One last Glacier trip!

As you know, the heavens opened, the rains descended, the smoke dissolved, and the park continued to call our names!  We simply had to go back so we could--one last time--see the grandeur of the region without the hazy pallor of smoke sheltering our views.  And, we were not disappointed.  The azure blue skies highlighted the glacial peaks and gave us magnificent views all along the Going to the Sun Road.

 This mountain is called Heaven's Peak.

We also had the opportunity to view a few of the plenteous waterfalls along the route that were still running so late in the season.

 This short waterfall is right before you arrive at Logan's Pass.



These photos were taken at the Visitor’s Center at Logan Pass and are fine specimens of the glacial horns.  They may look familiar from our other trip, but this time the skies are bright and blue!

 

 

 

At Logan Pass, we turned around and started back down the mountain.  This waterfall (below—sorry for the lousy photo) is called Bird Woman Falls.  It plummets from a hanging valley—a side valley marooned above the main valley floor.  Waterfalls throughout the park follow a similar pattern.  The key to the pattern is glaciation.  A hanging valley is a glacial orphan. When ice filled this scene, the thicker, heavier, main valley glacier quarried faster and deeper than its tributaries. After the glaciers receded, the smaller side valleys were left hanging high above the main valley floor. 

This is Haystack Creek.

 

Our next stop was Avalanche Creek/Trail of the Cedars.  What we really liked about this trail is that it was short enough of a hike/walk for us to take since we had to leave Sadie in the car (national park … no dogs on trails!).  So, anytime we are in a national park and have a short hike that we can take we are happy, happy, happy.  This was a beautiful, plank trail that meandered through the cedars, following Avalanche Creek, exposing us to some incredible beauty created by an amazing Creator.

 

 

 

 

Some of these trees, according to the signage, were young when Peter the Great ruled Russia, Mozart dazzled the courts of Europe, Thomas Jefferson crafted the Declaration of Independence, Sacagawea helped guide Lewis and Clark to the Pacific, the U.S. fought its civil war, and the Wright brothers took to the air above Kitty Hawk.

  

 

 

One of the “side trips” along the trail that went down to the creek had this great display of cairns.  People are so imaginative!

 

 

 

The creek after the cairns.

 

Photo opp!! 

 



Here’s a cool waterfall on Avalanche Creek and it was about half-way through the trail loop.

 

 

 

The waterfall emptied into Avalanche Creek. 



Then, there’s beautiful Lake McDonald, but these photos are from the Going to the Sun Road and not from Lake McDonald Lodge, which is where I took most of our previous Lake McDonald photos.  The lodge would be somewhere in the middle of the picture … way back in there!

 

 



The mountains in this view are as follows:  Little Matterhorn, Edwards Mountain and Gunsight Mountain.

Now, here’s a close-up of Little Matterhorn.

What a better way to end the day than with some fall foliage.  I love the ground cover when it starts turning crimson. 



Check out my FB page for the running water videos.  Falls and creeks ... just love the sound!!

 Until our next blog …

 

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”