Beaver Pond Loop GNP • Hike • Montana • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Guides 21
Routes 1,182
Photos 36,858
Triplogs 1,570

69 female

Joined Feb 26 2004
Phoenix, AZ

[ checklist ] Angelica Aspen Fleabane Baneberry Birchleaf Spiraea Blanketflower Cow Parsnip Cutleaf anemone Fireweed Harebell Pearly Everlasting Stinging nettle Wormleaf stonecrop

North Central, MT

Hiking		Jul 10 2023
		tibber • Triplogs 1,570

Hiking	3.53 Miles	380 AEG

Hiking	3.53 Miles
	380 ft AEG

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So that I could get into the Two Medicine Valley, first thing at 8AM I had to get online to get a pass for Two Medicine road, a new system this year as well as for Many Glacier road. You can get in before 6AM and after 3PM without a road pass. I decided to at least do some ranger-guided hikes so that my failure at the 6-nite backpack isn't a total loss. I first did this ranger-guided hike ten years ago this month.

This time we would go in a counter clockwise direction. I prefer it the other way because you get longer views of the mountains to the south and west. This was our young ranger's first time at Glacier Park and I gathered the Beaver Pond event was not his normal interpretive duties besides taking tickets, watching over parking lots and interpretive talks at Rising Sun. Overall, I thought he did pretty good.

The other issue thruout the hike was the weather. It rained/sprinkled off and on the entire hike so I got good use of my umbrella. The biggest advantage for me was the filtered light so I could comfortably use my Ultra 22 throughout the hike to the point that near the end, it turned off from exhaustion

; just kidding - the battery was done. You walk near St Mary Lake, by a vacant beaver pond, and then up into the forest with tall thimbleberry from time to time. The flora was outstanding. We definitely hit peak season. The Showy Fleabane was probably the best of show as to volume and outstanding color. There was lots of other flora too so I will post a rather large photoset.

The ranger offered up info about the Blackfeet who have been here for so long. He also talked about the forming of the area via what he called the last ice age. He also showed us a tree with bear claw scratch marks and fur from where it rubbed its back. This tree just happened to be at the top of the loop. We continued eastish as we walked into a big aspen area. The first thing you get to see is a meadow of all sorts of flowers

. We eventually came to a very large pond where he showed us some of the beaver-cut wood and on the other side of the lake, the beaver mansion. It's a pretty pond.

From here we hiked via flower lanes through mostly aspen and in and out of flower laden meadows. It is a little more difficult to shoot photos/videos when holding an umbrella but I did my best. The last big meadow had Blanketflowers throughout but very hard to photograph and per usual, I had to catch up with the group as only a few stopped to get photos. There were about 8 of us (2 German women, a family of 3 from San Francisco, a gal from Iowa and another from Colorado).

My quads were still sore from yesterday's hike so this was perfect. I stopped at the KOA office to pick up a Huck It that they kept chilled for me as I couldn't check into the new cabin until after the hike. I also bot 3 six-packs of Huck It, cleaned out the store, so I now have five. And, of course, I got a cup of Huckleberry ice cream to eat , Yum!

I was all decked out in my Huckleberry colors including my nail polish, earrings, shirt and hat (the color of the ice cream) which got a lot of comments at the various places I stopped today. Oh, I also gave one of the gals that just turned 21 a Huck It and she was on her way out to go try it.

The next few nights my legs were itching something fierce. I had worn shorts but I don't know what got to me as it wasn't mosquitoes. After reviewing my pictures and realizing one had Stinging Nettle, that could be the culprit. Fortunately I had brought some Solarcaine spray so that helped.

Video 1 northside of the loop [ youtube video ]
Video 2 topside of the loop to the big pond [ youtube video ]
Video 3 from the big pond through the meadows [ youtube video ] (haven't reviewed this one yet 8-16-2023)

WATCH 1:11-3:16PM, 3.1 miles (altho the gpx showed 3.53 after syncing elevation profile), 4499-4794 elevation, 114 avg bpm burning 592 calories

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Columbian Ground Squirrel

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Singleshot Mountain

Wildflowers Observation Extreme
Additional flowers: Pointed Mariposa Lily, Showy Locoweed, Twinberry Honeysuckle, Self-Heal/Heal All, Northern Bedstraw, Canadian Milkvetch, Thimbleberry, Sulphur Buckwheat, Shrubby Cinquefoil, Wester Yarrow, Richardson Geranium, Alumroot, Lupine, Lousewort, Serviceberry

_____________________

For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled.

