I didn't sleep well last night thanks to Josh's little comment about bear attacks in campsites occurring when bears rip drowsy campers right out of their sleeping bags; regardless we were ready for our first official hike in Glacier. We walked straight from our campsite at Many Glacier Campground to the trail head for Iceberg Lake.
Ptarmigans!
Aren't these little snow chickens adorable? They are big but they are stealth.
The number of wildflowers (regarding to both quantity and different species) is astounding. I have never in my life seen more wildflowers than in Glacier.
We reached our destination just five miles later.
I know it is called Iceberg Lake but I wasn't expecting icebergs in a lake. These are the last remnants of what used to be a glacier, the glacier that carved this cirque (the bowl-shaped depression in the mountain). As sad as it is that the glaciers are melting the icebergs look really cool (no pun intended) in the lake.
We saw three grizzlies on the way back to camp (I can only guess they are waiting until nightfall, when they may or may not have a bear jamboree in our tent).
There was a sudden storm that rolled through (fortunately the 70% chance of rain, which was supposed to start at 3pm held off until we returned from our hike), sending us all, while frantically grabbing out things, running into Raya and Josh's trailer. Luckily it subsided enough for Raya to cook us dinner (thanks, Raya!).
We are so lucky to be here.
I love seeing your campsites and knowing where you were. Love that.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of a Ptarmigan. Thank you for delighting and informing. Gorgeous and educational.
The wildflowers are breathtaking. I would go just for those. My favorite is the photo with the bee. Exceptional.