GLACIER NATIONAL PARK SEPTEMBER 2014 -4- HIGH LINE TRAIL, A MUST FOR EVERY GLACIER PARK VISITOR!

9/15/14

Our last day at Glacier National Park. We are ready for the High Line trail, but we need some planning and help from the universe: Our plan is to go to the loop on the Sun Road, where our trail will end in the evening and find some good-hearted park visitors to give us a ride to the Logan Pass, where the High line trail begins. Since the free park shuttle is not available in September, the rangers recommended us that this is our only option unless we would like to pay the full tour price to the red bus tour of the park. With those thoughts in mind, we stop at the last cafe that is open at West Glacier. Hearty breakfast, sac lunch packed, all is well. Just as we are paying, the young cashier asks us were we are heading to. As he hears of High Line, he smiles "So you are ready to walk in 16 inches of snow, huh?"

High Line Trailhead at Logan Pass 

No, not really, where did that come from. Greg is slightly alarmed like I. He is adamant that we should be ready for ice and snow and 16 inches at that. We look at each other and agree to stop at Apgar visitor center to obtain updated information. A funny middle aged man greets us, but he doesn't know anything about 16 inches of snow on the trail. He does tell us though of a woman, who had pushed her 8-day husband off the trail on that particular route! And Greg remembers that being on the national news... I busy myself with other things as I believe Greg will make the best decision for both of us working with the ranger. Greg comes out with a smile on his face: "I did everything to get us out of High Line trail, without much success, we are going"! We both crack up and on we go up to the Loop.

Looking down on the Sun Road from our trail 

It doesn't take long, I explain our goal to only two drivers parked at the Loop. The first one doesn't have room in their van since their back seat is full with their travel goods, understandably so. The second one on the other hand reaches to their back seat and starts moving everything into their trunk to open up room for us. I've never done anything like this before, but I can see this working in national park setting. Greg is clearly neither used to this, nor he can believe this is possible and we are doing this. We get on...

 

High Line Trail on the left upper corner above the Sun Road

The friendly couple is from Sidney, Montana, he works for the fracking company that works in South Dakota and she runs a B&B for the company's workers. Sidney being on the border of the two states, they live in Montana and work in or for South Dakota. She enjoys national parks through driving around, sometimes he takes short hikes when she waits for him at the lookout points. His father was a military man and he was born in Germany. After living in other states, he came to Montana and met his wife, who had never lived anywhere beyond 2 hours diameter of Sidney. She discloses to us "he made me adventurous". I guess she refers to visits to Glacier and other places. Pleasant people, they drop us off at the Logan visitor's center and start their own exploration.

Finally out of the extremely dangerous zone 

Logan Pass is freezing at 10 am. I am glad I have packed everything warm I have, all of which I have already put on. We head toward the trailhead right away thinking, the sooner we start moving, the quicker we will warm up, at least I do. In 50 yards or so, what everybody has been talking about becomes reality: We had heard that the trail that ran along a cliff for 1/4 mile or so was dangerous and scary with 4-6 feet width and a sheer sharp drop of hundreds of feet into the valley below. But, we also heard that the rope anchored to the mountain, Garden Wall at that, was of great help. Once one is done with this initial 1/4 mile all would be fine! False my friends false, here is the truth... The said very dangerous part is not 1/4 mile, more so 1/2 mile. The width of the trail in that section is more like 3-4 feet not 4-6 feet. The said rope, which is indeed of extreme help, you hang onto it with all your might since your life is at stake, is available for only one half of that very dangerous stretch.