Jul 18 2022

Guides 21
Routes 1,182
Photos 36,858
Triplogs 1,570

69 female

Joined Feb 26 2004
Phoenix, AZ

[ checklist ] Blanketflower Cinquefoil Cow Parsnip Northern Bedstraw Prairie Smoke Prickly Rose Red Clover Richardsons Geranium Roundleaf alumroot Showy locoweed Silvery lupine Sticky Geranium Subalpine fleabane thinleaved owl's-clover Wood's Rose Yellow Penstemon Yellow Sweet Clover

North Central, MT

Hiking		Jul 18 2022
		tibber • Triplogs 1,570

Hiking	1.52 Miles	87 AEG

Hiking	1.52 Miles	1 Hour 4 Mns	1.60 mph
	87 ft AEG	7 Mns Break

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I am writing this 9-14-2022. First thing in the AM we went over to the St Mary VC to pick up our backpacking permit in hopes that we could make a change from the last two nites at Glenn's Foot to the last nite at Cosley Lake. We thot there would be more people in line but it was only another couple. Others would start showing up as it got closer to opening at 7AM. But, one problem, the computers were down yesterday so they were having to update everything by hand, plus the computers were still not back online. As the one ranger said, well at least no one else can get permit updates either. About 20 minutes later it was a go and we were able to adjust our permit, yeah! I love Cosley Lake even though all of us had stayed there before; it was definitely better than GLF and we would have a mile and 1/2 less to hike out. We didn't know that the other backpacker ahead of us was through-hiking the CDT as we would run into him on our hike out.

We got breakfast at St Mary Lodge which involves putting in your order and it being delivered to your table in a paper sack. This was the same at the Park Cafe. I'll be glad when everyone can be fully staffed so we can have our meals delivered on a plate with real silverware!

Next we headed over to our partial hike of the Beaver Pond Loop. I can't remember why we decided against doing the whole loop other than bad weather was coming in and my knee was bothering me. So I suggested we walk part of the northern part along St Mary Lake. It was very windy as we made our way from the prairie through the edge of the forest. We got to enjoy the wildflowers, the lake, the forest and the mountains.

The main wildflower was the Red Clover, it was everywhere. The trail continues officially next to the forest but we decided to hike alongside the lake instead. There were a few obstacles here and there but it was nice to be so close to the lake. We had nice views across the way to Singleshot Mountain and ahead to Red Eagle Mountain. I would like to backpack to REH (Red Eagle Head). It's 8 miles and though the area is burned, it makes for wide open views at Red Eagle Lake.   We eventually came to a big downed tree that we couldn't get around. On our way back we saw a Common GoldenEye Duck and beautifully colored rocks in the lake.

We headed up to the 1913 Ranger Station and Barn before coming back to the Trailhead area to investigate the flat plains that were covered in flowers including Owl Clover... though not like what we have here. It was really very windy so nearly impossible to get good photos of the flora for a good part of our hike. I did get a couple movies though. There was lots of Prairie Smoke which is one of my favorite flowers here in Glacier National Park. We didn't see anyone else but there were a couple cars.

After, we headed to the Park Cafe where we both agreed we had the best piece of huckleberry pie, but that was mostly due to it having no top crust and very little filler. As to the rest of the lunch served to us in a paper bag, not the best. We spent most of the rest of the afternoon in the cabin getting our backpacks ready for tomorrow. It started storming off and on. We finished our day with dinner at Two Sisters since the Cattle Baron Club wasn't open on Monday evenings. Fortunately, my strained knee improved as I was worried I would have to cancel backpacking.

Here is the video I put together:   [ youtube video ]

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Common Goldeneye

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Otokomi Mountain Saint Mary Lake Singleshot Mountain

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

_____________________

For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled.

