August 20: Glacier National Park, West

August 20

We're up early but we still miss the second express shuttle and wait for the third at 7:36 am.  The shuttle buses are free but only hold 15 passengers and the express goes right up to the top, Logan's Pass.  The fires have gotten worse and the smoke in the air makes it harder to breathe.  Check out "the red rubber ball", also known as the sun at 8:50 am.

Clements Mtn as we head up to Hidden Lake.

See the little bird, only 3' away

Wildflowers next to the path

Where water is found, more flowers

There's this huge rock in our path.

Hidden lake below Bearhat Mtn

Directly behind us as we look at Hidden lake

As we look around from the observation deck, we see six mountain goats, two mommas, a teenager, a set of twins and a little one.  They head towards us, cross the path, back across, no, wait, cross again and walk the path, eat the tops of flowers, go across the waterfall, and finally cross over the slide rock and disappear.

We see this little ground squirrel, darting right next to the path, stops, pulls the flower heads down, and then eats the seeds.  Not afraid at all!

Since that was only a 3 mile hike, we decide to do one more over to Avalanche Gorge.

And on to Avalanche Lake.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?

Lots of trees, standing and on the ground.

Waterfalls coming into the lake

The lake.  A nice beach with at least 75 people

This was a 6 mile hike with a 500' elevation.  We say goodbye to Glacier National Park.

Dinner is baby back ribs with coleslaw, baked beans, red baby potatoes and fry bread served with honey and butter; it's delicious!  Brown Ale and Moose Drool Brown Ale finish the feast.