Greg dissapearing around a bend with Garden Wall above him

Especially, if you are inching through that stretch over snow and more so packed ice following last week's snow, that rope becomes detrimental and when it comes to an end when it is still needed for another 1/4 of a mile, it is nerve wrecking. Greg and I agree that most precautions about many aspects of the park both in the park literature and privately produced literature is overly exaggerated. However, the risks about this trail, for some reason are presented in a very underestimated manner. But, hey, despite all the difficulties we will make it. And I bet, all the underestimation is for the purpose of having everybody to experience this phenomenal beauty at least once in a life time. Yet, I still would like to share with the reader what goes through my mind during the first half mile that we will cover in about 45 minutes:

As breathtaking as scary 

When I see the narrow trail which makes a 90 degree angle toward the glacier carved valley down below... When I step into the snow on that trail followed with my first minor slip on ice that underlies the snow... When I recognize that this will be one long hike, who knows when it will end with the pace we are able to proceed over icy footing... When, at some point, I reach for the next section of the rope anchored onto the Garden Wall and find only an iron loop with no rope tied to it... When I look ahead and see that all there is is the same of the first 1/4 mile of the trail that we covered with turtle speed... When I realize who knows how long of a trail of the same quality there is ahead of us... All that comes to the tip of my tongue is the four letter "s..." word, which I swallow elegantly... I take deep breaths, remind myself of the need to be mindful of both the beauties and the dangers... I tell myself we will be fine. I hope we will...

One of the breathtaking vistas from High Line Trail 

I feel responsible for the well being of both of us, since with all the good intentions, I dragged Greg into this park, onto this trail, although, he gathered all the information he needed from the length of the trail, to the road conditions, to the difficulty of the first 1/4 of a mile of the trail, even to the fact that a woman married to her husband for only 8 days having pushed him off the ledge of the trail... I try to find humor in this nerve-wrecking uncertainty!

Garden Wall rising Majestically above the trail

Thinking of the ranger with sense of humor at Apgar visitor's center, him asking us out of the blue, how long we had been married as an overture to tell us his story line about the woman pushing her husband off the ledge, I leaving the room to allow the two men to exchange information so that Greg could make his own informed decision. I smile when I recall Greg coming out and telling me "OK, I used all my options to back out, I guess it is safe, we are doing High Line trail". 

Lake McDonald revealing itself inbetween the peaks of Glacier 

Recalling Jane, a fellow hiker from the trail yesterday telling us even her brother-in-law with Parkinson's disease having done the trail, and resolving we can do it as well. All these are fine, but now, the realities of the trail makes me second guess our decision. With all the worries flooding my mind, I check on Greg, he seems to be perfectly fine. When we share our inner feelings later on he will tell me, he thought I was perfectly fine, too!!! I guess our positive outlook helps us a great deal. We push on, one step at a time, very carefully at that. I try to step on the loose snow rather than packed ice; Garden Wall up above our heads, the sheer cliffs dropping down to the valley below, we push on that snake-like thin, unforgiving trail hundreds of yards above the Going-to-the-sun Road.

Finally, close up mountain goats 

After a while, all of a sudden, as we get out of the shade of the Garden Wall with a west turn on the trail, the footing becomes surer, drier, less slippery and wider... I can't begin to tell you what a reassuring feeling it is to feel the soil have the friction you need under the sole of your shoes at such altitude. With the better footing, I feel my body becomes more erect and I more sure of my steps. I can even look around in search of the promised mountain goats and big horn sheep. We can start looking around to enjoy the peaks surrounding Logan Pass first, the weeping wall later. We witness all the structures we saw along the Sun Road from up above, looking down now. What a gratifying experience... I want to worship our legs and feet that we take for granted most of the time. Without them, how could we savor what we are witnessing right now?

Lake McDonald in full view just before the chalette 

The rest of the trail is indeed a feast in and of itself. I tell Greg at some point that this kind of trail is my most favorite. Walking along a mountain side, when you can observe open panorama across distances. I have had that experience in many locations including Rocky Mountains, Yosemite, Yellowstone, even in New Jersey... However, never for this long of a stretch. For 7 miles we look down into the Mc Donald Valley and savor the vistas it provides from the river bed to water falls, to mountain tops, to glaciers, to chutes, to avalanches, to forests, to lakes, you name it.

