![]() ![]() We turned around after another mile or so, but this view reveals glaciers not visible from any road, and the mountains are just stunning. Be sure to read all the plaques! :) Once through the tunnel, you hike along a rock wall with a beautiful view of Elizabeth Lake. The rest of the hike offers the incredible wide-open expansive views that somehow only Glacier NP can provide - it's really amazing.Īfter splitting of an heading up a valley with all those open views, you pass treeline at Ptarmigan Lake and continue on up to a literal hole in the mountain. The hike is not incredibly strenuous at any point, but there is a large, very exposed switchback just before the tunnel. I assume that's because of the two destinations: Iceberg Lake is a little closer and by some measure has the higher bang-for-your-hiking-buck, being the site more people are familiar with (and a wonderful destination, also!). You start on the same trail that goes to Iceberg Lake, and we found there was less traffic once the trails split. It's over 5 miles each way to do the Ptarmigan Tunnel, and I really suggest you go some distance past that to really get an appreciation for what lies beyond. We then retraced the five miles we had come as we took in the scenery but also lamented that this would be our last day at this amazing national park.Whether this hike is really "long" of course depends on your personal definition of what's a long day-hike. Distance: 9. Two young guys were even crazy enough to dive into the water to reach one of the bigger icebergs! Overall, it was a sight to behold… We sat there for about an hour with many other families, eating lunch and sticking our toes into the freezing cold water. ![]() Ptarmigan Tunnel 5.3 mi (8.5 km) Elevation gain: 2,300 ft (701 m) Trailhead: Iceberg Ptarmigan Trailhead Tunnel doors generally open mid-July to late September. The lake does not get too much sun, so ice remains well into the summer, and sometimes fall, after the harsh Glacier winters. The Iceberg Lake Hike is in the Many Glacier area and you will need to pay a fee to enter Glacier National Park and will also need a reservation to get into. Ptarmigan Lake 4.3 mi (6.9 km) Elevation gain: 1,700 ft (518 m) Trailhead: Iceberg Ptarmigan Trailhead. It was some of the bluest, clearest water either of us had ever seen, with chunks of ice floating on top of it like little icebergs. But the walk was enjoyable still, with the views getting more spectacular as we went along, including lots of my favorite wildflower, bear grass!įinally, we started to catch a glimpse of the lake. We recognized the rocky enclosure that was to surround the lake off in the distance, so we kept feeling like we were coming right up on it, only to have several more miles to go. ![]() Perhaps we would have with binoculars, but again, the views were more than enough to make this trail worth it. Iceberg Lake is a popular hiking destination, and the trail that gets you there adds to the experience. Unfortunately, we did not spot any bears, elk, bighorn sheep, or any other animals we were told we might see in the wide open fields or running across any of the mountains. We noticed mostly because it was in the seventies the day we hiked it – probably the warmest day we had in the park. Much of the trail is out in the open, with short stretches shaded by trees. We certainly felt the incline, but if we didn’t know, we would not have thought we climbed that much! The trail is well maintained, very family friendly, and one of the busiest we saw in the park, so it conceals its climb well. The rest is a gradual incline that takes hikers up a total of 1200 feet over the next almost five miles. The trail starts out with a climb of 250 feet over 0.1 miles, mostly over deep rock stairs, and we were told that this was really the only steep part of the trail. As this is a heavily trafficked bear area, we set out bear spray in tow and hoping to see some scurrying across the open fields as others have said they’ve seen. We were torn between the Grinell Glacier and Iceberg Lake hikes, and ultimately decided on the ten-mile round trip hike out to Iceberg Lake.Īfter the hour and a half up to Many Glacier, we parked at the historic Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and walked the short distance to the trail head. On our last day in Glacier, we went up to the Many Glacier area of the park, which we had heard was fantastic. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |