Many Glacier, Glacier National Park -- a Hiker's Paradise



Redrock Falls

Cristin and I spent three days at the Many Glacier campground, day hiking the numerous trails that can be assessed right from the campground.  The National Park Service brochure says about Many Glacier, "Many people consider this area the heart of the park. Massive mountains, active glaciers, sparkling lakes, hiking trails, and abundant wildlife make this a favorite of visitors and locals alike".   We really enjoyed our stay.  We had a great campsite, the weather was perfect -- warm, sunny days, cool evenings, and the long days provided lots of opportunity to enjoy it.  The Swiftcurrent Motor Inn is adjacent to the campground and its great restaurant, camp store, ranger programs, gift shop, public showers and laundry are in reality integrated right into campground life.  It helped make the Many Glacier experience even better.  One of my guidebooks accurately summarizes, "The Swiftcurrent Motor Inn  is a hip hub of activity".    

 

Bullhead Lake, on the Swiftcurrent Pass trail



Many Glacier Hotel appears as a speck on Swiftcurrent Lake compared to the peaks
that surround it. The hotel is about 1 mile from the Many Glacier campground
 and like the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, it has a camp store, and a gift shop. 
It is a historic building, lodging unavailable in 2011 for remodeling. 

  

A Girl and Her Deer. 

 

The distinctive U-shape of a glacially carved valley,
as viewed from the Iceberg Lake trail
 (A river carves a V-shaped valley) 

  

Cristin carefully navigates a remnant snowfield
across an avalanche chute on our way to Iceberg Lake. 
For me, this was one of the most exciting and memorable moments of our trip.

  

The view looking down the avalanche chute
when crossing the snowfield.  Don't slip!

    

Running water from snow melt flowed everywhere we hiked,
and in an interesting variety of methods: cascades, showers, falls,
 right down the trail, over the trail, under the trail...you get the idea.

Iceberg Lake

  

Wildflowers were blooming in all the meadows.

  

Grinnell Lake as viewed from the Grinnell Glacier trail.

  

End of the line, at least for today!  The snowfield ahead (not visible in this pciture)
was impassable so we did not make it all the way to Grinnell Glacier. Note the distinctive thin black
sill of rock in the upper center part of the picture.  Most of the rock in Glacier
 is sedimentary. This igneaous sill of diorite is a noteworthy exception.

Cristin balances her way across a swaying suspension bridge on the trail to Grinnell Lake

A tour boat on Lake Josephine. Many people take boat tours from the Many Glacier Hotel, walk a short distance to Grinnell Lake and return via boat.  Cristin and I hiked out and took the boat back.  Two boats are required,one for Swiftcurrent Lake and one for Lake Josephine, so passengers have to walk a short distance to change boats. The boat on Lake Josephine spends winters in a boat house on the lake -- it never leaves.