Glacier: Lake McDonald

(This post continues the story that began with Riding the rails and Little train on the prairie.)

Despite it’s reputation for tardiness, Amtrak’s Empire Builder rolled into West Glacier station almost exactly on time.  After an enjoyable 27 hours on the train, we grabbed our bags and walked out as dusk was settling over Montana.  Our rental car was waiting for us at the station and, after a bit of confusion about where to pick up the keys, we headed into the park, drove along the shores of Lake McDonald and arrived at Motel Lake McDonald.

Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park
Avalanche Lake

Glacier is an amazing, breath-taking, dazzling, extraordinary — I don’t know what adjective to use — 1,583 square-mile wonderland in the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Montana.  If you like to hike, there are more than 700 miles of trails.  If your time is limited, you can at least drive the awe-inspiring Going to the Sun Highway that scales the continental divide.  Boat rides, horse-back adventures, and tours in shiny red historic buses round out the available activities.  Our 7-night stay was much too short.

We enjoy hiking.  So, after getting some suggestions from a ranger at the Visitor Center, we started out with a hike on the St. Johns Loop Trail, located near the east end of Lake McDonald.  The trail is relatively short (1.8 miles) and easy.  It starts out as a quiet walk through the forest with the only concern being an “Entering Grizzly Country” sign.  We didn’t see much of Johns Lake (or any grizzlies), but the trail eventually opens out to a footbridge that crosses McDonald Creek where the water flows over fractured bedrock to create the Sacred Dancing Cascade. The trail continues along this enchanting stretch of water and finally reaches McDonald Falls, where you can sit on the edge of the rocks and admire the power of the water.  Near the end of the trail there’s a nice view as the creek flows out into Lake McDonald with mountain peaks visible in the distance.

Another easy hike is the Trail of the Cedars.  This is shorter than the St. Johns Loop (1.0 miles) and is an easy stroll through a forest of very large old western hemlocks and red cedars.  The trail is wheel-chair accessible and part of it follows a boardwalk that takes you through the tall trees.  The best part of the trail is about half way around the loop, where the Avalanche Lake Trail splits off.  A bridge crosses the creek here and offers a great view of a very narrow gorge through which the glacier-fed creek flows vigorously, slowly carving out the hard rock.

We were intrigued by the view we had of the beginning of the Avalanche Lake trail so we returned another day to see what it held in store. It’s a longer trail (4.5 miles) and, although some guide books rate it as easy, moderate is more realistic. There are many roots and rocks along some sections of the trail so be sure to watch your feet. With that minor caveat, I would heartily recommend it. Many others must recommend it as well because the trail was full of eager hikers of all ages.

The first section of the trail follows Avalanche Creek, offering more great views of the narrow gorge.  As the creek widens and emerges from the rocks, the trail moves away from it and enters a more heavily wooded stretch.  If you pay attention, however, you can still hear the creek in the distance.  The trail is not overly steep, but, with the assistance of the 4000′ elevation, it encourages hikers (especially older ones) to stop once in a while for an oxygen break.  Finally, after descending a bit and passing through a short section of heavier vegetation, the trail introduces you to a lake surrounded by tall, waterfall-clad mountains.  You can sit on the beach here and enjoy the view, or you can follow a trail along the west side of the lake.  As we walked along the western shore the changing angle of the sun caused the lake to take on a rich aqua hue.  The photos will give you a hint, but they can’t compare to having this lake spread across your field of view.

When your legs tire from hiking, you can always cruise on Lake McDonald, tour the park in a “Red Jammer” bus, or just relax in historic Lake McDonald Lodge.

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