Out of Our Rut: Glacier Part 2

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We needed to order a replacement Blue Ox tow bar mounting tabs after the one broke on the way here. We figured since we’re here in Babb for over 2 weeks, there would be no real issue getting them to us. We got the mailing address for our campground and attempted to use it at Amazon. No matter how I entered the address, Amazon wasn’t happy. We drove to the post office just a few miles from camp to ask them if they had any ideas on why we were having issues and whether they would accept general delivery packages. We got the impression that our trouble using the address for the campground might be expected and while they would take general delivery, she would prefer us not to go that route.

She gave us another alternative. There was a woman right across the street from the post office that ran a small business shipping and receiving packages. We headed over to talk with her. It truly is run out of her house and we were initially concerned we were at the right place since there really wasn’t any signage. But she answered the door and told us how to go about using her as the delivery point. As long as our package was under 30 pounds, it would cost us $6 to go this route. From the pamphlet she gave us, it seems like her business caters to Canadians that need things delivered but for whatever reason cannot be shipped directly to them. We are only 10 miles from the Canadian border so I guess it might make sense. We head back to place our order using her address and run into the same problems. I spent 20 minutes trying all sorts of permutations to no avail. So I finally just used the US Post Office address in Babb and that worked from Amazon's standpoint.

When the package arrived several days later and we stopped at the post office to pick it up, the same woman we talked to said the packages had arrived but since they didn’t go through the postal service properly and was dropped off by UPS or FedEx, there should be an additional charge based on weight. The two items were packaged separately and each was going to cost another $17.32. Given we needed these parts, I guess I was willing to pay this additional cost. But before I could pull out my wallet, she said she wanted me to talk with the head postmaster for Babb. I suppose I had a preconceived notion of what the head postmaster would look like - elderly man or woman in the standard USPS issue uniform. So when a 20 something kid came out in jeans and a tank top with tattoos covering nearly all exposed skin and sporting a nose ring and half inch diameter discs in his earlobes, I likely had a bit of a incredulous look on my face. He turned out to be a nice guy and had overheard the conversation and was willing to waive the additional fees. Lesson learned: don’t judge a book by its cover.

We had only scratched the surface of Glacier, but came up with someplace else for the day. Chris had noticed there was a Canadian Provincial Park (equivalent to US State Parks) just over the border from Babb. There were a few geocaches and some hiking trails so we decided to give it a try. Police Outpost Provincial Park is right on the border with the US. In fact it’s name is from back in the day when it was a station used by the Canadian Police to monitor the border. It is probably only 10 miles away, but is over a 30 mile drive. We had no issues crossing into Canada although our Jeep’s navigation system was convinced there were roads across the ranges where we didn’t see one. This park is really out in the boondocks with the last 10 miles or so on dirt roads. A few miles before we reach the park entrance, there is road construction. Being so remote, they really didn’t have the standard traffic control people at both ends of the construction. So as I pull up and survey the situation, it looks like the whole road is missing. I see graders and tractors working up ahead. A guy sitting in a big roller, gave me the sign to proceed even though I wasn’t convinced which side of the “road” I should attempt to drive on. It turned out the side I picked was okay and the Jeep made it thru. It was kind of like a game of chicken with a road grader and I let it win.

The park has a campground area and a day use area near a lake. We find a parking area overlooking the lake and plan our strategy. We initially hike down to the lake and follow the trail along the perimeter to a boardwalk that heads out to a small island. It’s a very pretty spot with great views of Chief Mountain about 8 miles away in Glacier NP. Chief Mountain isn’t the tallest in the park at just under 9100 feet, but is far enough away from the rest of the mountains in Glacier to make it predominantly stand out. We sit at the edge of the lake watching ducks dive for food while we enjoyed our lunch.

Calm Waters at Outpost Lake

Chief Mountain Beyond Outpost Lake

Next we head up a trail to the south of the parking area. It seems like we should be able to make a loop out of the trails here and end up back where we started. Once at the top of the hill, the views are pretty nice. There is some sort of old home down in the valley below but we don’t feel like exerting the energy to check it out up close. As we come down the hill and head east, there is a large wetlands area that is closed to foot traffic due to nesting birds but the trail is accessible and overlooks Pike Lake which is mostly in the US. There are lots of wildflowers in bloom here as well and Chis points out a few to take pictures of.

