It's About the (RV) Journey....: Glacier National Park-Iceberg Lake...............

Many Glacier is another area on the east side of the park we wanted to explore. Due to the Going-to-the-Sun Road closure for fire activity, we took an alternate route and drove around the park. It was a long drive, about two and a half hours, but it was so worth it. Our goal was to hike to Iceberg Lake, a very popular trail in the park. For more information, click here. I would say that was in the top five of the best hikes I've ever done!

The drive into Many Glacier was gorgeous, with the many glaciers, mountains, lakes, river, and waterfalls. Oh, and the wildflowers too!

trains are frequent and long here

going around the park..the landscape was very different

heading into Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park

stunning scenery

just beautiful

We did not see many cars or people until we got to the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. The trailhead is behind the Inn, and there were lots of people starting out too. The hardest part of the trail is in the very beginning. The trail is pretty steep for the first few minutes, but then levels off to a very pleasant walk. Though the trail is constantly climbing, you can hardly notice as you walk along gawking at the scenery. (Believe it or not, my fitbit measured 143 flights of stairs)! The wildflowers were still in bloom as well, which was an added treat.

this way

pretty steep climb in the beginning

look at that scenery!

lots of wildflowers and some little waterfalls

we are going to the circ on the left where you can see the snow....that is where Iceberg Lake is

checking the hillsides (up and down) for grizzlies! We are in prime grizzly habitat here

Parts of the trail go through prime grizzly country, so we were extra loud along the way. As we were walking, we saw hikers ahead of us stopped and taking pictures like crazy looking up the hillside. No grizzly, but a moose! Unexpected to see one here! Wow! We were so excited!

what is that?

a moose! snacking on the upper hillside!

Most of the trail was on the hillside, but some of it went through forested area. The temperature was in the 70's, just perfect, but the sun was mighty strong on that mountain trail. We were prepared with hats, long sleeves, and sunblock. We also had fleeces and ponchos with us too, just in case, because as you can see, you are in the elements and need to be prepared. There is no cover.

At about the halfway point, a perfect "resting spot" is Ptarmigan Falls, which is just lovely. You can hear it really well as you approach it, but its very difficult to see and photograph it through the trees. It is at a very steep dropoff if you try to photograph it from the top; you can't just lean forward without taking your life in your hands, if you know what I mean. Anyway, just beyond the bend, there are plenty of flat rocks to sit on, and a mellow part of the waterfall right before it drops to the powerful waterfall we can hear. Oh, yes, and a ton of other hikers taking a break here too. Fun!

the trail is pretty wide

going through forest area now

we are at the halfway point....we see the Ptarmigan Waterfalls

difficult to get a good pic because it is so steep here

looking through the trees

a beautiful waterfall... but very hard to photograph

resting spot at the top of the falls

we didn't stay too long..

part of the falls

and this is where it will cascade down to that long falls we saw in the previous pics

The trail splits off here for other destinations, but we were continuing on to Iceberg Lake. The views were so astounding along the way. All I can say is "wow"! We could see our destination coming a little closer, it was the snow covered circ in the distance.

heading through more forest

can't get lost on this trail

admiring the view-that is our destination-in the circ where the snow is

a beautiful hike

the views are priceless

our destination behind us-where the snow is

great view of a waterfall across the way

nature at its finest

still heading to the lake

this part of the trail was a bit tense for me...but just for a few seconds

gawking at the view

a photo stop

our destination is just ahead

the view across from the trail

another waterfall in view

waterfalls are everywhere

The flowers were blooming beautifully all around us. So many different kinds of wildflowers! All just beautiful. We were so pleasantly surprised, because we thought maybe the season was over. No matter. The views were just unbelievable. It was like walking through a post card. No kidding!And when we got our first look at the lake...it was just the icing on the cake!

and wildflowers too!

a new one for us

pretty

first look!

There is another glacial lake as you make the approach to Iceberg Lake. It too is beautiful, and is surrounded by wildflowers in the meadow, and beautiful rock boundaries. The color of the water is so blue/turquoise/green, depending on the sun.

I'll be right there....

looks like an infinity pool! its another waterfall start

okay

gorgeous

heading up

a small lake BEFORE we get to Iceberg Lake

Once past the smaller lake, there is one more hill to get over, but then the view....oh boy! Walking down the path surrounded by wildflower filled meadows, you approach the lake. The color is amazing, and its so cool to see the icebergs floating. The view of the icebergs is better from higher up on the hill, because once you get to the lake, some of us aren't tall enough to see the broken pieces of ice/snow and individual icebergs. Hahaha. Except for the bergs floating solo.

there's Iceberg Lake...up and over the hill

through the wildflower meadow and just past the evergreen trees

what a sight!

its gorgeous!

a gem in the middle of Glacier National Park

you can hear it calving too

the lake is such a beautiful color, especially when the sun shines on it

so pretty

Most people walk down the path in a "trance-like state"...it is that amazing. The area at that part of the lake gets pretty crowded. We spotted another trail that went through the meadow, and brought us down a little bit farther along the shore so we could have a nice spot for lunch. We had stuffed salmon leftovers from our dinner the night before...so it was a special lunch at a special venue! As we sat eating our lunch and gawking at the beauty before us, some young guys came and were hell bent on going in the water. I think they had bets going, and of course they had their cell phones handy so they could get the facebook post up ASAP when they had cell service. They were fun to watch, and good natured-ly let me take a picture of them. It was great to see young people so enthused with the natural beauty of the place! It really was a magical place.

walking across the wildflower meadow on a trail to a more secluded area of the lakefront

a few floating icebergs near the edge

just gorgeous

what a beautiful spot on this earth

we are at lake level, so hard to differentiate the icebergs from here

isn't this a beautiful spot Susie?

good place for lunch!! our special salmon lunch to enjoy at this most beautiful spot!

these young dudes braved the icy water (and let me take their pic!)

wow!

sometimes people try to stand on the bergs if they are close enough

a beautiful sight

love the colors!

its lovely and cool here too....very refreshing

isn't this amazing?!

It seemed that all too soon we had to leave to head out on the long walk back. I couldn't resist turning around and snapping a few more pics in case my memory of this gorgeous view fades. Oh, and you could hear this scene too, at the waterfront. The ice was crackling and calving as we sat there eating and appreciating the beautiful scene before us.

heading back out, but one last view

and a closer look

The good news was that though the way back was long, the views were amazing at every turn. Except for a couple of spots on the trail that made my heart beat too fast! Hahah! Actually, there were only two spots that were not too much fun for me, but they were short and I managed. Yeah me!

ready Susie?

gorgeous meadow of wildflowers

the views going back are astounding as well

so pretty

takes your breath away

the views on this hike are top notch

wow!

one more

a little scary when there is no foliage at the side of the trail

contemplating the view

check that out!

going through the trees now!

such a healthy looking forest

wasn't this a great hike?

Since we were so close, we stopped at the Many Glacier Inn to look around and enjoy the views from there. We also decided to treat ourselves to an early dinner, since we had a long ride back. The food was delicious and really refueled us. Especially the huckleberry cobbler with huckleberry ice cream. What a great day!

at Many Glacier Lodge

checking out the lodge

its pretty windy here!

hope they have a restaurant!

worked up an appetite

refueling!

have to have huckleberry cobbler and huckleberry ice cream here!

view from the lodge deck

very pretty here

Driving back, we could see the hazy smoke from the forest fire in the St. Mary's area of Glacier, and we saw the heliport set up for the emergency crews and firefighters. Not sure if this was the command center, but there were some serious satellites here. Very sobering to see this, especially after enjoying the incredible beauty of the national park. I hope not too much of it was destroyed by the fire.

fire fighting heliport area

you can see the haze just past the forested hill...and the smell was quite strong

very hazy and dispersed smoke...but this was the worst that we saw....

emergency equipment

smokey haze from the fire

you can see the haze here as well...and the charred smell is pretty strong too

another train...this one was interesting

Very close to "home", we ended up in a wildlife jam, and of course pulled over and grabbed our cameras. A herd of mountain goats were grazing along the mountainside, and another few were scaling the rocks on the other side of the bridge across the street. Watching them walk down that steep rock surface was incredible. How do they do that?