Trick Falls

St. Mary, MT
Glacier NP
August 7, 2013


 Our fourth adventure destination...Two Medicine.

Views from US-89

 From St. Mary, it was a beautiful drive on US 89 south for about 19 miles.



Then we made a sharp right turn onto MT-49.

Looking Glass Road

MT-49 is better known as Looking Glass Road. It is a beautiful scenic drive thru the Blackfoot Indian Reservation.






Beautiful space...as far as the eye can see.

And spectacular views of Lower Two Medicine Lake...





...with views of Rising Wolf Mt.







At one time, Two Medicine was a primary destination in the park...before the Going-to-the-Sun Road was constructed. Today it is off-the-beaten-path so to speak.




Our plan was to have a relaxing day. The weather forecast had predicted a 60 percent chance of thunder showers and rain. Not a day for hiking.

It had rained earlier in the day...the ground was moist, the air was cool and the aroma of fresh fir trees filled our noses!

The nature trail is wheelchair accessible. We had the pleasure of meeting  Mr. B and his owner.

 Two Medicine is included in the over 5 million acres of the Glacier/Bob Marshall Wilderness ecosystem known as Rocky Mountain Front.

Two hundred years ago, this territory introduced Lewis and Clark to the quintessential American wilderness.

 Although much of the landscape throughout the US has been lost to logging, mining, and development, the Rocky Mountain Front is the only region in the lower 48 states that is still home to all the species present at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

 This was a nice find for the day...seeing this Black Cottonwood tree.

The bark is grey and covered with lenticels, becoming thick and deeply fissured on old trees.

 It is a large tree, growing to a height of 98 feet tall with a trunk diameter of over 6.6 feet. Some of these trees live to be 400 years old.

 Running Eagle Falls also known as "Trick Falls" flows off the river between Lower and Upper Two Medicine Lakes.



It is nicknamed trick Falls because there are actually two separate waterfalls in the same location. During spring runoff (which we missed) water rushes over the top ledge for a 40 foot drop that covers up the lower falls/


By late summer, the upper falls is dried up. Water continues to rush through a sink hole at the top of the cliff before flowing out of an opening in the cliff face...this creates a 20 foot falls.

This is the top of the cliff. You can tell where the water in the spring flows.

 The rock walls were beautiful!

 And so were all the flowers!

 As you can see...it was a gorgeous day...not a drop of rain or a single thunder storm.

Our hike for yesterday was cancelled however...why? Rain...cold, drizzly, windy rain!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time...

Eight Miles of Beauty!

St. Mary, MT
Glacier NP
August 6, 2013

 Third hike destination...as close as we could get to Grinnell Glacier. I say that because this hike is an 11 mile hike round trip. With 4 pups waiting in Belle, we just set out and decided to turn around when our time was half up. We made it four miles in.







 This trail begins at the Many Glacier Hotel and carried us around the shoreline of Swiftcurrent Lake.

This part of the trail is flat, easy, and full of photo opps.

 I was hoping to see a moose, even a deer would have been great, but just not meant to be.

We did spot a fisherman...





...a Pipsissewa which is a new wildflower for me to photograph...

 ...and a mama grouse with three babies. What a joy to watch her and listen to her soft clucking.

 She was very attentive to her babies.

 And enjoyed a dust bath.








From here, the trail turned right.

 Wildflowers, butterflies, and rock walls on our left...


 

 ...and Lake Josephine and mountains on our right.
















We made a steady, gradual ascent towards Upper Grinnell Lake...its a 1600 feet rise to the glacier.

 From here the trail travels through open countryside with no obstructions to the incredible views that were all around.




This was our lunch view and the end of the trail for us.

Salamander Glacier, Mt. Gould and Lower Grinnell Lake were all visible.

 Salamander Glacier lies on a shelf which is part of the Continental Divide at an average elevation of 7200 feet. Before Grinnell Glacier retreated significantly, it used to encompass Salamander.

 View of Salamander Glacier

Grinnell Glacier rests on the north flank of Mt. Gould at an average altitude of 7000 feet. It is melting quickly and is likely to be entirely gone within 30 years.




Lower Grinnell Lake has an opaque turquoise appearance from rock flour (silt) which comes from the melting glacier.

 This is one of the more popular hikes in Glacier NP. If you are looking for quiet and solitude, you might not find it here.

 It's popular because of its incredible beauty.

There were a few colors of fall...already!

 We had a much more relaxed day today...

...visited another waterfall. The forecast was for 60 percent chance of thunderstorms...hasn't happened yet.

Until next time...

 

P.S. Does anyone know what these berries are? We see them on all our hikes. They are so red and shiny and almost look artificial...like berries I bought for Christmas decorations.