Old Building

Chief Mountain with Wetlands in Foreground

Prairie Smoke in Bloom

Prairie Smoke Buds

As we start to make the loop back to the campground area, we see a side trail and decided to see where it went. We were glad we let our curiosity get the best of us. The trail took us to a border crossing of sorts. The four strand barb wire fence heading east and west was interrupted by a gate and the type of fencing to prevent larger things (horses, cattle, ATVs) from getting thru. It appeared we could have just walked thru the gate and been back in the US. Although there were signs about penalties for crossing at a non-designated Port of Entry. Plus there did appear to be some sort of surveillance equipment mounted on the US side with some border agent somewhere watching our every move. I would have liked to have seen the granite monument on the other side, but a picture from 20 feet away will have to do.

Un-manned Border Gate to USA

Monument and Warning Sign at Crossing

From here we worked our way back to the campground. It looked to be a reasonably nice one although with the current road conditions just outside the park, I’m pretty sure we shouldn’t attempt driving our motorhome thru the construction area. We ended up getting in about 4 miles, although this is Canada so I should say 6.5 kilometers. We got back to the car and made it thru the construction area again without too much trouble. When we got to the border crossing, the US agent asked where we were and we told him the nearby Provincial Park. He didn’t understand why we were coming thru this border crossing if we were at Waterton National Park (Canada’s equivalent to Glacier). It took a minute to convince him there is another park other than Waterton nearby and he let us go. Maybe word had gotten to him about how we were attempting to sneak into the US at the unofficial crossing an hour earlier! Just south of the crossing is a small turnout with a couple of sculptures welcoming us to the Blackfeet Reservation. They are interesting since they are made of scrap parts from cars.

Blackfeet Welcome Sculpture

When we got back to camp mid afternoon, the place was very crowded. We had noticed the evening prior, more people were coming in with their campers, many of them well after dark. The Blackfeet were having a Pow Wow in the front field of the campground. They had two huge tents erected with a few food vendors and probably a hundred cars and several hundred people. We got past the crowds and made it to our rig. We figured we should head up and see what it was all about. This was the first annual Pow Wow here at the campground. Think of it as a big get together to celebrate their heritage. The one tent had about thirty large drums with groups of 6 to 8 men sitting around them beating a rhythm and singing quite loudly. We watched for a bit but found it to be too much of an aural overload. We moved onto the second tent.

This one turned out to be much more entertaining in our opinion. A small stage at the one end of the tent was for the announcer and possibly judges. Around the outside perimeter of the tent were a hundred people sitting in the chairs watching the center of the tent. This tent was the place for the dance and regalia competition. As the announcer would call out a specific category, participants would head to the open center area of the tent. One of several drum teams would start playing a song and the competitors would begin the dance. Sometimes there would be 30 or 40 participants while once it was a dance off between two men.

Large Group Dancing

And More Dancing

Elaborate Regalia

As an outsider, I’ll admit I might not have understood the underlying dancing technique or any symbolic meaning since everybody seemed to have their own style. What impressed us the most would have to be the regalia the participants wore (don’t call them costumes - that’s for Halloween). Some were plain and simple while others were incredibly ornate and intricate that it must take them an hour or more to prepare. We stayed and hour or so to get a flavor for the event but headed back to the rig after not finding any food trucks that looked appealing and healthy. From the rig, we could hear the constant beating of all the drums. At dark, there was a large fireworks show but we watched what we could from the comfort of inside. I hadn’t mentioned the one downside of staying at this campground, the mosquitoes were horrendous. I guess that’s because it is situated right next to a lake. Going in and out of the rig always seemed to let a few of them in and I would spend the night trying to kill them before trying to sleep.

Old to Young Dancers

Two Man Dance Off

He Has His Bells On

I suspect the drums continued well past midnight, but we eventually got some sleep. The next hike was going to be another one out of Many Glacier. The Swiftcurrent Trail starts out of the parking area for the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. This trail is probably more frequently used by backpackers since it’s tough to make a short of enough loop to have it be a day hike. We figured we would go as far as we could and then turn around and head back. The trail starts out being a very gradually uphill. We go past Fishercap and Redrock Lakes and have a beautiful view as we head up the valley between Mt Wilbur to the north and Mr Grinnell to the south.

