Glacier National Park
July 8-16, 2006
Trip Report

Sat., July 8 Arrival in Kalispell / East Glacier
It was a gorgeous blue-sky day when we arrived at Kalispell’s small airport. The verdant Montana prairie surrounded us, and in the distance we could see quite a bit of snow still on the high peaks of Glacier. Steve, our shuttle driver, helped load the bags and in no time we were underway, driving scenic Marias Pass over to East Glacier. There were nine Bighorn Sheep at the salt lick, a natural fault between rock layers where minerals leach out to the surface. One was a lamb born this year, another a large billy.

Once at the lodge Pat and Joan got in a swim, and others relaxed in the beautiful lobby of our historic hotel. Local whitefish was the popular item at our welcome dinner.

Sun., July 9 Upper Two Medicine Lake / All American Indian Rodeo and Blackfoot Indian Days
The Two Medicine Valley, with its pair of beautiful lakes, was most inviting this morning. Flowers lined the road, an array of palettes as we encountered patches of Indian Paintbrush, Sticky Geranium, Heart-leafed Arnica and more. Lower Medicine Lake was as calm as glass as we waited for our boat shuttle, with perfect reflections of the jagged peaks surrounding it. Columbia Ground Squirrels vied for our attention. Soon we were crossing the lake, listening to narration on the glacial features and watching for bears, birds, and other species. We did find a pair of Common Mergansers feeding near the boat dock at the far end.

Our hiking pace today gave us time to take in the views and wildflowers, which were both just amazing. Paula was in her element, seeing many flowers familiar to her from the California mountains and discovering some new to her as well. Tall stalks of Beargrass, Glacier’s signature flower, mixed with thick patches of Spirea shrubs, coloring the hills in raspberry and cream – wow! We ate our picnic on the shore of Upper Two Medicine Lake, where Lynn discovered the nest of a Dusky Flycatcher. Bird song was almost constant along our walk. Varied and Swainson’s Thrushes were the most distinct, but in such dense timber it was tough to find them! We did find McGillivray’s Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, Townsend’s Warbler, and Townsend’s Solitaire, among others.

We caught the 2:30 boat shuttle back to the parking lot, and many of the group opted to partake in Browning’s Indian Days festivities. Today was the final day, with a rodeo in the afternoon and a dancing competition and display in the evening. Peg and Lynn headed for the rodeo in time to see an exciting Indian Relay horseracing event. Each young rider had three mounts to ride – bareback! -- in succession, hopping off one and onto the next to streak away for another round. The sight of these athletes, human and equine, racing against a background of blue sky, thunderheads, and dozens of colorful teepees was incredible!

Throughout the rodeo and fairgrounds, families gathered to visit, cooking on their barbecues and preparing for the final night in the grandstand. By 7:00 pm they were dancing, accompanied by drumming and song, their costumes even brighter than our wildflower show earlier in the day. It was fun to see the mix of old and new materials: buckskin, beads, and turkey feathers combined with colorful yarn and modern fabrics. How great to be invited into another world to celebrate summer’s abundance, when Montana is at its best. For a grand finale, a big full moon rose near the end of the festivities.

Mon., July 10 St. Mary’s Falls / Virginia Falls / Waterton
Our hike today was a beautiful one, among tall trees of old-growth forest leading to two picturesque falls. Here we found the wildflowers of deep forest – orchids, pyrolas, and wintergreens – along with several bright fungi and a host of lichens, mosses, and liverworts. Varied Thrush and Winter Wren were the two main songsters, joined at times by Swainson’s Thrush and Townsend’s Warbler. Several American Dipper families worked along the stream, the young begging voraciously from their colorful red rock perches. St. Mary’s Falls was a torrent from a bridge across the stream we marveled at its power and jade color. Jean and John watched a trout fisherman catch two fish – fun! Many of us continued another 45 minutes or so up to the Virginia Falls. Shooting Star were still in bloom here, and Paula found several One-sided Wintergreen, as well as full patches of blooming Hellebore. This waterfall drops several hundred feet – quite a sight!

We then drove up to Waterton, following Highway 89 across the border. Canadian customs agents were most cordial. Bog Orchid and Beeplant lined the highway, a show of purple and white we’ll long remember. Paula spotted a young Black Bear with a striking coat pattern – chocolate brown with a rich blond stripe running down its back. It was feeding intently on Buffaloberries and Snowberry, and seemed to care less about our vans. It stopped for a big scratch, then continued to feed.

