SPARKLE
We slept in the next
morning. After dining on breakfast
burritos, we walked over to the Ranger Station to pick up the permit for our
backpacking trip. While we were there,
we discussed our intended route with the ranger. We had reservations for the Sperry and Gunsight Lake backcountry
campsites, but we weren’t planning on taking the traditional route. Instead, we intended to start at Logan Pass
and hike to Sperry by way of Hidden Lake, Floral Park, and the Sperry
Glacier. After discussing the details
of our route, we watched the Leave No Trace video and collected our permit.
Before we left, I overheard
that the trail to Iceberg Lake, which had been closed all summer, had opened
the previous day. I asked the ranger if
it was likely to remain open for long.
He told us that based on the number of reported bear encounters from the
previous day, he wouldn’t count on it.
I decided right then that I’d better do the hike to Iceberg Lake that
day.
Christy wanted to take a
recovery day before beginning our backpacking trip, but she had no problem with
me doing the hike solo. She decided to
take a short walk over to Fishercap Lake to relax in the sun. I packed quickly, threw a lunch together,
and walked from our campsite over to the trailhead. They parking lot there was packed. Apparently word that the trail closure had lifted got out quick.
I left the parking area at
11:30, and began a modest climb. Before
long, I reached a small group of people congregating on the trail. They were watching a bear, which was grazing
just a short distance below the trail.
This one was a black bear, but he was close enough to provide some
excitement. I watched him for awhile,
and took a few photos, before resuming the hike.
From the trail, I was
treated to nice views of the Swiftcurrent Valley, the Ptarmigan Wall, and the
high peaks of the continental divide. Eventually
the trees closed in, and the views disappeared for awhile. Some time later, I reached Ptarmigan
Falls. It’s difficult to get a good
view of the falls here, but the brink of the cascades still provided a nice
spot for a late lunch.
I resumed the hike, and
broke out of the woods after a short distance.
From there, the trail passed through open slopes featuring staggering
views of the peaks surrounding the cirque ahead. The hike from there to the lake was delightful. Eventually I crossed the creek draining the
lake just upstream from a significant waterfall. A brief climb followed, leading to an overlook of Iceberg Lake.
Iceberg Lake is a true
beauty. Its sparkling blue water is
stunning, and the sunny day enhanced the view.
A large snowfield on the far side of the lake provides its namesake
icebergs. Today though, there were only
a couple of small chunks of ice floating along the far side of the lake. I guess if its icebergs you’re after, the
lake below Grinnell Glacier is a better choice. For a beautiful lake though, you can’t beat this one.
I headed down to the water,
where I found a huge crowd. I wasn’t
feeling that social, so I followed a path around the left side of the
lake. Before long I found a nice lonely
spot among boulders and wildflowers to relax.
I had a snack there, and took in the view. After some relaxation, I headed up the slope in search of a
better photographic angle. I followed a
primitive, high-elevation route that connects to the Swiftcurrent Valley, and
even ran into some hikers heading down from that lofty destination. My desire for a better photo was largely
unsuccessful. The cliffs towering above
the lake are exceptionally tall, and it’s quite difficult to capture the entire
scene without a wide-angle lens.
I enjoyed the lake a while
longer before heading out. As I was
departing, a number of the people along the shore were taking turns jumping in
the lake. At least it was a warm, sunny
day. I’m sure that made the ice-cold
water a little more bearable.
I hiked back quickly,
returning to camp in 2 hours. I ended
up completing the 10 mile hike in about 6 hours. When I returned, I found out that Christy had spent a wonderful
afternoon at Fishercap Lake. While she
was there, she spotted two Moose, a mama and a baby. I had wanted to visit the lake that evening to look for Moose,
but she had already seen them. By the
time we finished our spaghetti dinner and packed for our backpacking trip, it
was dark. Since we had to get up early
the next morning, we scrapped those plans and headed for the tent.
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!