Finally at the Granite Park Chalette 

What is most impressive for me is to observe Lake McDonald reveal itself for over 2 miles from its eastern end and finally disappear as we take the turn toward the ridge, on top of which Granite Chalet at 7.5 miles is waiting for us. Are we ready to take a break and have lunch! We devour everything that we brought for lunch, and my, do they taste good! We have close to 5 more miles and all down hill. I am worried about Greg's right foot, the heel of which blistered badly after two days of hiking. He has been hanging on bravely. We start our descend, certainly with not much pleasure after having seen the best Glacier Park has to offer. 

Greg drinking water out of the plastic bag into which his dysfunctioning "bladder" spilled all his drinking water 

As we head down the Granite Park Peak toward the Sun Road, the Heaven's Peak emerges with all her grandeur and at this angle with the glacier capping her like a bride's veil hanging down from her peak down her side. The glacier is reflecting all the sun can impose upon it making the mountain's chest a mirror. Just as it loses its shimmer as we have descended quite a bit in an hour, Upper Mc Donald Falls falling from the middle of the mountain all the way down to the Mc Donald Creek, the longest in the park with its 28 plus miles length emerges dividing the Heaven's Peak Mountain into two halves. What a remarkable vista...

Heaven's Peak with its glacier and Upper McDonald Falls down below

By the time we come down, it is 5:30 and we are indeed content that we have done it, but more so that it is over! 7 hours on the trail is enough for us at our age. We love our rental car seats more than ever today... When all is said and done, I can't help resolving one more time "No wonder, Native Americans, who roamed every crevice of this land appreciated its beauty" and worth to the extent they did, making this park's territory their sacred land.

Bear poop with huckleberries in it! 

With every hike, discovering more of the details the park holds precious and putting the pieces of the puzzle together, Glacier National Park has become a place much "bigger" than what hits the eye for both of us. I definitely would like to come back to this place at least one more time to explore its treasures a bit more especially stretching a bit north to the Canadian park territory. Who knows when and if we will be able to come back. We are very happy that we were able to visit this sacred land before the remaining glaciers salute us all farewell and recede to their eternal resting place, the atmosphere, in which we, mankind is creating the killer of many a treasures on this earth.

Glacier made us both very happy with all its offerings....

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK SEPTEMBER 2014 -3- ICEBERG LAKE AND PTARMIGAN GLACIER IN THE BOWL OF GARDEN WALL OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

9/14/14

Our second full day in the park, we get up at 6 am. We have a full day ahead of us. Three hours of driving to the northeast section of the park, Many Glacier from Columbia Falls, obtaining additional information to decide on which hike to do, 5-6 hours of hiking, and 3 hours of drive back all need to fit into 12-13 hours. When we arrive at Apgar village cafe for breakfast, it is barely 7, and we discover that this café is closing for the season today. We have a great breakfast and secure a sack lunch with another turkey sandwich, an orange and potato chips. We’ve learned our way around here, it looks like all the area eateries are into providing sack lunch to hikers, a first for me in any national park I’ve visited. Perhaps due to the scarcity of services available within Glacier. 

Early sign of fall in Glacier

After obtaining information on where we can have breakfast the next day, we fair good-bye to our pleasant server and head up to the Logan Pass and beyond. Yes the road is indeed open and past the weeping wall, the scenery really gets wilder. As we move to the Big Bend, we see many more of the avalanche paths scarring the face of the mountains. Apparently, when enormous amounts of snow go into an avalanche, they uproot trees and boulders among others, one book says “like tooth picks”, to pile them up at lower elevations. Soon after leaving the bend, we see the engineering marvel of the last century: Triple Arches that carry the weight of the entire section of the Sun Road.

Triple arches carrying a section of the Sun Road 

Just before we arrive at Logan Pass, we come across a sheer wall rising up above the road. Garden Wall was apparently carved the way it presents itself to the viewers by two immense glaciers from both sides. On the west side of it, with the milder and more moist conditions, a variety of perennial wild flowers, some of which may be 50-60 years old bloom from end of July till September. Since, the park has already been somewhat scorched by the storm of last week, we will be able to see tomorrow only some of the remaining flowers in bloom. Most plants and flowers will be either wilted with freeze and defrost or gone to seed. We don't know yet, that we will actually walk along its east side most of the afternoon in just a few hours.