Views going into Waterton were just superb. Our reception at the hotel was not however: somehow our reservations were switched and we were supposed to be at Many Glacier – oops! As the power was out and the dining room was not serving dinner, it was not all bad. We found a hotel in town that had a generator, and enjoyed a delightful dinner at the Bayshore Inn with a view of the lake. In the marshy area at the end of the lake Lynn spotted a Northern Harrier and Peg excitedly pointed out hovering Black Terns. Light was lovely on the mountains as we traveled Highway 89 back to Many Glacier, and by 8:30 we arrived at this lovely old lodge, perched right on Swiftcurrent Lake with mountains all around.

Tues., July 11 Ptarmigan Falls / Iceberg Lake
Rearranging our hotels meant also rearranging our hikes, but most members of the group were ready for the challenging, 10-mile walk to Iceberg Lake. We hit the trail a bit before 9 a.m. in high spirits. Peg led those who chose to amble a bit more, and we all admittedly relished “lacking purpose.” We took many photos, savored the scenery, let more goal-oriented hikers go by, and took time to identify the many wildflowers. Yellow Columbine were plentiful, along with a shrubby Penstemon, magenta Monkey Flower at the stream crossings, Beargrass, Wild Chives, and so many more. We had super views of two colorful birds – Lazuli Bunting and McGillivray’s Warbler, and Peg had time to sleuth out a flock of Golden-crowned Kinglet. Ruby-crowned Kinglet called loudly, as did White-crowned Sparrow and Clark’s Nutcracker.

We had lunch at the falls, time to chat with the other visitors and to gaze at the patterns of light on Glacier’s sage green and maroon rock layers. Walking back, we caught wind that a family of Grizzly had been seen alongside the trail; sure enough, a bit farther on, we came upon some people stopped and looking – two young bears were close and then ON the trail! The sow was nowhere to be seen, though we were extremely careful as brush was dense and she could have been bedded. We stayed close together with other hikers, and proceeded slowly. These yearling, or possibly two-year old cubs were intent on feeding on berries and taking a cool off bath in a water seep on the trail. They would rise up, tumble over one another, and finally they made a run down the trail and dove off into thick brush on the other side.

We came back to the lodge and celebrated our wonderful day with showers, and then a beer in the lounge. Pat had gotten some decent photos of the bears, and dozens of the fine scenery and flowers.

Stacy led the group up to Iceberg and all did very well with length. They had a grand time in this alpine realm, tallying close to 70 species of wildflowers, and finding some Rocky Mountain Elk with massive antlers on a far slope. Views and good camaraderie were sublime, as this is one of Glacier’s prettiest hikes.

At day’s end, after our dinner in the lodge, Peg and Lynn slipped into a canoe to paddle for about 45 minutes on the lake. The view back to the lodge and the mountains all around was captivating. They paddled by two families of Common Merganser; they also watched a Beaver swim about near its huge lodge, then slap its tail on the water and dive. What a great day!

Wed., July 12 Bullhead Lake / Many Glacier / Waterton
We woke to another outstanding day to explore the Many Glacier area. We drove to the same trailhead, but chose the Bullhead Lake option, passing Red Rock Lake and a lovely waterfall en route. Stacy suggested we try an offshoot trail to check a small lake for Moose – and there we found a young male, feeding in the water itself! Feeling quite safe along the far shore, it made its way closer to us, concentrated on eating and ignoring our comments and cameras.

Near Red Rock Falls we found a much larger bull Moose that first fed and then calmly bedded down in the lush streamside vegetation. The trail was lined with flowers, including Blue Clematis or Virgin’s Bower, which we had not seen in bloom before. Some of our group opted to stop at the falls; while resting and scanning the nearby hills they found both Mountain Goat and Bighorn Sheep in the distance!

Peg’s group continued on to rack up some miles, and found a lovely lunch spot at an overview of Bullhead Lake. Views of Swiftcurrent Glacier, Swiftcurrent Pass, and all the rugged topography from here were rewarding. Fox and White-crowned Sparrows sang their jaunty songs from atop young spruce trees. We had a great time identifying wildflowers -- including Pasque Flower, an early bloomer still active at this higher elevation. When we returned, several members of the group went right in to sample the local huckleberry ice-cream! We enjoyed dinner tonight at the Many Glacier Lodge, and some took a stroll after dinner as the moonrise and evening light were quite captivating.