Jul 18 2022

desertgirl

Guides 20
Routes 13
Photos 3,189
Triplogs 451

female

Joined Mar 31 2002
Chandler, AZ

North Central, MT

Hiking		Jul 18 2022
		desertgirl • Triplogs 451

Hiking	1.52 Miles	87 AEG

Hiking	1.52 Miles	1 Hour 4 Mns	1.60 mph
	87 ft AEG	7 Mns Break

no routes

no photosets

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tibber

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

_____________________

Jun 08 2022

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 990
Photos 12,079
Triplogs 865

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Beaver Dam Loop, MT

Hiking		Jun 08 2022
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 865

Hiking	3.58 Miles	423 AEG

Hiking	3.58 Miles	1 Hour 33 Mns	2.31 mph
	423 ft AEG

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mamakatt22

After our short Swift Current Hike we still had time to head back to the St Mary Lake area and do the Beaver Pond Loop. Nice loop for an early evening hike. It doesn't get dark until 10 at night here so plenty of time for this hike. This trail loops around a pond with what looks like a beaver dam. from what I was told the beavers no longer use the pond. At the end of the loop if you do it CCW is the old 1913 Ranger station Cabin. Areas of this hike travel through a burned out section of forest from the 2006 Red Eagle Fire. This was an easy late day hike with good views up Lake St Mary. Best if done in the morning for good views to the west without the sun being in the way, for us it was overcast so this wasn't an issue.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Balsamroot Small camas Western Shooting Star

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] American Goldfinch

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Aug 07 2021

Guides 21
Routes 1,182
Photos 36,858
Triplogs 1,570

69 female

Joined Feb 26 2004
Phoenix, AZ

[ checklist ] Canada Goldenrod Fireweed Leafybract Aster Red Clover Sulphur Buckwheat

North Central, MT

Hiking		Aug 07 2021
		tibber • Triplogs 1,570

Hiking	3.56 Miles	458 AEG

Hiking	3.56 Miles	1 Hour 42 Mns	2.11 mph
	458 ft AEG	1 Min Break

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

This was our second hike for the day and we hoped the weather would hold out. I last did this hike in July 2013 after the Romain Homestead 100th Reunion. I did it as a ranger-guided hike since I was by myself. However, the last 1/2 I lagged behind and more or less hiked on my own and somehow I managed to have a 3 part video. There were lots of wildflowers and the topography was very interesting.

Anyway, after our wonderful lunch at the Park Cafe in St Mary, we drove up to a packed parking lot. This is also the TH for Red Eagle Lake. The first stop is the Ranger Office/Cabin and Barn built in 1913. They are impressive structures I think. And then it's up through the thimbleberry and Cow's Parsnips to the forest, much of it dead. For the rest of this part of the hike heading west, you head in and out of various kinds of forests and into and out of meadows with expansive views to the west and north.

We had heard from some other hikers that there was a moose at the pond but we never saw it. However, we did see some bear scat which there would be no shortage of during all of our hiking. The wind was also blowing and in one area where the aspen were growing pretty nicely now, it created an eerie sound.

The meadows weren't as full of flowers as it is in early summer altho there was still some flowers that were blooming and others getting ready for fall. We came upon the pond. It still has that one dead big tree on its side that I saw in 2013. I couldn't see any beaver activity or remnants of such. We decided to hike along the use trail next to the pond as we proceeded west.

Eventually the trail wraps around the west side and meets up with the trail to Red Eagle Lake (a place I'd like to go on a backpack, it's about 7 miles from here) and the old road that goes toward Red Eagle Lake. We did encounter some hikers here but they didn't seem too sure about the hike they were doing so we told them to stay on the Loop and that the mileage is off by about .75.

Eventually you get closer to St Mary Lake and you can somewhat see it through the now burned trees leftover from the 2006 Red Eagle Fire that burned 34,000 or so acres. There is also a long patch of thimbleberry with some fireweed here and there. You eventually come closer to the lake and you can walk out to it for a closer view but it was starting to get chilly so we continued on to the TH.

There were other people there with their dogs so this must be an area you can have your dogs with you. The lot was still pretty full. One thing of note, it is best to hike it clockwise, mostly because the views are so much better.

We had dinner at St Mary Lodge where we would be staying the nite in a very small room. However, this room was much better than the tents we would have been sleeping in as the storm came in around 7 and stayed for most of the nite and into the AM. I should note here that finding breakfast on the east side was a challenge as there was only one place open besides a coffee truck. Fortunately the place open was the St Mary Deli, they had a great huckleberry yogurt parfait.

Here is a two part video from our hike:
[ youtube video ]
[ youtube video ]

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Unidentified Fauna

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Red Eagle Mountain Singleshot Mountain

Wildflowers Observation Light

_____________________

For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled.

Jul 09 2013

Guides 21
Routes 1,182
Photos 36,858
Triplogs 1,570

69 female

Joined Feb 26 2004
Phoenix, AZ