Hillside with Bear Grass

Low Clouds

Small Waterfall

One at a Time, Please

By the time we get to Bullhead lake we can tell our valley is starting to disappear with Swiftcurrent Mountain to the west of us - the way our trail is heading. There are some large waterfalls coming off the mountain and are interesting to watch as we get closer. Our first four miles gained a little less than 400 feet. After crossing the small creek from the runoff of the mountains, we start to climb. It was a pretty steady climb with a handful of switchbacks along the way. When we were on the eastern end of a switchback, the view back over the lakes in the valley below us just kept getting better. When we were on the western end of the switchbacks, we would get a better view of the waterfall descending in front of us. We went about one and a quarter miles along the trail gaining about 750 feet in elevation. The last tenth of a mile being on a narrow ledge two thirds of the way up the mountain. I was rather impressed with Chris’ mountain goat impersonation given she is afraid of heights.

Far End of Bullhead Lake

Creek Crossing

Partway Up Looking Back Over Lakes in Valley

Old Windblown Tree

Even Further Up

We got to a point where the next switchback would take us up further but we had a great view of the waterfall and we suspected rain might be on the way. Figuring this might not be a fun trail to go down in the rain, we stopped at that point, and ate our lunch. A few other people passed by as they were continuing on up. One couple had hiked in from Logan Pass but decided to turn around realizing if they went down further, they would just need to hike back up. From our viewpoint up this high, we were able to spot a couple moose wandering around the valley below us. Once we got down to more flat ground, we made good progress back to the car. Along the way, we did get a few sprinkles but nothing too bad. Several hikers heading up the trail informed us about a mother moose and her calf just up ahead. Sure enough, mom was laying down 25 feet off the trail while the little one was walking around nearby. It was kind of surprising that mom didn’t seem to be upset with the small groups of people stopping to take pictures. All in all, a nice hike even if the weather wasn’t the best. It was just over 11 miles total with 1700 feet of elevation gain. And for those keeping track, this was our third hike in Glacier where we spotted significant wildlife.

Close-up of Waterfall

Clouds Rolling In - Good Side Slope on this Hill Covered with Wildflowers

Still a Lot of Snow

Footbridge for Creek

Mom on Left, Calf on Right

Our 11 Mile Swiftcurrent Pass Hike

I guess we didn’t consider our Swiftcurrent hike to be too much, because we headed back to Many Glacier again the next day, parked in practically the same place and started at the same trailhead. No we weren’t going to repeat yesterday’s hike to see if we could make it further but this is how you get to the Ptarmigan Trail. This trail is how you start your hike to get to the Ptarmigan Tunnel or Iceberg Lake. Since the tunnel was still closed due to snow cover, we figured Iceberg Lake sounded interesting too. The day started out with some low hanging clouds but we rain wasn't in the forecast (we hoped). It did make for a different feel when the mountain tops aren’t visible. There is a lot of water running down the gullies along the trail. At some points, it follows the trail for a bit before continuing down the side of the mountain.

Low Clouds Over Mountains

The trail was busy but not quite crowded. At about 2.5 miles we get to Ptarmigan Falls. It is a popular spot to stop for a break and take some pictures. Just a bit beyond there is the split in the trail. Continue straight onto Iceberg Trail or go right to head up to the tunnel. The trail continues up basically circling around a large valley below. We start to see a large flow of water coming off what we suspect is Iceberg Lake.

Bridge at Ptarmigan Falls

Heading Around Valley

Trail Towards Iceberg Lake

Waterfalls in Distance is Iceberg Creek

Lots of Yellow Flowers

As we are getting close, we come around a curve and spot a lake. But there weren’t any icebergs in it. We were almost disappointed until we realized this isn’t the lake we are looking for. We still have another quarter mile to go. After cresting a small hill, we are overlooking Iceberg Lake. It would appear we have timed our hike to have the lake live up to its name. There is a virtual geocache here and the requirement is to post a picture standing in front of the lake. From the two people that found this one before us this year, we knew the lake was still frozen over 3 weeks ago and was just starting to thaw out 2 weeks ago. We seemed to have caught it so there was both open water and some ice bloating around. There was about a 30 foot stretch of the trail just before the lake where there was still snow on the ground but it didn’t look like it would last much longer.