The east face of the Garden Wall 

Finally, we are at the infamous Logan Pass, sitting across from Mount Oberlin at 6646 feet elevation saddling the Continental Divide. Continental Divide is a range of mountains starting in Mexico and running the entire length of North America till Alaska and Yukon in Canada. The last 110 miles of the 3100 mile of the Continental Divide is in Glacier National Park. The significance of this divide is enormous since it determines the water flow and drainage in two halves of Northern America, on the west of the divide to the Pacific Ocean and on the east to Gulf of Mexico. Mount Cleveland, the highest peak in the park is also visible from Oberlin outlook at the pass. Another unique feature of the pass is the big snow drift that may rise up to a record of 98 feet!

Garden Wall from the West side and the High Line trail cutting across its surface  

Greg identifies the trailhead for the High Line trail that we will do tomorrow, the most scenic of all trails in North America Greg read online somewhere, we are yet to see with our own eyes. We move on toward Many Glacier. After passing through the East Tunnel, we come across Siyeh Bend, which is well known for its wild flowers and trailheads leading to Piegan and Siyeh Passes, which we won't have time to do this time. However, we take a quick look at the over 10,000-foot high Siyeh Peak and Blackfoot Glacier in the distance before moving on further only to see another impressive glacier: Jackson Glacier; the closest we will come to a glacier other than the one that we will see in the afternoon:

Blackfoot Glacier inbetween peaks in the distance 

Jackson Peak is the sixth highest in the park. Majestic, profound, but disappearing, is this the fate of our earth, or is it man-made? In early nineteenth hundreds for instance, Jackson and Blackfoot Glaciers were one single glacier, which became two distinct glaciers in 1939. Why did glaciers that have survived just fine, millions of years shrink to a quarter of their size in just 100 years? Greg being an environmental scientist is extremely concerned about this phenomenon and its origins: Man-made he thinks so do I. Just as we dwell on those worries, we come across a group of people on the roadside, looking at a certain direction with intent…

Jackson Glacier visible for a split second from the road 

We know this social body language: Wildlife is in the visual field! We park and join the crowd, indeed about hundred yards below the road within the bushes is the head of a grizzly, having her breakfast; pays no attention to us, the head goes up and down coming out while chewing on her pick. It certainly gives one a thrill to be so close to a grizzly but yet, so far… At another such stop, the spectators tell us they see a black bear up on the slopes hundreds of yards above us, but alas without the binoculars I planned to take along but forgot to do so, we cannot identify what they see. Yet, we will see mountain goats and bighorn sheep on the trail this afternoon adding variety to our wildlife experience.

St. Mary Lake past Siyeh bend 

So far every national park I visited has remained in the shadow compared to Yellowstone in terms of wildlife among other features. As we move through the backcountry of Glacier, this notion of mine will only be confirmed one more time. Yellowstone is rich with its buffalos, its black and grizzly bears, deer, elk, moose, even its gray wolf, all of which I was lucky to encounter in one single trip over 5 days once upon a time. None of this variety at Glacier… I can’t wait to go back to Yellowstone one more time one of these days…

St. Mary is a long long lake... 

Gradually, as we descend, Lake St. Mary comes into view from different directions on the undulating Sun Road. Glacier National Park has an interesting service that I have not seen in other national parks: Chalets. Most chalets are located in the backcountry to which you have to hike. But when you reach them in season, you may have access to food and room to stay in. We will visit the Granite Park Chalet tomorrow, which will be a day after its closure for the season. We learn that it was around Lake St. Mary that the chalet services started way back then when the railroad reached the park. The one around this lake is accessible via a boat ride. In the earlier times of the park, the lodges were also accessible by a boat ride across the lakes they are located on.

