Avalanche Lake

For my second day in Glacier National Park I planned my second longest hike of my road trip -- Avalanche Lake.

Conditions were once again overcast when I started off, like they had been a few days earlier for Delta Lake.

Fortunately, the clouds never produced rain.  So when I reached the lake I was able to set up and shoot to my heart's content.

And my heart was, indeed, quite content.  The lake is stunning, sitting in a beautiful bowl of towering cliffs.

I loved seeing three sets of cascades all flowing down the rock walls to feed into the lake.  Truly special.

I'll confess to having been in a bit of a hurry on the hike to the lake, nervous that it would start to rain.  I took a more leisurely pace on the return trip and stopped more frequently to appreciate things like these little baby Western Hemlock cones.

Avalanche Creek is a sight itself, with lots of spots to take in the interesting rocks ...

... swirling cascades ...

... and roaring, rushing sections where the creek is forced through a narrow channel.

I didn't capture many wildflowers, but these Bride's Bonnets are pretty little things.

My hike covered 5.14 miles roundtrip with a modest 689 feet of elevation gain, and I covered the distance in a brisk 2:12:30 not counting the time I spent at the lake.  And I stayed dry the whole time, which was a nice bonus!

Related Links:

• Two Medicine, Part I
• Two Medicine, Part II
• Going-to-the-Sun Road
• Hidden Lake Overlook
• Saint Mary Falls Trail