Icebergs, Glaciers, Bears and more...

Glacier National Park and Waterton, Alberta, 

Canada in 3 days

Welcome to Glacier National Park (as the theme from Jurassic Park plays in the background)

This park surely didn't disappoint as we hiked and drove through the parts that were currently open.  I belong to a FB group for Glacier and have been following the NPS website, and I was a bit worried because there are a lot of trails not open yet; the main road through the park, The Going to the Sun Road, is still partially closed for plowing.  I thought maybe we wouldn't get to see enough; I was so wrong!

Glacier National Park: 1910, President Taft signed a bill that established it as a National Park. 

At one point there were 35 named glaciers in GNP, there are 25 left in the park today, all of which are receding. If current warming trending continue, they will all be gone by 2030.  Glacier National Park will be in name only.

Day One: Iceberg Lake Trail, 10 miles round trip

The first day we arrived we went to the ranger station at the St. Mary's entrance and talked to the nicest ranger from of all places, Pittsburgh.  Dori was from Mount Lebanon and has been working here since 2014.  She highlighted the best trails for us to see while we are here visiting.   

We decided to do the longest one first, Iceberg lake trail.  The first half mile was straight up hill but after that it was a slight incline, moderate hike for the next 4.5 miles.  We encountered chipmunks, some small rodent that reminded us of squirrels, and deer along the way.  The scenery was beautiful with snow capped mountains, spring growth of flowers and grasses abundant, and waterfalls.  The trail gets its name for its finale, Iceberg Lake, hidden in the Rocky Mountains, this glacier lake didn't disappoint.  Still frozen over, we were able to walk on part of it and got to see the most beautiful blue water.  We also watched some mountain goat descend down a series of steep cliffs.  Breath taking! 

We took coats with us thinking it would be cold, it was in the 70's and sunny! 

This deer came out to say, "Hi," and stood on the trail right in front of me for the longest time. 

The size of this waterfall was massive! 

First snow patch, everyone was excited, but it was weird to be walking on snow and hot and sweating at the same time. 

Waterfall come from Iceberg Lake, taken from about 1.5 miles away with my telephoto lens. 

These are Columbian Ground Squirrels, they were everywhere. 

Huge snow sheet about .5 miles from Iceberg Lake.

Lower Iceberg Lake with Brodey on the edge. 

Doug first spotted the mountain goat on the cliffs, they came down closer the longer we watched.

Lower Iceberg Lake

Closet thing I am going to get to standing on a glacier, have to settle for  frozen lake! 

Crystal clear blue ice water

Standing on Iceberg Lake

Going to the Sun Road: 

Later in the evening we took a ride 12 miles from the east side of Going to the Sun Road.  As far as the road was open at this point.  It took us past St. Mary Lake, to the Jackson Glacier Overlook.  

Wild Goose Island on St. Mary Lake

Loki came for a ride with us tonight, he is not allowed to hike in GNP. 

Right now, Jackson Glacier is the largest in the park. This is with snow pack still on it. 

Blackfoot Glacier is almost gone. 

On the way back from Jackson Glacier there was a crowd of people standing on the side of the road.  We pulled over and got the most spectacular show.  We all stayed a safe distance away and were very quiet. I can say this fulfilled my GNP wish, to see a bear! 

We also got up close with some deer.

And as we were leaving we saw some Moose in a field just grazing...

Day Two: Waterton, Alberta Canada and ....wait for it... an evening show of a Mama Bear and her cub on our way to St. Mary and Victoria Waterfalls! 

This day we headed over the Canadian border, about a 40 min drive.  GNP and Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park formed a Peace Agreement because the parks are connected.  It was an easy drive through more of GNP to a quaint little town called, Waterton, that sits on Upper Waterton Lake.  We had lunch, did a little window shopping, skipped some rocks on the lake, and got blown around while visiting the Prince of Wales Hotel. 

Chief Mountain, reminded us of Devil's Tower.  Stands at 9080ft. 

Welcome to Canada!

No wall here, but there is an actual border line. 

Prince of Wales Hotel: 

View of Waterton from the Prince of Wales Hotel

It was like being in a hurricane.  The boys had fun leaning into the wind! 

