Are we there, yet?
After my race I scheduled 4 days of hiking in Glacier NP for recovery. I chose the Two Medicine area over St Mary's and Many Glacier because I expected it to be less crowded and it also seemed to have more choices in ranger-led hikes that were more than a 30-60 minute nature walk.Sunday morning the day after my HURL Elkhorn 50K race, which I DNFed because I couldn't make a cutoff time, I got up early and drove straight to Two Medicine so I could catch the hike to Scenic Point. It's a nice little jaunt up 16 switchbacks and 2350 ft of gain in the course of 4 miles to some spectacular views. Judge for yourselves.
A waterfall early in the hike
After a few switchbacks. Two Medicine Lake and the camp store on the shore
A couple young hikers on an outcropping we passed
Looking out toward the park entrance
Almost to the top now
Finally!
On day two there wasn't anything near Two Medicine that compared to Piegan Pass, so I drove up to St Mary's and Going-to-the-Sun Road for the Piegan Pass Hike.
St Mary's Lake and Wild Goose Island on the way
Looking up from Siyeh Bend and the trailhead
Mother grizzly and cub on the slope
Looking up and ahead from just below the tree line
One of several creeks we crossed
Many Glacier Valley after we crossed the pass
One of the marmots at the pass
On the way down with the road where we started in the background
The next day I was back at Two Medicine for the most challenging of the hikes, up to Dawson Pass and back climbing 2450 ft. We're headed somewhere up there.
Cliffs looming over us after we hiked above the tree line
Nearing the top but still a bit of a climb before the rains came
It got a little windy, rainy, and cloudy up there
Finally on day 4 I made the hike to Cobalt Lake. We passed some prime beaver and moose habitat
A ruffed grouse that wouldn't get off the trail
Yep, more clouds and rain today
Rockwell Falls before we started gaining elevation
Have to get a photo of me and the falls
The weather wasn't really cooperating
And Cobalt Lake, a good environment for pikas in the rocks on the far side, but the rain must have kept them in their burrows
On the way down we stopped by a suspension bridge, maximum capacity one hiker, to wait for a straggler. Four of the hikers didn't want to wait and continued back on their own. When the straggler arrived he said to go ahead and not wait for him because he was stopping frequently to take photos, so I had the ranger all to myself for the last few miles. I got to hear lots of stories and ask all the questions I wanted to. We also spotted a three-toed woodpecker, which though fairly common is not seen that often. My birding friends are jealous now.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
running under the BigSky
Sweet trip! Nothing like a bunch of climbing and altitude to recover from a tough race
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
Sue
Thanks for sharing all the pictures George...bummer on the weather.
05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K
08/19/23 Marquette 50 dns 🙄
That is amazing.
LB2
Tim
Looks like a fantastic trip/ Glacier and Alaska are next on my bucket list. You got to Glacier, and Lace-up is in Alaska now, so I'm pretty jealous.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
That looks wonderful. Crossed going to the sun road once but didn't get any hiking in. I think the farther north you go the nicer the Rockies are.
Really nice photos thanks!!! Looks like a great way to recover.
2/17/24 - Forgotten Florida 100 Mile, Christmas, FL
Great pics. Thanks for posting
I've been to Alaska also. Denali is of course a must see, but Wrangel-St Elias is also great.