Approaching the Many Glacier Hotel on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake 

Wild Goose Island is a lovely interruption in the middle of the lake. After a pleasant ride along the lake for quite some time, we veer toward north east and exit the park at St. Mary east entrance. We have to take Highway 89 up north to re-enter the park at Many Glacier entrance. To our surprise, there is no visitor's center at this entrance but Many Glacier Hotel staff functions as rangers! Two young men guide us beautifully and we make our decision: Grinell Glacier hike with its 11 miles length and mostly climbing up with a 1600 feet elevation gain may be too strenuous for our second day on trail at this high elevation, especially considering a total of 6 hours of driving time we have to take into consideration. Iceberg Lake trail that will take us to Ptarmigan Mountain Glacier via a 9.6 mile trail with 1200 elevation gain may be a better choice. We like our consensus decision and head toward Motor Inn to find the trailhead for Iceberg Lake.

The closest we could get to bighorn sheep 

It starts with, indeed, a very steep climb, but our travel book states this elevation gain is “almost” all of the elevation to be gained throughout the trail: wrong! It is not only nowhere near almost all, it probably isn’t even half of it! The entire trail consists of ups and downs, we agree in the end that the amount of net elevation gain may be 1200 feet but the total climbing is much more than that. We meet a very lovely couple on the trail. Jane and Chris from Helena, Montana. Chris is an information technology person, they are both into hiking and they do it well. We keep company for the good part of the trail and see the mountain goats and bighorn sheep together. Another group on the trail see a moose, but by the time we accommodate ourselves, it has already moved into the thicket of the woods; that’s wild life, we catch some and miss some. 

From the east side Garden wall looks like a thin layer of rock, west side proves it is still a mountain!

Finally, after a 3-hour hike, we spot the blue of the iceberg lake at the bottom of the Ptarmigan mountain, on the chest of which sits the glacier with humility. As we approach that sliver of blue disappears to be replaced with a beautiful, serene small lake to the right of the trail, with no icebergs, though. However, we already know from fellow hikers that this is just a prelude to what is awaiting us. We push on, until after climbing over a ridge, the lake appears with its frozen surface and icebergs floating in it gracefully. Most of the current glacier is in the shade of the bowl created by a much larger glacier that disappeared over time into this very small, yet, still majestic remnant.

Prelude to Iceberg Lake 

As we find a rock to sit on to observe this beauty during our lunch break, we are startled with a crackling sound that I had never heard before. Not surprising since I have never been near a glacier before. Greg figures out, the glacier is crackling; it must have been crackling like this for a long time: Its surface is full of wide open cracks. I wonder if these cracks may lead to further cracks due to new snow filling in, freezing into ice and widening the crack at some point. Greg tells me about Everest climbers telling stories about constant crackling they slept along with while climbing up to the Everest.

Ptarmigan Glacier and Iceberg Lake

I recall hearing a deep "boang" sound coming from the frozen Iowa River while taking a walk with my daughter's dog Zela in City Park one day last winter. However, this is different and much more chilling: As we get ready to leave the lake, we hear the glacier crackle one more time as if she says good bye to us. Hike down is much easier, another proof that we climbed quite a bit on the way up. We arrive back to Many Glacier Hotel much earlier than we expected: We deserve a glass of beer under the soothing sun on the deck looking at Swiftcurrent Lake and Mount Henkel.

Happy campers by Iceberg Lake, surface of which is frozen almost at all times

By the time we are relatively rested and relaxed, it is time to go back "home", how quickly we become attached to places that house us, as briefly as it may be. Both of us are calling our room 24 at Lake Meadow Lodge "home" now. We also make a note of how comfortable Greg is today on the infamously scary Going-to-the-Sun Road. We are back to our hotel by 7:30 and ready to enjoy a lovely dinner facing the sunset after a long day of rewarding hiking, promising ourselves to do the Grinnell Glacier hike the next time we come to the park. Whether we will be able to touch the glacier with our very feet or not then, is another story…

Mount Henkel from the deck of Many Glacier Hotel

Sunset at our Meadow Lake Lodge in Columbia Falls