Little Pond Near Iceberg Lake

Iceberg Lake from Distance

Iceberg Lake

One Snowy Patch of Trail

We sat next to the lake and ate our lunch. When we finished eating and relaxing half an hour later, we turned around and were flabbergasted by just how many people were here. There was a “volunteer hiker” walking around and chatting with people. He isn’t a park ranger but does get to do some interesting hikes while keeping an eye on trail conditions and the like. We ended up talking with him for a bit as we headed back down. He said he had done an unofficial headcount and had about 380 people! As we were heading down, there were dozens more on the way up. He mentioned that in the heat of the summer, there can be 1000 hikers up here around the lake.

Small Group of Hikers

Leaving Iceberg Lake

More Flowers Up Close

The hiker volume made for a more challenging hike on the narrower sections of the trail or where the trail is on the side of the steep hill. We went fast where we could and slow where we had to. Even with all the hikers, this was one of our better hikes. As we headed out of the park, I first noticed there wasn’t a line of people waiting at the entrance booth like we normally had seen. But as I came around the corner I saw why. The rangers had closed the Many Glacier entrance an hour or so ago so there were scores of cars parked in the pullouts and along the road before the entrance. We didn’t stick around to determine how or if people were being let in as others like us headed out. We had gone the full 10.5 miles and 1500 feet of elevation without seeing a bear, moose or other animal, so we figured our streak was finished. That was until we came across a black bear looking for something to eat along the side of Many Glacier Road. Our streak is up to four.

Black Bear Along Many Glacier Road

Our Iceberg Lake Tracks

The next day was our wedding anniversary. So we were planning on making it an easier day. Chris had read about the Beaver Pond Trail as being one of the less frequented trails and not all that strenuous. The loop is about 3.5 miles and starts at an historic ranger station. One nice thing about this trail is that while inside Glacier National Park, you don’t need to go thru the entrance line to get to it. Heading into the park from Saint Mary, just before getting to the entrance booths, there is a left hand turn to the historic ranger station as well as the trailhead for the Beaver Pond and Red Eagle Trails. The parking lot isn’t huge but will fit a dozen or more cars. We start out following the Red Eagle which will intersect with the Beaver Pond Trail after a mile or so. Along the way, we run into a group of people heading the other direction. They stop to tell us there was a moose in the pond if we are heading that way. We tell them yes but don’t have any real expectation that it will still be there since we likely have another twenty minutes of so before getting there.

View of East Flattop Mountain from Red Eagle Trail

It appears the Beaver Pond Trail isn’t as well traveled as such, the grasses are tall along the trail. Long pants may have been a better idea. Off to the south, dark clouds seem to be gathering and I had brought my DSLR. We hustled along the trail and eventually go to the Beaver Pond. Low and behold, there on the far side of the pond from the trail was a bull moose standing in the water bobbing its head in for whatever happens to be growing at the bottom of the pond. We were about 200 feet away, so I wasn’t able to get great shots with just my 24-70 mm lens but he was still fun to watch. Chris had brought her binoculars so we could use those as well. We watched for a bit but we were still concerned a storm might be heading our way so we couldn’t stay too long. The rest of the hike was nice with lots of wildflowers along the way. We made it back to the car without getting wet so that made the hike that much better. Our streak of spotting big wildlife on our hiking trips continue - now at five.

Bull Moose in Beaver Pond

Hold Your Breath

Part of Historic Ranger Station

That evening we headed to Two Sisters Cafe just a few miles down the road from our campground. It wasn’t the fanciest of places to have our anniversary dinner, but the food was excellent and the huckleberry cheesecake for desert was incredible.

