Hidden Lake Overlook Trail- 2

The trail left the boardwalk as you can see here.  The knees were happy with the change.

We did some climbing and trudging over rocky terrain, but soon leveled out.  My knees were aching and I was almost ready to turn back when we met some other NC hikers our age who said, Keep on!  You don't have far!  It is so worth it!"

The level area had this gorgeous little pond that I loved enough to stop right there and stay a few days!

It really wasn't far at all to a little rocky ledge where we got this view of Hidden Lake below.  The trail goes on for hardy hikers to the edge of the lake below.  We were happy to enjoy our lunch right there.

And look who joined us for lunch!!  Mama mountain goat was wandering around us too and they both wandered back down the mountain as we did all the way to the pond.

Glacier NP is a really wonderful place!  The Amtrak train still stops at several places on the park edge.  Great Falls, MT airport is not too far away!

Hidden Lake Overlook Trail-1, Logan Pass, Glacier NP, MT

Here are a few photos from our favorite hike at Glacier as I promised.

 About half the trail is on strangely sloped boardwalk with many steps along the way to protect the delicate sub alpine flowers and vegetation.  This area is covered with wildflowers and many little waterfalls from 6 inches to larger distant ones.

The trail is described as a series of 'hanging gardens' and it crosses one after another as it climbs the rock ledges at the base of Mt. Elbert.

The snow was still melting on the mountain and it made lots of waterfalls coming off the mountain as we circled around it toward the Hidden Lake Overlook.

Part 2 will include photos of the Lake Overlook area, our destination and lunch stop.

East Glacier National Park, MT

After traveling the south edge of Glacier NP twice on the train, we had hoped for an extended visit someday.  The train stops at the East Glacier Hotel and we had wandered and wondered at the station there.  Even though it was high season for visitors, we followed the advice of a camper at North Cascades and took the chance on camping at Rising Sun CG on St. Mary's Lake.  It is located just a little west of this photo.  On our second day in the area we got a very private, spacious site there.  Yes!

The Canadian part of the park, Waterton Lakes in Alberta (about 50 miles north) was a perfect place to explore on the next day of heavy rain and fog.  The historic hotel there offered afternoon tea and typical English pub fare so we grabbed the rain gear and headed north.  Even in the fog the views from the dining room of the lake waters and mountains was wonderful.  Great tea and English Crisp (waffle fries, pulled pork, sour cream and scallions) too!

 
The Many Glacier Hotel area is the center of activities on the East side and it is about 15 miles north of the St. Mary's area where we camped.  They had a Ranger led tour of the historic hotel so we went north again.  When we entered the hotel lobby just beyond the red tour bus at the entrance a fire was roaring in the huge fire place and a violinist was playing for the guests scattered through the lobby.  Wow, just too lovely!  Not to mention the breath taking view! ( I really did get a headache because I forgot to breathe.)

On Sunday the weather prediction was at last good so we boarded the free shuttle for the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road and it's high point, Logan Pass.  The Hidden Lake Overlook Trail starts there and was described as crossing hanging gardens of wildflowers, to circle Mt. Clements and climb to an overlook of the Hidden Lake in a 3 mile roundtrip.  There are not enough superlatives in my vocabulary to tell the beauty in every inch of this hike!  It will always top my list!

 East Glacier has 4 separate areas of magnificent beauty to explore.  I'll try to blog more another time.  I took 66 pictures on the hike alone and we never even got to the Two Medicine Area.  We had to leave a day early when they closed our campground because a grizzly bear walked through the middle of the Campfire Program on Sunday night just after I was there for Evening Worship.  Glad I missed that program!