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| Hiking | 13.58 Miles |
2,835 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.58 Miles | 7 Hrs 39 Mns | | 2.07 mph |
| 2,835 ft AEG | 1 Hour 5 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Glacier Day 5
After a short rain shower the day before, and a stiff breeze, we awoke Thursday morning to smoke-free skies for our last major hike in Glacier NP--the Grinnell Glacier Trail!! 
We had originally slated this hike for Monday, but the trail was closed above Lake Josephine due to bear activity. So, we postponed till Thursday, hoping that the trail would be open by then. It was.
And with the clear day, we saved the best for last.
We arrived at the trailhead just as the last few spots were filling up. However, even with the full parking area, the trail wasn't overly crowded, and we were able to enjoy a fair amount of solitude for the first several miles. Those miles cut through forrested area until the trail connects with the upper banks of Swiftcurrent Lake. The trail then continues and skirts along the edge of Lake Josephine. Views are outstanding over the lakes. In one of the more protected pools along the side of Lake Josephine, there was a large "iceberg" still present, despite the unseasonably warm temperatures.
Beyond the upper end of Lake Josephine, the trail begins to gain elevation, and with it, the postcard views get even better as the turquoise blue of Grinnell Lake comes into view. The breeze was still present from the night before and helped keep us cool on the climb.
A little more than 4.5 miles in, the trail crosses a drainage where the snow melt and sheer wall requires passing through a quick shower, or dropping down off the trail to skirt the spot and the climbing back up. On the return trip, we chose to go "full shower" and it kept us cool on the descent.
Just before the final climb to the glacier, NPS has created a rest area with pit toilets that are well placed and hidden from view.
The final climb is more strenuous that I was anticipating. Not crazy, but I did find myself thinking: Aren't we there yet?
After cresting the hill, the glacier comes into view and lives up to the hype. We did some careful wandering out onto the still frozen edges of the the lake, and I explored some of the crumbling ice flow at the edge of the lake. Standing still and just listening, I could hear signs of glacial movement--rocks sloughing off into crevasses and ice chunks falling into the water.
We spent some time relaxing and just enjoying the views, including looking up at the overlook far above, where we had been the previous day.
The return trip was just as beautiful. At Lake Josephine, my wife contemplated trying to head over to the boat dock and hitch a ride back over the lakes, but ultimately decided to just hike it out. As it was, I think we got back to the TH faster anyway.
At the gap between Lake Josephine and Swiftcurrent Lake, I decided to cross over and head down the trail on the opposite side. It gave me a chance to see the views of the mountains from the Many Glacier Hotel side without the smokescreen I first encountered there on Sunday. Excellent views with some nice clouds to accent the scene.
I wished I could have teleported to Iceberg Lake to see what a difference the smoke-free skies would have on the views there .... But mostly, I was just grateful that we were able to enjoy at least one crystal clear day in the park.
Stopped in at Heidi's Snack Shop in Many Glacier Hotel for some ice cream and treats before heading back to the Airbnb for a well-earned nap.  After some rest, we hopped in the car and explored various pull outs on Going-to-the-Sun Road before hitting dinner again in West Glacier. |
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