Island

Here we all are in the morning sunlight checking out Wild Goose Isl. in St. Mary Lake, east of the divide. It's a beautiful morning for a drive over the Going to the Sun Road which bisects the park west to east.

Mom & Milissa at Logan Pass

Mom, Stacy and Milissa have made it here on Amtrack and I'm the Glacier shuttle of the day. Stacy and I just cracked up at Mom's little friend... see, just to the right of her in the picture?

Siyeh Pass, see any elk down there?

Look-ey here, me on top of Siyeh Pass. See those whispy little clouds back in the distance? Well, mountain weather can change faster than a marmot can steal your lunch and I was soon hustling down the other side of the pass as the clouds and wind swirled and howled after me. I parked my car at Siyeh Bend and took the new free Glacier shuttle bus back to it when I came out after 10 or so miles of trail from the Bend to Sunrift Gorge. Nice deal, especially for hikers.

All Dressed Up in Velvet

Back on the west side again I decided to do one more hike, this time up Siyeh Pass, one of the highest trails in the park. I hear that it's pretty much melted out now and shouldn't be too much problem to negotiate. There were 3 mule deer bucks eating breakfast in Preston Park as I headed up to the pass. This guy was the smallest but growing a nice rack of antlers covered in fuzzy velvet.

Ptarmigan Tunnel

The clouds were still sticking to the peaks here so it was mystical at the top and through the tunnel and a complete white out on the other side. This 180 feet or so blasted through solid rock was cool and eerie as the clouds swirled around, marmot guarding the door. The tunnel connects to the Belly River drainage to the north which is awesomely incredible backpacking country, a bit further from the day hikers stomping grounds. I couldn't get a permit to backpack into this area this time around but it's definitely on the list for my next visit.

Ptarmigan Lake and Valley

Today is a double delight, with an easy hike to Iceberg already behind me before noon I head up a bit further to Ptarmigan Lake and switchback my way up the steep cirque to the tunnel that has been blasted in the wall of the mountain. This is a view of Ptarmigan Lake and back down into the valley I just walked up.

Elephant Head

Have you ever seen the flower called elephant head? Very cool.

Iceberg Lake Totem

Tip your head sideways and check out the totem!

Glacier lilies near Iceberg Lake

The mist hanging around the bowl, or cirque that holds Iceberg Lake makes for an interesting atmosphere this morning. These areas with very recent snow melt are mosquito haven.... who worries about the bears??? get out the bug juice! I could only handle a quick sketch before the buggers blew my zen like concentration and I had to move on. So much for tolerance!

Morning moving up the Ptarmigan Valley

I'm anxious to get hiking after the 2 hour drive (with photo stops.... Pat will appreciate this) ...so I get parked and head up the hill behind Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge. This is the "everyday" person's hub at Many Glacier.... versus the Many Glacier Lodge which is a bit too rich for the likes of me! This area is prime grizzly habitat and these particular trails to Ptarmigan Falls, lake and tunnel and to Iceberg Lake are often closed to protect both the bears and the people. But they're open today, so off I go.

Bighorn sheep posing on Logan Pass.

Here I am on the top of the continental divide at Logan Pass, on my way to the Many Glacier area of the park. This band of boys (bighorn sheep) has been hanging around the pass lately and cooperated for an early morning photo shoot.... how nice of them.

Cow Parsnip fields forever

This may be it for awhile.... I only have one week left, can't believe it. Finishing up the alphabet and getting over to the Many Glacier area are my goals. sys

find the fawn

Now I'm heading back to the cabin but it's very hot so I stopped by St Mary Lake and the deer were taking refuge in the shade too. Fawns are starting to get venturesome so this one was keeping mom alert as it moved around exploring the creek. Didn't seem to mind me at all.... although it's nice to see them close It's worrisome when they get into your pockets!

No grouse-ing on the trail!

On the way back out to catch the boat back down the lake I almost stepped on this little grouse chick. Mom was softly "chupping" nearby.

back down the trail

I didn't get up here without effort as these swithbacks might attest.

Kootenai Peak

This is Kootenai peak and Porkupine Ridge in north Glacier Park. Pass Creek tumbles out of Stoney Indian Lake here, eventually to reach Waterton Lake. ,....Sherrie, this one's for you!

Bull Moose at Kootenai Lakes

Here is one of the multitude of moose at these lakes. Moms, babies, adolescents and this big guy. They were all snorkeling, it's amazing how long they can stay under water and the guys with big racks come up with a big whooosh!

Kootenai Lakes Camp

Now it's a new day and a new trail. I've driven a couple of hours to the Waterton Town site in Canada to celebrate the 4th (in honor of CW & Jill and all good BABC"ers) Well, I actually did make it back to the US though because at the end of upper Waterton Lake is Goat Haunt which just happens to be American. Filling out the proper paperwork first of course. From here I headed to Kootenai Lakes to spend the night with the moose. (no more near mooses, just many mooses very near!)

shall I just come down for a visit?

....so jr. decides to come down my way. Did I mention there was just not much room to move here? Then dad shows up coming from the other way. Since he's top of the totem pole, mom let's him move on. In the meantime, jr thinks he should certainly at least be above me on that aforementioned totem pole..... I said no with a couple of flicks on his cute little nose (noticing his sharp little horns all the while) Fortunately junior said OK, fine -what ev er!, and eventually we all moved on.

Hello up there!

I had a little experience with this mtn. goat family down at Hidden Lake. As I was following a trail near the outlet creek my way was blocked by a nannie and this year's kid. OK I can wait here, while mom eats whatever it is that is so wonderful. Then junior kid from last year appears on the rock above me, surveying the scene and wanting whatever it is that mom is getting..... but, mom's not sharing and she is warning him to butt out.....

Hidden Lake and Bearhat Mountain

This is a panorama of Bearhat mountain and Hidden Lake which is just up the snowy trail from Logan Pass Visitor Center. The goats and goat-lets are everywhere here.

St Mary Falls

This is St. Mary falls at the head of a very long and deep glacial lake, east of the continental divide. They finally got the road open across Logan Pass on the 1st of July, hooray!

Wildflowers near St Mary's Lake

Bowman Lake painting

I enjoyed painting Bowman Lake after I came down from the lookout. Very peaceful here although they do let motor boats on it. Some folks came back with a bunch of trout for dinner. THought of you, Mark.

View from the loo

This is the best view from a loo that I've had lately. This is the outhouse at the fire lookout on Numa Ridge above Bowman Lake in the North Fork area of the park. Aren't you glad that I'm doing all this mountain climbing for you?

Forest Path near Lake McDonald

This was way back last week when the weather was cooler! This looks a lot like home doesn't it?