Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Glacier National Park: Grinnell Glacier

On day one of the trip we drove 17 hours to Havre, Montana, including a tour through Roosevelt National Park. On day two, I dragged Jack on an 11 mile round-trip trail with a 1,600’ vertical ascent up to Grinnell Glacier.  At the five-mile-mark, having been 5,000’ lower in elevation only the day before, he was reconsidering his decision to join me on the journey.   
Swiftcurrent Lake
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Lower Glacier Lake nestled below the granite peaks.
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Fireweed.
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A number of waterfalls line the highline trail to the glacier.  This one required a bit of rerouting.
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Lower Grinnell Lake, in all its aqua beauty.
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Indian Paintbrush, the Wyoming State Flower.
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We hiked past a number of Bear Grass patches along the way.
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And, finally, with more than a few heave-ho’s along the way, we finally arrived at Grinnell Glacier…
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… or what’s left of it.  The National Park Service predicts that many of the Glacier National Park glaciers will be nearly completely melted by 2020.  That’s not long, folks.
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The Grinnell Glacier trail was definitely a highlight of the entire trip and one I would gladly do again, with or without a glacier at the summit.

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