Thurs., July 13 Boat to Goat Haunt / Kootenay Lakes Trail
Peg and Lynn were the only two to opt for early morning birding: we headed out at 6 a.m. to Cameron Lake, where old-growth forest attracts many northern and sought after species. By now we had seen MacGillivray’s Warbler daily, but they were particularly common and responsive around the parking lot. Peg heard and then found several Red Crossbills, but soon we were surrounded by a different sound – which turned out to be large numbers of White-winged Crossbills! Males and females perched in the open, and were busy on a lush cone crop – what a treat! Further down the trail the musical tones of Pine Grosbeak caught our ear, and we got great looks at these northern gems as well. Steller’s Jay, Winter Wren, Varied Thrush – all in all we had a super morning of birding.

Our boat left the dock at 10 a.m., and we braced ourselves for a windy but dramatic ride down the length of Waterton Lake. Pat and Joan picked seats close to the front, where Pat caught the spray of several big waves. We had another glorious blue-sky day, with vistas of high mountains all around.

Disembarking back in the U.S. at the Goat Haunt Ranger Station, we soon cleared customs and were on our way to what we’d later call our “Moose Pond.” The trail passed through dense woods, with only hints of the high peaks around. The birds were numerous, including more flocks of White-winged Crossbills high in the trees. We found a family of secretive Winter Wrens on a downed log feeding young; then we spotted a newly fledged Northern Three-toed Woodpecker being fed by an adult at very close range!

But nothing could compare to coming around the corner at Kootenay Lake to find three huge Bull Moose out in the water, feeding voraciously on pondweeds. They could stay submerged for quite some time; when they’d come up, we’d see streams of water rush off their rich chocolate colored fur – wow! Then Lynn called out, “another bull!” close on the opposite bank. Joan spotted yet another huge male in a far cove, and soon a mother and calf joined the crowd. The individuals tolerated but did not distinctly interact with each other. By the end of the day we’d seen at least 10 Moose!

To top that off, Peg walked to the end of the lake to search out the resident family of swans and was able to lead those who were interested to see two adult Trumpeter Swans. We took our time with this great hike, and ended up with an hour to relax on the beach, waiting for our 5:30 boat. Tough life, this mountain exploration! Tonight was a free night for dinner; most opted for dinner at the hotel, with time to relax and take in the views.

Fri., July 14 Going to the Sun Highway / Hidden Lake Trail / Trail of the Cedars
We left our delightful accommodations and location at Prince of Wales in Waterton, relieved that the gale force winds of the previous day previous had died down. An adult Common Loon swam elegantly past on the fast current below Lower Waterton Lake, and a Belted Kingfisher flew by over the wetlands. We passed through customs with ease then took a break at St. Mary’s, where we picked up supplies for our picnic lunch.

The crystal clear day afforded great views of Jackson Glacier and other delights. Soon we were atop Logan Pass. Near the visitors center we lost the photographers of the group, as two magnificent male Bighorn Sheep were bedded close to the trail in a small depression filled with yellow Glacier Lilies. They were ruminating, having fed earlier, and felt comfortable as our crowd was confined to the trail. Columbia Ground Squirrels and White-crowned Sparrows hopped around them to feed. Not far down the trail, a Short-tailed Weasel ran very boldly in front of Peg and Lynn to pick up a kill made earlier in the day!

Our destination was a viewpoint of Hidden Lake, via one of the more popular trails in the park – and deservedly so, as it’s beauty is not to be missed! American Pipits displayed overhead, loudly singing their flight songs. Spring had just come to this high country, evidenced by the flowers blooming – Marsh Marigold, Shooting Star, and Spring Beauty, to name a few. Mountain Goats were scattered all along the way – a handsome billy rested on a snowfield, while females with young seemed urgent to find minerals in the trail and among soil patches exposed by tree roots in the thin alpine soil. Goat fur from the heavy shedding of the females was everywhere, bunches of it catching the light like waving flags above colorful flowers. At the very end of the trail Hidden Lake finally comes into view, and it’s very much worth the effort! We all went at our own pace, then met back at the visitors center for our picnic lunch.

In the afternoon we opted for a short trail through dense and lovely old-growth Western Red Cedar and Hemlock, found on the wetter west side of Glacier. This easy boardwalk trail offered a nice relaxed pace for the afternoon, perfectly complementing our alpine adventure. We then checked into our accommodations at Lake McDonald Lodge, the final of four historic lodges booked for this tour, and enjoyed dinner together in the dining room.