 

 The interior of the Waterton Hotel was majestic.  All I kept thinking was that my mom would love this place! They were serving High Tea in front of a wall of windows overlooking Upper Waterton Lake.

The town of Waterton: 

The boys didn't want their picture taken with a Canadian Mountie.  He wasn't going to let them get away that easy!

Canadian Mounted Police Head Quarters

Can we just say...OMG. This was unbelievable!

Going to the Sun Road part two:

While on our way out for an evening hike, we came across this mama bear and her cub.  They could smell a deer that had been hit and killed by the side of the road.  I will save you the gory pictures and stick with the cute ones.  Yes, mama is wearing a tracking collar.  We drove right by her on the side of the road but kept a safe distance while taking pictures.  They were taken with a telephoto lens and cropped to get them closer.  It did not take long for park rangers to show up and clear the carcass to help keep the people safe and the bear safe as well. 

Baby bear walking on hide legs. 

With deer carcass

St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls: 4 miles round trip

With it staying daylight until around 10:30 here, an evening hike that starts at 6:30 and lasted a 2.5 hours was no problem! 

St. Mary Falls

Doug says that if he has any hair that isn't grey by the end of the trip Brodey will have changed the rest of them! 

Victoria Falls. The water is so cold that the temperature at the falls was at least 20 degrees colder than on the trail. Thank goodness for our raincoats! 

The trees in this area were burned in the 2015 Reynolds Creek Fire, started by a camp fire, and burned about 4000 acres.

Day Three: Grinnell Glacier Trail: 7 miles round trip

We started out early this morning to hike as close as we could get to Grinnell, Salamander, and Little Gem Glaciers.   This trail followed around Swift Current Lake, along Lake Josephine, where it then ascended 1600 feet to the viewpoint.  Can I just say that my legs are burning tonight!  The views were amazing and kept our minds off the most intense stair climb of our lives.  But we did it! We had to stop at the viewpoint because the rest of the trail is still covered in snow and a ranger told us that around mid-July trail masters will use dynamite to bust up the rest of the snow on the trail in order to clear it!  

All these Glaciers still have their "snow blankets" on them, so they don't show the ice or how blue they are.  But it was still amazing to see them because at the rate they are receding they will be gone within the next 13 years or less. 

Swift Current Lake with Many Glacier Hotel in the background.

Grinnell Glacier Trail: 

Lake Josephine

 

Grinnell Lake in the distance with the Glaciers in the background

Not for the faint of heart or one who is afraid of heights!

Up and Up we go...

My 13 year old son...growing up so fast.  And yes, he climbed straight up that rock wall! 

Grinnell Lake and Grinnell Glacier are named after George Bird Grinnell, who fought to make Glacier a National Park. 

The Viewpoint:  Trail was warm and sunny.  Viewpoint was sunny but the winds were strong and it was freezing up there!  But we toughed it out to make this our view for lunch! 

The large, long piece of snow near the top of the mountain, is Salamander Glacier.  

This is Little Gem Glacier covered in snow. 

Little Gem is at the top center, there is a pack of snow below it, the long piece of snow below that, against the mountain, is the top of Grinnell Glacier, where more is hidden behind the mountain below.  You can see a peak of the ice in the middle of the glacier where the snow has either blown or melted off.  

This was as far as we could go...

It took us 2.5 hours from the parking lot to reach the viewpoint.  But only an hour to walk the 3.5 miles back down.  

Huckleberry Pie: We need Huckleberry's in Pennsylvania.  I might need to plant some myself! 

On the way back from our hike, we stopped at the Two Sister's Cafe for some Huckleberry Pie.  I am in love!  Hoping they have this in Yellowstone too! 

Thus ends our 4 nights, 3 full days in Glacier National Park.  It has been amazing! I would love to come back some day and explore it even more.  It will be sad to leave tomorrow but a week in Yellowstone awaits.  

If you don't hear from me for awhile it is because we are staying in the heart of Yellowstone at Fishing Bridge RV Park.  There is no WiFi and from what I have heard data is spotty.  I am sure I will have loads to share from Yellowstone!