Previous
Thursday August 22, 2019
Many Glacier Hotel
Friday August 23, 2019
Iceberg Lake
Next
Saturday August 24, 2019
Many Glacier Hotel to El Granada
Friday morning - last full day of the trip!
In 2008 I was lucky enough to see a wolverine briefly on the trail to
Grinnell Glacier.
I have gone up Grinell Glacier trail very early a couple of times since
they trying to see a wolverine again.
I finally convinced myself that there was no way I was going to see
another wolverine, and I should go back to Iceberg Lake instead.
I left at dawn to see if I could find a wolverine or a grizzly on the
trail to Iceberg Lake.
I'd been to Iceberg Lake once in 2010 but in lousy weather, I couldn't
see much then.
I saw a moose near the trail in 2010, so I was hoping to see one again.
2019/08/23 07:11
Swiftcurrent Lake, with Swiftcurrent Pass and Swiftcurrent Lookout in
the clouds in the background.
2019/08/23 07:11
2019/08/23 07:15
2019/08/23 07:26
The line to camp tonight at Many Glacier campground.
I talked to one guy who said there were supposed to be at least 11
spots opening up, he was #16 in line.
I wished him good luck and continued on.
2019/08/23 07:26
same line, different view.
2019/08/23 07:33
Iceberg Lake trailhead
I started hiking alone in grizzly country!
That's always exciting!
2019/08/23 07:44
2019/08/23 07:50
2019/08/23 07:50
2019/08/23 07:50
2019/08/23 07:50
2019/08/23 07:51
PANO - scroll right
2019/08/23 08:19
2019/08/23 08:20
A really poor picture of a ptarmigan
2019/08/23 08:28
2019/08/23 08:32
After over an hour hiking through grizzly country alone I caught up to
another group.
I passed them at Ptarmigan Falls and moved on quickly, they weren't too
loud but loud enough.
2019/08/23 08:36
2019/08/23 08:36
2019/08/23 08:37
2019/08/23 08:42
2019/08/23 08:43
PANO - scroll right
2019/08/23 08:49
Suddenly, it turned from nice to gorgeous, quickly on its way to
stunning...
PANO - scroll right
2019/08/23 08:52
I saw a couple coming down the trail and asked them if they'd seen any
large mammals.
They replied that there were two humans coming down the trail a few
minutes in back of them, but they'd seen no other large mammals.
After a few minutes I saw the other humans, then I knew I had Iceberg
Lake to myself.
It quickly became magical...
In silence I approached the lake hoping to see wildlife.
I didn't see anything larger than a chipmunk, but it was a lovely morning in the mountains.
Once I heard rocks crashing somewhere into the lake but I couldn't see what happened.
2019/08/23 09:34
Iceberg Lake
2019/08/23 09:35
PANO - scroll right
Iceberg Lake
2019/08/23 09:42
Iceberg Lake
2019/08/23 10:12
It only took a few minutes to determine that this chipmunk had no
fear at all of people.
He climbed on my shoe looking for food.
I tried to set up my camera on my mini tripod to get a proper picture of myself.
I had the entire upper trail and lake to myself for about 30 minutes
before my first company arrived and broke the silence - a couple.
I asked them to take pictures of me instead.
They waded into the lake and took lots of pictures of themselves, but they were nice enough and not too loud.
It was just the three of us for perhaps 10 minutes before another group arrived.
Then more groups started arriving and it was no longer silent.
I warned the next few groups that the chipmunk was extremely agressive
but it didn't seem to help much, people aren't very good at listening.
2019/08/23 10:02
2019/08/23 10:02
It was nice and quiet for maybe another 15 minutes until a pair of loud
young girls and their grandparents arrived.
One of the girls wouldn't stop squeeling and urged grandpa to use the
bear spray on the chipmunk....
Gradually my serene magical solo wilderness experience was becoming a
wasteland...
2019/08/23 10:25
2019/08/23 10:44
I watched a couple of older guys change into swim trunks and take a dip
in the lake.
After a little over an hour at Iceberg Lake there were now about 30
people nearby.
It was no longer quiet, it was now noisy and less than relaxing and
heavenly.
While I was very sad to leave, it was time..this place had become a
noisy zoo and more people were streaming in every few minutes now...
2019/08/23 11:04
Clouds starting rolling in...
Soon the clear blue sky was covered in high clouds
I met perhaps another hundred people coming up the trail.
I was so glad I'd seen the lake alone and early.
2019/08/23 11:04
2019/08/23 11:04
2019/08/23 11:50
2019/08/23 11:50
2019/08/23 11:50
2019/08/23 11:50
2019/08/23 11:50
2019/08/23 12:04
2019/08/23 12:04
2019/08/23 12:05
2019/08/23 12:05
I got back to the road and caught up to Kathy, CJ and Robby, who had
gone to Redrock Falls and were on their way back to the hotel.
2019/08/23 14:57
Kathy and I had to move to a lakefront room for our last two nights.
2019/08/23 16:19
2019/08/23 19:23
2019/08/23 19:23
2019/08/23 19:24
2019/08/23 19:24
2019/08/23 20:28
2019/08/23 20:28
2019/08/23 20:28
Duck again
2019/08/23 21:12
leaving our last dinner on our last night in Glacier - so sad!
2019/08/23 21:13
2019/08/23 21:14
2019/08/23 21:14
Previous
Thursday August 22, 2019
Many Glacier Hotel
Friday August 23, 2019
Iceberg Lake
Next
Saturday August 24, 2019
Many Glacier Hotel to El Granada