Storm After Dinner Produced Double Rainbow at Camp

And Created a Dramatic Sunset

The next day, the weather looked to be quite nice so we decided this would be the day to drive up to Waterton National Park in Canada. Think of it as the continuation of Glacier just on the Canadian side of the border. Waterton is only about one eighth the size of Glacier. There aren’t any roads that go directly from Glacier to Waterton. The easiest customs crossing is on the east side of both parks along the Chief Mountain International Highway. The name of this road would seem to be a bit overstated. It’s a two lane curvy, hilly road thru open range cattle territory. For some reason the cattle seem to enjoy congregating along the side of the road and often times in the middle of the road. You come around a curve too fast, you might have a bunch of hamburg and a totaled car. It’s about a 36 mile drive from our campground to the border crossing. Take your time, enjoy the scenery but watch for cattle.

Our plan was to make this first trip to Waterton to scope it out and then determine if we come back another time or two. Back in August of 2017, lighting started a fire in the forests outside of the park but 10 days later the fire had reached the park and did some serious damage. Over a third of the park was consumed from that fire. We knew that several roads and trails were still closed 2 years later from the fire damage, but we wanted to give the park a chance. As you come into the park, the fire damage is pretty obvious. But at one pullout you see the beautiful Prince of Wales Hotel perched on a hill overlooking a lake. I suspect no cost was spared in keeping the fire from reaching this building.

Prince of Wales Hotel (45 mm lens)

Prince of Wales Hotel (500 mm lens)

The park itself is fairly unique. There is actually a town with the park with homes and businesses. In fact the visitor center is kind of in a residential area. (subsequently discovered visitor center burned down in fire and this one is temporary) We go in to get the scoop from the information desk. While not all the trails are closed, many of those that are open cannot be easily accessed because of road closures. Some of the closed roads are open to bicycles but it doesn’t sound promising to come back on a second trip in the hopes of seeing more. We wander around town and check out the pretty Cameron Falls.

Cameron Falls

Another Vantage Point of Prince of Wales Hotel

We were told that the Bertha Lake Trail was open and the trailhead is pretty close to town. We pack our lunch in our Camelbacks and hit the trail. The first part of the trail is very busy. I guess that’s what happens when it’s the only trail available. As we pass groups of people, I wonder if these folks know what is in store for them. Most don’t look like they will make it the 7 miles or so to Bertha Lake and back. Roughly three quarters of a mile into the hike, we have climbed 300 feet and are presented with a very nice overlook. It was then that I realized that likely more than half the people coming up the trail will be turning around at this point.

Nice View Back Over Town

Our Trail Heads That Way

From this overlook, the trail turns up into a bit of valley. This whole area was burned in the fire. The one saving grace is with no tree canopy over the forest floor, the wildflowers are going crazy. As the trail continues back and up into the valley it eventually crosses over the creek at Lower Bertha Falls. It’s about 1.5 miles and 550 feet in elevation to get here. This is a very popular place too, but we are on a mission to get to Bertha Lake. Once we start up from the falls, the trail is practically empty. I suspect only 5 to 10 percent of the people that start the trail continue onto the lake. It’s only another mile to the lake but we will climb an additional 1150 feet in that mile! Yes it is a steep trail. Along the way, we catch a glimpse of Upper Bertha Falls but it isn’t very close to the trail. When we finally get to the lake, we come across maybe a dozen people. Yep, the crowd definitely thinned out. We pull out our lunch and try to eat but the mosquitoes seem to be hungrier than we are. We end up inhaling the food so we can get moving again.

Heading Up Valley Toward Falls

Floor Full of Wildflowers Amidst Burned Trees

Lower Bertha Falls

Flower Lined Trail

Looking Back Down Valley

More Burned Trees

Made It to Bertha Lake

Water Streaming Down into Bertha Lake

The walk back down went fairly well. We stopped at the lower falls for a snack with about 50 other people that were there. The good thing about heading down later in the afternoon, not so many people were heading up. We made it back to the parking lot with about 7.5 miles and 1800 feet of elevation. We then drove over to the Prince of Wales Hotel to see it up close. There doesn’t seem to be adequate parking for hotel guests let alone visitors like us but we find a spot and take a quick look inside. The interior is just as striking as the exterior. The chandelier hanging in the middle of the great room is massive. We enjoyed our trip up here and it was worth the effort. We will have to keep this on our list for a return trip after more of the park has been opened up again. The line to get thru customs at the border did take quite some time but after that we made good time dodging cows along the way.