Sat., July 15 Going to the Sun / Highline Trail / Granite Park Chalet and the Loop
We planned two days on top of the world on the trails from Logan Pass, just in case we hit inclement weather. But our first day was another day of full sun, with a cool breeze that kept our hikes comfortable. We offered two options on the Highline Trail today – a more leisurely in/out six-mile route following the undulating first portion of the trail, and a 10.6-mile one-way route up to Granite Park Chalet and down the loop trail. Stacy arranged a car shuttle with the help of colleagues from Glacier Wilderness Guides for the latter option.

Pat and Joan opted for a third option, which they enjoyed immensely: staying among the big trees and classic beauty of the Lake McDonald area and hiking up to two waterfalls after enjoying a boat ride on the lake.

Stacy’s group headed out with gusto, passing a Mountain Goat on the trail almost right away. They also had some great views of Bighorn Sheep rams, and later two Blue Grouse. Passing through meadow after meadow of wildflowers, they remarked on how changeable the colors and species were: patches of blue, then yellow, then magenta, then white. Paula continued her list, adding several new ones such as Alpine Speedwell. The views from the entire route were stupendous, framed mainly by the complex and snow-covered complex geological formations of Heaven’s Peak. Descending on the loop trail – which was heavily hit by the huge 2003 fires on the western side of Glacier – the group found lush patches of Mountain Hollyhock, quite a contrast to the expanse of burned trees.

Peg’s group got sidetracked right away – they found so much wildlife near the parking lot they didn’t leave it until 10:30 a.m.! First they were distracted by a group of Mountain Goats with several very young kids. The mothers apparently had a dreadlock contest going, with long tendrils of matted, shedding fur hanging from necks and heads and whole patches of fur pulling off their sides. The females give so much protein to their young, they simply do not have enough left to complete their own shedding until the young are more self sufficient! The kids, in contrast, looked sleek and vibrant, with fuzzy rich fur to protect them from storms and alpine cold. Billy goats also looked slick, making them easy to recognize from a distance.

After time for us to photograph Mountain Goats in flowers, on snow, on rock…. they pulled away only for us then to discover a herd of Bighorn Sheep rams, feeding on a slope spotted with patches of snow and dense clusters of yellow Glacier Lilies. At one point a Snowshoe Hare bolted across a prominent snowfield, startling that whole group of macho rams into a sprint -- quite a sight! As all settled down, we went to fill water bottles and make a last pit stop at the visitors center; but there we found a very tolerant White-tailed Ptarmigan -- a life bird for both Jean and Lynn -- feeding on insects and buds among the vegetation near the building.

It took solid resolve to get out to the trailhead, but once on it, we made good time. What a fabulous walk, with views of myriad peaks, Bird Woman and other spectacular waterfalls, and wildflowers providing a rich mosaic of color. We took several breaks, were visited by a very tame Hoary Marmot, and ended up following a curious White-tailed Deer for close to half a mile of the trail! We had lunch in a windy rocky area, with a view of the pass we’d have to climb if we went any further. Sitting on the ancient sedimentary rock (or shall we say tundra napping on the ancient sedimentary rock) we were immersed in the vast landscape to an extent that can only be achieved by a great hike.

Before our final dinner at the lodge, several of us met for cocktails on the patio overlooking the lake. Stacy regaled us with tales of the fires – the results of which were still evident but didn’t destroy the beauty of this lake. During our fun dinner we had a chance to recount favorite moments and conjecture about future adventures.

Sun., July 16, Leisurely morning at Lake McDonald / drive to Kalispell / departures
Everyone seemed to enjoy a relaxing morning, as we did not have to leave until 1:15 to connect with flights home. Breakfast in the cozy dining room of Lake McDonald Lodge is a treat, with light pouring in the windows framed by rustic hewn logs. Rumor has it the group converged on the general store, where several T-shirts and other gift items were tucked into suitcases for the final packing. We were a little more than an hour from the airport, so we made our schedule with ease.

Peg took the later flight participants into Whitefish for lunch, but few of the classy downtown restaurants were open on Sunday. No fear -- Wraps and Rolls put out a fine spread for us, and we left quite pleased with our meal. Paula handed Peg the extensive plant list to add to our bird and mammal tally – what a stellar week to explore Glacier in detail!

Photo Credits:
All photos by Peg Abbott

 

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